St. Louis Battlehawks

The St. Louis Battlehawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL owned by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha Acquico. The Battlehawks play their home games at The Dome at America's Center.

St. Louis Battlehawks
Team logo
Established2018 (2018)
Based inSt. Louis, Missouri
Home stadiumThe Dome at America's Center
Head coachAnthony Becht
General managerAnthony Becht
Owner(s)Alpha Acquico, LLC[1]
LeagueXFL
DivisionEast (2020)
North (2023–present)
ColorsRoyal blue, white, grey, navy[2]
       
Websitexfl.com/teams/st-louis

The Battlehawks have a franchise regular season record of 10–5 (.667), the third highest win percentage among all current XFL teams.

History
Logo from 2020 season, retained with minor adjustments for 2023

McMahon era (2020)

On December 5, 2018, St. Louis was announced as one of eight cities that would join the newly reformed XFL, as well as Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, DC, Tampa Bay, and Dallas.[3] On April 18, 2019, the team hired Jonathan Hayes, who most recently was tight ends coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, as their first head coach. Hayes is an alumnus of the University of Iowa.[4] The team name and logo were revealed on August 21, 2019, as well as the team’s uniforms on December 3, 2019.[5]

On October 15, 2019, The BattleHawks announced their first player in team history, being assigned former Ole Miss Rebels Quarterback Jordan Ta'amu.[6]

The BattleHawks won their first game in team history on February 8, 2020, defeating the Dallas Renegades 15-9. On March 12, 2020, The XFL announced that the remainder of the 2020 XFL season had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished with a 3-2 record. On April 10, 2020, The XFL suspended operations, with all employees, players and staff terminated.[7]

Johnson and Garcia era (2023–present)
Steven Mitchell carries the ball for the BattleHawks during a 2023 game against the DC Defenders

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.[8][9] The XFL hired Anthony Becht as a Head Coach on April 13, 2022, with the expectation that he would be coaching the St. Louis team.[10] On July 24, 2022, the return of a St. Louis XFL franchise was confirmed, as well as the hiring of Anthony Becht.[11] On October 31, 2022, the XFL officially announced that the BattleHawks name would be returning, with the logo having slight alterations.

The Battlehawks finished tied for second place in their division in the 2023 regular season with the Seattle Sea Dragons with a 7–3 record. The Sea Dragons were granted the playoff position after several rounds of tiebreakers[12] (and the lack of any wild card, at-large or crossover process, which ensured the eventual champion Arlington Renegades, three games behind St. Louis in overall league standings, got into the playoffs instead). In an offseason showcase in St. Louis, league president Russ Brandon indicated that the Battlehawks would continue in St. Louis "obviously(...)for the very long haul."[12]

Current roster

Players
St. Louis BattleHawks roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

  • -- Kemari Averette
  • -- Kemore Gamble
  •  9 Jovani Haskins
  • 84 Jake Sutherland
 Offensive linemen
  • 78 Vadal Alexander G
  • -- Jake Brammer C
  • 73 Juwann Bushell-Beatty T
  • 77 Shane Carpenter T
  • 74 Steven Gonzalez G
  • 77 Eric Magwood T
  • 67 Christian Olmstead G
  • -- Cedrice Pailiant G
  • 61 Mike Panasiuk C
  • 55 Dallas Warmack C

Defensive linemen

  • 98 Freedom Akinmoladun DE
  • -- Eric Assoua DE
  • 37 Erik Hansen DE
  • 95 Elorm Lumor DE
  • -- Christian Mejia DT
  • 99 Gelen Robinson DT
  • -- Jadrion Taylor DE
  • 91 Taniela Tupou DE
 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists

Unsigned Draft Picks

  • -- Darion Chafin WR
  • -- Jacob Gall C
  • -- Matthew Jester DE
  • -- Kevon Latulas RB
  • -- Anthony Witherstone CB

Undrafted Rights List

  • -- Eric Black DE
  • -- Aidan Borguet RB
  • -- Jaylen Hall WR
  • -- Dom Peterson DT
  • -- Justin Ragin DE

Free Agent Rights List


Roster updated October 25, 2023
51 active, 11 inactive

→ XFL rosters

Staff
St. Louis BattleHawks staff
Front office
  • Director of team operations – Anastasia Ali
  • Director of player personnel – Dave Boller
  • Director of media relations – Brian Stull
Head coach
Offensive coaches
  
