Memphis Express

The Memphis Express was a professional American football franchise based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a member of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) during its single season in 2019.^[1] They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium,^[2] and were coached by former NFL player and head coach Mike Singletary.^[3]

Founded2018

Folded2019

ColorsRed, blue & white

Head coachMike Singletary

Quick facts General information, Founded ...

Memphis Express

Logo

General information

Founded

2018

Folded

2019

Colors

Red, blue & white

Personnel

Head coach

Mike Singletary

President

Kosha Irby

Team history

Memphis Express (2019)

Home fields

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (2019)

League / conference affiliations

Alliance of American Football

Eastern Conference (2019)

Close

On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were reportedly suspended,^[4]^[5] and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.^[6]

History

The Alliance of American Football announced the awarding of the third inaugural league team, Alliance Memphis, on May 4, 2018.^[7] This announcement was followed by the May 10, 2018, announcement of Mike Singletary as the team's head coach.^[3]

On July 30, 2018, the Alliance announced team Memphis had signed its first 29 players.^[8] On September 20, the league announced four eastern inaugural franchises' names and logos including Memphis as the Memphis Express.^[9] The name is derived from Memphis' significance as a mail and cargo transport city being the "World Headquarters" of FedEx (formerly Federal Express), with an airplane being featured in the logo.^[10] (FedEx CEO Frederick W. Smith had previously owned the Memphis Mad Dogs pro football team in the 1990s; as the AAF was a single-entity league that never progressed to selling individual franchises as originally planned, Smith had no involvement or investment with the Express, despite the use of the Express name and imagery.)

On January 5, 2019, training camp opened in San Antonio, Texas.^[11] The final 52-man roster was released on January 30.^[12] The Express' inaugural game, played against the Birmingham Iron at Legion Field on February 10, ended in a 26–0 shutout loss.^[13] Their first home game was a 20–18 loss against the Arizona Hotshots during week 2.^[14] Memphis notched their first win on March 2, with a 26–23 victory over the San Diego Fleet at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.^[15]

On March 16, 2019, shortly after the Express fell to 1–5 in a 22–9 loss to the Salt Lake Stallions, the team announced they had signed Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.^[16]

On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were suspended,^[4]^[5] and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.^[6] On April 17, 2019, the league announced the cessation of business operations after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.^[17]

Final roster

**2019 Memphis Express final roster**
Quarterbacks 14 Christian Hackenberg 2 Johnny Manziel 12 Brandon Silvers Running backs 32 Kenny Hilliard 43 Terrence Magee 49 Anthony Manzo-Lewis FB Wide receivers 18 Dontez Byrd 19 Amir Carlisle 15 Fabian Guerra 83 Drew Morgan 17 Reece Horn 82 Gerrard Sheppard 86 Dan Williams Tight ends 80 Brandon Barnes 85 Cordon Moog 89 Adrien Robinson		Offensive linemen 68 Ty Allen C 60 Daronte Bouldin G 77 Anthony Morris T 71 Christian Morris T 70 Robert Myers G 65 Demetrius Rhaney C 67 Dallas Thomas G 73 Logan Tuley-Tillman T 76 Toby Weathersby T Defensive linemen 94 Latarius Brady DT 90 Corey Crawford DE 97 Greg Gilmore DT 95 Montori Hughes DT 96 Anthony Johnson DE 98 Corey Vereen DE 92 Julius Warmsley DT 91 Jamichael Winston DE		Linebackers 56 Freddie Bishop OLB 58 DeMarquis Gates OLB 54 Quentin Gause MLB 53 Andrew Jackson MLB 55 Davis Tull OLB Defensive backs 21 Terrell Bonds CB 31 Jonathan Cook SS 39 Jeremy Cutrer CB 24 Charles James CB 45 Colton Jumper SS 28 Brandon Maiden SS 33 Justin Martin CB 30 Channing Stribling CB 25 Arnold Tarpley III FS Special teams 3 Austin MacGinnis K 51 Ryan Navarro LS 4 Ryan Winslow P				Reserve lists 34 Sherman Badie RB (IR) -- Deondre Clark DE (IR) 66 Jessamen Dunker G (IR) 73 Tayo Fabuluje OT (IR) 81 Alton Howard WR (IR) 93 Martin Ifedi DT (IR) -- Colin Jeter TE (IR) 15 Devin Lucien WR (IR) 8 Zach Mettenberger QB (IR) 99 Sam Montgomery DE (IR) 61 Oni Omoile C (IR) 87 Luke Papilion TE (IR) 20 Zac Stacy RB (IR) Rights list -- Jarvion Franklin RB -- Taiwan Jones ILB 50 Active, 14 Inactive

