Joe Powell Bio
Joe Powell (born February 25, 1994) is an American professional gridiron football safety for the Dallas Renegades of the United Football League (UFL). Standing 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and listed at 205 lb (93 kg), he has built a long career across indoor and outdoor leagues, including a championship in the XFL. He is best known for his playmaking on defense and on special teams, most notably for scoring the first special teams touchdown of the revived XFL.
A Portsmouth, Virginia native, Powell attended I. C. Norcom High School before playing one season of college football at the Globe Institute of Technology in Manhattan, New York City. Since going undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, he has spent more than a decade moving between practice squads, indoor leagues, and spring football competitions, a path that has required persistence and versatility.
Early Life and Background
Joe Powell was born on February 25, 1994, in Portsmouth, Virginia, in the United States. He grew up in the same coastal Virginia city that produced generations of football talent, and his hometown connection to the sport shaped his early athletic identity. As a young athlete, Powell split his time between football and track and field, an experience that helped develop the speed and explosiveness that would later define his professional career.
He attended I. C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, where he played football and competed in track and field events. His high school years gave him his first taste of organized team competition and laid the foundation for the next step in his football journey. After graduating, Powell chose a non-traditional college route, enrolling at the Globe Institute of Technology in Manhattan, a small program that offered him the chance to keep playing the sport he loved.
Path to American Football
Powell’s path to professional football began in earnest at Globe Institute of Technology, where he played one season of college football in 2013. During that single collegiate campaign, he recorded 53 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one interception, numbers that hinted at his defensive instincts and ball skills. Because Globe Tech is not a major NCAA program, Powell went largely unnoticed by NFL scouts entering the 2014 cycle.
He entered the 2014 NFL Draft and went undrafted, a result that pushed him toward indoor football, a common landing spot for players from small schools seeking to keep their careers alive. Powell signed his first professional contract in 2015 with the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the Professional Indoor Football League, where his production earned him the PIFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and confirmed that his small-school background would not limit his impact at the professional level.
Joe Powell Career
Early Career (2015–2016)
Powell’s professional career began in 2015 with the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the PIFL. He made an immediate impression, posting 52.5 tackles and 11 interceptions on his way to PIFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. That production drew the attention of larger indoor and outdoor leagues looking for defensive backs with range and ball skills.
On August 11, 2015, Powell was assigned to the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League, where he played during the 2016 season. He also attended the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis in May 2016, giving him a brief look at an NFL environment. Those opportunities set the stage for his first NFL contracts later that year.
Outdoor League Breakthrough (2016–2017)
Powell signed with the New York Giants on August 17, 2016, marking his first official NFL contract, though he was waived on August 30, 2016. He did not stay out of work long, as the Buffalo Bills signed him to their practice squad on October 25, 2016. On January 2, 2017, he signed a reserve/future contract with the Bills, and he remained with the organization until being waived on September 2, 2017.
Although his time in the NFL was brief, the Giants and Bills stints gave Powell valuable experience in high-level training environments. Those months around NFL rosters sharpened his preparation habits and helped him build the kind of professional structure that would carry him through the next phase of his career.
Return to Indoor and Spring Football (2018–2019)
On January 19, 2018, Powell signed with the Atlanta Havoc, and on March 22, 2018, he was assigned to the Baltimore Brigade of the Arena Football League. During the 2018 season, he earned Second-team All-Arena recognition, a sign that he had become one of the more consistent defensive backs in the indoor game. After the season, Powell signed with the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) for the 2019 season.
When the AAF suspended operations in 2019, Powell returned to the Baltimore Brigade on April 7, 2019. He continued to find work wherever spring and indoor football opportunities existed, a pattern that reflected both his durability and his willingness to adapt to short seasons and frequent roster turnover.
XFL and CFL Experience (2020–2021)
In October 2019, Powell was drafted by the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL in the 2020 XFL draft. He made league history on February 23, 2020, scoring the first special teams touchdown of the second generation of the XFL on a 90-yard kickoff return that included a reverse handoff from Keith Mumphery. His contract was terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.
