Grayson Weir
Videos by OutKick
Never count out Bob Stoops! Although the Renegades entered the XFL playoffs with a losing record, they completed one of the most improbable playoff runs in football with a league title Saturday night.
Led by quarterback Luis Perez, Arlington finished the regular season at 4-6 and snuck into the South division championship. It then beat the Houston Roughnecks by 15 to advance to the XFL Championship and beat the D.C. Defenders by nine to take the title.
Stoops, who has said that he is completely disinterested in a return to the collegiate level of coaching, won his first XFL title as both head coach and general manager after joining the team, then Dallas, back in 2020 and again in 2023. It marked his second championship after winning the BCS at Oklahoma in 2000. Big Game Bob is back.
However, he could not have done it without Perez β the ultimate football journeyman!
Perez, 28, has had one of the most unique careers in football. His reaching of the mountaintop on Saturday night was a pretty special moment for the sport.
Luis Perez’s timeline to becoming an XFL champion:
- 2012 β Perez played high school football at Otay Ranch in Chula Vista, California.
- HE DID NOT PLAY ON VARSITY. NOT EVEN ONE SNAP!
- 2013 β Perez walked on at Southwestern College, a public community college in Chula Vista.
- 2014 β Perez was named the starter at Southwestern.
- He led the Jaguars to a conference title and earned all-conference honors.
- 2015 β Perez enrolled at Texas A&M-Commerce and redshirted in his first year.
- 2016 β Perez earned the starting job at Texas A&M-Commerce.
- He became a First-Team All-Southland Conference selection.
- 2017 β Perez led Texas A&M-Commerce to a D-II national title and was named the D-II player of the year.
- 2018 β Perez signed with the Rams as an Undrafted Free Agent.
- He played in one preseason game, but was waived on Sept. 1.
- He signed with the practice squad the next day, but was released on Sept. 18.
- 2019 β Perez started seven games in the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
- He signed with the Eagles after the AAF suspended operations in April, but was cut in May.
- He signed with the Lions in August, but was waived four days later.
- 2020 β Perez started two games in the XFL before COVID-19 forced the league to suspend operations.
- 2021 β Perez played an entire season in The Spring League.
- 2022 β Perez started six games in the USFL.
- 2023 β Perez was drafted into the XFL by the Vegas Vipers.
- He played in five games for Vegas and was traded to the Renegades.
- He started just three games for Arlington, including both postseason games.
- The Renegades win the XFL Championship.
Luis Perez was named the XFL Championship MVP!
It has been an incredible journey for Perez to get to this point. He went from a high school J.V. tight end to an XFL champion quarterback.
Perez completed 26 of his 36 pass attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Arlington upset D.C. 35-26.
Perez’s halftime speech may have been the difference, though calling the XFL champion ‘World Champs’ was a stretch.
Following the game, he and his family shared a special moment.
Soak it up, Luis Perez! Every ounce of glory is well-deserved and well-earned.
What a life! What a career!
In 2016, Texas A&M Commerce was actually in the Lone Star Conference (D2) not the Southland.