USFL LIVES

Nov 4, 202217 min read

USFL OFFSEASON REPORT: OCTOBER 2001

Tragedy of September 11th Impacts USFL Family

There are no words to describe the events of September 11th. The tragedy, the anger, the confusion, and the deep grief are ongoing for our entire nation. It almost seems too trivial to point to one organization and look at the impact of the horrors of that day, and yet, with the USFL moving towards a new season, one that was meant to celebrate 20 years of spring football, we have to understand that the events of that horrible day deeply impact this league and the family of employees and staffers that help to make it run.

Unlike the NFL, which was in the throes of their season when tragedy struck, the USFL was in its offseason, which meant that no games were impacted, but the lives of hundreds of USFL employees, both in New York and D.C. as well as across the country were impacted. While the New York headquarters of the USFL, located in midtown, was not directly affected by the tragedy of September 11th, the staff that help run the league were all deeply impacted. We know of no fewer than 27 family members of USFL NY staff that lost their lives a month ago. Add to this the countless others who lost friends, colleagues, and who simply remain shattered by the events of that day.

We also know that for many within the New Jersey Generals organization, the loss of life on September 11th was equally devastating, as was the sense of violation, of impotence, and of emotional upheaval. Our hearts, of course, go out to all who are affected by this horrible day and the cowardly act of those who perpetrated the acts of terror in New York, Washington, and United flight 93 in Pennsylvania. We think about the brave police, firefighters, and other first responders who rushed to aid at all three sites. And we wonder if life will ever fully return to normal even as our government leaders promise that justice will be served and the tragic loss of life will not be forgotten.

The league has already announced that it will start a special fund, with revenue from all 24 clubs, to support the families of those killed on September 11th. We can certainly expect tributes in many stadiums, with particular attention paid by the Maulers, Federals, and Generals. Celebration of the league’s 20th anniversary will also certainly be more muted than had been planned and we should expect that commemorative patches may well be replaced with 9/11 remembrances. The league may not kick off again until March, but certainly the events of this horrible day will very much be a part of the 2002 season, just as it is very much a part of all of our lives moving forward.

While it seems somewhat trite or banal to talk football at a time like this, the league does go on, and there was quite a bit of news to report from the weeks preceding the events of 9/11, as well as a few recent stories as well. As we are a news source dedicated to professional sports, it feels that it is our duty to try to return to some form of normalcy, and that includes reporting on the news that will impact the league as it prepares for what will certainly be a very different 2002 season.

KNIGHTS ON THEIR WAY TO NASHVILLE

While there was certainly plenty of standard offseason news this past month, the biggest news was certainly the sale of the St. Louis Knights to an ownership group based out of Nashville and planning to bring a team to the Tennessee capital and their new stadium. Many expected the Knights to be a prime target for the Dallas-based DFW Football Group or possibly to the Boston Colonials Football Group after they failed to get the nod to purchase the Portland Thunder. Nashville was thought of as something of a dark horse as there was well-established opposition from the ownership in Memphis, Birmingham, and Atlanta, but when the proposal was complete, the financial review came in very positive, and with Atlanta’s ownership in flux, there were truly only 2 votes against the move. League owners, in the same meeting, approved the Portland Thunder sale and stadium plan by a unanimous 21-0 vote (none of the transitional ownership groups could vote, so 3 votes abstained), and then turned to Nashville. With recognition that the sale would leave a gap in the Midwest, the owners still approved the sale by a 19-2 vote.

League representatives expressed regret that a St. Louis option simply did not materialize in time for consideration, and unequivocally declared that they remain interested in bringing football back to St. Louis in a timely manner, though no mechanism currently exists to do so. With the sale, the new ownership group is headed by Cal Turner Jr., a Vanderbilt alum who went on to lead the Dollar General chain of discount stores. The group includes several other local and regional investors, and, as with so many other USFL squads, there is a famous Nashville native in the mix to add a bit of flash. Just as Tampa Bay has Burt Reynolds on board, Houston has Kenny Rogers, and New Jersey recently added singer John Bon Jovi as a minority owner, the relocated club will be able to put one of Nashville’s favorite sons, singer Tim McGraw out front and center, though really they could double dip as both Tim and his father, famous MLB pitcher Tug McGraw are both listed as minority owners.

The new ownership has stated that they will retain the Knights moniker, making the club the Nashville Knights, and that there will be a process to create a logo that suits the club and the market. At present, the Knights logo heavily features the St. Louis arch as a core component, so that logo will not be in use. A simple wordmark was used at the reveal announcement. It is not certain how quickly a new identity can be produced and approved by the league, but we expect that all efforts will be made to have the new look of the club in place before the season kickoff in March.

