Steve Beauharnais

The buzz surrounding the Alliance of American Football was diminished in its second after week after the dynamite start it saw in its inaugural weekend seven days ago. The same applies to Rutgers football alumni playing within the league.

Few of the Scarlet Knights currently on AAF rosters factored in week two action, with most not recording a single stat on the weekend, according to NoExtraPoints, a website which keeps unofficial stats on the league.

The one player who saw significant action, however, had the most viral moment of the weekend. Former Rutgers quarterback Philip Nelson, who never played a snap with the Scarlet Knights , started in his first career game with the San Diego Fleet. He led them to a 24-12 win that featured a bananas play from him when he was under duress. Flushed out of the pocket due to pressure from the Atlanta Legends, Nelson ran to his left before he was grabbed by a rushing defender. As he turned his body in an attempt to avoid the contact, he saw another pair of defenders on the way. So with his back to all of his teammates, he threw a behind-the-back prayer, an inadvisable pass which had every coach in America gritting their teeth and cringing their entire body, including his own.

Only somehow, it worked.

....how?



This may be the craziest completion ever. pic.twitter.com/6Ilyd9Sysz — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) February 18, 2019

“We’re going to talk about that,” said San Diego Fleet head coach Mike Martz after the contest. “We’re going to have a long discussion about that. I was not pleased at all.”

Outside of the pass, however, Martz liked what he saw from his starter behind center. Nelson finished with 142 yards passing and an interception on 14-for-30 passing, as well as six carries for 28 yards on the ground.

“I am pleased with him,” Martz said. “He’ll be our quarterback, of course, next week.”

The pair of other former Scarlet Knights on the Fleet roster — running back Paul James and defensive end Myles Nash — did not record a stat.

Neither did linebacker Quentin Gause for the Memphis Express — he did have a tackle, but it came on the same play as a penalty against his team — or defensive end Darius Hamilton for the Salt Lake Stallions.