XFL: Watch Former Saints RB Abram Smith lead DC Defenders comeback win after costly fumble against Vegas Vipers
When one asks you what a comeback looks like, point to Abram Smith and his performance for the DC Defenders against the Vegas Vipers. The DC Defenders came from behind to win the game 18-6 but it was a personal vindication of sorts for the former New Orleans Saints running back, all in the same game.
In the second quarter, the DC Defenders were trailing the Vegas Vipers 6-0 and had an opportunity to score a touchdown and level the scores. They were in the redzone and the ball was handed to Abram Smith. Instead, the in the very next moments, it was the Vegas Vipers who were celebrating. Not only did Abram Smith fail to score a touchdown, he coughed up an ugly fumble that returned possession to the Vipers.
Pretty accurate representation of how this #XFL game is going so far, lol.
Ugly fumble by Abram Smith, and the @XFLVipers take over at the one. So far, this game has been laughably ugly. https://t.co/34FF4v9zLk
That could have been the storyline that Abram Smith would have had to live with tonight, but he changed the narrative later in the game. By then, the DC Defenders had taken a 10-6 team thanks to an inspiring cameo by replacement quarterback D'Eriq King, who had scored his own rushing touchdown earlier in the second half.
Parked inside the Vegas Vipers' 10-yard line, Smith received the ball and he more than made up for his fumble earlier in the game. He carried strongly on a left-sweep and bulldozed his way in, flattening the opposing defender in his path. That gave them a 16-6 lead and they converted another two-point conversion to make the final score 18-6.
WE LOVE TO SEE IT @abramsmith_28 ‼️ https://t.co/1SBnwZtxWW
Abram Smith getting his chance to shine after being ignored by the New Orleans Saints
The Baylor college player went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints but eventually waived.
The Saints rushed for 1,982 yards last season as they finished with a 7-10 record for the season. Considering that the NFC South representatives in the playoffs were the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 8-9 losing record, one more win could have made all the difference.
But now Abram Smith gets to prove his worth to all those who ignored him. In his final season with Baylor in 2021, he rushed for 1,601 yards in 257 attempts for 6.1 yards per carry. That broke the university rushing record for a single season and he was selected to the second-team All-Big 12 and was a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
He might have thought that his college performances might have been ignored by NFL scouts, but if he keeps playing like this and shines through adversity in the XFL, bigger and better things are likely in store.