Defensive coaches
Team operations
  • Athletic trainer – Eric Avila
  • Equipment manager – Todd Hewitt
  • Video manager – Sean Hollister

Player history

Current NFL players
XFL Season Pos Name NFL team
2020 QB Taylor Heinicke Atlanta Falcons
2023 DT LaCale London Atlanta Falcons
2023 OT Jaryd Jones-Smith Washington Commanders
2023 S Lukas Denis Atlanta Falcons
2023 QB A. J. McCarron Cincinnati Bengals

Notable players
XFL Season Pos Name Notes
2020 RB Matt Jones Former Washington Redskins Running Back
2020 RB Christine Michael Former Seattle Seahawks Running Back
2020 P Marquette King Former Oakland Raiders Punter

XFL Special Teams Player of the Year award winners
Battlehawks XFL STPOY winners
Year Player Position Selector
2023 Darrius Shepherd WR XFL

Coach history

Head coach history
# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
St. Louis BattleHawks
1 Jonathan Hayes 2020 5 3 2 .600 - - -
2 Anthony Becht 2023-present 10 7 3 .700 - - -

Offensive coordinator history
# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
St. Louis BattleHawks
1 Doug Meacham 2020 - - - - - - -
2 Chuck Long 2020 5 3 2 .600 - - -
3 Bruce Gradkowski 2023-present 10 7 3 .700 - - -

Defensive coordinator history
# Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards
GC W L Win % GC W L
St. Louis BattleHawks
1 Jay Hayes 2020 5 3 2 .600 - - -
2 Donnie Abraham 2023-present 10 7 3 .700 - - -

Rivalries

Vegas Vipers

The Battlehawks' main rival is the Vegas Vipers. The fans of the Battlehawks constantly joke that Viper fans defecate while standing.[13]

DC Defenders

The Battlehawks also have a rivalry against the DC Defenders.[14] Although the Defenders have won all three matchups between the two teams, 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.[15] A week later, the Battlehawks' quarterback, A. J. McCarron, called their competition the "first XFL rivalry."[16]

Los Angeles Rams

The Battlehawks have never played the Los Angeles Rams, and likely never will because the Rams are in the NFL, but if the matchup ever did occur, it would be a historic game for the city of St. Louis. The Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 and remained there until 2015, before relocating back to Los Angeles. During their tenure in St. Louis, they advanced to two Super Bowls and even won the Super Bowl in 1999.

However, Stan Kroenke, a native-Missourian, decided to move the Rams back to Los Angeles even after saying, "I'm going to attempt to do everything that I can to keep the Rams in St. Louis."[17] This created much distaste for Kroenke in the city of St. Louis, which is why Battlehawk fans constantly chant "Kroenke sucks!" at games.

During the 2020 season, the LA Wildcats served as a proxy for the Rams, both teams representing the Los Angeles metropolitan area. An uptick in demand for tickets for the Battlehawks' home game against the Wildcats was what initially prompted the league to expand seating capacity[18] (the game ultimately was never played due to pandemic restrictions).

Overall regular-season record vs. opponents
Team Record Win %
Vegas Vipers 2-0 1.000
Orlando Guardians 2-0 1.000
Arlington Renegades 2-0 1.000
San Antonio Brahmas 1-0 1.000
Seattle Sea Dragons 2-1 .667
Houston Roughnecks 1-1 .500
DC Defenders 0-3 .000
Los Angeles Wildcats 0-0 N/A

Records
All-time Battlehawks leaders
LeaderPlayerRecordYears with Battlehawks
PassingA. J. McCarron2,150 passing yards2023
RushingBrian Hill416 rushing yards2023
ReceivingHakeem Butler599 receiving yards2023
Coaching winsAnthony Becht7 wins2023
Tackles Willie Harvey Jr. 59 tackles 2023
SacksTravis Feeney5.0 sacks2023
InterceptionsBrandon Sebastian3 interceptions2023

