The DC Defenders are a professional American football team based in Washington, D.C. The Defenders compete in the United Football League (UFL). The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Defenders play their home games at Audi Field. The Defenders have a regular season record of 12–3 (.800), the second-highest win percentage among UFL teams as of its 2024 season. They were also the top team in the 2023 XFL, boasting a 9–1 record and scoring 49 more points than the next closest team, the St. Louis Battlehawks.[2][3]
History
McMahon era (2020)
On December 5, 2018, Washington, D.C., was announced as one of eight cities that would join the newly reformed XFL, as well as Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Dallas.[4] On February 21, 2019, the team hired Pep Hamilton, who was most recently an assistant with the Michigan Wolverines football team, as their first head coach and general manager. Hamilton is an alumnus of Howard University and was familiar to XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck through Hamilton's work with Luck's son, former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck.[5] The team name and logo were revealed on August 21, 2019, followed by the uniforms on December 3, 2019.[6]
First ever XFL kickoff against the Seattle Dragons at Audi Field, in 2020DC hosting the St. Louis BattleHawks at Audi Field, in 2023Former logo for the DC Defenders used in 2020
On October 15, 2019, the Defenders announced their first player in team history, being assigned former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones.[7] Later that day, the 2020 XFL Draft took place. The Defenders selected wide receiver Rashard Davis with the first overall pick, but he did not play for the team and later signed with the Tennessee Titans.
On February 8, 2020, the Defenders won the first game in modern XFL history, defeating the Seattle Dragons by a score of 31–19.[8] On February 15, 2020, the Defenders beat the New York Guardians by a score of 27–0, which was the first shutout in modern XFL history. On March 12, 2020, the XFL announced that the remainder of the 2020 XFL season had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 10, 2020, the XFL suspended operations and terminated all employees, players, and staff.[9]
Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia era (2023–present)
On August 3, 2020, it was reported that a consortium led by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Gerry Cardinale (through Cardinale's fund RedBird Capital Partners) purchased the XFL for $15 million just hours before an auction could take place; the purchase received court approval on August 7, 2020.[10][11] In March 2022, a report emerged that Reggie Barlow would become the new head coach of the D.C. XFL franchise, confirming that Washington, D.C., would return as an XFL city. Barlow's hire was official on April 13, 2022, as well as the return of the D.C. franchise on July 24, 2022.[12][13] On October 31, 2022, the XFL announced that the Defenders name would be returning, this time with a brand new logo.[14]
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[15] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge with details surrounding the merger to be announced at a later date.[16] The merger would also require regulatory approval.[17] In October 2023 the XFL filed a trademark application for the name "United Football League".[18] On November 30, 2023, Garcia announced via her Instagram page that the leagues had received regulatory approval for the merger and were finalizing plans for a "combined season" to begin March 30, 2024.[19] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023.[20]
The Defenders have a rivalry against the St. Louis Battlehawks.[22] The Defenders have won all three matchups between the two teams. In addition, every game has been decided by one possession and has determined who is the top team in the division at that point in the season. At the end of their first meeting of the 2023 season, three players were ejected after a brawl broke out.[23] A week later, the Battlehawks' quarterback, A. J. McCarron, called their competition the "first XFL rivalry."[24]
Defenders fans have taken up a tradition of assembling beer snakes out of empty beer containers. The snake constructed at the March 8, 2020, game vs the St. Louis Battlehawks ended up spanning several rows, including a contribution from then-Commissioner Oliver Luck.[25]
In the 2023 season opener against the Seattle Sea Dragons, fans threw lemons onto the field after stadium security personnel confiscated several attempts at making a beer snake, delaying the game for a few minutes. This prompted the Defenders to discuss the issue with Audi Field security and set new guidelines that allowed the beer snake to return during the next home game on March 5.[26]
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