Former Golden Ram defensive backs
Nydair Rouse and
Jarey Elder are continuing their professional football careers in the newly formed
United Football League. Rouse was
drafted in seventh round by the
DC Defenders while Elder was drafted by the
Memphis Showboats in the USFL dispersal Draft.
The UFL was formed as a result of the
merger between the XFL and the
United States Football League. The new league consists of two conferences: four former XFL teams - Defenders, Arlington Renegades, San Antonio Brahmas and St. Louis Battlehawks - comprise the XFL Conference while the USFL Conference consists of the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Roughnecks, Memphis Showboats, and Michigan Panthers.
Rouse played last season with the Defenders as they made their way to the XFL championship game. In 2021, he spent time in training camp with the
British Columbia Lions of the
Canadian Football League. In 2019, Rouse spent time with the
Green Bay Packers of the
National Football League and the
New York Guardians of the
XFL.
Rouse played in 45 of West Chester's 46 games during his four playing years, which included a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2017 and 2018. After the 2016 season, Rouse was named first team All-PSAC East, first team All-ECAC and third team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1 and was named West Chester's Jim and Stacy Vansant Defensive Player of the Year. The team captain finished his Golden Ram career with 78 total tackles, 2.0 sacks and six interceptions. He had three pick six's in 2016, with the most memorable one being his late-game 35-yard return to lead West Chester to a
31-24 win win at Bentley.
Meanwhile, over the past two seasons with the New Orleans Breakers, Elder started every game and posted 94 tackles. In September, he
resigned with the Breakers for the 2024 season, but that was prior to the merger which the Breakers did not survive. In 2021, he played for the
Milano Seamen in Italy and for the
Blues in the Spring League.
In his senior season at West Chester in 2019, the team captain led the Golden Rams in interceptions with three, pass breakups with eight, forced fumbles with two and fumbles recovered with two. His 60 total tackles was good for fourth on the team. Elder was named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week after posting six tackles and a 37-yard pick-six against East Stroudsburg. He was also named ECAC Defensive Player of the Month for October, first team All-PSAC East, PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year, second team Division 2 CCA All-Super Region 1, first team Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region 1, second team D2Football.com All-American, and a Cliff Harris Award nominee. At West Chester, he received the Geoff Ruth Memorial Defensive Player of the Year Award and the WCU Football Athlete of the Year Award.
UFL players will report to training camp in Arlington, TX on February 24 and the ten-game regular season will kickoff on March 30.
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UFL 2024 Rosters Revealed Following Super Dispersal Draft After XFL-USFL Merger
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XFL and USFL merge to form new UFL spring football league
Connor Noble returns a fumble at Shepherd (Photo Joan Gillen)
Coach Zwaan tips his cap one last time (Photo Ron Hockman)