INDIANA, Pa. – Former IUP football All-American safety Max Redfield was selected by the DC Defenders in this week's 2019 XFL Draft. Redfield was the last pick of the Defenders during phase two of the open draft portion of the selection.
 
Redfield was named a first team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), D2Football.com, and the Don Hansen Football Gazette, as one of the best defensive backs in Division II during the 2017 season, his only year in the crimson and gray.
 
Coming to IUP as a transfer from Notre Dame, Redfield displayed his talents by playing in multiple positions in the defensive backfield. He finished third on the team with 78 total tackles and second with four interceptions for 40 yards, adding a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He broke up an additional nine passes, finishing the year as one of the national leaders with 13 total passes defensed in 13 starts.

He was a dynamic player on arguably the best defense in Division II, helping the Crimson Hawks to one of the best seasons in program history. IUP finished the year with a 13-1 record, winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division title, the PSAC Championship game, and advanced to the national semifinals as the No. 1 overall seed.
 
Redfield was among 30 Division II finalists for the Cliff Harris Award, which goes each year to the nation's top small college defensive player. He was the only PSAC player invited to the NFL's Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this February, and later received a rookie camp tryout offer from the Oakland Raiders.
 
Redfield is one of six safeties on the Defenders roster, including Rahim Moore (UCLA), Tyree Kinnel (Michigan), Carlos Merritt (Campbell), Matt Elam (Florida) and Tre Sullivan (Shepherd).
 
DC is one of eight teams in the XFL as the league begins play in February 2020. The Defenders are coached by Pep Hamilton, who has over 20 years of coaching experience in the NFL and at several major colleges. They will play their home games at Audi Field, a new world-class facility that opened in the summer of 2018 to host DC United, the most decorated franchise in U.S. soccer history.
 
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