Hotshots ready for debut
Coach Rick Neuheisel and his team prepare for AAF season opener.
Football's back, already.
The Arizona Hotshots of the new pro football league, the Alliance of American Football, will open their first practice Tuesday.
Their first home game is against the Salt Lake Stallions at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Sun Devil Stadium.
The Hotshots, who set their final 52player roster for the 2019 inaugural season last week, feature several former Arizona college players. such as former Sun Devils receiver Rashad Ross, defensive linemen Will Sutton and Marcus Hardison, linebacker Carl Bradford and defensive back Robert Nelson.
Wildcats fans should recognize linebacker Scooby Wright III and longtime NFL kicker Nick Folk.
Former Oklahoma and Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight will be under center for the Hotshots. Knight went undrafted in 2017 but ended up signing with the Cardinals, only to be one of the last roster cuts before the start of the season. He later caught on with the Atlanta Falcons as a member of their practice squad.
Arizona is coached by Rick Neuheisel, whose last coaching stop was with UCLA from 2008-11.
While the AAF might share some talent with the NFL, it has its own twists on the rules. For instance, there will be no kickoffs – teams will start with the ball on their own 25-yard line – and there are no extra points, only two point conversion attempts after touchdowns.
In place of the onside kick, teams will face a fourth and 10 from their own 35. Additionally, the play clock has been reduced from 40 to 30 seconds and the aim of the league is to have games finished up in just two-and-a-half hours.
To purchase tickets, call 480-8652333 or email sales.hotshots@aaf.com for more information.
Arizona Hotshots roster
No. | Name. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | College | Hometown
65 | Allen, Josh | G | 6-3 | 315 | Louisiana-Monroe | Dallas, TX
93 | Anau, Siupeli | DT | 6-3 | 250 | Northern Arizona | Phoenix, AZ
53 | Beauharnais, Steve | LB | 6-2 | 230 | Rutgers | Saddlebrook, NJ
52 | Bradford, Carl | LB | 6-1 | 250 | Arizona State | Norco, CA
79 | Bunche, Malcolm | T | 6-6 | 320 | UCLA | Newark, DE
18 | Bundy, Marquis | WR | 6-4 | 220 | New Mexico | Anthem, AZ
50 | Burnett, Kaelin | LB | 6-4 | 240 | Nevada-Reno | Los Angeles, CA
70 | Burton, Pierce | T | 6-6 | 305 | Mississippi | Sacramento, CA
82 | Christian, Gerald | TE | 6-3 | 250 | Louisville | Palm Beach Gardens, FL
97 | Clements, Chunky | DT | 6-2 | 300 | Illinois | Dayton, OH
20 | Cook, Tim | RB | 6-0 | 245 | Oregon State | Pine Bluff, AR
27 | Dargan, Erick | DB | 5-11 | 220 | Oregon | Pittsburg, CA
48 | Dooley, Nick | LS | 6-7 | 270 | UTEP | Scottsdale, AZ
59 | Downey, Da'Sean | LB | 6-0 | 240 | Massachusetts | White Plains, NY
81 | Duarte, Thomas | TE | 6-2 | 240 | UCLA | Fullerton, CA
31 | Edwards, SaQwan | DB | 6-0 | 200 | New Mexico | Houston, TX
2 | Folk, Nick | K | 6-2 | 210 | Arizona | Los Angeles, CA
