Head Coach John DeFilippo, 2023 USFL New Orleans Breakers
On Friday March 9, 2024, Memphis Showboats head coach John DeFillipo took a moment to speak about the team’s progress in the UFL training camp taking place in Arlington, TX.
“Two weeks in, guys are playing hard,” DeFillipo said. “I thought the defense did a really nice job today, offensively it wasn’t our best practice. The offense and defense had a ton thrown at them. We had a lot of new players that are learning schemes, but we’re flying around. Our thing is passionate energy and swagger. And part of that is flying around practice. Our guys have done that; they’ve answered the bell.”
DeFillipo indicated he was looking forward to the opportunity to scrimmage with the Arlington Renegades on Saturday.
“It’s that time at camp to get another color jersey in here. It’ll be a great test to see how our guys react, you know, with another colored jersey across from us, so we’re excited for the opportunity,” DeFillipo explained.
DeFillipo hoped for another chance to see his players showcase what he called “a culture of speed,” and to witness his squad exercise that mantra.
“I want to see guys flying around. We don’t do things right all the time. But we are flying around and doing it fast in our culture of speed. Our guys have done a really nice job with that,” DeFillipo said.
With cutdowns happening later this weekend, Coach DeFillipo dreads the moment he must inform players that their training camp has ended.
“I dread it. I have it circled on my calendar. I’m dreading getting there. Each time I wake up in the morning, I’m one day closer to that day. It’s hard to tell a young man that he can’t play football anymore on your team, when he has done everything that you’ve asked him to do, plus some,” DeFillipo said.
“It’s crushing. It’s crushing to you. It’s crushing to the player. It’s crushing to their families. So, I don’t take that responsibility lightly at all. And I’m dreading it,” DeFillipo added. “Unfortunately, it’s a necessary part of the chair I sit in. I’ve accepted that responsibility. It doesn’t mean you like it, but you’re responsible for it. Like I said, I do not take those decisions lightly.”
After cutdown day, the Showboats will be able to claim players that have been waived by other UFL teams, but DeFillipo is wary of this process.
“Like in the NFL. If there’s somebody that’s on waivers, and you have to make a move, you can do that, you can claim your whole team off waivers,” DeFillipo said. He then explained how the UFL’s rules limited a team’s options. “We’re limited to eight moves. So once that final cut down day is done, if I want to cut a player and bring in a player from waivers, I’m only allowed to do that eight times throughout the course of the season. So you have to be very strategic with that.”
When it comes to focusing on the Showboats first game against the Houston Roughnecks, DeFillipo knows they will soon get there.
“Right now, we’re mainly focused on our team. Once we get to the 58, we as a coaching staff will start spending time on the Houston Roughnecks,” DeFillipo said. “We’re very fortunate that we played them twice last year… but like anything, they’ve got a bunch of new players. So, we’re mainly focused on us at this point in the season, but we will start honing our focus on week one here coming up next week.”
