34 former NY Jets who are part of the XFL in 2023

The XFL is returning for a third time this coming weekend as the revived pro football league kicks off its 2023 season on ABC, ESPN, and FX.

The above sentence is not something I ever envisioned becoming a reality over two decades ago. Somehow, someway, the XFL has survived two deaths and has risen back to life to tempt its fate again. It sounds like the current state of the NY Jets, to be honest.

22 years ago, soon-to-be Jets wide receiver Kevin Swayne would catch the first-ever XFL touchdown pass from then-quarterback, and future college football head coach, Jeff Brohm.

The Orlando Rage and that version of the XFL have long since been forgotten by many. However, there are longtime Jets fans who do remember the name of Kevin Swayne. The undrafted Division II standout at Wayne State defied the odds to become a regular NFL player from 2001-2004.

To get to the Jets, Swayne did the unthinkable, playing 52 straight weeks of football. In 2001, he played in the XFL, Arena League, and then the NFL in the same year.

Swayne had very modest numbers in his three-year run as a deep reserve with the Jets: 20 catches for 310 yards and a touchdown. However, Swayne's tale, as lost it may be in the history books, is an inspiration for the over 98 percent of college football players who don't make the NFL every year.

That's where pro football leagues like the XFL, which operate in the NFL offseason, prove their value. Even if "Player 54," as XFL 2023 owner Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has labeled his league's players, doesn't make it into or back to the NFL, the opportunity for football players to live out their dreams and reach for that possibility is worth its weight in gold.

The XFL will be employing 408 players over eight teams: the Houston Roughnecks, San Antonio Brahmas, Arlington Renegades, St. Louis Battlehawks, D.C. Defenders, Seattle Sea Dragons, Vegas Vipers, and Orlando Guardians. The league players' average age is 25, and over 300 have some form of NFL experience.

The opportunity to start or advance pro careers doesn't only apply to players. The XFL is also creating that possibility for coaches and personnel scouts. It gets overlooked on NFL coaching resumes, but alternative pro football leagues have also been training grounds for the likes of coaches like Sean McVay and others.

The XFL just so happens to have a combination of former Jets playing in their league and ex-Jets coaches patrolling the sidelines. And in the case of new head coaches like Anthony Becht, the XFL has former Jets players looking to advance themselves in the coaching ranks.

Here are the 34 former New York Jets, coaches, executives, and players who are on each XFL 2023 team.

Former NY Jets on the St. Louis Battlehawks

Anthony Becht, HC

A former first-round pick of the New York Jets, Anthony Becht played five seasons in green and white in the early 2000s. Becht was a solid all-around tight end who had an 11-year career in the NFL.

Becht made the Pro Football Writers All-Rookie Team in 2000 but was largely overshadowed by one of the Jets' most incredible draft classes up until this previous season, which saw the unbelievable rise of dual rookies of the year, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, not to mention the breakout performance of running back Breece Hall.

Becht joined the league with fellow first-round picks John Abraham, Shaun Ellis, and Chad Pennington. That team and group of players saw a lot of success. For all but one year during Becht's time with New York, the Jets were a playoff team and contender.

Never flashy, the heady Becht played his role well with the Jets on offense and special teams, so it's no surprise that he transitioned to life as an analyst in his post-playing career. Becht has also played the role of lead and mentor to players off the field.

The combination of that with dabbling in coaching players in college all-star games, the NFL combine, high school, and spring pro football has given him the bug to lead his own pro team.

It's an unconventional hire by the XFL, but Anthony Becht sold the league during the interview process and went from a dark-horse candidate to a lead dog. He's compiled a unique St. Louis staff, including former NFL QB Bruce Gradkowski as his offensive coordinator.

Little known fact, Gradkowski has exclusively graded all NFL passes for Pro Football Focus for the last several seasons.

Tory Woodbury, TEs coach/special teams coordinator

It's not shocking to see Becht reunite with former teammates-turned-coaches on his staff. Tory Woodbury spent two seasons with Becht on the Jets from 2001-2002.