Allocation pool

The Express' assigned area, which designated player rights, included the following colleges:^[8]

Colleges

National Football League (NFL)

Canadian Football League (CFL)

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Staff

**Memphis Express staff**

	Front office General manager – Will Lewis Head coaches Head coach – Mike Singletary Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks – David Lee Wide receivers – Bobby Blizzard Offensive line – Steve Marshall			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dennis Thurman Defensive line – Matt Singletary Linebackers – Pepper Johnson Linebackers – Tom Mason Secondary – Oshiomogho Atogwe Quality control – Seth Gibson Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator/Running backs – Ty Knott

2019 season

Quick facts 2019 season, Owner ...

2019 Memphis Express season
Owner	Alliance of American Football
General manager	Will Lewis
Head coach	Mike Singletary
Home stadium	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Results
Record	2–6
League place	3rd (tie), Eastern Conference
Memphis Express

Close

Final standings

More information Eastern Conference, Club ...

2019 Alliance of American Football standings v t e
Eastern Conference
Club	W–L	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	SOS	SOV	STK
(x) – Orlando Apollos	7–1	.875	5–0	236	136	100	.406	.375	W2
(x) – Birmingham Iron	5–3	.625	3–2	165	133	32	.406	.300	W1
(e) – Memphis Express	2–6	.250	1–4	152	194	-42	.578	.500	L1
(e) – Atlanta Legends	2–6	.250	1–4	88	213	-125	.609	.438	L3
Western Conference
Club	W–L	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	SOS	SOV	STK
San Antonio Commanders	5–3	.625	3–2	158	154	4	.516	.450	L1
Arizona Hotshots	5–3	.625	3–2	186	144	42	.469	.500	W3
San Diego Fleet	3–5	.375	2–3	158	161	-3	.469	.417	L3
Salt Lake Stallions	3–5	.375	2–3	135	143	-8	.547	.417	W1
(x)–clinched playoff berth; (e)–eliminated from playoff contention

Close

Schedule

Preseason

More information Week, Date ...

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue
–	January 28	at Salt Lake Stallions	L 22–29	0–1	Alamodome

Close

Regular season

More information Week, Date ...

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue
1	February 10	at Birmingham Iron	L 0–26	0–1	Legion Field
2	February 16	Arizona Hotshots	L 18–20	0–2	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
3	February 23	at Orlando Apollos	L 17–21	0–3	Spectrum Stadium
4	March 2	San Diego Fleet	W 26–23	1–3	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
5	March 10	at Atlanta Legends	L 20–23	1–4	Georgia State Stadium
6	March 16	at Salt Lake Stallions	L 9–22	1–5	Rice–Eccles Stadium
7	March 24	Birmingham Iron	W 31–25 (OT)	2–5	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
8	March 30	Orlando Apollos	L 31–34	2–6	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
9	April 6	at San Antonio Commanders	Not played		Alamodome
10	April 13	Atlanta Legends	Not played		Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

Close

^[18]^[19]^[20]

Game summaries

Week 1: at Birmingham

Week One: Memphis Express at Birmingham Iron – Game summary

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Express	0	0	0	0	0
Iron	3	6	0	17	26

Close

at Legion Field, Birmingham, Alabama

Date: February 10
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Game attendance: 17,039
Referee: Brandon Cruse^[21]
TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, and John Schriffen
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(9:44) BIRM – Nick Novak 29-yard field goal, Iron 3–0

Second Quarter

(10:36) BIRM – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, Iron 6–0
(3:21) BIRM – Nick Novak 47-yard field goal, Iron 9–0

Third Quarter: No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter

(13:26) BIRM – Trent Richardson 4-yard rush (Luis Perez pass to Trent Richardson), Iron 17–0
(4:17) BIRM – Nick Novak 32 yard field goal, Iron 20–0
(1:55) BIRM – Trent Richardson 5-yard rush (rush failed), Iron 26–0

Top Passers

MEM – Christian Hackenberg – 10/23, 87 yards, 1 INT
BIRM – Luis Perez – 19/33, 252 yards

Top Rushers

MEM – Zac Stacy – 12 carries, 58 yards
BIRM – Trent Richardson – 23 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD

