Texas A&M Football: Pair of former Aggies reportedly trying out for XFL

After short professional stints elsewhere, a couple of former Texas A&M football stars are trying out for the new and improved XFL.

Although vastly popular among football fanatics, The Alliance of American Football went the way of the dodo bird last spring.

At its best, the league provided fans an escape from the dreaded offseason that’s normally full of meaningless Twitter spats while aimlessly waiting for the fall. At its worst, it displayed games with half-empty stadiums and players that only the most die-hard fans would recognize.

The league’s legacy continues to be debated, however, fans of the league are left to hope that it’s future replacement (the XFL which is slated to kick off in the spring of 2020) will duplicate the AAF’s accomplishments and fix its shortcomings.

For a pair of former Texas A&m football stars, though, the new league represents a second lease on their football lives.

With two Texas teams already in the fold, it’s likely that we will see quite a few players from the Lone Star State trying their hand in WWE owner Vince McMahon’s league. Thus far, former Texas A&M running back Trey Williams and defensive back Deshawn Capers-Smith are the first to throw their hats in the ring as the duo recently participated in a try out for the Houston affiliate.

A former five-star recruit out of Dekaney, Williams played three seasons in College Station where he scored 18 touchdowns while running for over 1,300 yards before forgoing his senior season for a shot at the pros. The elusive tailback bounced around franchises for a few seasons in the NFL before pouncing at a chance in the AAF last spring.

In six games, Williams provided the San Antonio Commanders a home run threat out of the backfield, gaining nearly 300 yards from scrimmage on 6.5 yards per touch. He’ll look to use his impressive stint in the Alamo City as leverage for a shot in the XFL.

Capers-Smith just played out his final year of eligibility in 2018. A former three-star recruit, DCS was a steady contributor for the Maroon and White all four years he was on campus. Although he primarily played in a reserve role his first three seasons, the versatile defensive back had a breakout senior season playing as a nickel in the revamped defense under first-year coordinator Mike Elko.

After pouring in 52 tackles, five tackles for loss and three pass deflections, the New Orleans-native went undrafted by the NFL despite an impressive showing at his pro-day. At 6-1, 200 pounds, he vertical jumped 38 inches and clocked a 4.67 40-yard dash. The XFL will provide him an opportunity to showcase that supreme athleticism to fans and scouts once again next Spring.

Although the league is nearly 10 months away from its inaugural kick, anticipation could not be higher. After famously fizzling out after one failed season in the early 2000s, McMahon has adjusted his original vision for the league (that previously had more in common with a KISS concert than a traditional football broadcast) and hopes to right the wrongs of his predecessor.

As long as they continue to employ former members of the SEC, they’ll be off to a pretty solid start.