Former Central Valley, Idaho special teams standout Austin Rehkow reflects on strange endings of XFL, AAF campaigns

Austin Rehkow enjoyed the sun and the company of his family Saturday in Veradale, kicking the doldrums of quarantine with some outdoor activity.

He envisioned himself back in the Northwest a month ago, but not like this.

Rehkow was supposed to be in pads this weekend at CenturyLink Field in an XFL regular-season finale against the Seattle Dragons, a game that put the Houston Roughnecks punter close to his biggest supporters.

Instead, the reborn league came to a midseason halt in late March amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, leaving players like Rehkow to wonder when – or if – things would return to normal.

But it’s not coming back until at least 2022 – if ever.

The league announced Friday that it had suspended all operations and won’t return for the 2021 season, either, as its future remains uncertain.

Rehkow, a former Central Valley and Idaho standout, was recently flown home by the league and has received his final paycheck.

He joked in a recent tweet that the Roughnecks (5-0) were the league’s only undefeated team in XFL history, a distinction he deemed worthy of a future Jeopardy question.

“It’s disappointing because we all thought we were going to win it all this season,” Rehkow said. “It was such a good team with a lot of camaraderie, and the city was getting more and more behind us.”

Rehkow, 25, was housed in a team hotel the past three months near the team’s stadium and practice facility at the University of Houston, TDECU Stadium.

Despite its uncertain future, Rehkow described his XFL experience as “first class” and a major improvement from his previous league that suffered an early demise.

A year ago this month, the upstart Alliance of American Football abruptly ceased operations in the middle of its first season when Rehkow was a member of the Salt Lake Stallions, an organization guided by Hall of Fame coach Dennis Erickson.

Twice in 13 months, Rehkow’s seasons have ended unconventionally, leaving his professional career in question.

His most recent experience was much better, he said.

“The XFL was way better ran, better organized (than the AAF),” said Rehkow, who starred as a kicker and punter in high school and college. “You never had to worry if you were going to get paid.”

Rehkow relished his XFL experience. Attendance at TDECU Stadium hovered around 20,000, and games were broadcast to a national audience on Fox and ABC.

After brief stints with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants, Rehkow, who graduated from Idaho in 2017, felt legitimacy in the XFL.

Two other former Vandals were in the eight-team league, Seattle receiver Reuben Mwehla and linebacker Korey Toomer.

“The league was rolling,” Rehkow said. “Unfortunately, the only thing that could derail it was a worldwide pandemic.”

Rehkow, who is still remembered locally for his 67-yard field goal at Albi Stadium in 2012 that sent CV to overtime, is now considering a career as a chiropractor.

He hasn’t ruled out a return to professional football, either, despite a wild, three-year journey.

“There are several guys who should be kicking on Sundays (in the NFL) but haven’t because they weren’t really given the right opportunities,” Rehkow said.

“Right now, I’m just glad to have more time with family, and social distancing until things return to normal.”