With their Knights headed to Nashville, what does this mean for St. Louis? Well, just as when the Cardinals left back in 1987, this will be a blow to the city. Of course, they do have the NFL Rams in town, so that certainly will help soften the impact of the USFL’s departure. But, at least if city officials can be taken at their word, their is interest in trying to bring the USFL back to town in one form or another. If that happens, either through purchase and relocation of another franchise or through possible expansion (no sooner than 2005 if the league holds to its current moratorium) there are two pieces that will need to be in place first. One of these is to develop an ownership group that can compete with some of the already existing bidding groups in the market. Without that, it seems unlikely that St. Louis would be able to attract a team. Secondly they will need to work with the Trans World Dome to ensure a better, more lucrative contract for a USFL club. When the NFL Rams came to town, the dome all but rolled out the red carpet, right on top of the Knights, to prioritize the Rams. Even without the financial scandal that eventually sunk Knights owner James Orthwein, the Knights were already threatening to review alternatives to the Dome as they were deeply frustrated with the lack of support and revenue provided by the past two contracts with the facility.

So for now the USFL leaves behind the Gateway City and the Knights will play the 2002 season in Nashville the first franchise relocation since 1988 when the merger of the San Antonio Gunslingers and Oklahoma Outlaws produced the Texas Outlaws, while also spawning the Portland Thunder almost as a byproduct. Nashville will play at the newly-completed Adelphia Stadium, which has been home to the NFL Tennessee Copperheads since 1999. Mr. Turner and his Nashville Group are said to be on good terms with the owners of the Copperheads, and the lease in Nashville is one which provides more bang for their buck than Orthwein and the St. Louis ownership ever saw at Trans World Dome. When asked about first moves for the club, Mr. Turner mentioned the logo design, cited the need to get a ticket sales and marketing team up and running quickly, and then jokingly asked reporters how expensive it might be to steal Heath Shuler and Herman Moore (both Tennessee Volunteer alums) away from their current teams. Don’t expect any help from Memphis on snagging Shuler, a recent league MVP, as the Showboats are already bitter about the in-state competition and will likely build an immediate and intense rivalry with the Knights.

SALAAM RECEIVES 1 YEAR SUSPENSION

The league has made official what the Denver Gold initiated in the week prior to the Summer Bowl. Following his arrest in Denver after the Gold’s Western Conference Title Game victory, Salaam was suspended from the team. This week, the league made it official that the suspension would be leaguewide and no less than one year. Of course, Salaam faces other issues as the charges from his arrest could include jail time as well as significant fines, but the league clearly stated that they viewed the issues as a clear 2nd violation of the league’s drug policy, as well as a violation of its personal conduct policy, essentially acting as 2nd and 3rd strikes all at once. The league decision allows Denver to void Salaam’s contract with no salary cap impact, which, of course, also means that all income anticipated by Salaam beyond his paychecks for the final weeks of play (the WIld Card and Divisional games) will not be forthcoming. Expect Salaam’s agent and legal team to be challenging that aspect of the ruling even if they do not muster a defense on the suspension itself.

A Happier Day for Salaam, Winning the Heisman

For Salaam, the news is certainly not welcome, and does not help him necessarily deal with either his legal issues or the obviously concerning drug issue that underlies both the suspension and the prior disciplinary action by the league earlier this past season. For Denver, it means that they go into the offseason with Rod Smart and Ricky Whittle as their running backs. We certainly expect the Gold to seek alternatives at the position, either through the draft or in free agency, but as of this date no top tier backs have visited the Gold in search of a position.

While the league saw several key retirements as the regular season came to an end, it is always the weeks immediately following the Summer Bowl when we see the floodgates open, and that has certainly been the case this season. The league, and. of course each player’s specific team, will be without players who have helped to define the last decade or longer, and how teams opt to fill the gaps can often be the difference between rebuilding and reloading. Let’s take a look at the biggest names to announce this month that they have played their last game of USFL football.

Bobby Hebert-QB-PHI: One of the first big stars created by the USFL in its early years, Hebert led the Michigan Panthers to two titles in the 80’s before a brief dalliance with the NFL (following Coach Jim Mora to New Orleans). Hebert returned to the USFL with Oakland in 1993. He has been with Philadelphia since 1998. In grand total, he has started 199 games over 13 USFL seasons. In that time, he threw over 5,500 passes for over 54,000 yards, 389 touchdowns and 157 picks. Many believe that despite not finding the same success with the Invaders and Stars as he had in his initial USFL run with Michigan he is still a solid USFL Hall of Fame candidate. Hebert will reportedly sign a one-day contract to retire as a Michigan Panther, which is a bit odd considering that Doug Flutie will also be leaving the game after several years in Pontiac. As for the Stars, the question for the club is whether or not they feel comfortable with Will Fuller as the heir apparent. The Stars traded away Jake Delhomme during the season and Stoney Case is a free agent, so if Fuller is not the answer, Philadelphia will need to make some moves to find an option for a club that is good enough to complete for a playoff spot, as they did this year, making it all the way to the Conference Title Game.

