Houston Gamblers (UFL)
Football team in Houston, Texas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Houston Gamblers were a professional American football team based in Houston. The Gamblers competed in the United Football League (UFL). The team was owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation.
| Houston Gamblers | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||
| Founded | November 22, 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Folded | 2026 | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Shell Energy Stadium Houston, Texas | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Black, red, yellow | ||||||||||||
| Mascot | Ace the Armadillo | ||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||
| Personnel | |||||||||||||
| Owner | League owned | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | Kevin Sumlin | ||||||||||||
| Team history | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Home fields | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| League / conference affiliations | |||||||||||||
United States Football League (2022–2023)
United Football League (2024–2026)
| |||||||||||||
.png)
The team was a founding member of the USFL, as the Houston Gamblers in 2022, named after the 1980s USFL team of the same name. Though named after the city of Houston, the 2020s Gamblers never played there under that brand, instead playing its home games as the guest of other USFL teams in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022 and Memphis, Tennessee in 2023. When the USFL and XFL merged to form the UFL in 2024, the Gamblers took over the branding of the original Houston Roughnecks that had played the 2023 season in the XFL and played in Houston at Rice Stadium. The team played at TDECU Stadium (the home of the 2020 and 2023 Roughnecks) during the 2025 season. The team returned to the Gamblers name ahead of the 2026 UFL season, coinciding with a move to Shell Energy Stadium, but folded after that season.
History
Houston Gamblers (USFL, 2022–2023)
The Houston Gamblers were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021.[1] On January 6, 2022, it was announced on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that former NCAA Football Head coach Kevin Sumlin was named the Head coach and General manager of the Gamblers.[2] Houston was the only city in the USFL nominally based west of the Mississippi River and the only city that had a representative team in both professional spring football leagues, the USFL (the Gamblers) and the XFL (the Roughnecks), though the Gamblers never set foot in Houston, instead playing as a traveling team under the USFL's hub model.
On January 6, 2022, former college head coach, Kevin Sumlin was named the head coach and general manager for the Houston Gamblers.[3] The Gamblers' first season game was on April 17, 2022, against the Michigan Panthers at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. Kicker Nick Vogel made a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter (the first points for the franchise). The Gamblers defeated the Panthers 17–12, winning their first game in franchise history. The Gamblers lost their next seven games before winning for their final two games of the season, and failing to qualify for the USFL playoffs.[4]
In September 2022, the Gamblers announced that Robert Morris was named their new general manager.[5] In November 2022, the USFL announced that the Gamblers will play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee for the 2023 season.[6] In February, 2023, Sumlin announced his plans to join the coaching staff of the Maryland Terrapins, this led to the Gamblers hiring former New Orleans Saints assistant coach, Curtis Johnson as their new head coach.[7]
Houston Roughnecks (UFL, 2024–2025)
On January 1, as part of the merger with the XFL, the Gamblers merged with their XFL counterpart, the Roughnecks. The merged team took on the Roughnecks name and identity (including history and social media presence), while maintaining the Gamblers' coaching staff, player rights and position in the USFL Conference.[8] The team will play in Houston as the Roughnecks did, but renovations to TDECU Stadium, the Roughnecks' home in 2020 and 2023, required the use of a different venue; Rice University Stadium was approached about the possibility prior to the merger.[9] On February 1, 2024, the Roughnecks announced an agreement to play the 2024 season at Rice Stadium.[10] The Roughnecks announced their return to TDECU Stadium on September 13, 2024.[11]
By August 2025, incoming UFL co-ownership had indicated it would be moving between two and four teams,[12] reportedly all from the USFL Conference;[13] the Birmingham Stallions were eventually spared from relocation,[14] and the league was "trying" to save the Michigan Panthers with a more ideal stadium, effectively guaranteeing that the Roughnecks and Memphis Showboats would be the two minimum teams relocating, one of them to Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.[13] Houston was unexpectedly spared from relocation on October 3, 2025, when the league chose to relocate Memphis, Michigan and the San Antonio Brahmas.
Return to Gamblers identity (UFL, 2026)
On October 7, 2025, the UFL announced that the Roughnecks would be rebranding, returning to the Houston Gamblers name for the 2026 season.[15] The color scheme was updated to Gamblers red and black. The UFL also announced that the team would be moving into Shell Energy Stadium in Downtown Houston.[15]
League co-owner Mike Repole stated he chose to revert to the Gamblers name because of its "iconic" history, mentioning Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly's tenure with the 1980s incarnation of the team.[16] Head coach Curtis Johnson was fired on November 29, 2025[17] in favor of bringing back the 2020s Gamblers' original head coach, Kevin Sumlin.
