As the 2023 edition of the XFL kicks off this weekend, fans will see a familiar face under center. Jordan Ta'amu will be the D.C. Defenders' starting quarterback in Week 1.
Ta'amu is well-known in spring football circles. He played for the St. Louis Battlehawks during the 2020 XFL season, beating out now-Commanders QB Taylor Heinicke for the starting job, and then played in the USFL with the Tampa Bay Bandits last summer.
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In between, Ta'amu join multiple NFL practice squads. He spent time with the Chiefs, Lions, Commands and Panthers but never stuck around long at any location.
Now, Ta'amu joins the third installment of the XFL as one of the league's veteran QBs.
The Sporting News has more about Jordan Ta'amu and discuss how he got back to the XFL.
Who is Jordan Ta'amu?
Ta'amu is the starting quarterback for the D.C. Defenders to begin off the 2023 XFL regular season. This is Ta'amu's second stint in the XFL; he played with the St. Louis Battlehawks during the 2020 season, where he started to make a name for himself (more on that later).
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Ta'amu, 25, played his collegiate ball at New Mexico Military Institute (a junior college) and Ole Miss. He had a solid two-year stint with the Rebels but undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. He signed with the Texans that summer after attending their rookie minicamp but did not make the final 53-man roster. That began his football odyssey, with stops in the XFL and USFL.
XFL and Defenders fans will hope that he can bring back the excitement he created in 2020 with the Battlehawks.
Where did Jordan Ta'amu go to college?
After a stellar senior season at Pearl City High School in Hawaii, Ta'amu began his college career in the junior college ranks at New Mexico Military Institute. He dominated the competition there; he was ranked the No. 4 junior college dual-threat quarterback in the country by ESPN. As a sophomore in 2016, Ta'amu completed 59 percent of his passes for 3,014 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He added 328 yards and seven touchdowns rushing.
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Ta'amu moved to Ole Miss in 2017. His receivers there were A.J. Brown, Van Jefferson, DK Metcalf and tight end Dawson Knox. He completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 1,682 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions after taking over for an injured Shea Patterson. Ta'amu was also second on the team with four rushing touchdowns.
As a senior in 2018, Ta'amu had the luxury of throwing to Brown, Metcalf, Knox and Elijah Moore. He completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,918 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Ta'amu also finished second on the Rebels with six rushing touchdowns and gained 342 yards on the ground.
Jordan Ta'amu XFL career, stats, relationship with Taylor Heinicke
Ta'amu was released by the Texans in the summer of 2019, but he didn't have to wait long for another chance to play football. He was assigned to the Battlehawks for the 2020 edition of the XFL. Ta'amu became one of the best QBs in the league behind Houston's P.J. Walker.
Ta'amu beat out Taylor Heinicke for the starting job in St. Louis. Heinicke later found his way back to the NFL, and he has posted a 12-12-1 record and 34 passing touchdowns with Washington over the past two seasons.
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Ta'amu said sharing a quarterback room with Heinicke — and forging a relationship with him — made him a better player.
"It was awesome," Ta’amu said in a 2021 news conference. "I mean, me and him in the same quarterback room, he helped me grow as a quarterback. He knew the game, he does have experience, and he’s older so he kind of, he’s kind of like an older brother to me. So he kind of got me through that offense and showed me the ropes a little bit and helped me."
It showed on the field. During the 2020 XFL season, Ta'amu completed a league-best 72.4 percent of his passes for 1,050 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also produced 217 rushing yards and a touchdown in five games.
He appeared to be headed for XFL stardom, but the rest of the season was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. After that, the league shut down.
Ta'amu returned to the XFL for its third iteration. He was assigned to the Defenders in January, joining a quarterback room that already included D'Eriq King and Eric Dungey.
Jordan Ta'amu USFL career, stats
After XFL 2.0 suspended operations, Ta'amu eventually got to play again in the USFL with the Tampa Bay Bandits. He got to learn under head coach Todd Haley, a former NFL head coach and a long-time offensive coordinator with the Steelers.
Ta'amu could not recapture his XFL magic, but he was still one of the better quarterbacks in the USFL. He led the league with 2,014 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns, but he also logged a league-high 12 interceptions.
Even though Ta'amu's USFL results were mixed, he still proved that he's one of the better spring quarterbacks. He will look to prove himself again in the new XFL.