Shortly after the XFL shutdown, Powell signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League on April 13, 2020, adding CFL experience to his résumé. He played for the Tiger-Cats through the 2020 season and into 2021 before being released on April 22, 2021, ending his time in Canada.
Arlington/Dallas Renegades Era (2023–Present)
Powell was selected by the Arlington Renegades in the 2023 XFL draft, and he was part of the roster that won the 2023 XFL championship. Following the XFL-USFL merger that created the UFL, he was not part of the Arlington roster after the 2024 UFL dispersal draft on January 15, 2024, and instead signed with the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League on January 16, 2024.
He returned to the Renegades organization on April 30, 2024, re-signing with the team, and then signed again on October 8, 2024. With the franchise rebranded as the Dallas Renegades, Powell continues to serve as a veteran safety and special teams contributor, providing leadership to a developing UFL roster.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a safety, Powell has built his reputation on ball-hawking instincts, reliable open-field tackling, and special teams explosiveness. His track and field background translates well to coverage range and closing speed, while his indoor football experience has made him comfortable operating in tight space against quick receivers. He is also trusted as a return specialist when needed, a role in which his career-defining 90-yard kickoff return showcased his vision and burst.
Notable Events and Milestones
Powell’s signature moment came on February 23, 2020, when he returned a kickoff 90 yards for the first special teams touchdown of the revived XFL. He is also a 2023 XFL champion with the Arlington Renegades, a 2015 PIFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and a 2018 Second-team All-Arena selection, honors that together trace a career marked by consistent production across multiple leagues.
Joe Powell Career Wins
Across more than a decade in professional football, Joe Powell has accumulated a varied list of team and individual accomplishments. His most significant team success is the 2023 XFL championship won with the Arlington Renegades, while his individual awards include the 2015 PIFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2018 Second-team All-Arena recognition.
XFL/UFL Highlights
Powell’s XFL resume includes his selection by the St. Louis BattleHawks in the 2020 XFL draft, his historic 90-yard kickoff return in 2020, and his 2023 XFL championship with the Arlington Renegades. After a short detour to the Carolina Cobras, he returned to the Renegades in 2024 and remains with the team under its new Dallas Renegades identity in the UFL.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the XFL, Powell has posted strong statistical seasons in the PIFL, AFL, AAF, and CFL. He recorded 11 interceptions with the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks in 2015, 41 total tackles, 6 pass deflections, and 5 interceptions in his Arena Football League career, and added valuable special teams production during his time with the St. Louis BattleHawks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Joe Powell Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Joe Powell’s immediate family is limited, and detailed records about his parents and siblings have not been widely published. What is clear is that he grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, a community with a strong tradition of producing football players, and that his family environment supported his early development in the sport.
Personal Life
Joe Powell has kept much of his personal life out of the public eye, and no verified information about a spouse or children is available from reliable sources. He continues his professional career as a safety with the Dallas Renegades, balancing his playing duties with the demands of a long, league-hopping career path.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 UFL season, Joe Powell remains with the Dallas Renegades, the rebranded identity of the Arlington Renegades franchise that won the 2023 XFL title. As one of the older players in the secondary, he is expected to serve as a veteran presence for a roster that has seen significant turnover since the XFL-USFL merger.
His role on the team is likely to combine safety duties with special teams responsibilities, the same combination that produced his 2020 kickoff return touchdown. With limited public statistics available from the 2024 UFL season, Powell’s 2025 outlook is best framed as a continuation of his long career rather than a defined statistical target.
For Powell, the 2025 season represents another opportunity to add to a résumé that already includes a spring football championship and a league-historic special teams score. Whether chasing another title or mentoring younger defensive backs, his presence in the UFL remains a testament to perseverance through a constantly shifting football landscape.