Ole Miss’ Jordan Ta’amu eyeing NFL return after successful second stint in the XFL
Jordan Ta’amu didn’t get the storybook ending he was hoping for in his second run in the XFL.
But the one-time record-setting Ole Miss quarterback still ended up as one of the biggest winners in what was the league’s return season.
Ta’amu last week was named XFL Offensive Player of the Year after leading his D.C. Defenders to a 9-1 record and appearance in the XFL Championship. However, the Defenders came up short against the Arlington Renegades, 35-26, in the title showdown Saturday in San Antonio.
Ta’amu threw three three interceptions in the loss — matching his regular-season total. The Defenders fell behind 17-0 in the first half and were forced to play from behind all afternoon.
“We were always confident,” Ta’amu said afterwards. “Each week, we always have fun. That’s what made us a great team — we can have fun and handle business at the same time. We just came out a little flat. I won’t say we underestimated them; we knew they were a great team. We just didn’t execute at a high level like we usually do.”
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Ta’amu has never made a regular-season NFL roster.
However, he had brief runs with the Houston Texans (2019), Kansas City Chiefs (2020, 2021) Detroit Lions (2020, 2021), Washington Commanders (2021) and Carolina Panthers (2021).
Now he’ll wait to see if he gets another NFL opportunity after showing so well as a breakout XFL star. Ta’amu — who was nicknamed the ‘Throwin’ Samoan’ at Ole Miss — spent last season in the USFL as the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Bandits.
He signed with the Defenders in the off-season for his second go-around in the XFL. He quarterbacked the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2020.
Ta’amu led D.C. to the best regular-season record in the league. He completed 62 percent of his passes (144 of 229) for 14 touchdowns and 1,894 yards in those 10 games.
“It’s honestly like my second home,” Ta’amu said previously of Ole Miss. “I still have love and support everywhere.”
Ta’amu broke the all-time Ole Miss record for 400-yard passing games (4).
He tied Chad Kelly’s previous school record for 300-yard passing games (12) and threw for 3,918 yards and rushed for 342 yards as a senior. He led the SEC in both passing yards per game and total offense.
Ta’amu was also seventh in school history in completion percentage (63.6), eighth in touchdowns responsible for (25) and tied for 10th in touchdown passes (19).
“My goal is to get back in the (NFL),” Ta’amu said. “I’ll come back in the XFL if that’s where my path leads.
“Just to finish this year with 10 games in the regular season and then the playoffs and championship game, shout-out to the owners and everyone in this league just making this league look very professional.
“I could tell from training camp this league was going to jump and it still is.”
The Defenders were the odds-on favorite to win the XFL championship after their dominating regular season. Arlington entered the game with a losing record (5-6).
XFL commissioner Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was in attendance for the game. The Renegades are the first XFL champion since the Los Angeles Xtreme in 2001. The league was suspended and later dissolved following a return in the pandemic-shortened season of 2020.
The league is making preparations for next season. Expansion teams could be added by 2025.
