Eleven former Pittsburgh Steelers can call themselves champions. The United Football League (UFL) Birmingham Stallions defeated the San Antonio Brahmas in Sunday’s Championship Game with nearly a dozen former Steelers making up the Stallions’ roster.
The Stallions came out on top 25-0. The first half featured a defensive battle between two of the team’s top units before Birmingham slowly pulled away. Entering halftime with an 8-0 lead, QB Adrian Martinez recorded two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to build up a 22-0 advantage.
San Antonio threatened to score mid-way through the fourth quarter but Birmingham held firm with a fourth down end zone stop.
The Stallions’ were powered through their ground game, rushing for 209 yards. Their second-ranked scoring defense also dominated the Brahmas, holding them to just over 200 yards of total offense. According to the broadcast, this was the first shutout of the entire UFL season.
Led by head coach Skip Holtz, The Stallions have won three straight championships, taking home the final trophy in 2022 and 2023 with the United States Football League (USFL).
The most notable ex-Steelers on the Stallions’ roster are DT Carlos Davis, CB Mark Gilbert, and OLB Taco Charlton. Davis was the team’s seventh round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, appearing in 12 games and recording one sack. He finished tied for second in UFL sacks this season and could earn another NFL look come training camp.
Gilbert, cousin of Darrelle Revis, was an undrafted free agent in 2021. He never appeared in a game for Pittsburgh but was signed by the Detroit Lions that year, appearing in eight games and forcing a fumble in a 16-16 tie versus the Steelers that season.
Charlton was a former first round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2017, infamously selected ahead of T.J. Watt. He spent 2021 with Pittsburgh as a rotational linebacker, recording 18 tackles and a half-sack across 11 games. He was out of the NFL last fall after spending a few weeks with the San Francisco 49ers.
Other former Steelers coming away champs are TE Marcus Baugh, who spent the 2021 training camp with the Steelers. WR Deon Cain caught five passes with the team in 2019 and appeared in two games the following season. CB Nevelle Clarke was a brief addition on last year’s camp roster while OL Christian DiLauro is an NFL veteran who spent parts of the 2019 and 2020 seasons in Pittsburgh.
OT Derwin Gray was the Steelers’ seventh round pick in 2020, appearing in five games while CB Madre Harper was a long corner who spent time with the Steelers last summer. Ditto with S Kenny Robinson Jr., a short-lived camp darling before fading down the stretch while TE Jace Sternberger had a good season with the Stallions. He spent portions of the 2021 and 2022 season as a Steeler. He was ejected late in the game for unnecessary roughness after catching four passes for 19 yards.
Notable ex-Steelers on the Brahmas’ side include RB Anthony McFarland Jr., who performed well enough late in the year to warrant another NFL look by some team. Brad Wing also served as the team’s punter.
With the game wrapped up, the UFL’s inaugural season is over. They’ll return in the spring of 2025.