Top Receivers

MEM – Alton Howard – 4 receptions, 33 yards
BIRM – Quinton Patton – 4 receptions, 107 yards

Close

Week 2: Arizona

Week Two: Arizona Hotshots at Memphis Express – Game summary

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Hotshots	0	0	6	14	20
Express	9	3	0	6	18

Close

at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee

Date: February 16
Game time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Game attendance: 11,980
Referee: Reggie Smith^[22]
TV announcers (NFL Network): Dan Hellie, Brian Billick, Mike Smith, and Jenny Dell
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(8:03) MEM – Josh Jasper 38-yard field goal, Express 3–0
(5:37) MEM – Zac Stacy 9-yard rush (rush failed), Express 9–0

Second Quarter

(8:36) MEM – Josh Jasper 35-yard field goal, Express 12–0

Third Quarter

(1:06) ARIZ – John Wolford 16-yard pass to Rashad Ross (pass failed), Express 12–6

Fourth Quarter

(13:39) MEM – Christian Hackenberg 4-yard rush (pass failed), Express 18–6
(11:31) ARIZ – Justin Stockton 45-yard rush (John Wolford rush), Express 18–14
(7:07) ARIZ – John Wolford 4-yard pass to Tim Cook (pass failed), Hotshots 20–18

Top Passers

ARIZ – John Wolford – 14/22, 194 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
MEM – Christian Hackenberg – 14/25, 102 yards

Top Rushers

ARIZ – Tim Cook – 13 carries, 73 yards
MEM – Zac Stacy – 19 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD

Top Receivers

ARIZ – Josh Huff – 2 receptions, 84 yards
MEM – Reece Horn – 5 receptions, 56 yards

Close

Week 3: at Orlando

Week Three: Memphis Express at Orlando Apollos – Game summary

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Express	0	0	6	11	17
Apollos	9	0	6	6	21

Close

at Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Date: February 23
Game time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Game attendance: 20,394
Referee: Jeff Heaser^[23]
TV announcers (NFL Network): Andrew Siciliano, Steve Mariucci, Jason Fische
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(13:21) ORL – D'Ernest Johnson 4-yard rush (rush failed), Apollos 6–0
(7:37) ORL – Elliot Fry 31-yard field goal, Apollos 9–0

Second Quarter: No scoring plays
Third Quarter

(10:05) MEM – Zach Mettenberger 30-yard pass to Devin Lucien (pass failed), Apollos 9–6
(6:40) ORL – Garrett Gilbert 37 yard pass to Rannell Hall (pass failed), Apollos 15–6

Fourth Quarter

(14:11) MEM – Josh Jasper 27-yard field goal, Apollos 15–9
(9:07) ORL – Garrett Gilbert 21-yard rush (rush failed), Apollos 21–9
(5:40) MEM – Zach Mettenberger 40-yard pass to Gerrard Sheppard (Zach Mettenberger pass to Anthony Manzo-Lewis), Apollos 21–17

Top Passers

MEM – Zach Mettenberger – 9/12, 120 yards, 2 TD
ORL – Garrett Gilbert – 14/28, 207 yards, TD

Top Rushers

MEM – Sherman Badie – 8 attempts, 59 yards
ORL – D'Ernest Johnson – 13 attempts, 79 yards

Top Receivers

MEM – Devin Lucien – 3 receptions, 51 yards, TD
ORL – Rannell Hall – 4 receptions, 68 yards, TD

Close

Week 4: San Diego

Week Four: San Diego Fleet at Memphis Express – Game summary

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Fleet	14	6	0	3	23
Express	3	12	0	11	26

Close

at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee

Date: March 2
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Game attendance: 13,621
Referee: James Carter^[24]
TV announcers (B/R Live): Mark Malone, James Jones
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(12:22) SD – Ron Brooks 57-yard punt return for touchdown (rush failed), Fleet 6–0
(3:21) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 46-yard field goal, Fleet 6–3
(0:57) SD – Philip Nelson 6-yard pass to Dontez Ford (Terrell Watson rush), Fleet 14–3

Second Quarter

(10:58) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 40-yard field goal, Fleet 14–6
(5:41) SD – Alex Ross 30-yard pass to Marcus Baugh (rush failed), Fleet 20–6
(1:55) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 35-yard field goal, Fleet 20–9
(0:18) MEM – Zach Mettenberger 1-yard rush (pass failed), Fleet 20–15

