SAN ANTONIO - Former Northwest and Tennessee receiver JaVonta Payton had two catches for 21 yards in Saturday's XFL Championship, as the Arlington Renegades defeated the D.C. Defenders by a 35-26 final.

Arlington led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and scored 15 second half points to claim the league title, which was held at San Antonio's Alamodome.

Payton, who spent the 2017-18 seasons with Northwest, caught 11 passes for 164 yards in the regular season, averaging 14.9 yards per catch. In the postseason, he caught seven passes for a pair of touchdowns and 142 yards, the second-most among XFL receivers.

A native of Hillsboro, Tenn., Payton was a crucial member of the Rangers' 2017-18 teams and played in 21 games. He caught 67 passes for 840 yards and 11 touchdowns and helped the Rangers to back-to-back conference playoff appearances and the 2017 Graphic Edge Bowl. 

Following Northwest, Payton went on to Mississippi State for the 2019-20 seasons, before transferring to Tennessee to conclude his college career. With the Vols, he caught 18 passes for 413 yards and six touchdowns to help the Vols to a 7-6 record. One of his most notable touchdowns came in a road win against Kentucky, where he took a 75-yard pass into the end zone on the first play from scrimmage. 

Though undrafted, Payton signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals, where he was cut despite a promising preseason. He is the second Northwest alumnus in the XFL, joining former teammate Tariqious Tisdale, who was drafted by the Roughnecks last fall, before being dealt to the Seattle Sea Dragons.