Sternberger ExciteD for return to stallions AND chase for four-peat

JANUARY 16, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

By Steve Irvine

Jace Sternberger still has the desire to get back to the NFL. As he’s done the past two years, Sternberger will chase that dream as a member of the Birmingham Stallions.

To some, his return to the football field for another season in Birmingham came as a bit of a surprise.

“Honestly, I was really never not going to come back,” Sternberger said by phone from his Houston home. “I was trying to convince myself that I wasn't, but I knew deep down that I was. I just wasn't ready to be done with it. You know, I still produce at a high level. I still want to continue to play as much as possible. We have a lot on the line this year with getting back in the NFL, doing it the right way and essentially, being a part of a four-peat. Just to be part of the legacy is always the goal, something you can tell your kids when you get older.”

Sternberger is one of the elite spring league tight ends over the past two seasons. During that time he had 68 regular season receptions for 971 yards with 11 touchdowns. He was a key part of Skip Holtz’s USFL championship team in 2023 and a UFL title team in 2024. Following the 2023 season, he signed with the Buffalo Bills but was cut late in training camp. He did not get an NFL opportunity after the 2024 season.

“There's so many things you can't control in what they're looking for,” Sternberger said. “I was somewhat feeling sorry for myself. It's like I've put up great numbers the past two years, but I'm still not getting a fair opportunity. So just trying to convince myself that I was ready to move on to the real world. When in reality, that's just not the case. It's extremely frustrating. But it is a business and you never know what GMs are looking for or their idea of you.”

However, being with the Stallions is not just about continuing to chase that NFL dream. Perhaps it was when the former Texas A&M All-American first came to Birmingham in 2023. At that point, the former third round pick of the Green Bay Packers, whose first touchdown reception came in a NFL playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, was looking for film to convince a NFL team to give him a shot.

He found much more when Holtz and former Stallions general manager Zach Potter gave him an opportunity.

“I didn't think it was going to be as much of a commodity,” Sternberger said. “It's easy to have a commodity when you're winning, but I didn't think the locker room was going to be such a meaningful part to me. I've always been a good team guy, a team-first guy. But sometimes people are just there to win or just do your job. These guys, Coach Holtz and the other coaches, they did a great job of letting us be ourselves, make it a connective unit and a player's team. It's definitely beat the expectations. It’s fun and it’s pure. It’s very much a family atmosphere.”