Top Ten Major Alternative QB Seasons
By Pat Rifino
As spring football looms, one of the many followed story lines is always Quarterbacks. Playing Quarterback at a professional level could be viewed as one of the most difficult tasks to perform in professional sports. As we’ve seen multiple times, spring football/alternative league football has allowed many quarterbacks’ to continue their career in addition to keeping their skills sharp. With the USFL taking place in about a month, I wanted to highlight my top ten seasons from some of the major alternative leagues. Hopefully, some of the new players drafted have continued success in their careers and they can be added to this list in the next several years.
10.) Mike Pawlawski San Francisco Demons (2001) 1659 Yds 12 TDs 6 Int
Pawlawski may be one of the less notable players on the list however, is one of the five players in this list that has actually played in a championship. Pawlawski never played in the NFL however, threw over Three Hundred Touchdowns in the Arena League. After last playing with the Albany Firebirds, Pawlawski joined the XFL’s San Francisco Demons where he would lead the team to the XFL Championship where they lost to the LA Xtreme.
9.) Ryan Willis TSL Linemen (2021) 1680 Yds 13 TDs 5 Int
I was hesitant to add a Spring League QB but Ryan Willis was too damn good in 2021 for the Linemen. After leading the league in almost every passing category Willis would lead The Linemen to a Championship and was the MVP of The Spring League as well. Willis would translate his success into a practice squad signing with the Bears. Willis was even active for one game in 2021 and was re-signed by the Bears for the 2022 season.
8.) J.P. Losman Las Vegas Locomotives (2009) 1193 Yds 9 TDs 2 INT
Losman was a former 1st Round Pick in 2004 out of Tulane. After uninspiring play in Buffalo, Losman joined the Las Vegas Locomotives in the inaugural season of the league. Where he would throw Nine touchdowns and put up a QB rating of 98.0. He would lead the Locomotives to a UFL Championship in his lone season, and would translate his success into two more seasons in the NFL, before retiring in 2011.
7.) Jordan Ta’amu St. Louis Battlehawks (2020) 1050 5 TDs 2 INT
Ta’amu’s passing stats may not have been the most impressive however, he did lead the XFL in completion percentage and was one of three XFL QBs to throw for over one thousand yards in 2020. His rushing ability also was an underrated part of his game ranking 6th among all players. Ta’amu’s most notable accomplishment was that he was able to revitalize football in St. Louis after the city was still upset about the departure of the Rams. After being drafted 2nd Overall in the USFL,Ta’amu now has the opportunity to lead the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022.
6.) John Wolford Arizona Hotshots (2019) 1617 Yds 14 TDs 7 INT
Wolford came out of nowhere in 2019 and seemingly was the only competition for the Orlando Apollos in the AAF. Wolford ranked Second in yards, and first in touchdowns (14). He also led the Hotshots to a 5-3 which was 1st in the AAF’s Western Conference. Wolford would go on to sign with the Rams in 2019, and recently won a Super Bowl with the Rams as Matt Stafford’s backup.
5.) Josh Johnson Los Angeles Wild Cats (2020) 1092 Yds 11 TDs 2 INT
Despite playing in only four Games in the XFL 2020 season Johnson ranked 2nd in almost every major passing category. Easily the 2nd best/dynamic QB in the XFL Johnson was on pass to put up great numbers despite playing one less game than his competition. Johnson has used his success in the XFL to extend his NFL career, and even though he is a free agent should garner plenty of interest for the 2022 season.
4.) Garrett Gilbert Orlando Apollos (2019) 2152 Yds 13 TDs 3 Int
The de facto MVP of the AAF led the Apollos to a 7-1 record before the league abruptly ended. Before the league folded, Gilber was 2nd in Passing TDs, 1st in Passing Yards, and 1st in Passer Rating. Gilbert has been able to create stability in his NFL career now, starting two games (Cowboys and WFT) in the NFL, and showing to be an extremely capable reserve quarterback.
3.) Brooks Bollinger Florida Tuskers (2009) 1518 Yds 14 TDs 3 INT
Bollinger’s 2009 season put him as the top QB in the UFL during the 2009 season. He would lead the Tuskers to a 6-0 record however, they would lose to J.P. Losman’s Las Vegas Locomotives in the UFL Championship game. Despite losing in the UFL championship, Bollinger was awarded UFL MVP, and led the league in all major passing categories. Bollinger would come back to the UFL in 2010, however injuries forced him to miss half the season, and he would retire at the end of the season. Bollinger’s 19 passing touchdowns are tied for the most in “Alternative League Football” (TSL,AAF.XFL and UFL), a record only Jordan Ta’amu at this time could possibly tie or beat.
2.) Tommy Maddox Los Angeles Xtreme (2001) 2186 Yds 18 TDs 9 INT
The all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns for the XFL had a bit of a career resurgence due to the league. Maddox, would lead the Xtreme to a League Championship along with winning the league MVP which would spearhead him to the Pittsburgh Steelers later that fall. Maddox would end his career with the Steelers after winning a Super Bowl and the 2002 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He is also the only QB to throw for over 2,000 yards in the XFL, granted ten games does help.
1.) PJ Walker Houston Roughnecks (2020) 1338 15 TDs 4 INT
Walker came out of nowhere for the Roughnecks in 2020. Originally an afterthought Walker’s opportunity came only due to the recommendation of Andrew Luck talking to his father the leagues former CEO. Walker would not waste the opportunity throwing 15 touchdowns and leading each passing category. Due to the 2020’s pandemic, Walker could not complete the season, and failed to break all the original records set by Tommy Maddox. Walker would also lead Houston to 5-0 record, and in position to earn an XFL championship. Upon the cancellation of the league, Walker has signed with the Panthers and despite lacking statistical success, he’s 2-0 as an NFL starter, and recently signed an extension for the 2022 NFL season.
