Getty Jordan Ta'amu playing for Ole Miss in 2017.
It hasn’t been often that the Detroit Lions have seen a former quarterback go on to big success, but with Matthew Stafford opening the door to that this month, there is now the possibility for lightning to strike twice.
Stafford won the Super Bowl, and a much smaller named former quarterback in Detroit will now venture out and try to find his own immortality. Jordan Ta’amu, who was a camp member of the Lions back in September, has now become a very high draft pick in the newly-formed USFL league which will begin this spring.
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In the first-round of the USFL draft on Tuesday, February 22, the Tampa Bay Bandits selected Ta’amu to the roster. Here’s a look at how the first-round, which was all quarterbacks, ended up shaking out:
Round 1 ✅
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Here’s a look at Ta’amu rocking his new threads in a mock-up from the USFL soon after he was drafted by the Bandits:
New look Ta’amu 🧵
Ta’amu was signed by the Lions early last season to provide some depth and competition behind Jared Goff when Tim Boyle was dinged up in training camp, but he did not make the roster and ended up looking for a job since. Even though that is the case, Ta’amu has enough talent where these other leagues want to get a look at him. It will be interesting to see if he can get the job done and make a name for himself with this new league.
Michigan Panthers Selected Shea Patterson With Top Pick
For folks wondering, there is a Michigan flair to the event. Former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Shea Patterson ended up being the top pick just ahead of Ta’amu of the Michigan Panthers. Seeing the Panthers resurface again will be a blast from the past for scores of fans in Motown, as the team was in the original USFL during the 1980s. The Panthers played at the Silverdome outside of Detroit. This version of the USFL will not be played in Detroit, but rather in Mobile, Alabama.
Patterson went one pick ahead of Ta’amu after starring just down the road in Ann Arbor with the Wolverines. Here’s a look at his highlight reel:
Ta’amu and Patterson going back to bak in this draft will represent an interesting case study when the USFL gets going this spring.
Ta’amu Stats & Career Highlights
As for Ta’amu, 23, he still has plenty of youth on his side as he starts another new venture in the game of football. The former Ole Miss quarterback was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Houston Texans after the 2019 draft. He stuck there for camp that year, then was released. Ta’amu then latched on with the XFL last October and played for the St. Louis BattleHawks. While there, he put up 1,050 passing yards, 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, as well as 217 yards rushing and 1 touchdown in just 5 games played. After the XFL folded, he went to Kansas City before finally being picked up by Detroit late in the 2020 season.
In college, Ta’amu was a solid prospect for the Rebels, finishing a brief two-year career as a starter with 5,600 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Those were pretty productive numbers in the rough and tumble SEC for the quarterback, so it’s obvious he has some talent.
Here’s a look at some of the highlights:
While he didn’t get to showcase that talent much in Detroit, he will get a chance to do it in a brand new league. That will be exciting for Ta’amu and a good reason for folks to be excited.
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