Former Arizona standouts Lorenzo Burns, Scooby Wright III win USFL title

The current version of the USFL has been around for two years, and both seasons have resulted in a championship for a pair of former Arizona Wildcats.

The Birmingham Stallions won a second straight USFL title on Saturday night, beating the Pittsburgh Maulers 28-12. On the Birmingham roster are ex-Wildcats Lorenzo Burns and Scooby Wright III, each winning a title for the second year in a row with the Stallions.

Wright, a linebacker, did not record any stats, and a calf injury limited him to only the last few games of the 2023 season. Burns, a cornerback, had seven tackles, including two for loss.

The 25-year-old Burns went undrafted after playing at the UA from 2016-20, his last game in a Wildcat uniform the 70-7 bludgeoning from ASU that included his picture being used in the final score tweet. He was in training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 but did not make the regular-season roster.

Wright, a 7th-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2016 NFL Draft, appeared in 13 games with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016-17 before joining various spring leagues. The 2014 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and winner of three national defensive awards, gained fame last season with Birmingham both for his play and his self-imposed ‘Sharkdawg’ nickname.