Following the 2026 season, the UFL announced that the Gamblers and Birmingham Stallions were folding.[18] Repole acknowledged that in Houston's case, the instability that the merger had caused, and efforts to correct the problem by constantly changing stadiums each year, had damaged relations between Houston and the league beyond repair.[19]
Culture
Mascot
.jpg)
On April 5, 2026, Ace the Armadillo was introduced as the team's mascot following a fan vote held as part of the team's rebranding process.[20]
Current roster
Players
| Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
Special teams (ST)
|
Staff
|
| |||||
Player history
Current NFL players
| Season | Pos | Name | NFL Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | LS | Tucker Addington | Miami Dolphins |
| 2026 | S | Major Burns | Miami Dolphins |
| 2026 | WR | Kaden Davis | Chicago Bears |
| 2026 | CB | Ameer Speed | Dallas Cowboys |
| 2026 | WR | Jalen Moreno-Cropper | New Orleans Saints |
| 2026 | OT | Gottlieb Ayedze | Miami Dolphins |
| 2026 | LB | Eugene Asante | Arizona Cardinals |
Notable players
| Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | LB | Reuben Foster | Former San Francisco 49ers Linebacker, 2017 1st Round Pick |
| 2025–present | CB | Damon Arnette | Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback, 2020 1st Round Pick |
| 2026–present | OT | Jackson Carman | Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle, 2021 2nd Round Pick |
USFL Offensive Player of the Year award winners
| Gamblers USFL OPOY winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Mark Thompson | RB | USFL |
USFL Defensive Player of the Year award winners
| Gamblers USFL DPOY winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Chris Odom | DE | USFL |
Coach history
Head coach history
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Kevin Sumlin | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers / Roughnecks | ||||||||||
| 2 | Curtis Johnson | 2023–2025 | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 3 | Kevin Sumlin | 2026 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | - | - | |
Offensive Coordinator history
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 1 | David Beaty | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | *Co Offensive Coordinator |
| 2 | J. D. Runnels | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | *Co Offensive Coordinator |
| Houston Gamblers / Roughnecks | ||||||||||
| 3 | Eric Price | 2023–2026 | 40 | 15 | 25 | .375 | - | - | - | |
Defensive Coordinator history
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Tim Lewis | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers / Roughnecks | ||||||||||
| 2 | Chris Wilson | 2023–2025 | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 3 | Marvin Sanders | 2026 | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 | - | - | - | |
Records
| All-time Gamblers/Roughnecks leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Gamblers/Roughnecks | |
| Passing yards | Kenji Bahar | 2,250 passing yards | 2022–2024 | |
| Passing Touchdowns | Clayton Thorson | 10 passing touchdowns | 2022
2022–2024 | |
| Rushing yards | Mark Thompson | 1,341 rushing yards | 2022–2024 | |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Mark Thompson | 21 rushing touchdowns | 2022–2024 | |
| Receiving yards | Justin Hall | 1,816 receiving yards | 2023–present | |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Justin Hall | 12 receiving touchdowns | 2023–present | |
| Receptions | Justin Hall | 195 receptions | 2023–present | |
| Tackles | Jeremiah Tyler | 150 tackles | 2023–2025 | |
| Sacks | Chris Odom | 17.5 sacks | 2022, 2024 | |
| Interceptions | William Likely | 4 interceptions | 2022 | |
| Coaching wins | Curtis Johnson | 11 wins | 2023–2025 | |
Starting quarterbacks
Regular season – As of June 2, 2026
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Gamblers | |||
| 2022 | Clayton Thorson (1–6) / Kenji Bahar (2–1) | [21] | |
| 2023 | Kenji Bahar (4–5) / Terry Wilson (1–0) | [22] | |
| Houston Roughnecks | |||
| 2024 | Reid Sinnett (1–4) / Jarrett Guarantano (0–3) / Nolan Henderson (0–2) | [23] | |
| 2025 | Anthony Brown (1–2) / Nolan Henderson (0–1) / Jalan McClendon (4–2) | [24] | |
| Houston Gamblers | |||
