New York Guardians get their QB of the future with Matt McGloin

The XFL is all about giving promising stars an opportunity, or in many cases, another shot at glory. With the XFL Draft taking place October 15th and 16th, many were wondering who would be the true leader of the teams.

Before the draft actually started, all eight teams had a chance to pick the first quarterback of the relaunched league. The New York Guardians selected 29-year-old Matt McGloin out of Penn State.

“Our head coaches are excited about this first wave of quarterback assignments and the talent level in our draft pool,” XFL Commissioner and CEO Oliver Luck stated in a press release. “We will continue to identify and sign the best players available, and we are confident this is a strong start to the next two days.”

McGloin was picked up by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He only played in thirteen games for the Oakland Raiders from 2013-2016, throwing over 1,868 yards with 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was given an opportunity to become a backup and even a starter, but his NFL experience was not what he expected.

McGloin was then signed by the Eagles, Texans and most recently with the Chiefs, but was released months after getting picked up by all three.

His NFL career was different from his college days. With Bill O’Brien as the coach in 2012, McGloin’s last season, the young QB threw for 3,271 yards with 24 touchdowns. He ended his career at Penn State with a school-record 46 touchdowns and ranked second to Zack Mills with 513-of-894 completions for 6,390 yards.

Scouts have praised McGloin for his tenacity and strong throwing arm. Known for leading Eli Manning and the Giants’ offense, Kevin Gilbride will look to bring out that potential McGloin once had and expand it.

With new rules and teams taking over the league, this is a fresh start for McGloin. A two-time PIAA Class AAA World Champion, the Burlsworth Trophy winner will now be going from the bench to the spotlight.