What Was It Like Playing in The XFL?... With San Francisco Demons Quarterback Mike Pawlawski
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.พ. 2021
- The Real Insider Story From An XFL Quarterback... Cheerleaders, Games, Production and Inside The Huddle Conversations.
Today we're going inside the x fl 1.0. And I've got the inside stories coming up right now.
So it was the premiere of the XFL 1.0 and I was sitting at home waiting to play a game. The next day we were gonna play the LA Exrtreme. I'm watching the New York Hitmen play the Las Vegas Outlaws On the first televised broadcast of XFL. I watched it as a quarterback in the league and I didn't know whether to be excited, or embarrassed to be part of the XFL. There were low angle shots of the cheerleaders, but there was some pretty good football too, and some pretty good football players. Offenses weren't there yet, but you could tell that these guys on the field could play.
Hey everybody, I'm Mike Pawlawski 11 year Pro quarterback, former XFL quarterback and quarterbacks coach here at Elite Athletes TV.com. Today I want to talk about my experience in the XFL1.0. That's right The league that Vince McMahon founded from World Wrestling Federation, with a bunch of good pro players, good coaches, trying to put together a spring league to fill the void left by the USFL.
I got a viewer question today from Rangers King 669 who said,
" would love to see a vid about your time in the 1.0 XFL, and maybe just maybe one day a video breaking down quarterback play in the xfl 2.0 revival in 2022."
So going into week one, the world was looking forward to seeing what the XFL was all about a lot of hype Vince McMahon World Wrestling Federation, a bunch of pro wrestlers, Dick Butkus involved. So there was a bunch of people involved with this league. I had had the whole journey. I was the first round pick by the XFL San Francisco Demons.
The thing I loved about the XFL is our coaches were great, my quarterback coach and offensive coordinator particular Joe paopao was a fantastic dude. Former quarterback himself in the CFL. Our head coach Jim Skipper, was also a really, really good dude. Some players were guys that had been in the NFL for a long time, we had Dwayne Harper, who had been in the league for like 13 years, we had Scott Adams He'd been a lineman in the league for like six. And so there was a bunch of guys who had played at the NFL level. I'd played for the Bucs. Then we had guys who were bubble guys who were right there. Maybe a step slow, maybe a couple inches short guys that weren't quite that NFL mold, but we're really, really good football players. The NFL is the Echelon, right? Everybody wants to be in the NFL. That's that's the peak. That's the pinnacle. But this was way better than college football players. I played the PAC 10. And we had really good teams that time. Washington, one national champion, we were seventh in the country when I was a senior. But the XFL had really good football players in it.
It was an interesting season. I didn't know it but that Vegas game where I broke my neck. That was my career ending injury. That was last time I was gonna play. That season in the XFL. And so I had great teammates. Guys like Scotty Adams my right tackle fantastic dudes that I totally respect Jamie reader who's our fullback, Pat Barnes obviously, the defensive guys, Kevin Kaesviharn who I think went on to like an 11 year NFL career. So some great teammates, some great coaches, a great experience. And it was my 11th year pro playing in that league. And so I got to really enjoy it get back on the big field, and realize how much open space there was on the big field compared to the arena league. So I had the opportunity to play for seven teams in four different leagues over the course of 11 years experience every type of football that was available in North America at the time, and really just have a great career that I could look back on and enjoy. My experience in the XFL was great. Not everybody's was but I enjoyed it outside of the injury. But that's XFL in a nutshell, working hard playing the game you love around people you love and trying to make it happen for that life experience and for the competition of it. As football players we love to compete. I love to compete. I love to win. I love to go head to head and the XFL gave me an opportunity. - กีฬา
I enjoyed the first XFL and I remembered you from your CAL days.
I saw the improvement of the offense as the season progressed but by then the press was really dumping on the league and ratings were in the toilet though most stadiums had decent crowds. If they put a team in Oakland I hope you get to be on the broadcast team or maybe even a coach!
Thanks. It was fun a lot of stories from that league.
I still have my jersey you and Jim Skipper signed.
Very cool insider history of XFL and what the experience was like. Good stuff Mike.!
Thanks Tom. There’s so much more but had to try and encapsulate it.
Also helps in 2020 the training camp wasn’t in casino towns but in Houston. They did have la’s minicamp in Vegas but still, it was much much better
Definitely helps.
Nice to see some of my old Teammates. James Hundon run the out route!
Haha!
Always nice seeing old teammates!
Great video Mike! Kevin Kashfarin name drop I love it, former Bengal!
He was a baller. I played against him in the Arena league and with him in the XFL. Thanks for the comment!
@@EliteAthletesTV He played so hard, appreciated guys like that. I'm really learning a lot from the channel, thanks for all the content!
XFL needs more of this!!!! Us diehard fans absolutely appreciate this!!!
Huge Demons fan as Tydus Winans and Brian Robert both played for my alma mater and balled out here!!!
Bring back the Demons!!!
Thanks Louie! The fans in SF were awesome.
Great stuff Coach!! Love this video! Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹
Thanks Brother! We miss you guys! Can’t wait to come back.
Used to watch you play all the time when I was a kid due to Demons games being shown in western canada. Thought the XFL was the coolest thing even with all the gimmicks - the NFL had just come off an awful Ravens/Giants superbowl so a mix-up was definitely needed if only temporary.
Thanks AUSTIN! Had a great if eventful time in the league. What part of western Canada?
@@EliteAthletesTV Over in Alberta so the west coast games would be on at like, the perfect time.
Enjoyed the video. Been waiting a while to hear a video like this. Big XFL fan. I know this is a long shot but I have hundreds of memorabilia items including Pawlawski jersey (shirt) demons jersey, helmets, and so on. Anyway if I send you a few items could you sign and send back to me? I know it’s a longshot but just thought I’d ask. The worst you can do is say no. It would be a nice touch for my man cave. Thanks again for the video Mike!
No problem if you get them to me and back.
Thank you! I was beginning to think I had misunderstood what "It's on the board" meant.
You are so welcome!
U is amazing
Thanks.
I hope xfl does good and demons come back
I'm sure it didn't help to only have 28 days to practice/camp ahead of the season. this time around in 2020 they had 2.5 weeks of minicamp, 2.5 weeks of training camp, and then another 2 weeks of practice before the games, plus a lot of players doing workouts ahead of time and in between camps with each other. so it was a LOT better offensively starting out though a few teams certainly had their sputters
More time to work together is definitely a blessing.
@@EliteAthletesTV that Houston la game and dc Seattle game both had great offense out the gate and the blessing definitely paid off
@@rangersking6699 People forget that most college teams have been working with the same system for years and are only adding in new players to plug the spots where players move on. When new coordinators come in offenses tend to struggle for the first year and they have months to install.
@@EliteAthletesTV most definitely
You took 17 1/2 minutes in but what Dan Fouts said… Never make the quarterback look wrong!
it's still funny they called it the million dollar game just because of the bonuses
That's when a million dollars was a lot!
@@EliteAthletesTV yeah even now a million is plenty good to split just hope they come up with a better game name honestly just the X Bowl or the XFL Bowl is good
would you like to see the demons brought back as the oakland demons in the Rock's XFL?
I wouldn’t mind. Would be nice to be an alumnus of a team that’s still around!🤣😎
@@EliteAthletesTV y’all had the best logo in the 01 Xfl
You and Maddox ever make up
2 Cal QBs on the S.F. XFL team.
It was a good QB room!