Memphis Express

For the defunct soccer team, see Memphis Express (soccer).

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]

Memphis Express
Established 2018 Folded 2019
League/conference affiliations
Alliance of American Football Eastern Conference (2019)
Current uniform
Team colors	Red, blue & white
Personnel
President	Kosha Irby
Head coach	Mike Singletary
Team history
Memphis Express (2019)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)

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 Arkansas Austin Peay Carson–Newman Chattanooga East Tennessee State Kentucky Lane College LSU

Memphis Middle Tennessee Ole Miss Tennessee Tennessee State Tennessee Tech Tusculum UT Martin Vanderbilt

National Football League (NFL) Cincinnati Bengals Indianapolis Colts New Orleans Saints Tennessee Titans 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

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

Final standings

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

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Day	Date	Opponent	Results		Location
				Score	Record
–	Monday	January 28	at Salt Lake Stallions	L 22–29		Alamodome

Regular season

All times Central

Week	Day	Date	Kickoff	TV	Opponent	Results		Location
						Score	Record
1	Sunday	February 10	3:00 p.m.	CBSSN	at Birmingham Iron	L 0–26	0–1	Legion Field
2	Saturday	February 16	7:00 p.m.	NFLN	Arizona Hotshots	L 18–20	0–2	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
3	Saturday	February 23	7:00 p.m.	NFLN	at Orlando Apollos	L 17–21	0–3	Spectrum Stadium
4	Saturday	March 2	3:00 p.m.	B/R Live†	San Diego Fleet	W 26–23	1–3	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
5	Sunday	March 10	3:00 p.m.	CBSSN	at Atlanta Legends	L 20–23	1–4	Georgia State Stadium
6	Saturday	March 16	3:00 p.m.	B/R Live	at Salt Lake Stallions	L 9–22	1–5	Rice–Eccles Stadium
7	Sunday	March 24	7:00 p.m.	NFLN	Birmingham Iron	W 31–25 OT	2–5	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
8	Saturday	March 30	1:00 p.m.	TNT†	Orlando Apollos	L 31–34	2–6	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
9	Saturday	April 6	11:00 a.m.	CBS†	at San Antonio Commanders	Not played		Alamodome
10	Saturday	April 13	7:00 p.m.	NFLN	Atlanta Legends			Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

† Changed from original time and/or network.^{[18][19]
[20]}

Game summaries

Week 1: at Birmingham

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

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

Week One: Memphis Express at Birmingham Iron – Game summary

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

Week 2: Arizona

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

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

Week Two: Arizona Hotshots at Memphis Express – Game summary

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

Week 3: at Orlando

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

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

Week Three: Memphis Express at Orlando Apollos – Game summary

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

Week 4: San Diego

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

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

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

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

Week 5: at Atlanta

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

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

Week Five: Memphis Express at Atlanta Legends – Game summary

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

Week 6: at Salt Lake

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

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

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

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

Week 7: Birmingham

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

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

Week Seven: Birmingham Iron at Memphis Express – Game summary

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

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

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

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

Week Eight: Orlando Apollos at Memphis Express – Game summary

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

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]