Sports Illustrated, January 7, 1985
The USFL completed their third annual Territorial & Collegiate Draft yesterday, and while this year’s draft certainly had some of the biggest names in college football, and a lot of mystery about which of the drafted players will bypass the NFL and head to the spring league, one of the biggest names has already signed on.
Boston College QB Doug Flutie was chosen by New Jersey with a pick they acquired from Boston in the Territorial Draft, and appeared alongside Generals Head Coach Walt Michaels, #22 jersey ready and waiting. Flutie, who many believed would drop to the 2nd or 3rd round of the NFL Draft, was quick to sign with New Jersey because of the opportunity to start immediately and to play in a major market. New Jersey had gone all in on the diminutive quarterback, trading NFL Vet and 1980 NFL MVP Brian Sipe earlier this summer to make room and provide Flutie with a clear path to the starting QB position.
Flutie was not the only player to commit to the USFL on its first day. The Oakland Invaders, holding the first pick in the Collegiate Draft had been in communication with their pick, Cal QB Gale Gilbert throughout the past month, so Gilbert too was on hand to show off his new Invaders Jersey at the New York Draft site.
For the rest of the picks, and for the 16 USFL franchises, the dance now begins as we wait and see who will sign on to the USFL and attend training camp in just a few weeks, and who will wait and see where their NFL fortunes will hold. While we cannot guarantee that any of the drafted players will sign with the USFL squad which selected them, we offer this list of players of note selected by each squad:
ARIZONA: QB Rusty Hilger (OK State), RB Owen Gill (Iowa), QB Randall Cunningham (UNLV), G Rich Moran (SDSU), LB Brian Noble (ASU), DB Lynnden Brown (Ariz), RB Kevin McCall (Ariz)
BIRMINGHAM: CB Issaic Holt (Alcorn), T Louis Garza (NMSt), RB Ron O’Neal (Auburn), DE Dallas Cameron (Miami), LB Kevin Greene (Auburn), LB Freddie Joe Nunn (Ole Miss), RB Greg Allen (FSU)
BOSTON: DE Richard Byrd (So Miss), LB Emanuael King (Bama), LB Tracey Mack (Mizzou) T Robert Cury (Mizzou), RB Freddie Sims (Okla), G Kevin Langford (LSU)
CHICAGO: DE Mike Golic (NDame), WR Reggie Langhorne (Ez City), WR Eddie Brown (Miami), DB Mike Heaven (Illinois), WR Al Toon (Wisc), WR Steve Tasker (NWestern), DB Ken Stills (Wisc)
DENVER: T Lomas Brown (Florida), WR Kelley Johnson (Colo), WR Emile Harry (Stanford), DB Anthony Tuggle (Nicholls), TE Jay Novacek (Wyom), RB Lee Rouson (Colo), LB Scott Strasburger (Nebr)
HOUSTON: RB Paul Ott Carruth (Bama), QB John Mazur (TAMU), DT Ray Childress (TAMU), DE Simon Fletcher (Houston), DT Gregg Bomkamp (Baylor), T K Foster (TAMU), DE Chris Doleman (Pitt)
JACKSONVILLE: RB Roosevelt Snipes (FSU), K Kevin Butler (UGa), TE Oliver White (UKy), RB George Adams (UKy), B Johnnie Jones (Tenn), G Duval Love (UCLA), WR Andre Reed (Kutztown), DE Willie Broughton (Miami)
LOS ANGELES: WR Eric Martin (LSU), TE Mark Boyer (USC), RB Mike Walters (SDSU), DE Keith Cruise (NWestern), CB Ron Pitts (UCLA), QB Steve Bono (UCLA), LB Jack Del Rio (USC), WR Mike Young (UCLA)
MEMPHIS: TE Jonathon Hayes (Iowa), RB James Williams (Memphis), RB Punkin Williams (Mem St), CB Derrick Burroughs (Memphis), WR Tim Moffett (Ole Miss), QB Damon Allen (Fullerton), G Rob Monaco (Vanderbilt), K Fuad Reveiz (Tenn)
MICHIGAN: RB Curtis Adams (CMU), DE Bob Otto (ID St), C Kevin Glover (Maryland), RB Bruce King (Purdue), TE Ken Wisenhunt (Ga Tech), C Mar Napolitan (Mich St), DE Kevin Brooks (Mich)
NEW JERSEY: QB Doug Flutie (BC), RB Jamie Covington (Syr), QB Steve Calabria (Colgate), RB Steve Sewell (Okla), DE Lionel Washington (Rutgers), WR Vance Johnson (Ariz), DB Kerry Glenn (Minn), WR Buster Rhymes (Okla)
OAKLAND: QB Gale Gilbert (Cal), C Trevor Matich (BYU), G Matt Moran (Stan), C Brent Martin (Stan), K Mark Harmon (Stan), RBV Jacque Robinson (Wash), DB Audray McMillian (Houston), CB Tory Nixon (SDSU)
PHILADELPHIA: QB Doug Strang (Penn St), WR Gerard Phelan (BC), DB Rich Miano (Hawaii), DE Tony Simmons (Tenn), DT George Little (Iowa), WR Jerry Rice (Miss Valley), WR Russell Carter (Temple), LB Micah Moon (UNC)
PITTSBURGH: QB Mike Tomczak (Ohio St), T Jim Lachey (Ohio St), WR Willie Drewrey (WV), RB Marlon McIntyre (Pitt), DB James Bowers (Mem St), FB Ron Wolfley (V), G Mark Krerowicz (Ohio St), DB Kelvin Bell (Ohio St)
TAMPA BAY: DB Reggie Pleasant (Clemson), K Donald Igwebuike (Clemson), RB Lorenzo Hampton (Florida), G Dave Heffernan (Miami), T Kevin Allen (Indiana), DB Herb Welch (UCLA), DT William Perry (Clemson), T Mark Behning (Nebr)
WASHINGTON: QB Frank Reich (Maryland), CB Lester Lyles (UVa), DE Bruce Smith (Va Tech), LB Eric Wilson (Maryland), TE Mark Bavaro (NDame),WR Herman Fontenot (LSU), G Bill Fralic (Pitt)