The undrafted small-college QB from Winston-Salem State found a way onto New York's roster by playing scout team QB, WR, and on every unit on special teams. That versatility is what caught the eyes of teammates and coaches, and ultimately led Woodbury to a career in coaching.

He has paid his dues as an intern, scout, and assistant in the NFL and college ranks. Becht is giving Woodbury a shot to further his career.

Donnie Abraham, DC

A former teammate of Anthony Becht's with the Jets from 2002-2004, Donnie Abraham has followed a similar path to Becht's in his post-playing career. The former Pro Bowl cornerback, after years of being an assistant, is getting an opportunity to coordinate his own defense.

La'Roi Glover: DL coach

There's a recurring theme on Anthony Becht's staff. La'Roi Glover is another accomplished former NFL player who has worked his way up the coaching ranks, and Glover, like Becht, also has a history with the NY Jets, except not as a player.

The six-time Pro Bowl defensive end coached up the Jets' defensive line for two years in 2017 and 2018. XFL players would benefit from taking Glover's guidance, not just because of his impressive playing resume, but because once upon a time, Glover resurrected his career playing for the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe.

Freedom Akinmoladun, DL

One player who can benefit from Glover's tutelage is former Jets defensive lineman Freedom Akinmoladun. The former Nebraska standout didn't spend much time on the Jets back in 2021 on the team's practice squad, but short stints, unfortunately, have been a regular thing for him.

Akinmoladun has played in four NFL games but has been a regular on three separate team's practice squads since 2019.

George Campbell, WR

Chances are that if you are a Jets fan and don't remember Freedom Akinmoladum, you won't recall George Campbell's time with the green and white. The former four-star recruit out of Florida was an undrafted free agent by the Jets in 2020 but was let go at final cuts.

The 6-foot-4, 183-pound wideout had a tumultuous time in college at FSU and West Virginia and has never lived up to his billing. Becht, who has covered the Jets for several seasons, has seen the potential of players like Campbell in Jets' camp. Becht and his staff are giving him a shot to realize it.

Former NY Jets on the D.C. Defenders

Gregg Williams, DC

Here's a former member of the Jets who needs no introduction. Infamous, notorious, and controversial, there are so many different ways to describe Gregg Williams and his reputation after coaching for over four decades.

After two rocky years as the Jets' defensive coordinator, Williams is back coaching pro football again, but for the first time since the '90s, he is doing it outside the NFL bubble. The truth is that even when Williams was inside the NFL, everything about him was outside the lines.

The enigmatic and ultra-aggressive coach will always be remembered in Jets lore for his all-out blitz call against the Raiders in 2020 that caused an uproar among NFL media. It was his last play call in New York.

The Jets fired Williams after he zero-blitzed Derek Carr and got burned with a game-winning Hail Mary touchdown with five seconds left, dropping the Jets to 0–12.

The media was outraged, insisting that Williams was following orders on a tank job designed to draft Trevor Lawrence. However, what they failed to realize is that Gregg Williams was marching to the beat of his own drum.

No matter how enigmatic Gregg Williams may be, there's no denying his resume. The Defenders did well getting someone of his experience to run their defense. And Jets fans, based on how they ended up with Zach Wilson, probably wish that the team would have let Williams finish the job in 2020.

Chad Hansen, WR

The former fourth-round pick of the New York Jets didn't quite live up to expectations in New York. The 28-year-old first-team All-Pac 12 receiver out of California hasn't been able to break through and get significant playing time in the NFL.

He's been on eight different NFL teams since 2017. Chad Hansen has had 26 catches for 330 yards and a score as mostly a reserve player.

Josh Malone, WR

Josh Malone is another former Jets player who, like Chad Hansen, was selected in the fourth round in the 2017 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-3 target out of Tennessee has been with seven NFL teams, and he was most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers on their practice squad.

Malone spent two seasons with the Jets in 2019-2020. He bounced between the practice squad and the active roster, playing six games.

