Durant’s path to the Battlehawks ‘a fun journey’

It took three seasons and three different versions of spring football, but Mataeo Durant made Battlehawks history.

Prior to St. Louis’ 27-24 win over the Arlington Renegades this past weekend, the Battlehawks never had a 100-yard rushing game. Not during the pre-pandemic XFL 2.0, nor the Rock-solid XFL 3.0.

Durant ran for 104 yards and a touchdown to not only become the Battlehawks’ first 100-yard rusher in a single game but also in the newly minted UFL.

“A lot of that goes to what the offensive line was doing,” Durant said. “I had the easy job just getting the ball and just picking the holes that they opened up for me. So I’m happy to share the achievement with the whole team.”

More impressively, he did it in 14 carries, and half of his yards came during the game-winning drive, including a breakout run for 41 yards.

“You keep pounding and run the ball consistently, I know it’s my job to make sure that one of those runs break,” Durant said. “Luckily it was one of those runs that we needed at the end of the game to be able to seal the game off. So I was just happy to be able to get those opportunities and make an impact on the game.”

Only Birmingham Stallions running back C.J. Marable (121) and quarterback Adrian Martinez (117) have more rushing yards than Durant so far this season, and that was amassed over two games.

Durant called his path to the Battlehawks “a fun journey.” He played his college ball at Duke in 2018 and worked his way up the depth chart to the point where he was the team’s MVP in 2020 and then set the school’s single-season rushing record (1,221 yards) as a senior in 2021.

He was signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2022 but didn’t make the roster out of training camp. The Battlehawks drafted him for the 2023 season but he played sparingly, starting in only one of the nine games played that season.

“Last year I didn't get that much playing time but I was here and it also helped me develop as a player and the person and a back,” Durant said.

Durant didn’t even play in the UFL season opener. Yet Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht told him that his time would eventually come.

“I texted him last week,” Becht said. “I said, Hey, man, stay strong, keep going, this thing's still wide open. It's still an open competition. You get to prove yourself every week in practice.”

Durant seized the opportunity to establish himself as a legitimate running back in the UFL in Week 2 and now has earned the opportunity to establish the running offense for the Battlehawks on Sunday, April 14, against the 2-0 Brahmas in San Antonio.

“I think that's been one of the most important parts about the journey is learning how to seize every moment that you get because a lot of people don't get these opportunities,” Durant said.