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After the Birmingham Stallions spoiled the Louisville Kings' United Football League debut March 27, Chris Redman made a promise to 14,000-plus fans who showed up to Lynn Family Stadium.
"If these people had fun today, we're going to give them a lot better shows in the future," the coach said. "That was not our best at all."
Redman was right. On Saturday afternoon, the Kings will face the DC Defenders in the United Bowl at Audi Field in the nation's capital. A win would cap off the expansion team's remarkable turnaround — from 0-3 to UFL champions.
"I'm so proud of everybody for never giving up," Redman said after the Kings beat the St. Louis Battlehawks last weekend, 29-20, to punch their ticket to the United Bowl. "What an incredible example it is: When things are down and life says, 'You can't do it,' you can still do it."
How did the Kings do it? The run started with Redman making some big changes to his roster in the wake of the team's first win. "We knew we had the talent," the coach said during an appearance on The C.L. Brown Show this week. "We kind of had to get the chemistry right."
More on that — and other turning points of the season — below.
It's hard to imagine the Kings reaching the playoffs — let alone the United Bowl — if they had dropped a Week 4 game to the Houston Gamblers on April 16 at Shell Energy Stadium. Who knows how the team would have responded to blowing a 16-6 halftime lead and falling to 0-4.
Instead, the Kings rallied to force overtime and emerged with a 24-22 victory. But that's only half of the story. Back in the locker room, Redman wasn't satisfied with simply getting over the hump.
"It just didn't feel like a win to me," the coach said last week, reflecting on the season after beating the Battlehawks in Round 1 of the playoffs. "I had something in my gut saying it was time to switch things up."
Sure enough, the Kings traded starting quarterback Jason Bean to the Defenders three days later. They also released running back Benny Snell Jr., a former Kentucky star who, considering his ties to the area, was a fan favorite. And, as Redman pointed out to reporters during the buildup to the United Bowl, they overhauled their offensive line.
Since then, they've gone 6-1.
"We got rid of some of the guys who were more 'me' guys and looked for some more team players," Redman said on The C.L. Brown Show. "I really think that was the difference. I know that's sometimes not the most popular thing to do, but we kind of went a little bit old school on them. ... I think people around (the facility) noticed. They notice everything, players and coaches; and doing it the right way, I think, is important."
Bean's replacement, Chandler Rogers, has blossomed into one of the UFL's most efficient signal-callers. Snell's replacement, James Robinson, has helped turn around a running game that ranked dead last in the league through the first four weeks of the regular season.
The Kings entered the final month of the regular season winless at Lynn Family Stadium. On May 16, they welcomed the Defenders to Butchertown, needing a victory to keep pace in the playoff push.
After trailing 24-20 with 5:45 left in the third quarter, Redman's team outscored DC 13-6 in the fourth to beat the reigning UFL champions for a second week in a row, 33-30.
"Everything's in front of us," the coach said afterward. "This thing could get real interesting."
The changes made after Week 4? They paid dividends here. Rogers orchestrated a tide-turning, 16-play drive that covered 87 yards and chewed 8:46 off the clock. Robinson capped it off with a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Kings the lead for good.
The defense did what it does best, forcing four turnovers. And kicker Tanner Brown, the UFL's Special Teams Player of the Year, drilled his first four-point field goal (a 60-yarder) of the campaign.
"Very thankful for the fans in Louisville (for) sticking with us," Rogers said afterward. "They've seen how close we've been, and we wanted to win for them. I'm glad we got that done."
The Kings' Week 5 win over the Dallas Renegades on their home turf was a sign they had something special brewing.
When the teams met again in Week 9, on May 24 at Lynn Family Stadium, Redman & Co. took control of their playoff destiny with a 37-23 victory.
"Starting 0-3 this season, to be able to rally back and give ourselves a chance to (reach the postseason) is amazing," the coach said afterward. "I'm just really excited about this team and the opportunity that's presenting itself."
It was a banner day for the Kings' offense. Rogers completed 16 of his 21 pass attempts for a season-high 266 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard strike to Isaiah Winstead that proved to be the decisive score with 12:13 remaining in regulation. Meanwhile, Robinson and Ian Wheeler combined for 181 yards of a season-high 205 on the ground.
Brown also broke the UFL's single-season record for field goals with his 23rd of the year late in the first quarter. By the end of the afternoon, he had 25 — including a 54-yarder.
The crazy thing? This one shouldn't have come down to the fourth quarter. The Kings left a lot of points on the field during the first half — Robinson fumbled 3 yards shy of the end zone, and a super challenge revealed an illegal block above the waist that negated a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown by Lucky Jackson. At the intermission, the hosts had 250 yards of total offense to the visitors' 81.
"That's the beauty (of) football," Redman said afterward. "You can have a win, but there are always things to get better at."
That's how the Kings went from last in the standings to one of the last two teams standing.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Kings highlights on run to UFL United Bowl vs DC Defenders
Continue reading...
