WATCH: Bo Jackson announces pick during 2022 USFL Draft
Former Auburn star Bo Jackson joined the 2022 USFL Draft festivities by announcing the first-round pick of the Birmingham Stallions on Tuesday night. Promoting the team located in his home state, he announced quarterback Alex McGough as the future of the spring football franchise.
Alex McGough joins the Birmingham Stallions and the USFL after four seasons in the NFL. He first joined the professional ranks as a seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.
The 26-year old quarterback attended FIU and competed in Conference USA for four seasons. He accumulated 9,091 passing yards with 65 touchdowns and 37 interceptions with 535 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
In addition to announcing the pick, Bo Jackson provided an endorsement for the Birmingham Stallions in his pre-recorded reveal played on stage at the USFL Draft.
“Welcome, Alex, to the team,” said Jackson, via AL.com’s Michael Casagrande. “Proud to have you represent my home state of Alabama, looking forward to you and the Stallions running up and down the field this season. Go Stallions! Good luck and God bless.”
Jackson also made sure to wear an Auburn jersey in the video message from his recliner.
First overall pick in USFL Draft
Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Shea Patterson is back in the professional ranks, as he was selected on Tuesday with the first-overall pick in the inaugural USFL Draft by the Michigan Panthers.
The Michigan Panthers are one of eight teams in the second rendition of the USFL, set to kick off this spring. The Panthers are led by former NFL coach Jeff Fisher, who served as both the head coach and general manager. The first round of the USFL Draft was designated as the quarterback round; after Patterson’s selection, other quarterbacks taken in the first round included Jordan Ta’amu (Ole Miss), Bryan Scott (Occidental College), Ben Holmes (Tarleton State), Clayton Thorson (Northwestern), Alex McGough (Florida International), Kyle Lauletta (Richmond) and Kyle Sloter (Northern Colorado).
Patterson spent two seasons with Ole Miss in college, before transferring to Michigan for his final two seasons of college ball. Following the conclusion of his college career, the two-time third-team All-Big Ten selection went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and moved on to a short-lived career in the Canadian Football League.
He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad in 2020, but was ultimately cut; he was signed to a practice squad contract with the BC Lions of the CFL in 2021 but was not promoted to the active roster. In 2021, however, Patterson played for the Montreal Allouettes of the CFL.