Third Quarter: No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter

(14:03) SD – Donny Hageman 46-yard field goal, Fleet 23–15
(6:01) MEM – Zach Mettenberger 6-yard pass to Terrence Magee (Zach Mettenberger rush), Tied 23–23
(2:42) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 45-yard field goal, Express 26–23

Top Passers

SD – Philip Nelson – 9/12, 110 yards, 1 TD
MEM – Zach Mettenberger – 18/25, 174 yards, 1 TD

Top Rushers

SD – Terrell Watson – 10 carries, 43 yards
MEM – Zac Stacy – 18 carries, 39 yards

Top Receivers

SD – Dontez Ford – 3 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD
MEM – Reece Horn – 4 receptions, 63 yards

Close

Week 5: at Atlanta

Week Five: Memphis Express at Atlanta Legends – Game summary

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Express	6	6	8	0	20
Legends	3	11	0	9	23

Close

at Georgia State Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: March 10
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Game attendance: 10,829
Referee: Tra Blake^[25]
TV announcers (CBS Sports Network): Ben Holden, Adam Archuleta, John Schriffen
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(7:33) ATL – Younghoe Koo 38-yard field goal, Legends 3–0
(4:55) MEM – Zac Stacy 7-yard rush (pass failed), Express 6–3

Second Quarter

(13:25) ATL – Tarean Folston 2-yard rush (Aaron Murray pass to Justin Thomas), Legends 11–6
(9:18) MEM – Zac Stacy 3-yard rush (pass failed), Express 12–11
(0:00) ATL – Younghoe Koo 25-yard field goal, Legends 14–12

Third Quarter

(3:39) MEM – Zach Mettenberger 1-yard rush (Terrence Magee rush), Express 20–14

Fourth Quarter

(11:50) ATL – Aaron Murray 2-yard pass to Tarean Folston (pass failed), Tied 20–20
(0:09) ATL – Younghoe Koo 35-yard field goal, Legends 23–20

Top Passers

MEM – Zach Mettenberger – 9/17, 181 yards, 1 INT
ATL – Aaron Murray – 27/43, 306 yards, 1 TD

Top Rushers

MEM – Zac Stacy – 13 carries, 41 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Tarean Folston – 11 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD

Top Receivers

MEM – Sherman Badie – 1 reception, 56 yards
ATL – Seantavius Jones – 5 receptions, 89 yards

Close

Week 6: at Salt Lake

Week Six: Memphis Express at Salt Lake Stallions – Game summary

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Express	0	9	0	0	9
Stallions	16	3	0	3	22

Close

at Rice–Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah

Date: March 16
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C) • Wind: 5–10 mph
Game attendance: 8,150
Referee: Reggie Smith^[26]
TV announcers (B/R Live): Mark Malone, Marvin Lewis, Maurice Jones-Drew
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(9:18) SL – Josh Woodrum 11-yard pass to Nick Truesdell (Josh Woodrum pass to Jordan Leslie), Stallions 8–0
(0:40) SL – Josh Woodrum 14-yard pass to Anthony Denham (Josh Woodrum pass to Terrell Newby), Stallions 16–0

Second Quarter

(11:07) SL – Taylor Bertolet 26-yard field goal, Stallions 19–0
(7:15) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 31-yard field goal, Stallions 19–3
(1:54) MEM – Brandon Silvers 11-yard pass to Zac Stacy (pass failed), Stallions 19–9

Third Quarter: No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter

(11:57) SL – Taylor Bertolet 22-yard field goal, Stallions 22–9

Top Passers

MEM – Brandon Silvers – 23/37, 242 yards, 1 TD
SL – Josh Woodrum – 24/37, 243 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Top Rushers

MEM – Zac Stacy – 11 carries, 31 yards
SL – Joel Bouagnon – 19 carries, 60 yards

Top Receivers

MEM – Reece Horn – 8 receptions, 129 yards
SL – Nick Truesdell – 5 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD

Close

Week 7: Birmingham

Week Seven: Birmingham Iron at Memphis Express – Game summary

More information Quarter, OT ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Iron	8	8	3	6	0	25
Express	0	8	6	11	6	31

Close

at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee

Date: March 24
Game time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: 13 mph
Game attendance: 13,758
Referee: Tra Blake^[27]
TV announcers (NFL Network): Matt "Money" Smith, Marvin Lewis
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(6:18) BIRM – Luis Perez 11-yard pass to Braedon Bowman (Trent Richardson rush), Iron 8–0