22 | Goforth, Randall | DB | 5-10 | 190 | UCLA | Long Beach, CA
44 | Gwacham, Obum | LB | 6-5 | 245 | Oregon State | Onitsha, Nigeria
89 | Hamlett, Connor | TE | 6-7 | 260 | Oregon State | Riverside, CA
91 | Hardison, Marcus | DT | 6-3 | 310 | Arizona State | Punta Gorda, FL
11 | Heneghan, Jack | QB | 6-4 | 230 | Dartmouth | Atherton, CA
88 | Huff, Josh | WR | 5-11 | 205 | Oregon | Houston, TX
49 | Johnson, Steven | LB | 6-1 | 240 | Kansas | Media, PA
10 | Knight, Trevor | QB | 6-1 | 215 | Texas A&M | San Antonio, TX
76 | Lauderdale, Andrew | T | 6-6 | 290 | New Hampshire | Concord, NH
67 | Lewis, Patrick | C | 6-1 | 310 | Texas A&M | Reserve, LA
9 | Locke, Jeff | P | 6-0 | 195 | UCLA | Glendale, AZ
84 | Martino, Freddie | WR | 6-0 | 195 | North Greenville | North, SC
38 | McDougle, Dexter | DB | 5-10 | 190 | Maryland | Woodbridge, VA
45 | Moore Sr., Rahim | DB | 6-1 | 195 | UCLA | Los Angeles, CA
25 | Moore, Sterling | RB | 5-9 | 200 | Southern Methodist | Antioch, CA
55 | Morgan, Nyles | LB | 6-1 | 235 | Notre Dame | Crete, IL
16 | Mullaney, Richard | WR | 6-2 | 205 | Oregon State | Valencia, CA
21 | Nelson Jr., Robert | DB | 5-10 | 175 | Arizona State | Lakeland, FL
62 | Ohnesorge, Jacob | C | 6-2 | 300 | South Dakota State | Waunakee, WI
26 | Pressley, Jhurell | RB | 5-11 | 200 | New Mexico | Newark, DE
51 | Robinson, Edmond | LB | 6-3 | 245 | Newberry | Wadmalaw Island, SC
32 | Rose III, Larry | RB | 5-11 | 195 | New Mexico State | Fairfield, TX
15 | Ross, Rashad | WR | 6-0 | 180 | Arizona State | Vallejo, CA
94 | Rotimi, Olubunmi | DE | 6-4 | 275 | Old Dominion | Alexandria, VA
30 | Stockton, Justin | RB | 5-10 | 205 | Texas Tech | Schertz, TX
98 | Sutton III, Will | DT | 6-1 | 290 | Arizona State | Corona, CA
54 | Teuhema, Sione | LB | 6-4 | 260 | Southeastern Louisiana | Keller, TX
68 | Thompson, Alex | G | 6-2 | 310 | Monmouth | Lawnside, NJ
95 | Thompson, Trenton | DT | 6-4 | 295 | Georgia | Albany, GA
71 | Weiss, Brant | T | 6-6 | 295 | Toledo | Sunbury, OH
85 | Williams, Bryce | TE | 6-6 | 260 | East Carolina | Lexington, NC
37 | Williams, Kieron | DB | 6-0 | 185 | Nebraska | Shreveport, LA
7 | Wolford, John | QB | 6-1 | 200 | Wake Forest | Jacksonville, FL
58 | Wright III, Scooby | LB | 6-0 | 240 | Arizona | Santa Rosa, CA
92 | Yates, Rykeem | DE | 6-2 | 280 | Nevada-Reno | Fresno, CA
2019 schedule
The Hotshots will play their home games at Sun Devil Stadium. Salt Lake Stallions at Arizona Hotshots, 6 p.m. Arizona Hotshots at Memphis Express, 6 p.m. Arizona Hotshots at Salt Lake Stallions, 1 p.m. Atlanta Legends at Arizona Hotshots, 6 p.m. San Antonio Commanders at Arizona Hotshots, 5 p.m. Arizona Hotshots at Orlando Apollos, 5 p.m. San Diego Fleet at Arizona Hotshots, 1 p.m. Arizona Hotshots at San Antonio Commanders, 5 p.m. Birmingham Iron at Arizona Hotshots, 5 p.m. Arizona Hotshots at San Diego Fleet, 5 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 5 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27, 5 p.m.
Note: Dates subject to change. Kickoff times will be announced at a later date.