"If these people had fun today, we're going to give them a lot better shows in the future," the coach said. "That was not our best at all."
Redman was right. On Saturday afternoon, the Kings will face the DC Defenders in the United Bowl at Audi Field in the nation's capital. A win would cap off the expansion team's remarkable turnaround — from 0-3 to UFL champions.
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"I'm so proud of everybody for never giving up," Redman said after the Kings beat the St. Louis Battlehawks last weekend, 29-20, to punch their ticket to the United Bowl. "What an incredible example it is: When things are down and life says, 'You can't do it,' you can still do it."
How did the Kings do it? The run started with Redman making some big changes to his roster in the wake of the team's first win. "We knew we had the talent," the coach said during an appearance on The C.L. Brown Show this week. "We kind of had to get the chemistry right."
More on that — and other turning points of the season — below.
Louisville Kings notch first win in overtime, then make big changes
You must be registered for see images
It's hard to imagine the Kings reaching the playoffs — let alone the United Bowl — if they had dropped a Week 4 game to the Houston Gamblers on April 16 at Shell Energy Stadium. Who knows how the team would have responded to blowing a 16-6 halftime lead and falling to 0-4.
Instead, the Kings rallied to force overtime and emerged with a 24-22 victory. But that's only half of the story. Back in the locker room, Redman wasn't satisfied with simply getting over the hump.
"It just didn't feel like a win to me," the coach said last week, reflecting on the season after beating the Battlehawks in Round 1 of the playoffs. "I had something in my gut saying it was time to switch things up."
Sure enough, the Kings traded starting quarterback Jason Bean to the Defenders three days later. They also released running back Benny Snell Jr., a former Kentucky star who, considering his ties to the area, was a fan favorite. And, as Redman pointed out to reporters during the buildup to the United Bowl, they overhauled their offensive line.
Since then, they've gone 6-1.
"We got rid of some of the guys who were more 'me' guys and looked for some more team players," Redman said on The C.L. Brown Show. "I really think that was the difference. I know that's sometimes not the most popular thing to do, but we kind of went a little bit old school on them. ... I think people around (the facility) noticed. They notice everything, players and coaches; and doing it the right way, I think, is important."
Bean's replacement, Chandler Rogers, has blossomed into one of the UFL's most efficient signal-callers. Snell's replacement, James Robinson, has helped turn around a running game that ranked dead last in the league through the first four weeks of the regular season.
Louisville Kings finally deliver at home, sweeping DC Defenders
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The Kings entered the final month of the regular season winless at Lynn Family Stadium. On May 16, they welcomed the Defenders to Butchertown, needing a victory to keep pace in the playoff push.
After trailing 24-20 with 5:45 left in the third quarter, Redman's team outscored DC 13-6 in the fourth to beat the reigning UFL champions for a second week in a row, 33-30.
"Everything's in front of us," the coach said afterward. "This thing could get real interesting."
The changes made after Week 4? They paid dividends here. Rogers orchestrated a tide-turning, 16-play drive that covered 87 yards and chewed 8:46 off the clock. Robinson capped it off with a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Kings the lead for good.
The defense did what it does best, forcing four turnovers. And kicker Tanner Brown, the UFL's Special Teams Player of the Year, drilled his first four-point field goal (a 60-yarder) of the campaign.
"Very thankful for the fans in Louisville (for) sticking with us," Rogers said afterward. "They've seen how close we've been, and we wanted to win for them. I'm glad we got that done."
Louisville Kings beat Dallas Renegades, take control of UFL playoff destiny
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The Kings' Week 5 win over the Dallas Renegades on their home turf was a sign they had something special brewing.
When the teams met again in Week 9, on May 24 at Lynn Family Stadium, Redman & Co. took control of their playoff destiny with a 37-23 victory.
"Starting 0-3 this season, to be able to rally back and give ourselves a chance to (reach the postseason) is amazing," the coach said afterward. "I'm just really excited about this team and the opportunity that's presenting itself."
It was a banner day for the Kings' offense. Rogers completed 16 of his 21 pass attempts for a season-high 266 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard strike to Isaiah Winstead that proved to be the decisive score with 12:13 remaining in regulation. Meanwhile, Robinson and Ian Wheeler combined for 181 yards of a season-high 205 on the ground.
Brown also broke the UFL's single-season record for field goals with his 23rd of the year late in the first quarter. By the end of the afternoon, he had 25 — including a 54-yarder.
The crazy thing? This one shouldn't have come down to the fourth quarter. The Kings left a lot of points on the field during the first half — Robinson fumbled 3 yards shy of the end zone, and a super challenge revealed an illegal block above the waist that negated a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown by Lucky Jackson. At the intermission, the hosts had 250 yards of total offense to the visitors' 81.
"That's the beauty (of) football," Redman said afterward. "You can have a win, but there are always things to get better at."
That's how the Kings went from last in the standings to one of the last two teams standing.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Kings highlights on run to UFL United Bowl vs DC Defenders
Continue reading...
