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With his back against the wall, Jack Coan showed up. Big time.
The Long Island native delivered the game of his life on Saturday against the Orlando Guardians, throwing for a season-best 302 yards on 25 of 31 passing. Coan’s performance led the San Antonio Brahmas to a narrow 25-23 victory and kept their playoff hopes alive. The team improved to 3-6, getting their first win at the Alamodome.
Coan’s pro career hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. He’s battled injuries and inconsistency, averaging a meager 142.8 yards per game with five touchdowns and six interceptions going into the game. This season, his team has played three other quarterbacks, and recently traded for former first-round NFL pick Paxton Lynch.
Despite the struggles, Brahmas head coach Hines Ward turned back to Coan with the season on the line. It paid off.
“It means a lot to us. We were waiting on a big performance like this,” Coan told the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s been a very difficult season for us, and the team as a whole.”
While the Brahmas’ playoff hopes are still a long shot, they aren’t giving up hope just yet. In the upcoming season finale, they need to beat the DC Defenders, the team with the best record in the XFL 8-1, and hope the Arlington Renegades (4-5) lose to the Houston Roughnecks (6-3) to secure a spot.
The Brahmas-Defenders game is set for Saturday, April 22 at 3 p.m.
Coan joined the XFL after an impressive senior season at Notre Dame in 2021, where he threw for 2,727 yards and 18 touchdowns, Coan went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he was later signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, he was waived by the team after training camp.
In a recent interview with Greater Long Island, Coan spoke about how much he has enjoyed being part of a team again and playing the game he loves.
Top: Long Island’s Jack Coan (No. 16) throwing a pass for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL on Saturday, April 15, against the Orlando Guardians. (Credit: San Antonio Brahmas/ Facebook)
