Birmingham Stallions wide receiver Justyn Ross caught the game-winning touchdown during the UFL season-opener against the Louisville Kings just 28 minutes after he threw a drink at a fan in the locker room after halftime. It is unclear what exactly triggered the incident but Ross was not happy.
His teammates and coaches had to pull him away before things got out of hand.
The newest team in the UFL will surely reconsider its protocol moving forward. There must be a better divider between fans and players as they make their way out of the locker room.
Who is Justyn Ross?
A former four-star recruit in the Class of 2018, Ross played three seasons of college football at Clemson. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound pass-catcher immediately burst onto the scene as a freshman with 46 catches for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. That includes six catches for 153 yards and a touchdown in the national championship game against Alabama. The Tigers do not win without him.
Ross was equally as productive as a sophomore. He averaged 13.1 yards per catch on 66 receptions with eight touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Justyn Ross missed the entire 2020 season due to a congenital fusion condition of his neck and spine that stemmed from Klippel-Feil syndrome. His career was never the same.
He forewent his senior year to enter the NFL Draft even after he finished with a career-low 524 yards on 47 catches with three touchdowns as a redshirt junior in 2021. He went undrafted.
Ross spent the 2022, 2023 and 2024 NFL seasons on and off the practice squad with the Kansas City Chiefs but a foot surgery and a suspension related to an arrest prevented him from reaching his full potential. The team waived him for good in July of 2025.
Although he never quite figured things out in the National Football League, Ross was selected by the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League in January. Not only is he back on the field for the first time in over a year, he is one of the most important players on the team.
The Birmingham Stallions defeated the Louisville Kings after an incident with a fan at halftime.
The United Football League began the 2026 season in Kentucky on Friday night. Lynn Family Stadium was packed for the first game in Louisville Kings franchise history.
Packed in like sardines and it’s LOUD at Lynn Family Stadium for the Louisville Kings inaugural game pic.twitter.com/7hipdhzSAU
— Haley Schoengart (@HaleyPaige7) March 28, 2026
Fans were treated to an incredible finish but it went in favor of the visitors.
Justyn Ross caught the game-winning touchdown from Matt Corral with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Stallions defeated the Kings by a final score of 15-13.
GIDDY UP!
— Birmingham Stallions (@UFLStallions) March 28, 2026
JUSTYN ROSS FOR THE LEAD 🐴🆙 pic.twitter.com/VPkFEEIuCk
Unfortunately, this was not the most viral moment of the evening that involved Ross. He got into it with a group of fans at halftime.
Louisville fans ruthlessly booed their opponent as Birmingham made its way out of the locker room after the break. Linebacker Kyahva Tezino grabbed one of their drinks and poured it back in their direction.
And then it got ugly.
A fan said something to trigger Justyn Ross. The wide receiver turned back to the fan with rage in his eyes, grabbed his drink and threw it back at his face as his teammates pulled him away.
During halftime of the Kings game 👀
— Bosemer Media (@BosemerMedia502) March 28, 2026
🎥: Toohey pic.twitter.com/yIcIfsYrSC
I cannot hear exactly what set Ross off but he was was not happy. Coaches and nearby members of the security team had to quickly step in to deescalate the situation.
Neither Ross, nor the Stallions, nor the Kings, nor the UFL has addressed the altercation as of this writing. I would imagine the protocol will change for Louisville fans moving forward.