About the Omaha Nighthawks

Welcome!

This is the site dedicated to remembering and recording facts of great UFL Football Team. The Omaha Nighthawks! Find facts, rosters, cheerleaders, coach information and more.

UFL Mission Statement

“The UFL provides high-quality professional football during a traditional fall season while embracing innovation and fan interaction. The UFL serves its local communities with pride and dedication, and aims to provide every fan with an exciting and memorable game experience.”

UFL History

In the mid-’90s when the Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis and the Houston Oilers moved to Nashville, Bill Hambrecht was mystified. It was illogical that NFL teams would be leaving two of the largest and best growth markets in the country. From a marketing angle, he knew there was room for more football teams. In conversations during this same period with coaching legend Bill Walsh, Hambrecht realized that there were lots of really good football players who could not fit onto NFL rosters.

Fast forward 10 years, and this idea finally became a reality as the United Football League made its debut during the fall of 2009. Now in its fourth season, the league has brought high-quality, professional football to hundreds of thousands of fans who otherwise would not have access to pro football in their home cities.

Omaha Nighthawks Mission Statement

The Omaha Nighthawks will endeavor to produce a great football organization that will be a credit to the Omaha community and the United Football League. We will strive to provide our city and region with a successful team that personifies qualities of integrity, sportsmanship and competitive respect for each other, our opponents and our fans. Our organization will provide an environment wherein our players, coaches, staff and partners can improve and enhance their personal careers and aspirations.

We are all in it together. The right way. The Nighthawk way.

Omaha Nighthawks History

The Omaha Nighthawks officially became the first UFL expansion team on April 15, 2010. After the league conducted a “Name the Team” contest for the Omaha franchise — which garnered more than 9,000 entries — the moniker “Nighthawks” was announced May 5. The franchise’s logo features the F-117 Nighthawk — better known to the world as the Stealth fighter. This design reflects Omaha’s strong ties to nearby Offutt Air Force Base.

The Nighthawks went 3-5 under head coach Jeff Jagodzinski during the team’s inaugural season in 2010. Joe Moglia replaced Jagodzinski for the Nighthawks’ 2011 campaign and produced a 1-4 record for the season, which was shortened due to financial constraints. The 2012 Head Coach was Burt Andrus who went 2-2 before the UFL suspended operations.

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:

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.
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.
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:

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.
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:

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:

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.

Patrick Ramsey – former Quarterback for the Washington Redskins.
JaMarcus Russell – the former Raiders Quarterback refused to play for the UFL and wanted to remain in the NFL.
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.

Welcome!

UFL Mission Statement

UFL History

Omaha Nighthawks Mission Statement

Omaha Nighthawks History

Notable Players of the Former Omaha Nighthawks

Notable Players of the Former Omaha Nighthawks

Quarterbacks:

Running Backs:

Wide Receivers:

Line Backers:

Other Notable Players:

Video of Jeff Garcia at an Omaha Nighthawks Practice:

Omaha Nighthawks Sponsors

Omaha Nighthawks