Omaha Nighthawks

Notable Players of the Former Omaha Nighthawks

Many former College and even NFL greats have graced the stadium in an Omaha Nighthawks uniform. Here is a list of some of the most notable players to have played in the UFL for the former Omaha Nighthawks team. We also are listing some of the players who were supposed to be part of the roster for the inaugural 2010 season but for some reason or another did not make it onto the roster.

Quarterbacks:

1. Eric Crouch – former Heisman trophy winner (won in 2001) Eric Crouch was on the roster for the Omaha Nighthawks during their 2011 season after being injured in the season opener. He was on injured reserve for most of the year and didn’t play after the first game.
2. Troy Smith – another former Heisman trophy winner (won in 2006) was also on the roster for the 2011 season. However he only played in the last game of the season having a pretty decent game. The game was lost to the Sacramento Mountain Lions 25-19.
3. Jeff Garcia – the starting quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks during the 2010 season. You know him from his years playing for the San Francisco 49ers and his three pro bowl appearances. He won offensive player of the week twice in the 2010 season with the Nighthawks because of leading two last minute winning drives.

Running Backs:

1. Maurice Clarett – you remember Maurice from the Ohio State Buckeyes where he tore up the field in 2002. That was one of the years they won the National Championship. Unfortunately from there he career was downhill. Came out of college too early and couldn’t handle the pressure of the NFL. Ended up spending three years in prison for armed robbery. However he got another shot at Football from the Omaha Nighthawks and was the second string back for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
2. Ahman Green – yes the Green Bay Packers all time leading rusher and one of the great running backs of the NFL. After playing for 12 season in the NFL he wanted to be included in the 2010 roster of the Omaha Nighthawks. He was granted a protected roster spot but never did play.

Wide Receivers:

1. Michael Clayton – former great wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His last year playing football he was on the roster for the Omaha Nighthawks. However does not look like he got any playing time.

Line Backers:

1. Cato June – one of the top Line Backers for the Indianapolis Colts for years. He also had a couple great years playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well. Cato was also on the roster for the 2010 season for the Omaha Nighthawks.

Other Notable Players:

These players were named for the team for the inaugural 2010 season of the Omaha Nighthawks but never were added to the roster for one reason or another. Some refused to play and others remained on their NFL teams.

1. Patrick Ramsey – former Quarterback for the Washington Redskins.
2. JaMarcus Russell – the former Raiders Quarterback refused to play for the UFL and wanted to remain in the NFL.
3. Anthony Dorsett – one of the great cornerbacks in the NFL. However he also did not make the roster for the 2010 season. Not sure why.

Video of Jeff Garcia at an Omaha Nighthawks Practice: