There’s been demand for a pro football spring league for quite some time, and someone finally decided to seize the moment: the Alliance of American Football, or AAF. What’s more, the AAF uses a recruitment model designed to attract players to their teams who are already popular in home markets.
As explained in depth by Mark Inabinett at AL.com, AAF teams initially draw from local university programs. Otherwise, they are connected by the league office to players who last suited up for the closest NFL or CFL team. Any remaining players — those from unaffiliated universities and never signed to an NFL or CFL team — are considered free agents.
That means that the New Orleans Saints are affiliated with the Memphis Express, for player recruitment purposes. In addition to the Saints, the Express draw from professional teams including the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
At the collegiate level, the Express pick up talent from SEC programs such as Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Other universities affiliated with the Express are Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Austin Peay, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State, East Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Carson-Newman, Lane, and Tusculum.
As of the AAF’s opening weekend, the only former Saints player on the Memphis roster was linebacker Davis Tull, a UT-Chattanooga graduate who was waived in 2016. Here’s the full list of former Saints on each AAF team:
- Arizona Hotshots: CB Sterling Moore, LB Obum Gwacham, WR Josh Huff
- Atlanta Legends: CB Damian Swann, WR Seantavius Jones
- Birmingham Iron: N/A
- Memphis Express: LB Davis Tull
- Orlando Apollos: OL Andrew Tiller
- Salt Lake Stallions: N/A
- San Antonio Commanders: N/A
- San Diego Fleet: LB Travis Feeney
Saints fans can catch Tull and the Express in their season-opener against the Birmingham Iron at 3 p.m. Central on CBS Sports. It promises to be an entertaining contest.
