Memphis Showboats preview- Things to know before the season’s kickoff on April 15th

Memphis-area football fans starved for action won’t have to wait much longer to get their desires filled, as the new-era Memphis Showboats will take on the Houston Gamblers Saturday afternoon. The contest represents the first showdown of the 2023 United States Football League (USFL) season. Kickoff time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. at Memphis’s Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on FOX. 

Here are some things to absorb in regards to the return of the USFL to Bluff City, and players to watch for as the new campaign unfolds.

USFL isn’t unfamiliar to Memphis- Memphis fielded a team that performed in the former version of the USFL during the 1980s. Their two-year stint included one playoff appearance, and featured the likes of future Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White and professional wrestler Lex Luger. Despite strong interest in the team transitioning to the NFL, the team folded as a result of the USFL’s financial struggles. 

Simmons Bank won’t just host the Showboats- Last season, all USFL games were played in Birmingham, Alabama within the confines of Protective Stadium. This season will be different. The league’s eight franchises are divided into four hubs- Detroit’s Ford Field, Canton’s Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the aforementioned Protective Stadium, and Memphis’s own Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The Gamblers will spare a home stadium with the Showboats for the 2023 season, with Memphis serving as the host squad for the season opener on Saturday afternoon. 

A seasoned coach is running the show- Showboats head coach Todd Haley is no stranger to being the man in charge. Having coached the Tampa Bay Bandits (who relocated to Memphis), Haley’s familiarity with the league will prove vital as Memphis navigates through the season. In addition to his USFL experience, Haley was a NFL head coach with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009-2011 and spent 23 seasons coaching in the NFL as a whole. This isn’t Haley’s first rodeo, and he will be tasked with guiding the Showboats to a successful season. 

Quarterback in familiar territory- Memphis will be trotting out a familiar face at the starting quarterback position, as former Memphis Tiger Brady White is slated to be the starting quarterback. The 26-year old starred as a Tiger from 2018-2020, setting school records with 10,690 passing yards and 90 touchdown passes. He also led the Tigers to their Cotton Bowl appearance in school history. 

White was a member of the Tampa Bay Bandits and was transferred to the Showboats, and his name certainly will ring a bell for fans clamoring for a familiar face.