Attendance
XFL Attendance Records[19]
Year Week Team Attendance
2023 4 St. Louis Battlehawks 38,310
2023 5 St. Louis Battlehawks 35,868
2023 8 St. Louis Battlehawks 35,167
2023 9 St. Louis Battlehawks 33,142
2023 10 St. Louis Battlehawks 33,034
2020 3 St. Louis Battlehawks 29,554
2020 2 Seattle Dragons 29,172
2020 4 St. Louis Battlehawks 27,527

Market overview

During the 2020 season, the BattleHawks were the only XFL team that was founded in a market that lacked a current National Football League franchise. St. Louis hosted NFL football in 1923 with the All-Stars, 1934 with the Gunners, 1960 to 1987 with the Football Cardinals, and again from 1995 to 2015 with the Rams, which moved to Los Angeles in the 2016 season. There is a significant negative sentiment against the NFL in St. Louis,[20] as the owners of the Cardinals and Rams moved to other markets, with the Cardinals saying that the city and county governments of St. Louis declined to provide an adequate new stadium and the Rams saying in a latter that the Dome at America's Center was unacceptable and rejecting the offer of a new stadium in the market in favor of relocating back to Los Angeles. As St. Louis was one of the most recent cities to lose an NFL team, with acceptable facilities by XFL standards, the dome was seen as a good choice.

St. Louis has hosted one alternative professional football team: the Arena Football League's St. Louis Stampede of 1995 and 1996. None of the major alternative outdoor leagues of the late 20th and early 21st centuries had a team there. Some indoor football teams have played at Family Arena in suburban St. Charles, Missouri, including the RiverCity Rage and River City Raiders. Until Lindenwood University (located in St. Charles) joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022, St. Louis had also been devoid of NCAA Division I football at both the FBS and FCS levels since 1949, when the Saint Louis University Billikens dropped football as an intercollegiate sport; the nearest FBS football squad, the Missouri Tigers, play in Columbia, and since 2023 with the return of the Battlehawks, the Tigers have played occasional home games at the Dome,[21] sharing an aging roll-away turf surface with the Battlehawks that proved to be unsightly when relined for the Tigers' use.[22]

The St. Louis BattleHawks share the Missouri winter sports market with one other major professional team, the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues, and with the Billikens', Lions' and Tigers' college basketball teams. In the spring the BattleHawks share the pro sports market with Major League Soccer's St Louis City SC and the always well-supported Major League Baseball St Louis Cardinals.

The Dome at America's Center was built for a future National Football League expansion team or relocation and as an addition to the adjoining St. Louis Convention Center. In 1995, the under construction dome lured the Los Angeles Rams to St. Louis. After the Rams left in 2016, the Dome continued to host a plethora of other events, enough that the stadium was unable to host a team in the former Alliance of American Football for the 2019 season.[23] The XFL rented the Dome for $800,000 per season (a $300,000 flat fee plus $100,000 for each game) in exchange for keeping all of the revenue from ticket sales; the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission keeps concession and parking revenue.[24] As part of the agreement to return in 2023, the XFL signed a three-year lease on the Dome with similar terms to its 2020 lease.[25] For XFL games, the Dome has a reduced capacity, similar to the San Antonio Brahmas use of the Alamodome and the Orlando Guardians at Camping World Stadium.[26] The terms of the lease offer a per-ticket rebate if a sufficient number of tickets are sold in a given game, the proceeds from which covered the majority of the XFL's cost to rent the facility.[27] After two consecutive sellouts of the lower bowl, city officials began planning to open up some sections of the upper decks to accommodate more fans while still maintaining the up-close intimate atmosphere the league seeks.[18] This carried over into the 2023 season, with an estimated 35,000 tickets sold for the team's March 11 home opener and the upper decks of the dome being opened to accommodate the high demand.[28] The game drew an XFL record 38,310 attendance, eclipsing the previous record St. Louis set in 2020 and record of 38,253 set by the San Francisco Demons of the original XFL in 2001.[29]

The BattleHawks lead the league in followers on Twitter, Instagram, and in fan attendance.[30][31] The St. Louis media market led the nation in television viewership for the opening week, posting a 7.4 Nielsen rating for the BattleHawks' first game.[32] Fans often chanted “Kroenke Sucks” to express distaste for Stan Kroenke, the former owner of the St. Louis Rams, who controversially returned the team to Los Angeles, California following the 2015 NFL season.

