…COVID-19 hit. The virus took down the XFL and, with it, Houston’s new team.
In 2018, Vince McMahon said he was bringing the XFL back to the nation. After previously trying and failing in the late 90s with an eccentric style of football, McMahon announced that the new version of the XFL would be more family-friendly.
Houston was announced as an inaugural city. In fact, it was at the top of the list as league officials figured out how to optimize fan interest in the new league.
Courtesy: Houston Chronicle
To do that in Houston, the team borrowed heavily from a familiar franchise–the old Houston Oilers. The Roughnecks had an oil-drilling motif and uniforms in red, white, and blue.
The team started by naming June Jones its head coach and selecting PJ Walker as its quarterback. Its venue would be TDECU Stadium, where the University of Houston plays.
The team got off to a good start, beating the Los Angeles Wildcats, 37-17, in the home opener. Houston won again in Game 2, beating the St. Louis BattleHawks, 28-24, on Walker’s TD throws.
After only two games, Walker became a fan favorite and an XFL star. But to throw TD passes, Walker had to have somebody who could catch TD passes. And nobody was better than WR Cam Phillips.
In Game 3, the Roughnecks took on the winless Tampa Bay Vipers. Walker remained steady and led Houston to a come-from-behind 34-27 win. Then came Game 4–a Texas v. Texas battle with the Dallas Renegades–that the media dubbed, ‘The Texas Throwdown.’ Once again, the Roughnecks pulled out a close win.
Courtesy: ABC13 Houston
Nobody knew at that point that the next game–Game 5 v. the Seattle Dragons–would be team’s last. No matter, Walker led Houston to its fifth straight victory, and he was now being touted as the league’s MVP.
Then the pandemic hit. At first, the league showed leadership, saying it would suspend operations for safety’s sake, and also pay its employees fully. But shortly after that, the league threw in the towel for good.
The XFL had come and gone in what seemed like a heartbeat.
Five games left in a regular-season will never be played. No playoffs. No champion. A full season will never be played. But in Houston, one thing is for sure: the Roughnecks were undefeated–and will remain undefeated–forever.
