It was a working holiday Monday for Seattle Sea Dragons coach Jim Haslett, quarterback Ben DiNucci and receiver Josh Gordon, who took a brief break from XFL training-camp practices in Arlington, Texas, to come to Seattle to meet fans and sign autographs at Xtadium lounge in Pioneer Square.
“I’ve heard a lot about the fan base and the city so getting to do a quick 24- hour round trip up here has been fun, just seeing the support from everybody and trying to bring some fire and some excitement to the season,” said DiNucci, a seventh-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2020.
The Sea Dragons began practicing last week for their season-opening game at the D.C. Defenders on Feb. 19. Four days later, the Sea Dragons will play their first home game, hosting the St. Louis Battlehawks on Thursday, Feb. 23, at Lumen Field.
Haslett, who was NFL Coach of the Year in 2000 when he led the New Orleans Saints to their first-ever postseason victory, said he has been pleased with what he has seen from his new team.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys that have played in the NFL who are not up there for one reason or another right now,” Haslett said. “So hopefully we can help them get back.”
Haslett said Seattle fans should expect a lot of passing from the Sea Dragons. That’s because Haslett’s offensive coordinator is June Jones, who has been a head coach in the NFL, Division I, the Canadian Football League and the XFL, and is known for his pass-dominant run-and-shoot offense.
Jones was 5-0 with the Houston Roughnecks in 2020 in the first reboot of the XFL. That season ended prematurely because of the pandemic and soon after, the league went into bankruptcy.
Haslett figured Jones would get a head coaching job in the league’s latest return — with new owners — this year. When that didn’t happen, Haslett hired Jones to run the Sea Dragons offense and let Jones bring his Roughnecks offensive staff with him.
“If you like to see the ball in the air, it’s going to be in the air and hopefully we’re going to score a lot of points,” Haslett said, when asked why people should come to games. “I think it will be fun and it’s going to look like NFL-caliber football.”
Gordon knows what it’s like to excel in the NFL, leading the league in receiving yards in 2013 and earning All-Pro honors. Several drug-related suspensions in the years since derailed his career.
Gordon, 31, played for the Seahawks for two seasons (2019-20) and said he is looking forward to again playing in Seattle, a “home away from home.” He has been impressed with the talent level of his new team.
“I have been pleasantly surprised — a lot of us are — and I think we’ve got a good group of young professionals who are real hungry about showing their skill sets to the world,” Gordon said. “The first couple of days it looked like we had been out there before.”
As one of the team’s veterans, Gordon said he wants to be an extension of the coach on the field.
“That’s what I came here to do, to support the younger players,” Gordon said. “And to show that if you’re good at this and you care enough that you can keep doing this for a while and learn and grow in the game — and hopefully become an ambassador of the game.”
Gordon said he has been impressed with the fellow receivers on the Sea Dragons. As for himself, Gordon would rather let others do the talking.
Count Haslett and DiNucci among those who have been impressed.
“I can see why he was an NFL All-Pro,” Haslett said.
While Gordon said he believes he “has a lot more to get done in the NFL,” he is squarely focused on his new opportunity.
“The goal is whatever is put in front of me in the here and now,” Gordon said., “Whatever comes out of it at the end of it — hopefully a championship — I can’t say. But I’ve got to go with whatever opportunity is placed in front of me.”
DiNucci, who started one game for the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie in 2020, greeted a steady line of fans Monday. He hopes a lot more show up on game days at Lumen Field.
“I grew up watching the Seahawks — obviously Russell Wilson and a bunch of those guys — when they made those deep playoff runs,” DiNucci said. “(Lumen Field) was rocking, the 12th Man, and we’re going to need some of that energy when we have our home games.”
What would DiNucci say to prospective fans?
“It’s going be exciting, throwing the ball all over the place,” DiNucci said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that are exciting playmakers — Josh (Gordon) jumping up and making plays — and we’ve got a bunch of receivers that can really run. And I like to think that I can bring a lot to the table by running around, making some throws and doing some exciting stuff.
“So if you’d like to see good football and see some point scored, come check us out.”