Which former Penn State players, coaches, are involved in the XFL this weekend?
Former Penn State coaches and players will represent the Nittany Lions this weekend when the new-look XFL kicks off its first season.
The 10-game slate begins when the Vegas Vipers take on the Arlington Renegades at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC. That matchup will feature three Nittany Lion connections. The day’s other contest, which sees the Orlando Guardians visit the Houston Roughnecks at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, will not.
Two contests are scheduled for Sunday. The St. Louis Battlehawks, which have one onetime Lion, battle the San Antonio Brahmas at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. Finally, the Seattle Sea Dragons and their Penn State ties match up with the D.C. Defenders at. 8 p.m. on ESPN.
The most Penn State connections are found in Seattle
The Seattle franchise is led by former NFL coach Jim Haslett. He, of course, spent the 2015 season as a consultant at Penn State after leaving the Washington Redskins, where he was the defensive coordinator, in 2014.
“Jim has an outstanding football mind and invaluable experience that will be a tremendous resource,” Penn State coach James Franklin said of Haslett at the time. “He has great knowledge of the game at the next level and we plan to put that to good use. He will work with our offensive, special teams and defensive coaches and will be a fantastic sounding board for our staff.”
Haslett will coach alongside one and coach two onetime Lions in Seattle. Former Penn State student assistant linebackers coach and graduate assistant Matt Fleischacker is the linebackers coach.
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Moving on to the roster, offensive lineman Michal Menet is on the team. Defensive end Shareef Miller is, too. The former was a seventh-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2021 NFL Draft but has yet to appear in a pro football game. The latter was a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019 but was never active for a game day despite stops Carolina and Atlanta in addition to a second signing with Philadelphia.
Las Vegas has three former Lions in its ranks
Starting with the coaching staff, Las Vegas hired former standout Penn State defensive back Darren Perry to coach that position in the XFL.
As for the roster, running back John Lovett and defensive tackle Robert Windsor will play for the Vipers. The former only spent one season with the Lions. Windsor, on the other hand, saw his role along the defensive line grow over the course of his multi-year career in State College. He was an All-Big Ten pick as a senior. Injuries derailed his brief NFL stint. But, if healthy, he could find a key role in the startup league.
Penn State has one tie to the St. Louis franchise
The only other XFL team with a Penn State tie is St. Louis. Offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez will play for the Battlehawks. He, too, will seek a chance to revitalize his football career in the new league.
