WKU Football: Western Kentucky Is Officially XFLU
Yesterday, it was announced that the XFL was coming back, baby.
Yesterday, it was announced that the XFL was coming back, baby.
But, it might not be the rambunctious, balls-to-the-wall, heavy metal version of football that it was in its original form back in 2001, but rather a…uhm…well, just another football league that probably wont see the five year mark of existence.
The new league, which will start in 2020, sounds to be as mild as Vince McMahon’s presser was yesterday to announce the league.
But, I digress. We know very little about the new league, which is still two years away. But, what we do know, and remember fondly (at least, those of you who weren’t nine years old in 2001, like I was), was the original iteration of the league that was rambunctious, balls-to-the-wall and basically football on steroids.
If you ask anyone who kinda sorta remembers anything about the league, they’re going to tell you one of three things:
That He Hate Me guy
Tommy Maddox
Jeff Brohm dying on the field, then giving his infamous speech two weeks later
And, lucky for all of us, two of those three things have one major thing in common: Western Kentucky University.
Smart was a stud on the Hill at running back, leaving the Hill ranking 10th all-time with 2,305 rushing yards on just 356 carries and 21 touchdowns. In fact, Smart still holds the mark for the sixth-most rushing yards by a WKU back in school history, compiling 258 in a 1999 game against Eastern Illinois. (Smart no longer holds a spot in the top 10 rushing yards, however.)
Smart, who was the 357th selection in the XFL draft, wound up finishing second in the league in rushing, collecting 555 yards on 146 carries and three touchdowns.
But, of course, as great as all of that is, folks remember smart for one reason.
That’s right. That He Hate Me dude is a WKU guy.
In fact, Smart’s He Hate Me moniker is so iconic, that Lids is selling what they’re calling an “XFL Snapback Cap,” but the only option is to get 1.) the Las Vegas logo and 2.) has He Hate Me embroidered on the back of it.
Why I don’t own this beauty yet, I don’t know (but, my birthday is next week if anyone is interested in hooking a brother up).
Jeff Brohm’s stint with the Orlando Rage saw him split duties with Brian Kuklick, but he took full advantage of every opportunity he had: a 58% completion percentage (69-of-119) for 993 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions for a prating of 99.9. In fact, that rating was the highest in the league and he completed one more pass in three fewer attempts than Kuklick, threw for one less yard, more touchdowns and less interceptions.
Not bad.
That one clip has everything that Brohm is essentially remembered for in his time with the XFL — the hit against Memphis, the return and, of course, the lets play football.
Regardless of what you think about the XFL, one can’t deny the hold it’s had on the American sports landscape if only in the zeitgeist. I’ve grown up knowing all about what the XFL was and I didn’t ever watch a single game.
Considering how iconic the league was, it’s pretty cool to think that, of any school in the country, WKU has a claim to two of the most infamous league’s most infamous moments.