Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
Jordan Tam received a brief request from the DC Defender organization after a 58-34 victory over the Michigan Panthers in Saturday’s 2025 UFL Championship Game.
“We’re trying to untag,” Tam said.
That sentiment is certainly guaranteed given that Harris led the defender to the UFL title in his first season after replacing then-head coach Reggie Barlow just a week before the season began. Barlow took a head coaching job at Tennessee, with defender defensive coordinator Greg Williams following a week later. Williams’ son Blake Williams took over as the defender’s defensive coordinator after he left.
Despite the major changes to the defender’s coaching staff, they still top the season and grabbed the Championship trophy, with Harris earning the UFL Coach of the Year honor.
“He never blinked,” tight end Brilly Moore said of Harris. “He preached that no matter what happens, we really will be together all season, all season, because last week we were able to beat them (the St. Louis Battlehawks) at home.
Harris said it has “not yet been decided” whether he will either chase after Barlow and Williams in Tennessee or continue as the defender’s head coach and accept potential offers to defend the UFL title.
“We still have a lot of meetings, but we still have to talk about… But these guys here will be hard to leave these guys,” Harris said.
Harrisland will be one of the top storylines to keep an eye on this offseason. Let’s take a look at the other big themes of Saturday’s title game and the entire 2025 UFL season.
Tam’s Revenge Game
Moore said he texted Tam on Friday after passing a touchdown and learning that the UFL leader did not earn offensive Player of the Year or MVP honors. “I’m going to chant the MVP when you’re holding that trophy at that stage,” Moore said he texted Tam.
Moore’s predictions have come to reality. Tam let his play speak on Saturday, passing 390 yards and four touchdowns in a runaway victory with the Panthers. Ta’amu helped the defenders score on the first 10 possessions. During the postseason, the defender scored 17 jaw-dropping 17 out of 21 possessions, averaging 47 points per game and winning by averaging 21 points per contest.
The defenders dominated the offense and scored the most points (58) in UFL history against what was a tough Panthers defense.
“When the playoff time hit, we told them, ‘This is another season,'” Harris said. “These guys were ready for the moment, and one of the challenges we had, from coaches to players and support staff, was finishing the drill.
Not winning the UFL MVP or offensive player of the year served as a special motivation for Ta’amu. “I said [my teammates] That pre-game [was] “Brice Perkins is a great quarterback and he deserves all the awards, but he gave us a big tip on the shoulder and a big tip on our shoulder to play harder.”
Perkins raises the number to Panther’s loss
Michigan State failed to win the title, but Perkins appeared for the Panthers. The Virginia Products finished 60% of passes (21 of 35) with 338 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception. His favorite target was Marikh Turner, who had 10 receptions in total with 168 reception yards and three scores.
But one area Michigan struggled with was running football and only 104 yards total on the ground. Perkins was limited by the ankle of a bal bone rushing just eight yards on four carrys.
It’s all about quarterbacks
The scores have risen this postseason, with a total score of 73.7 points this year during the playoffs, earning 38 points per game in the 2024 postseason. One reason for the improvement in production in the postseason was the play of Tam and Perkins.
Elsewhere, the Arlington Renegades had a UFL regular season passing leader with Lewis Perez, but failed to make the playoffs for the second straight season. The Birmingham stallion was unable to defend the championship title due to instability in the most important positions on the field, using five different quarterbacks due to injuries.
Houston’s RoughNex starters helped improve from 1-9 in 2024 to 5-5 this season. He was helped by private QBS coach Jordamp Palmer, who worked with various players during the offseason.
“You have to step into week one with your major quarterback. “Then, if you want to get a No. 2 or No. 3 rep, when you enter the season, [Collective Bargaining Agreement] Now configured, it is an opportunity for you to develop that position. But you need to introduce your guy in week one and hope that is the lesson our team learns this year. ”
Travis Feeney Named 2025 UFL Sportsman of the Year
The Battlehawks linebacker was awarded the first Sportsman of the Year award given to a player who exemplifies the extraordinary leadership, integrity and commitment to making a difference both in the field and in the community. Feeney was selected by a panel of leagues and team executives, coaches and players from all eight teams.
Washington Products donated time to attend community events at UFL home bases in Arlington, Texas and St. Louis. Feeny volunteers time as an advocate for the Care St. Louis Adoption Center, the Adaptive Training Foundation, and is ambassador for the American Cancer Society.
“In the last three years, no one has made this award more concrete than Travis,” said Battlehawks head coach Anthony Bett. “His commitment on and off the field has been incredible.”
Building local support remains a work in progress
To raise more fans’ interest in the local market – the goal stated by the league entering this season is the work the UFL is ongoing towards its third season.
“We’re committed to providing a range of services to our customers,” said Russ Brandon, president and CEO of UFL. “We’re a great product. We know it’s affordable. We’re trying to activate as much as possible in each of these local markets. We have a great plan to do that.”
UFL co-owner Danny Garcia said the league’s vision for the future is perfect for ensuring long-term growth.
“What I want to see is… this league is clicking along with its consumers, it’s the audience… [and] This league continues to be an opportunity for athletes whose performance here is important,” she said.
“We plant so many ingredients in place, so we just breathe and grow it.”
Eric D. Williams has been reporting on the NFL for over a decade, covering sports illustrators The Los Angeles Rams, ESPN’s Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks of the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him in @eric_d_williams.
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