New League, New Opportunity

NORMAN ? Former Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight is on a mission to make an NFL roster, and he's hoping the inaugural season of the Alliance of American Football will help him get there.

The AAF is a league offering second chances to fringe NFL players while also providing opportunities for those emerging from all levels of college ball.

"It gives guys like me the opportunity to get back from injury," explained Knight, who is overcoming back surgery from last year. "It gives guys who maybe were lower-tier players ? from NAIA or Division II schools ? who even if they went to a rookie mini-camp, never really got a shot. It gives them the ability to develop and get some film (showing their work). And guys who have played a lot in the NFL will come down and play in this, and then hopefully a roster spot opens up and they can be back. It keeps everybody sharp."

While Knight was recovering from his injury, his agent (Blake Baratz) passed along an AAF contract. "He said, ?Let's sign this if something happens and you're not back in the (NFL) next year. You'll have a fallback plan,'" Knight said. "At the time, I thought it was just another one of those spring leagues like Johnny Manziel played in last year. So I said, ?OK, I'll sign. Why not?' Since that moment, every interaction I've had with this league has made me more excited and has proven to me that it's not just another spring league, that it's something of worth."

"This isn't just another typical spring league... it's got the ability to be something pretty special for a lot of guys."
- Trevor Knight

Knight played at OU from 2013-15 before transferring to Texas A&M, where he recently earned his master's degree in business management. His high-water mark with the Sooners came at the end of his redshirt freshman season in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, where he passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-31 victory over two-time reigning national champion Alabama.

The AAF debuts this weekend, featuring eight teams and 52-man rosters. A 10-game regular season is followed by two semifinal playoff games (April 20-21) and the championship game (April 27).

The 25-year-old Knight will start at quarterback for the Arizona Hotshots, who are coached by former Colorado, Washington and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel and also serves as a college football analyst for CBS Sports.

"I've really enjoyed working with him so far," Knight said of Neuheisel, who turned 58 on Thursday. "He's got a lot of energy and he's fantastic."

In addition to the Hotshots, the AAF consists of the Atlanta Legends, Birmingham Iron, Memphis Express, Orlando Apollos, Salt Lake Stallions, San Antonio Commanders and San Diego Fleet.

Sooners in the AAF
Trevor Knight	QB	Arizona Hotshots
Zack Sanchez	DB	San Antonio Commanders
Jordan Thomas	DB	San Antonio Commanders

Former OU defensive backs Jordan Thomas (2014-17) and Zack Sanchez (2013-15) are with the Commanders.

Knight, Thomas and Sanchez worked alongside each other in San Antonio before Knight was selected in the quarterback draft. "They're excited, too," Knight said of his former OU teammates. "Same type of mentality. They're pumped about the opportunity to be on the field and also get back and play in the league, hopefully."

Knight said it has "yet to be determined" how often he will throw each game. For that matter, no one knows what to expect schematically given teams played only one preseason game. "We'll see how it all shapes up," Knight said. "We'll see what the defenses will be like. That's what's interesting. There's not much film to watch here in week one because you haven't really seen anybody play outside of the preseason game, where I'm sure everybody was pretty vanilla... It'll kind of have to play itself out here in year one."

The Hotshots will play their home games at Sun Devil Stadium (Arizona State University's field) in Tempe. Other league venues will be Georgia State Stadium (formerly Turner Field) for the Legends, Legion Field for the Iron, Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for the Express, Spectrum Stadium (University of Central Florida) for the Apollos, Rice-Eccles Stadium (University of Utah) for the Stallions, the Alamodome (University Texas-San Antonio) for the Commanders and SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm Stadium) for the Fleet.

Oddsmakers have favored the Hotshots to win the league's inaugural championship game, which will be played at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Projected to finish second are the Salt Lake Stallions, who are the Hotshots' season-opening opponent on Sunday at 7 p.m. CT in a game that will be televised on the NFL Network.

"It's been really fun to be back out on the field competing with hopes of getting to the highest level in the next year or so."

The AAF features several well-known coaches, including Steve Spurrier (Orlando), Mike Singletary (Memphis), Dennis Erickson (Salt Lake), Mike Riley (San Antonio) and Mike Martz (San Diego), in addition to Neuheisel.

"We just got done with training camp and it was done as professionally as anything I've ever been around," Knight said. "Everybody now is kind of understanding that this isn't just another typical spring league, that it's got the ability to be something pretty special for a lot of guys. You've got unbelievable coaching staffs, unbelievable GMs and the connection with the NFL is fantastic."

Neuheisel insists he got the quarterback he wanted when he selected Knight in the first round of the league's quarterback draft in late November. "We've made the moniker AAF: adaptable, adjustable and flexible," Neuheisel said. "You have to be able to be a little nimble, in terms of attitude and how you attack this opportunity."

Despite an impressive showing at the NFL Combine two years ago ? where he finished first among quarterbacks in the vertical jump (35.5 inches), broad jump (10 feet, 5 inches) and the 40-yard dash (4.54 seconds) ? Knight was not selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. While some suggested a possible position change to receiver, Knight stayed firmly committed to playing quarterback.

Knight is familiar with the Phoenix area, having initially signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 and spending training camp with the team. Although Knight was one of the last players cut, he was not signed to the Cardinals' practice squad. He was then signed by the Atlanta Falcons to their practice squad, but was not invited back to the Falcons' camp last season.

The AAF instituted several rule changes, among them being:

In hopes of reducing real-time game length from 180 minutes down to 150, there will be no television timeouts and 60 percent fewer full-screen commercials.
There will be a 35-second play clock, five seconds shorter than in the NFL.
Two-point conversions only after each touchdown. No extra-point kicks.
No kickoffs. Halves, odd overtime periods and after-score possessions will begin on each team's own 25-yard line, the same as touchbacks in the NFL and NCAA.
In lieu of an onside kick, a team can keep possession by attempting a play from their own 28-yard line and gaining at least 12 yards.
Two coach's challenges per team are the only replays; no challenges in last two minutes of either half or any overtime period because they are automatic.
In the event of a tie at the end of regulation, a single overtime period will be played. Under the high school?rules of the "Kansas Playoff," each team will begin on their opponent's 10-yard line and be given one possession (four downs) to score. If the score remains tied after each team has been given their possession, the game ends in a tie.
A ninth officiating member, called a "Sky Judge," is an off-the-field official who reviews every play. This official can call or take away penalties missed or made by the field officials.

Opening Weekend Broadcast Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 9	San Diego at San Antonio	7pm CT	CBS
Sunday, Feb. 10	Salt Lake at Arizona	7pm CT	NFL Network

The AAF has a broadcast deal with CBS Sports that includes airing two regional games on opening day, plus the championship game, while CBS Sports Network will air at least one game per week and one of the playoff games. In addition to local stations, TNT will broadcast two games per season (one regular season and a playoff game) and the NFL Network will air two weekly games.

"I'm enjoying this," Knight said. "I think we've got a great team. We've got a great group of guys. It's just fun. It's been really fun to be back out on the field competing with hopes of getting to the highest level in the next year or so."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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