The 2023 season was the Memphis Showboats' inaugural season in the United States Football League, their first at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, and their first under the head coach/general manager tandem of Todd Haley and Dave Razzano.[1]
Offseason
Stadium Plans
Shortly before the completion of the 2022 season, the USFL announced plans to move into two or four hubs for teams to play in.[2] In November, the USFL was reportedly exploring options of having a hub in Metro Detroit, with possible locations being the Eastern Michigan Eagles' Rynearson Stadium and the Detroit Lions' Ford Field.[3]
When it was announced that the Showboats would be added to the USFL to take the place of the former Tampa Bay Bandits, it was announced that Memphis would be one of the hub cities for the 2023 season. They will share their hub with the Houston Gamblers.[4]
Draft
The Showboats clinched the 4th pick in the 2023 USFL draft and hold the fourth pick in each round.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Mason Brooks | Offensive tackle | Mississippi State | |
| 2 | 11 | Isaiah Bolden | Cornerback | Jackson State | |
| 3 | 19 | Brevin Allen | Defensive end | Campbell | |
| 4 | 27 | Benny Sapp III | Defensive back | Northern Iowa | |
| 5 | 35 | Michael Ezeike | Tight end | UCLA | |
| 6 | 43 | Jerome Carvin | Offensive lineman | Tennessee | |
| 7 | 51 | Nehemiah Shelton | Cornerback | San Jose State | |
| 8 | 59 | Trea Shropshire | Wide receiver | UAB | |
| 9 | 67 | Silas Dzansi | Offensive lineman | Virginia Tech | |
| 10 | 75 | Antonio Fletcher | Safety | Southern Illinois |
Personnel
Roster
The Showboats, like all other teams, have a 38-man active roster with a 7-man practice squad.[5]
Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
|
Reserve
Rookies in italics
50 active, 9 reserve |
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
|
Schedule
Regular Season
| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | TV | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 15 | 4:30 p.m. | vs. Philadelphia Stars | L 23–27 | 0–1 | Fox | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | April 22 | 7:00 p.m. | at Birmingham Stallions | L 2–42 | 0–2 | Fox | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | April 29 | 7:00 p.m. | at Houston Gamblers | L 26–30 | 0–3 | Fox | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | May 6 | 7:30 p.m. | at Michigan Panthers | W 29–10 | 1–3 | NBC | Ford Field | Recap |
| 5 | May 14 | 3:00 p.m. | at New Orleans Breakers | W 17–10 | 2–3 | Fox | Protective Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | May 20 | 12:30 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh Maulers | W 22–0 | 3–3 | USA | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | May 28 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. Houston Gamblers | W 23–20 | 4–3 | USA | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | June 4 | 1:00 p.m. | at New Jersey Generals | W 25–16 | 5–3 | Fox | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | June 10 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. New Orleans Breakers | L 3–31 | 5–4 | NBC, CNBC[a] | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | June 17 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. Birmingham Stallions | L 20–27 | 5–5 | Fox | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium | Recap |
Bold indicates divisional opponent.
Standings
| South Division | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | W | L | PCT | GB | DIV | PF | PA | STK | |||
| 1 | (y) Birmingham Stallions | 8 | 2 | .800 | - | 4–2 | 287 | 196 | W5 | ||
| 2 | (x) New Orleans Breakers | 7 | 3 | .700 | 1 | 4–2 | 237 | 184 | W3 | ||
| 3 | (e) Houston Gamblers | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 223 | 236 | L2 | ||
| 4 | (e) Memphis Showboats | 5 | 5 | .500 | 3 | 2–4 | 190 | 213 | L2 | ||
| (x)–clinched playoff berth; (y)–clinched division; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention | |||||||||||
Notes
References
- ^ "USFL hires new general managers for two teams". FOX Sports. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "USFL will return for second season, will play in multiple hub cities with no expansion in 2023". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "USFL explores Metro Detroit hub for 2023; Eastern Michigan has been contacted". The Detroit News. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "USFL comes home to Memphis for the 2023 season | USFL". FOX Sports. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "USFL to have a "player selection meeting" on February 22–23". ProFootballTalk. January 4, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ "USFL on Twitter: When the game between the @USFLBreakers and @USFLShowboats resumes, you can tune in on CNBC and Peacock to catch the conclusion of the game".