Through the 2023 season, the Battlehawks have hosted just 7 home games. However, those 7 games all rank in the top 8 for attendance in XFL history. The lone exception is the 2020 Seattle Dragon's week 2 home game. Additionally, the Battlehawks also hold the top 6 spots in most attended XFL games.

References
  1. Perry, Mark (August 3, 2020). "More Details On The Rock Purchase Of The XFL, How Many Bidders". XFL News Hub. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  2. "St. Louis BattleHawks' uniforms, helmet". XFL.com (Press release). December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  3. "XFL picks Houston as an inaugural city, announces stadiums". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  4. Smith, Michael David (2019-04-18). "XFL hires Jonathan Hayes as St. Louis head coach". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  5. Spedden, Zach (2019-08-21). "XFL Team Names and Logos Unveiled". Football Stadium Digest. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  6. Florio, Mike (2019-10-15). "XFL announces its eight allocated quarterbacks". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  7. van Beethoven, Ludwig. Symphonie Nr. 5 c-Moll = Symphony no. 5 in C minor, op. 67. OCLC 994793754.
  8. "The Rock Buys the XFL for $15 Million". RingsideNews.com. August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. Kerr, Jeff (August 2, 2020). "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson buys XFL for $15 million with partners RedBird Capital and Dany Garcia". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  10. "XFL Announces Head Coaches: Reggie Barlow, Anthony Becht, Terrell Buckley, Jim Haslett, Wade Phillips, Bob Stoops, Hines Ward and Rod Woodson". www.xfl.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  11. "XFL Unveils Team Markets and Venues: Arlington, Houston, Orlando, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Seattle, St. Louis, Washington D.C." www.xfl.com. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  12. Perry, Mark (2023-07-09). "XFL's Russ Brandon Talks League Expansion, Playoff Revamp, and Shattering the Spring League Curse". xflnewshub.com. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  13. Hill, Daniel. ""Vipers Fans Poop Standing Up" and Other XFL Facts From BattleHawks Fans". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  14. Lyons, Joe (2023-03-17). "Battlehawks look for better result against XFL rival D.C. Defenders". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  15. "XFL brawl: Three players ejected during Defenders-BattleHawks showdown in final minute of game". CBSSports.com. 2023-03-06. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  16. Inabinett, Mark (2023-03-17). "AJ McCarron, Battlehawks part of 'a little XFL rivalry'". al. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  17. Thorman, Joel (2010-04-21). "Kroenke: 'I Will Do Everything I Can To Keep Rams In St. Louis'". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  18. "St. Louis Battlehawks looking to add seats". www.audacy.com. March 1, 2020.
  19. "XFL Attendance". XFL News and Discussion. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  20. "If Corrupt NFL Wants the Chargers In STL, Here Are Our Terms: Pay Up, For Everything". 101Sports.com. 2018-10-23. Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  21. "'St. Louis has the Tigers': How Missouri football used 'hometown' environment to remain perfect". themaneater.com. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  22. "Dome at America's Center officials say turf is 'safe' despite criticism of appearance". www.audacy.com. 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  23. "St. Louis Left Out As AAF City With Dome Unavailable For Games". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. June 21, 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  24. "Fox2 obtains agreement between XFL, St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission". FOX2now.com. 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  25. Rubbelke, Nathan (August 1, 2022). "As XFL returns to St. Louis, its rent for The Dome won't change". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  26. St. Louis BattleHawks [@XFLBattleHawks] (2019-10-08). "Season ticket information is out 👀 Start making your plans now #ClearedToEngage #STLBornAndRaised More details here: t.co/OzTegnZpc0 t.co/Fr4SF964Jm" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2021-01-19 – via Twitter.
  27. Rubbelke, Nathan (April 28, 2023). "Contract clause allowed XFL to recoup much of its Dome rental fees for Battlehawks games". St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  28. "Battlehawks open up 400-level tickets to fill the Dome". FOX 2. 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  29. Gould, Andrew (March 12, 2023). "Look: Football World Reacts To The XFL Attendance News". TheSpun.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  30. Fulk, Konnor. "XFL Momentum: Social Media, A Look At The Numbers". XFLNewsHub. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  31. Barrabi, Thomas. "XFL attendance on the rise through 3 weeks". FOX Business. FOXBusiness.
  32. Caesar, Dan. "St. Louis draws XFL's best TV rating in the nation". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
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