BEAUMONT — Jefferson Fritz’s professional football career took him to Des Moines, Iowa this past spring. His next pro opportunity has now brought him back to the Lone Star State.
A four-time All-American safety at UMHB, Fritz has signed with the Beaumont Renegades of the National Arena League (NAL) for the franchise’s inaugural season in 2025. The signing was announced by the team on Friday afternoon.
Fritz spent the 2024 season playing for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League (IFL), where he appeared in 15 games as one of two Crusader alums on the roster, the other being quarterback Kyle King. In his rookie year, Fritz tallied 45 solo tackles, 58 total tackles, five pass breakups and an interception. That interception, which came against the Quad City Steamwheelers, saw Fritz pick off the pass and return it 48 yards up the left sideline for a momentum-shifting touchdown. It proved to be a key score for Iowa, who secured its first win of the season, 55-53.
The Kaufman, Texas native also excelled on special teams for the Barnstormers, returning 24 kicks for 395 yards, with one of those 24 returns resulting in a touchdown.
As a Crusader, Fritz was part of UMHB’s Stagg Bowl teams in 2018 and 2021. He holds the program’s career record for interceptions, with 24, as well as the record for interceptions in a season (12 in 2018). Fritz also earned three ASC Defensive Player of the Year honors during his five-year collegiate career.
Beaumont is the 12th team in the NAL, and the third in Texas, joining franchises in Corpus Christi and Amarillo. All three Texas-based teams will make their NAL debuts in 2025, with Beaumont in its inaugural season, and Amarillo and Corpus Christi moving over from American Indoor Football (AIF). In fact, seven of the league’s 12 teams will be in their first NAL season this coming spring, despite the fact that the NAL has been in existence since 2017. Beaumont will play its home games in Ford Arena, a 9,000 seat arena that previously hosted indoor football from 2004-2008.
