Tag Archives: new orleans breakers

Arena, CFL, NFL, The Spring League, ufl, usfl

Bethel-Thompson, McLeod

CARD: Upper Deck USFL 2023
ACQUIRED: 2024, Future Considerations

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • McLeod Bethel-Thompson played one year at QB for UCLA back in 2007.
  • He completed 23 of 55 passes for 293 yards and 1 TD to 5 picks.
  • MB-T hopped up to Sacramento state in 2008, where he played QB through 2010.
  • His time for the Hornets was pockmarked by injuries.
  • Still in 3 years, he managed to throw for 1322 yards and 7 TDs (8 INT) on 113 of 197 passes.
  • Undrafted, he played in 2011 for the San Jose Sabre Cats of the Arena Football League, seeing mop up duty.
  • After a short stint with the 49ers, McLeod signed with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the original UFL in September of 2011.
  • He’d throw for 355 yards completing 32 of 58 passes against the Virginia Destroyers.
  • To close out the year MB-T signed with the Dolphins and was placed on their practice squad.
  • His next stop saw him on the roster of the Minnesota Vikings, where he’d remain through October of 2013.
  • This led to a series of short stops over the next 3 years as a practice squad or off-season member of the 49ers, Patriots, Vikings, Dolphins, 49ers, and Eagles.
  • Ultimately this led MB-T to the CFL where he was signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2016.
  • Played in 2017 with The Spring League.
  • Signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in mid 2017.
  • After battling his way up the roster from the literal bottom, he became the starting QB in Week 8 of 2018.
  • Led the CFL in passing rating (105.4) and TDs (26) in 2019.
  • Played in The Spring League in 2020 for the Aviators after opting out of his contract due to the COVID pandemic.
  • Returned to the Argonauts in 2021 where he again was involved in a QB battle.
  • In 2022, led the Argos to a Grey Cup win in the 109th game.
  • Ultimately his best season as a pro, racking up 4731 yards on 387 of 579 throws with 23 TDs.
  • The Argonauts decided to go in a different direction at QB, so he signed with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL.
  • Finished as the league’s leading passer with 2,433 yards in 2023.
  • Returned to the CFL in 2024 to play for the Edmonton Elks.
  • See MBT (2)

ACCOLADES:

  • UFL (Original) Offensive Player of the Week Honors
  • CFL East All-Star 2021, ’22

NOTES:

Joe had passed me along an address for MB-T so I popped a card out to him. I was a bit dismayed not to get anything back. Well after a successful UFL season, and getting lucky on a few autographs that I sent to Joe, he returned the favor by sending me back McLeod and a few others that he’d gotten doubles of. It was quite the shot in the arm!

NFL, The Spring League, usfl, XFL

Cannella, Sal

CARD: TNT XFL 2023
ACQUIRED: IP 2024, San Antonio Brahmas v Arlington Renegades

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Salvatore Cannella played TE/WR at Auburn from 2017-’19.
  • Oft used at the majority ground and pound school, he provided mismatches with his unusual size (6’5″, 228), speed, and hands.
  • He finished his college career with 25 catches for 330 yards and 5 TDs.
  • Undrafted, Sal played in 2020 for the TSL Generals of the Spring Football League.
  • He put in his all catching 5 passes for 66 yards and a TD in the Spring League Championship Game.
  • After a workout with the Colts, he played for the Generals again in 2021.
  • This led to short stints with a mini-camp at Chicago, and on the off season roster of the Dolphins that year.
  • The TSL retooled as the USFL, and Sal found himself as the second TE off the board in the positional phase of the league’s draft by the New Orleans Breakers in 2022.
  • Sal had a great season, catching 34 passes for 368 yards and a TD.
  • Shortly thereafter he spent roughly a month on the Packers offseason roster.
  • Cannella was a huge defection for the USFL, when he was drafted and signed by the Arlington Renegades of the XFL in 2023.
  • He finished second in receiving among TEs with 42 receptions for 415 yards, and was a key cog in the Renegades XFL Championship victory.
  • After offseason stints with both the Seahawks and Vikings, he resigned with the Renegades for the ’24 campaign.
  • Sal concluded the season with 53 catches for 497 yards and 6 TDs.
  • He joined the Bucs for the offseason, but didn’t make the squad.

ACCOLADES:

  • All USFL Team 2022
  • All XFL 2023

NOTES:

A little over a week before the game, I went ahead and created and ordered cards of Sal and Luis Perez. (I wasn’t going to be caught flat footed like the previous season.) I was pretty happy with the results.

When I went to the game, I arrived at my normal seats. The players were doing warmups and I flagged down Sal. He looked genuinely touched that I made a card of him and that it was of such high production value. Sal signed the card, and I let him keep the extras I had as thanks.

NFL, usfl

Jordan, Buford

flr90 bujordanCard: Fleer 1990
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 11/11  Received: 11/19  (8 days)

Buford is a legend that has never really gotten his due outside of the state of Louisiana.  After setting state rushing records at little McNeese State, Buford stayed at home with the USFL New Orleans Breakers. As star runningback Marcus Dupree limped through the season, Jordan ended up leading the team with 1,276 yards and 8 TDs in 1984. With the USFL deciding to go head to head with the NFL in the Fall, the Breakers were left in the lurch, so the franchise packed its bags and moved to Portland. Jordan still put together a respectable 817 yards and 5 TDs, averaging right at 5 yards per carry.

After the franchise- and the league folded, Buford was not selected in the Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players in 1985. He’d join the New Orleans Saints  as a free agent and crack the squad playing mainly on special teams and at fullback. Jordan saw some starting time, and was an unheralded member of the squad, being at the right place at the right time saving the day for the Saints on more than a few occasions. Buford played for the Saints through the 1990 season, and was resigned for part of the ’91 campaign. He retired after the 1992 season.

After football, Jordan has been inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (2011), and numerous honors from the Southland Conference for his contributions. He’s a personal trainer in Louisiana, providing fitness camps, speed & conditioning, skills & agility, and draft preparation through his Rock Hard Performance outdoor training facility in Kenner, LA.

NFL  G/Gs 75/30  Rush 184    Yds 687   Avg 3.7   Td 8   Lg 44   |
Rec  37    Yds 355   Avg 9.6   Td 1    Lg 37