JoJo Tillery’s Heart Belongs to Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - February 11, 2026
By Steve Irvine
JoJo Tillery left no doubt what his preference was when UFL coaches made plans to put together the roster for the 2026 season.
Tillery, a 5-foot-11, 206-pound safety, wasn’t one of the 12 former Stallions protected on the Stalions reserve list but he was one of the players chosen by Birmingham head coach AJ McCarron and his staff on the first day of the UFL draft. As a result, Tillery is one of just four players currently on the roster who have been with the team since the rebirth of the Stallions in 2022. The other three are punter Colby Wadman, long snapper Ryan Langan and wide receiver Marlon Williams.
“Everything,” Tillery said when asked what it means to be with the Stallions for a fifth season. “I talked to a couple different (UFL) coaches and they asked me how I feel. Honestly, I told them straight off, I don't want to play for anybody but Birmingham. That's just me. You know, I don't have much longer (to play), but this city and the fans have been everything. I want to keep being that great guy, that great leader for this team, this organization.”
Tillery will be joined by plenty of familiar faces when the Stallions open training camp later this month. But there is also a different feeling around the organization without Skip Holtz, who led the team to three spring league championships in four seasons, and many former teammates.
“I guess it hasn't set in, we haven't started training camp,” Tillery said. “But I don't think it'll be any different. You know, it's a majority of guys (in the league), just trying to do the same thing, make it back to the (NFL) and win games. It's going to be interesting to see the team chemistry as we move forward.”
One thing for certain is Tillery will step forward as a vocal leader, as well as leading with his actions. He’s been one of the key defensive players for the Stallions defense from day one, despite fighting his way through injuries. His best season statistically came in 2022 when he had 56 regular season tackles. His best memory, Tillery said, came in 2023 when he missed the first five games of the season because of an injury but returned midway through the year and played a big role in the Stallions to a win over the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL Championship Game.
“That was like my first serious injury, I broke my ankle in training camp,” Tillery said. “I missed the whole front half of the season. And then just coming out of that championship game, it was electric. If there was a defensive MVP, everybody told me I could have won it. I think I had like 12 tackles, a PBU and then, of course, ended it with a strip sack. So that's probably my favorite game from this journey so far.”
The biggest blessing for Tillery very well could simply be the opportunity to do something that he loves. The Hixson, Tenn. native played collegiately at Wofford, spent time in the Tennessee Titans training camp in 2019 and was with the Calgary Stampeders. His time in the USFL and UFL extended a football life that is nearly 25 years old.
Most of his football journey has played out in front of fans – whether it be on Friday nights, Saturday afternoons or in professional football. But one his clearest memories on his first game day when he scored a touchdown on his first play. Now, a lot of years have passed and he’s played countless number of snaps, but he still remembers what happened on that play.
“I played running back at the time and then after that, I switched to quarterback,” Tillery said. “I played quarterback pretty much my whole life. But I was at running back and they literally just threw me in the game because I was playing with five and six-year-olds. You know, it was just JoJo right or left or whatever. It's not real play when you are four years old. I just remember grabbing the ball and I think I broke one tackle and just down the sideline, gone.”
In some ways, he’s never stopped running.
“Any chance I get to put on those cleats and go on the field, it means everything to me,” Tillery said. “I feel like I'm the happiest when I'm playing. I say this all the time, I feel like I love football more than anybody in this world. You know, I could be wrong. I probably am wrong. But that's just me, that's just my feeling. I love the game and I want to stay around this as long as possible.”