Second Quarter

(14:56) MEM – Terrence Magee 1-yard rush (Brandon Silvers pass to Dan Williams), Tied 8–8
(13:44) BIRM – Trent Richardson 1-yard rush (Trent Richardson rush), Iron 16–8

Third Quarter

(9:04) BIRM – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, Iron 19–8
(3:54) MEM – Blocked punt returned 50 yards for touchdown by Terrell Bonds (pass failed), Iron 19–14

Fourth Quarter

(9:01) BIRM – Luis Perez 4-yard pass to Wes Saxton (pass failed), Iron 25–14
(4:16) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 22-yard field goal, Iron 25–17
(0:24) MEM – Brandon Silvers 7-yard pass to Reece Horn (Brandon Silvers pass to Brandon Barnes), Tied 25–25

Overtime

MEM – Brandon Silvers 10-yard pass to Dan Williams, Express 31–25

Top Passers

BIRM – Luis Perez – 16/37, 235 yards, 2 TD
MEM – Brandon Silvers – 24/35, 266 yards, 2 TD

Top Rushers

BIRM – Trent Richardson – 16 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD
MEM – Johnny Manziel – 2 carries, 20 yards

Top Receivers

BIRM – Amba Etta-Tawo – 3 receptions, 71 yards
MEM – Reece Horn – 7 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD

Close

This was the first overtime game in AAF history. Despite newly signed quarterback Johnny Manziel playing a few series for the Express, starter Brandon Silvers led the team to a comeback victory, keeping its slim postseason chances alive.^[28]

Week 8: Orlando

Week Eight: Orlando Apollos at Memphis Express – Game summary

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Apollos	3	11	8	12	34
Express	0	9	14	8	31

Close

at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee

Date: March 30
Game time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Game attendance: 12,417
Referee: Reggie Smith^[29]
TV announcers (TNT): Dan Hellie, Brock Huard
NoExtraPoints AAF

More information Game information ...

Game information

First Quarter

(9:30) ORL – Elliott Fry 25-yard field goal, Apollos 3–0

Second Quarter

(12:52) ORL – Elliott Fry 37-yard field goal, Apollos 6–0
(8:45) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 51-yard field goal, Apollos 6–3
(6:55) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 29-yard field goal, Tied 6–6
(1:55) ORL – D'Ernest Johnson 3-yard rush (D'Ernest Johnson rush), Apollos 14–6
(0:09) MEM – Austin MacGinnis 34-yard field goal, Apollos 14–9

Third Quarter

(13:54) ORL – Garrett Gilbert 65-yard pass to Donteea Dye (Garrett Gilbert pass to Chris Thompson), Apollos 22–9
(8:13) MEM – Terrence Magee 2-yard rush (Brandon Silvers pass to Dontez Byrd), Apollos 22–17
(2:36) MEM – Cory Crawford 7-yard fumble return (pass failed), Express 23–22

Fourth Quarter

(8:23) MEM – Brandon Silvers 9-yard pass to Dontez Byrd (Garrett Gilbert pass to Gerrard Sheppard), Express 31–22
(4:59) ORL – Garrett Gilbert 18-yard pass to Charles Johnson (pass failed), Express 31–28
(1:51) ORL – De'Veon Smith 1-yard rush (rush failed), Apollos 34–31

Top Passers

ORL – Garrett Gilbert – 22/40, 310 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
MEM – Brandon Silvers – 30/49, 269 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Top Rushers

ORL – De'Veon Smith – 10 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD
MEM – Terrence Magee – 9 carries, 39 yards, 1 TD

Top Receivers

ORL – Charles Johnson – 8 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD
MEM – Gerrard Sheppard – 9 receptions, 98 yards

Close

Media

In addition to league-wide television coverage through NFL Network, CBS Sports Network, TNT, and B/R Live, Memphis' games were also broadcast on local radio by KWNW, an iHeartMedia station branded as 101.9 Kiss FM.^[30]

History

Final roster

Allocation pool

Staff

2019 season

Final standings

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Game summaries

Week 1: at Birmingham

Week 2: Arizona

Week 3: at Orlando

Week 4: San Diego

Week 5: at Atlanta

Week 6: at Salt Lake

Week 7: Birmingham

Week 8: Orlando

Media

References

Further reading

Related Articles