Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray will be playing for his hometown Tampa Bay Vipers when the XFL starts its first season in 2020.
Murray was assigned to one of the XFL’s eight teams prior to the league’s inaugural two-day draft Tuesday.
A former Murray teammate at Georgia, tight end Orson Charles was selected in the fourth rounds of the XFL Draft Tuesday by Washington. Charles, a fourth round pick in the 2012 NFL draft, played eight seasons in the league.
Charles, also a Tampa native, was teammates with Murray at Plant High School.
A high school All-American at Plant, Murray was recruited by Georgia where as a four-year starter he became the SEC’s all-time leader in completions (921), passing yards (13,166) and passing touchdowns (121). He holds two school single-season passing touchdown records — 36, in 2012, and 35, in 2011.
Murray was drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent four seasons on NFL practice squads with the Chiefs, Cardinals, Eagles and Rams.
The Atlanta Legends of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football made Murray the second overall pick last year.
He appeared in six games, passing for 1,048 yards, 3 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, before the league folded in April.
Murray, who lives in Atlanta with is wife, Sharon Stufken, has been a commentator and analyst with the CBS Sports Network since 2017.
A number of former Bulldogs are listed as draft prospects for the new league. They include:
• Jackson Harris, TE
• Jay Rome, TE
• Toby Johnson, DT
• Garrison Smith, DT
• Trenton Thompson, DT
• Damian Swann, S
• Nick Moore, LS
• Cameron Nizialek, P
The XFL, owned by World Wrestling Entertainment’s Vince McMahon, will begin its 10-game season after the NFL’s Super Bowl 54 in Feb. 2, 2020. Teams are located in Tampa, Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.
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