The XFL today announced that they have appointed St. Louis native and former NFL wide receiver, Brandon Williams, as the Vice President of Business and Event Operations for the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Williams, 38, becomes one of the youngest sports executives in the region and will “oversee the team’s business performance and activations to elevate awareness, drive fan and community engagement, and execute gameday experiences based on the League’s strategic plans,” according to the Battlehawks.
He joins the XFL franchise after serving as Anheuser-Busch InBev Associate, Innovations Machine- Beyond Beer. He was part of a six-person Innovations Marketing team and helped lead product development in the Beyond Beer category. This included the Flavored Malt Beverage [FMB] portfolio of products. The brands he worked on generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, according to a release.
“I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity,” said Williams.
“Growing up, playing, and working in sports media in St. Louis, I understand how important football is to the fabric of our community.
“Having witnessed first-hand the passion and support for the game and Battlehawks, I am excited to build upon that success as we continue with a fan-first approach and even more ideas for the 2023 season.”
A two-time Second Team All-State selection in football for Hazelwood East, Williamscontinued his education at the University of Wisconsin. Among his accolades, Williams set a freshman record with 52 receptions and school mark of 32 kick-off returns and 670 yards. He ended his career with the most catches (202) and second in all-purpose yards (5852) in Badger history.
Drafted by San Francisco in the third round (#84 overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, Williams played two seasons with the 49ers before signing with the then St. Louis Rams. He finished his playing career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009.
After attending NFL Broadcast Boot Camp, Williams worked as a studio analyst and radiohost for the Big 10 Network, ESPN and contributed to St. Louis area media outlets for nine seasons.
During this time, he also worked as a certified financial planner and published
“Millionaire Mindset: Seven Principles Athletes Need for Financial Freedom” before earning his M.B.A. at Lindenwood University.
Williams also served as the first president of the St. Louis Former NFL Players Chapter.
Under Armour to outfit XFL teams Under Armour has been selected as provider of all on-field uniforms, including jerseys, base layer, sideline, and training apparel, for all XFL teams.
Each team’s interview made its debut last week and are designed to match individual team identities.
The Battlehawks will sport a “Deep Sky” blue uniform at home and a “Jet Gray” light uniform on the road. The helmets are gray, different from the 2020 franchise, and feature the wings of the club’s logo on the sides.
“Something to get excited about,” head coach Anthony Becht said during the uniform unveiling on Twitter.
“Players are going to love it. I love it. By far, it’s gotta be one of the better jerseys in the league.”
The font for the numbers pays homage to St. Louis’ past as a manufacturer of military jet aircraft.
The two-year design process was a collaboration between XFL ownership, marketing, and Under Armour teams. Each jersey features a “Blood, Sweat, Respect” mantra – a personalized message from ownership to players, which is sublimated on the interior collars of all team uniforms.
Additional design details include embroidered team wordmarks and branding at the base of the neckline, UA’s ArmourGrid nameplates with twill lettering, and all uniforms will be branded with XFL, Under Armour, and Project Rock Brahma Bull patches.
“We have built an incredibly strong relationship with Under Armour over the years as our trusted partner with Project Rock,” said XFL Owner Dwayne Johnson.
“We have become industry leaders in game-changing, innovative products, specifically designed and evaluated for premium performance, which made them the perfect partners for our XFL brand.
“Now it’s time for our players to gear up and ball out XFL style for the 2023 season.”
