The Birmingham Stallions signed defensive back JoJo Tillery and released defensive back JuJu Hughes on Tuesday according to the UFL Transactions page.
JoJo Tillery is five foot eleven and weighs 210 pounds. The 26-year-old from Hixon, Tennessee, made 16 tackles (11 solo, 5 assists), one interception, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery in five games for the Birmingham Stallions in 2024. The Stallions released Tillery on May 7, 2024.
The Birmingham Stallions drafted Tillery in the second round (294th pick) in the 2022 USFL Draft. In 2022, Tillery made 56 tackles (42 solo, 14 assists), one tackle for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and two pass breakups in ten games.
In the playoffs, Tillery made five tackles (1 solo, 4 assists), and two pass breakups helping the Stallions win the USFL Championship over the Philadelphia Stars.
In 2023, Tillery made 19 tackles (13 solo, 6 assists), half a sack, one interception and one pass breakup in five games. In the playoffs, Tillery made 12 tackles (7 solo, 5 assists), one sack, and one forced fumble helping the Stallions win their second USFL Championship over the Pittsburgh Maulers.
Before Birmingham, Tillery signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2019. He also spent time with the Calgary Stampeders and the Alphas (TSL) in 2021.
Collegiately, Tillery played four seasons at Wofford (2015-18) with 160 tackles (106 solo, 54 assists), 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions for 23 yards, 14 pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one catch for 43 yards, and one kick return for 30 yards in 51 games for the Terriers.
JuJu Hughes is five foot eleven and weighs 191 pounds. The 25-year-old from Hanford, California, signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent on May 4, 2020. He played 19 games for the Rams making 8 tackles (5 solo, 3 assists) helping Los Angeles win the Super Bowl in 2021.
Next, Hughes was traded to the Detroit Lions on February 14, 2022. He made 18 tackles (14 solo, 4 assists), two tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, and one sack in seven games for Detroit. He was later released by the Lions on November 19, 2022, and signed with the Arizona Cardinals on November 23, 2022, and was placed on the practice squad.
The Birmingham Stallions signed Hughes on April 25, 2024. Hughes made two tackles (2 solo) in two games for the Stallions in 2024.
Collegiately, Hughes played four seasons at Fresno State (2016-19) with 247 tackles (149 solo, 98 assists), 9.5 tackles for loss, one sack, seven interceptions for 97 yards, 30 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one punt return for 11 yards in 52 games for the Bulldogs. He was named Second Team All-Mountain West Conference in 2018.
