In the game of football, the most important position on the field is the man behind center, the quarterback. When it comes to these Professional Spring football leagues like the return of the USFL, the quarterback position is going to be a crap shoot. Teams will be picking guys from the free agent pool that went undrafted. Guys that clung to a practice squad position in the NFL. Perhaps a guy who has had a cup of coffee in the NFL, would be your seasoned veteran compared to the rest of the unknowns. Maybe even a Spring league veteran from the past football leagues would be a guy taking a few snaps and perhaps be the most seasoned of them all. In the first round of the USFL, teams went quarterback shopping. Teams went after guys that young with potential and not experience in professional football. I’m sure more seasoned veterans who have done more will be plucked away in weeks coming if they want to play Spring ball. Guys will be added from Spring leagues of the past as well. That brings me to the second selection of the first round by the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL draft, as they selected former St. Louis BattleHawks starter of the XFL part two Weekend at Bernie’s. Looks like Jordan Ta’amu will be the most seasoned professional quarterback in round one just because he played 5 games in the XFL in the 2020 spring League. Ta’amu was the least seasoned when he was picked in the XFL draft in 2020, & it was his first ever professional football contract.

Jordan Ta’amu might be happy to just play football again or use the USFL as a catapult back to the NFL. The NFL road has not worked out well as Ta’amu was originally signed by the Houston Texans in 2019. Then Texans cut ties with Ta’amu as the young quarterback was undrafted and did not even finish the pre-season in Houston. This after a half season playing in the XFL, which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 virus invasion. Ta’amu was one of the very few players that some of the NFL teams signed. The Kansas City Chiefs signed Ta’amu to a reserve/futures contract with which months later he was waived. Ta’amu would never get any NFL action, but he landed on few practice squads of the NFL. T’amu did two stints in Kansas City and Detroit with pit stops in Washington and Carolina from which he was released in early January.

Jordan Ta’amu is only 24 years old and his journey in football has been a mile long already. In college, Ta’amu played two years for the New Mexico Military Institute in 2015-16. Ta’amu then transferred and made it to a bigger university, Ole Mississippi. Then signing that first professional contract to play in St.Louis of the XFL, got people’s attention. St. Louis fans used the BattleHawks like the rebound girlfriend when their Rams of the NFL moved from back to LA. Ta’amu is a duel threat quarterback as he can use his legs as well as pass the rock. In 5 games as a BattleHawk, Ta’amu completed 97-134 passes for 1,050 yards with 5 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. Both those interceptions were coming against the undefeated Houston Roughnecks, Ta’amu did have a combined 316 yards in battle all the way to the end. Ta’amu also had 41 rushes for 217 yards with one touchdown. Ta’amu’s biggest game was against the Dallas Renegades where he passed for 209 yards while rushing for 77 in a BattleHawk win. At the midway point of that XFL season, Ta’amu had the Battlehawks in a three way tie in the Eastern Division.

In the last USFL of the 1980’s, Tampa Bay called their team on offense, Bandit Ball. Jordan Ta’amu might be right now coming into his first season of the USFL behind center as one of the top guys with the most seasoning when it comes to a track record of something in professional football. In the 1980’s, the Bandits had John Reaves behind center, a home town guy who played his College Ball for the University of Florida. Reaves would play 8 seasons in the NF, of which one of them was after the USFL folded. He stayed in town and did one more year with the Buccaneers. In Reaves’ three seasons as a Bandit, he threw for 10,011 yards completing 766-1,364 passes for 62 touch down passes and 61 interceptions. Who knows if the first go-around of the USFL stats will interact with the second go-around of the league. Ta’amu will not want all those interceptions that Reaves threw. Tampa Bay football fans probably would like to see Ta’amu be the next Steve Young, a guy who can stay in the pocket and pass and run when needed. Ta’amu would probably thrive in a well-balanced attack with a good running game to be successful. Ta’amu does not make a lot of mistakes behind center, so Bandit Ball II could be resurrected, but he’s not much eye candy. I like that fact that Ta’amu has had success in the Spring league environment. Imagine being on the practice squad in the NFL and just soaking it all in. Ta’amu might take his game to a new level. Who knows? Just playing the game and being 24 years old, he might stay awhile. Doug Flutie came back to the NFL after being very successful up North In Canada. I think most people are just hoping this next Spring fling just finishes an entire season.