K.D. Cannon, WR

The Defenders have four different blink-and-you-might've-missed-it former Jets players on their roster. The Baylor standout signed with the Jets in the 2017 offseason but didn't last very long with the green and white. That's unfortunately been the story of K.D. Cannon's pro career.

The once prolific collegiate receiver hasn't been able to stick anywhere he has landed, and bad luck has followed him around. He is currently on the Defenders reserve list with a knee injury, and his status for the XFL season is in doubt.

Santos Ramirez, S

If you forgot about the previous names on this list, then you are definitely going to forget that Santos Ramirez was ever a Jet. The former team captain at Arkansas had two separate stints with the Jets playing under Gregg Williams, and that's probably why he is back with his former coach again in D.C.

In fact, Ramirez is slated to start the season for the Defenders at strong safety.

Former NY Jets on the San Antonio Brahmas

Hines Ward, HC

Yet another figure on this overall list who is from the Adam Gase era, this time, it's someone who the fan base adored a bit more, future Hall of Fame wide receiver Hines Ward. The Pittsburgh Steelers great spent two seasons with the Jets in 2019/2020 as an offensive assistant.

Ward is getting a grand opportunity in San Antonio to lead his own team. He's always been an easy person to root for unless you are a defensive back who is about to get crack blocked by him.

Jimmie Johnson, RBs coach

No not that Jimmy Johnson. This Johnson, no relation to Woody, coached the Jets tight ends for four seasons from 2015-2018 during the Todd Bowles era.

Jim Herrmann, DC

Perhaps longtime Jets supporters or New York football fans will remember Jim Herrmann. There was a time when Jim Herrmann, the former national championship coordinator at Michigan, was one of the most heralded assistants in the NFL.

Eric Mangini hired Herrmann in 2006, and he was considered an essential ingredient against rival New England. So much so that when Herrmann later moved on to the Giants, he was credited with helping the G-Men take down the Pats' attack in winning Super Bowl XLVI. A few years later, the Steelers hired Herrmann as a consultant to help them beat the Patriots.

Kalen Ballage, RB

This list is filled with ghosts from recent Jets past. Kalen Ballage, despite having a short stint with New York, was a memorable name because of how he eventually joined the green and white.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound tailback was a highly coveted player based on his elite skill set and 4.40 speed. Then Miami coach Adam Gase was fond of him, so when Gase made his way to New York, the Jets traded for Ballage, but he failed a physical voiding the deal.

Ballage eventually landed with New York later after the Dolphins cut bait, and he appeared in only three games with the Jets before being sent on his way to the Chargers.

Derrick Kelly, OL

A four-year starter at Florida State, signed with the Jets last spring after spending three seasons with the Saints and one on the Giants practice squad. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound tackle was released by the Jets near final cuts but ended the 2022 season back with New Orleans on their practice squad.

Luq Barcoo, CB

Another temporary Jets player in 2022 lands on this list, almost as a technicality. Luq Barcoo, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound defensive back has a ton of talent. It's why the Jets and four other NFL teams have taken extensive looks at him since 2020.

A good showing in the XFL could land him back on one of those NFL teams again later this spring — maybe the Jets.

Former NY Jets on the Vegas Vipers

Joey Clinkscales, director of player personnel

Once upon a time, Joey Clinkscales was one of the rising stars in the NFL scouting ranks, and he was also the Jets' top talent evaluator for many years, 18 to be exact. Clinkscales was around for the Bill Parcells era with Mike Tannenbaum all the way until Rex Ryan's glorious runs to a championship.

Clinkscales started out as a full-time scout in 1994 before eventually moving up the ranks to national scout and then director of college scouting in 2006. He would eventually part ways with New York to join the Raiders in 2012.

