Birmingham Stallions quarterback wins UFL MVP Award
Birmingham Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez is the United Football League Most Valuable Player for the 2024 season, the league announced on Monday.
While the Stallions posted the league’s best regular-season record at 9-1, Martinez led the UFL in rushing with 528 yards and three touchdowns on 54 carries. Martinez also completed 134-of-229 passes for 1,749 yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions during the regular season.
Martinez had a league-high four touchdown passes in Birmingham’s 39-21 victory over the Memphis Showboats on May 4 and accounted for a league-best five touchdowns (three passes and two runs) in a 35-28 victory over the Houston Roughnecks on May 18.
Martinez also was the only UFL player to have two 300-yard passing games in 2024 – both against Memphis, with 369 on May 4 and 334 in a 33-14 victory over April 13.
While Martinez is the league MVP, it remains to be seen if he will be Birmingham’s starting quarterback when the Stallions play the San Antonio Brahmas in the United Football League Championship Game at 4 p.m. CDT Sunday in St. Louis.
During Birmingham’s 31-18 victory over the Michigan Panthers in the USFL Conference Championship Game on Saturday, Martinez was pulled in the third quarter for Matt Corral.
Corral started two of the Stallions’ first three games, when the quarterbacks divided playing time. He returned to the field with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes as Birmingham pulled away from Michigan.
RELATED: THE 2024 ALL-UFL TEAM
The other winners of UFL individual awards this season included:
· Offensive Player of the Year: St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Hakeem Butler
· Defensive Player of the Year: Michigan Panthers defensive end Breeland Speaks
· Coach of the Year: Michigan Panthers’ Mike Nolan
· Special Teams Player of the Year: St. Louis Battlehawks outside linebacker Chris Garrett
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.