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The USFL is full of stories of players whose resilience has allowed them to keep their football dreams alive. That is the case for both starting quarterbacks who will play in Saturday night’s USFL Championship Game in the Birmingham Stallions’ Alex McGough and the Pittsburgh Maulers’ Troy Williams.
A former seventh-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, McGough has spent time with three NFL teams but never played in a regular-season game. Williams, who went undrafted despite successful college stints at Utah and Santa Monica College, tried out for the Seahawks and Chargers before spending several years as a backup in the Canadian Football League.
Neither quarterback gave up on their dream, however, and both players made the most of their opportunities to start for their respective USFL teams this past season. McGough, who replaced J’Mar Smith when Smith suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1, is widely expected to be named league MVP after leading the Stallions back to the championship game. Williams has led the Maulers on a three-game winning streak that included last weekend’s thrilling win over the Michigan Panthers in the North Division Championship.
“It’s meant a lot to me,” Williams told CBS Sports ahead of Saturday night’s USFL title game when asked about this season. “Just being in the locker room with the guys. Making the active roster. Throughout the journey, you learn to appreciate the small things that come with being on a football team. It’s just a blessing to be here. The fact that I am able to take advantage of the opportunity that was given to me makes it even better. I’ve been preparing for this opportunity for a long time. … I’m excited to finish the season off the right way.”
Williams embodies the Maulers’ rise from a one-win outfit in 2022 to North Division champions in 2023. Pittsburgh was 2-6 through eight weeks and needed to win its final two games to…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/usfl/news/2023-usfl-championship-game-qbs-alex-mcgough-troy-williams-embody-leagues-underdog-attitude/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2023-06-29 15:48:00
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