There were some ups and downs during Clinkscales's time in New York, but the team landed some of its best players ever during his tenure, including Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold, and D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Ray Sherman, WRs coach

Rod Woodson has some grizzled vets on his coaching staff, and two of them were Jets assistants in the '90s. Ray Sherman, back in 1994, was supposed to be the Jets' solution at offensive coordinator for then-rookie head coach Pete Carroll. Things don't go as planned for Carroll or Sherman in New York.

Bob Wylie, OL coach

The Jets tight ends coach under Bruce Coslet in 1990 and 1991 is a well-traveled assistant who has coached for over four decades.

Isaiah Williams, OL

Interestingly enough, Isaiah Williams is back in the XFL after playing in the league three years ago. Since that time, he has had three different NFL stints. The former Tampa Viper, now Vegas Viper, spent 2021 with the Jets on their practice squad.

He was elevated to the active roster on three separate occasions. The Jets let him go at final cuts before the 2022 season.

Brandon Dillon, TE

Small-school tight end Brandon Dillon is another player who was with the Jets on their practice squad in 2021 before being let go in 2022. The first-team NAIA All-American at Marian College spent three seasons on and off the Minnesota Vikings roster before making his way to Gang Green.

Antonio Garcia, OL

The former third-round pick of the New England Patriots out of Troy in 2017 was claimed by the Jets off waivers in 2018, but a blood clot issue in his lungs, which caused Antonio Garcia to lose 40 pounds, affected his playing ability.

Truthfully, he hasn't been able to get back on track since college, but the Jets and Pats saw something in him.

Destiny Vaeao, DT

The undrafted Samoan nose tackle from Washington State showed a lot of promise in his first three seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, but injuries have been his Achilles heel — they ended his time in Philly.

The Jets took a shot on Destiny Vaeao in 2018. He did land on their practice squad and was activated to the main roster, but knee issues slowed him down with New York, and then eventually with the Carolina Panthers as well.

Former NY Jets on the Orlando Guardians

Terrell Buckley, HC

The Orlando Guardians have only one member of their team that has any history with the Jets, and it's a faint one at that in their head coach Terrell Buckley.

The FSU legend, and one of the better defensive backs in his heyday, played one season with the Jets in 2004 as mostly a reserve, playing in 16 games and registering three interceptions.

For a Jets team that had a strong playoff run that year, it was odd seeing Buckley in green and white after watching him battle the Jets for many years with the Dolphins and Patriots.

Former NY Jets on the Seattle Sea Dragons

Jim Haslett, HC

Yet another XFL head coach with some history with the Jets. Albeit, this one is a bit of a stretch. Jim Haslett, the former NFL Head Coach of the Year, who was also NFL Rookie of the Year with the Buffalo Bills, spent his final pro season with the Jets.

After breaking his leg with Buffalo in 1985, Haslett tried two years later to make a brief comeback with the green and white in 1987. He played three games with the Jets, starting two before the NFL went on strike. Not precisely the swan song Haslett was looking for, but at least he tried.

Josh Perkins, FB/TE

As long as we are stretching, might as well do one more in Seattle. Josh Perkins the fullback/tight end tweener has been with four NFL teams since 2016. His last stint in the pros was in 2021 on the Jets' practice squad.

Former NY Jets on the Arlington Renegades

T.J. Barnes, NT

The 6-foot-7, 364-pound Georgia Tech nose tackle spent three seasons with the Jets, mainly as a practice squad player. At Barnes' massive size, it's hard to get lost in the crowd, but in the NFL, despite his unique measurables as a run-stopper, he hasn't received much playing time. That was the case with the Jets.

Aaron Adeoye, DE/OLB

The talented late bloomer from Southeastern Missouri State took a unique route into the NFL after only playing one year of football in college. Three different NFL teams have signed the former basketball standout.

The Ravens rostered Adeoye for two seasons on their practice squad. The Jets picked him up off waivers in 2021, but let him go after only eight days.

He would then land on Green Bay's practice squad and spend time with them until 2022, but it was almost as if Adeoye never was a Jet. Even though, he was...kind of.

