Well, it’s been a long time coming. Taylor Russolino, the kicker for the St. Louis BattleHawks during the XFL’s 2020 season, has finally made it onto an NFL team. He just signed with the Denver Broncos practice squad, and will serve as the backup to Brandon McManus. The kicker took to social media today, announcing the big news:
If you thought 2020 was going to take me down, you thought wrong! Dream come true! The gratitude is beyond! This journeys been a wild one, but let me tell you, IT’S JUST THE BEGINNING! Go @Broncos #NFL #NoMatterWhat #ForTheBrand pic.twitter.com/ZO3rw1MXdV
— Taylor Russolino (@tgrussolino) December 7, 2020
Here at the XFL Newsroom, we couldn’t be happier for Russolino. He has been working his tail off recently trying to make it to the NFL, and it’s about time he got to that level.
During the XFL’s short 2020 season, Taylor was outstanding. He was 9/10 on the year, and was solid on kickoffs as well. His breakout performance came in week three against the New York Guardians. He was 3/3 on the day, including this 58 yard bomb that was arguably one of the best moments of the season:
WOW
58 YARD FG by @XFLBattleHawks kicker Taylor Russolino extends the lead.#KAWKAW
(Via @ESPN)#XFL | #ForTheLoveOfFootball pic.twitter.com/K82PRikHkX
— XFL Moment (@XFLMoment) February 23, 2020
Considering the instability of kickers in the NFL today, it’s a surprise to see someone like Russolino stay on the open market for so long. But, as of today, he is now a part of an NFL team for the first time in his career, and hopefully this is just the start of another successful chapter for him.
Who are some XFL players you think deserve to get onto an NFL team/practice squad? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