| 2026 | Nolan Henderson (1–3) / Hunter Dekkers (2–2) / Taulia Tagovailoa (0–1) / John Rhys Plumlee (1–0) | [25] | |
Most games as starting quarterback
| Name | Period | GP | GS | W | L | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||
| Kenji Bahar | 2022–2023 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 |
| Clayton Thorson | 2022 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 6 | .143 |
| Terry Wilson | 2022–2023 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Hunter Dekkers | 2026 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 |
| Taulia Tagovailoa | 2026 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| John Rhys Plumlee | 2026 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Houston Roughnecks | ||||||
| Jalan McClendon | 2025 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | .667 |
| Reid Sinnett | 2024 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 |
| Anthony Brown | 2025 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
| Nolan Henderson | 2024–2026 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 6 | .143 |
| Jarrett Guarantano | 2024 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
Attendance
| Top 10 Crowds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | Attendance | Date | Score |
| 1 | 9,157 | March 31, 2024 | Roughnecks 12, Showboats 18 |
| 2 | 7,744 | April 5, 2026 | Gamblers 22, Stallions 20 |
| 3 | 7,179 | April 21, 2024 | Roughnecks 17, Renegades 9 |
| 4 | 7,124 | March 28, 2025 | Roughnecks 6, Battlehawks 31 |
| 5 | 6,684 | May 25, 2025 | Roughnecks 24, Defenders 21 |
| 6 | 6,613 | April 19, 2025 | Roughnecks 16, Stallions 23 |
| 7 | 6,527 | May 26, 2024 | Roughnecks 22, Panther 26 |
| 8 | 6,285 | April 27, 2024 | Roughnecks 9. Stallions 32 |
| 9 | 6,217 | May 24, 2026 | Gamblers 15, Battlehawks 21 |
| 10 | 6,134 | May 12, 2024 | Roughnecks 12, Brahmas 15 |
Year by year
| Season | Head Coach | Avg. Crowd | Largest Crowd | Home Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Curtis Johnson | 7,056 | 9,157 | 1–4 |
| 2025 | 5,712 | 7,124 | 2-3 | |
| 2026 | Kevin Sumlin | 5,683 | 7,744 | 2-3 |
Statistics and records
Season-by-season record
| UFL champions† (2024–present) | USFL champions§ (2022–2023) | Conference champions* | Division champions^ | Wild Card berth# |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | Pct. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | |||||||||
| 2022 | 2022 | USFL | N/a | South | 4th | 3 | 7 | Chris Odom (DPOY) | Kevin Sumlin | .300 | |
| 2023 | 2023 | USFL | N/a | South | 3rd | 5 | 5 | Mark Thompson (OPOY) | Curtis Johnson | .500 | |
| 2024 | 2024 | UFL | USFL | N/a | 4th | 1 | 9 | .100 | |||
| 2025 | 2025 | UFL | USFL | N/a | 3rd | 5 | 5 | .500 | |||
| 2026 | 2026 | UFL | N/a | N/a | T–5th | 4 | 6 | Kevin Sumlin | .400 | ||
| Total | 18 | 32 | All-time regular season record (2022–2026) | .360 | |||||||
| 0 | 0 | All-time postseason record (2022–2026) | – | ||||||||
| 18 | 32 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2022–2026) | .360 | ||||||||
Rivalries
Double Down Derby
The Houston Gamblers have shared a rivalry with the Birmingham Stallions since 2022.[26] This rivalry was called the Double Down Derby. As of 2026, the Gamblers hold a 4–6 record against the Stallions.
Memphis Showboats
The Houston Gamblers / Roughnecks shared Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee with the Memphis Showboats during the 2023 season. In 2024, the two teams played against each other in the season finale for the number one overall pick in the 2024 UFL draft. The winner would get the number one pick, the Showboats won the game 19–12 and earned the 2025 number one pick.[27][28] The series record is tied at 3–3.
Franchise matchup history
| Team | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Stallions | 4–6 | .400 |
| Columbus Aviators | 1–1 | .500 |
| Dallas Renegades | 1–2 | .333 |
| DC Defenders | 1–2 | .333 |
| Louisville Kings | 0–1 | .000 |
| Memphis Showboats | 3–3 | .500 |
| Michigan Panthers | 2–4 | .333 |
| New Jersey Generals | 1–1 | .500 |
| New Orleans Breakers | 1–3 | .250 |
| Orlando Storm | 0–1 | .000 |
| Pittsburgh Maulers | 1–1 | .500 |
| Philadelphia Stars | 1–1 | .500 |
| San Antonio Brahmas | 1–1 | .500 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 1–3 | .250 |
| Tampa Bay Bandits | 0–2 | .000 |
- Defunct teams in light gray.