Edmond Robinson, LB

Edmond Robinson has had two stints with the New York Jets, once in 2017, and then again in 2021 after Robinson starred in the XFL in 2020.

Former NY Jets on the Houston Roughnecks

Deontay Burnett, WR

Although his stint with New York wasn't a long one, most fans of the Jets have a soft spot for Deontay Burnett. The former All-Pac 12 receiver seemed like an ideal fit, reuniting with his USC quarterback Sam Darnold. And for a brief moment in time late in the 2018 season, it seemed like maybe the Jets hit on something by adding Burnett.

Burnett played in five games with the Jets in 2018 and even garnered one start against the Chicago Bears, where he finished with a team-high of 61 receiving yards on four receptions. But for whatever reason, Burnett was seldom used afterward.

Nearly a year later, the Jets would let him go right before the start of the 2019 season. Burnett would then play three seasons with the Eagles and Niners, but he hasn't been able to get back to where he was when he showed a spark with the Jets. Maybe the breakthrough finally comes for Burnett as a starter in Houston with the XFL.

Tim Ward, DE/OLB

Tim Ward falls under the category of "oh yeah, whatever happened to that guy." Ward has a high-priority waiver claim by Jets general manager Joe Douglas at final cuts in 2021.

He had been with the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons, winning a Super Bowl with them before Kansas City let the edge rusher go before the season.

The Jets claimed Ward, and he spent the entire 2021 season with green and white. The 6-foot-6 lanky edge rusher played 11 games for New York but was sparingly used rushing the passer. Ward finished with 12 tackles and two passes defended.

In August of 2022, the Jets moved on from Ward. He would spend the 2022 NFL season on the Green Bay Packers practice squad. Something tells me that in Wade Phillips's 3-4 defense in Houston, Ward will parlay that into another shot in the NFL.

John Daka, DE/OLB

The legendary Randy Savage once famously told Ricky Steamboat that he would have a "cup of coffee" in the big time (no apologies for the dated reference). That's exactly what former James Madison standout John Daka had with the Jets in 2021.

The team signed him to a futures deal at the end of the 2020 season but let him go not soon after Robert Saleh and his staff arrived at Florham Park.

Brandon Silvers, QB

From one cup of coffee to the next. The Roughnecks' Week 1 starter's only NFL stint came after Brandon Silvers' first foray with spring football in the AAF.

The signal-caller who beat out Zach Mettenberger, Johnny Manziel, and anti-Jets legend Christian Hackenberg with the Memphis Express got a one-month cameo with the New York Jets in 2019.

Closing Thoughts

If you made it this far into this article, thank you. It means that you have an open mind about this unique topic. Or maybe it's just a morbid curiosity about Jets players from the past who have faded away seemingly into obscurity.

It's easy to be dismissive of pro football leagues like the XFL. After all, nothing compares to the National Football League. However, over two dozen XFL players from three years ago ended the 2022 season on NFL rosters.

Most casual football fans know about Taylor Heinicke or P.J. Walker's story. However, there are others like Elijah Campbell, who was the XFL's highest-graded DB by Pro Football Focus in 2020, and he started with New York before ending up on Miami's 53-player roster the last two years.

Austin Walter, now a Raider, had a memorable moment with the Jets, scoring a touchdown against his hometown team, Houston, in 2021 — a tearful moment he dedicated to his father.

Then there's Josh Johnson who simply won't go away no matter how many teams have shown him the door. Back in 2021, Johnson did the unthinkable for the Jets, coming off the bench, to throw for over 300 yards in relief against the Indianapolis Colts. He was the only quarterback to accomplish that feat for the Jets since Joe Namath.

Stories like these are not sexy, and often players, and careers, like the one Josh Johnson has had, are ridiculed. When in reality, the fact that he has made it this long in the NFL through persistence is a triumph. That's what the XFL can represent for these players.

And who knows, maybe one day a major star will emerge from the XFL to play a significant role for the Jets. A longshot, perhaps, but a shot at it exists nonetheless again.