Former Long Beach City College wide receiver De’Quan Hampton has returned to Veterans Memorial Stadium to practice as part of the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL.
“It’s great to be back. It feels like coming home, playing a sport I love,” Hampton said after practice Feb. 12 at Veterans Memorial Stadium, which will serve as the team’s main facility this season.
Hampton graduated from LBCC in 2015 and transferred to the University of Southern California, where he played wide receiver for two seasons.
Hampton signed with the New Orleans Saints at one point, where he was on the roster for about four weeks.
Hampton’s goal is to make his way back to the NFL and talked about why he is playing in the XFL, which is a professional American football league with eight teams, founded by WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
“This league is the perfect opportunity to make my way back there,” Hampton said.
There are a few differences between the NFL and XFL.
One being, on kickoff the players cannot move until the ball is caught by the returner.
Rules on punts are similar, the punting team cannot release past the line of scrimmage until the ball is kicked.
Another difference is the XFL players do not kick field goals for extra points.
XFL uses a three-tiered point system for teams following touchdown: 1 point for a score from the 2-yard line, 2 points from a score from the 5-yard line, 3 points for a run or pass from the 10-yard line.
LBCC Football Coach Brett Peabody talked about what it has been like recently having the XFL on campus.
“It’s nice for them to be here on our field,” Peabody said.
“The coaches and players have been very respectful and it’s good for our players to watch these practices and see where they could go.”
Brandon Barnes, a tight end from Alabama State played for the Detroit Lions, New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, and is currently on the Wildcats roster.
“The XFL is a different brand of football with different rules and the same intensity,” Barnes said.