Prepping for the inaugural USFL season is a crash course for players and coaches - WBRC

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – It’s the first full week of practice for the USFL in the Magic City. As the Birmingham Stallions prep for their first game April 16, it will be a crash course until kickoff for both the players and the staff.

Preparing for a professional football season in less than a month is best described by Birmingham Stallions coach, Skip Holtz.

“It’s like drinking through a firehose – there is no way you can absorb the information we are throwing at these guys right now,” Holtz said.

In a world of technology, Stallions Quarterback Alex McGough chooses to go the traditional route to learn the playbook.

“Like 100-200 flash cards, formations, plays, signals, I try to record myself doing signals then watching it,” McGough said. “I have a lot of ways to learn, some may be odd, but works for me.”

“We’d get on Zoom, he’s like coach, look I them right here, he’s sitting in the back got the answer,” Holtz said.

So while there’s not much free time…

“I haven’t left the hotel except to go to practice, I haven’t been any where, been to Whole Foods,” McGough said. “Don’t even know where it’s at, I just type it into my phone.”

Cornerback Brian Allen said the players are hungry to play and prove they can play at the highest level.

“Most of us are looking to get back to the NFL,” Allen said. “Just looking forward to coming out here and competing and doing what we can for Birmingham.”

You can watch the Stallions take on the New Jersey Generals April 16th on WBRC. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. at Protective Stadium.

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