We mentioned it already, but the 1994 Heisman Winner and one of the early stars of the New Jersey Generals, Doug Flutie, has also announced his retirement from the game, at the end of a 17-year career. Flutie spent the first 11 seasons of his USFL career in New Jersey, leading his club to the title in 1989. With a coaching change in New Jersey, Flutie fell out of favor and was traded to the Panthers ahead of the 1996 season. He had some good seasons in Michigan but was unable to move the Panthers deep into the playoffs. Along the way he continued to wow fans with his scrambling and those late game heroics that just got dubbed “Flutie Magic”. He retires with 226 starts, 8,146 passes for 54,369 yards, 357 TDs and 253 interceptions. We should also recognize Flutie for his legs as he finishes his career with 880 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Flutie is also expected to make an appearance at his former club, signing the 1-day contract to salute the fans in the Meadowlands.

A true defensive legend in the USFL, LB Kurt Gouveia, has played his last game in Denver’s black and gold. Gouveia locked down that Denver home field as one of the league’s great defensive playmakers for 16 seasons. He retires with a 2000 championship ring, multiple Summer Bowl appearances, 1,330 tackles including 174 for a loss, 42 sacks and 13 picks in a career that also saw Gouveia win Defensive Player of the Year in 1988. For the Gold, Marvcus Patton will take over as the defensive play caller, and they still have talent in the LB corps with Patton, Sam Cowart, Deshone Myles, and Tracy Rogers.

Chris Chandler became the third starting QB to hang up the cleats this offseason with his announcement this week that he would step away from the game. Chandler was a huge signing for the Jacksonville Bulls back in 1995, coming over from the NFL. He had an up and down career with the Bulls, just as they have had an up and down decade. He started 110 games, threw for 30,421 yards, 202 TDs and 105 picks. Chandler has had injury issues, including a few concussions, and that very likely led to his decision to leave now, though certainly a floundering Bulls franchise may have also contributed to the retirement decision. So what do the Bulls do now? They traded for Jake Delhomme during the year, and that seems somewhat prescient at this point. Expect Jacksonville to give Delhomme a shot to start, with Danny Wuerffel (a hometown favorite) to be in the mix as well.

In addition to the earlier announcements from DE J.J. Wierenga , HB Reggie Cobb, DB Vencie Glenn, Lb Jeff Herrod, and WR Eric Metcalf, the other big announcement this week was from linebacker Garth Jax, a longtime Texas Outlaw who has spent a career mixing inside run coverage with outside pass support. Jax played alongside Brian Bosworth, but also spelled the big backer in the middle when called upon. He retires after 16 seasons with 862 tackles, and 43 sacks.

Other retirements of note: Tampa Bay DE Roland Putzier, Journeyman TE Keith McKeller, Ohio wideout Qadry Ismail, LA Linebacker Ron Sancho, Chicago CB Eric Allen, Birmingham LB Tommy Thigpen, and Atlanta linebacker Johnny Holland.

Late August and early September saw a few major trades across the USFL before the tragedy of 9/11 all but put a halt to offseason business for 3 weeks. We have seen a slow startup again to the free agent period, now with the transfer window with the NFL closed, but we should highlight the moves made prior to the league’s period of respectful pause.

Ryan Leaf now an Outlaw.

Despite a modestly successful tenure in Texas, it appears that Jeff Lewis will be challenged this year. The Outlaws send a 2nd round pick in this year’s draft and a 5th rounder in 2003 to Oakland for the disgruntled and self-destructing Leaf. Oakland, which had opted to move on from Leaf midseason, tired of his postgame rants and calling out of the coaches, was happy to see the former 1st round pick out the door. Texas, for their part, gets a very talented arm, and perhaps a player who will be happy to start anew in a new setting. Lewis welcomed the challenge of a QB competition, saying all the right things to the press when the trade was announced. Expect Leaf to get a chance to see significant preseason action and quite possibly to supplant Lewis, if, and this is an if, he can rediscover the form that led him to one of the best rookie seasons in league history. As for Oakland, they seem content to move forward with a competition between veteran Jon Kitna and 2001 rookie slinger Marques Tuiasosopo.

Atlanta trades a team captain for draft capital

The Atlanta Fire are in need of a talent infusion, and if that means losing one of their best players to add 3 draft picks, that seems OK with the club and their new coach John Fox. The Fire sent defensive captain and MLB Mo Lewis to Los Angeles for the Express’s 2nd and 4th rounder this year and a 4th rounder in 2003. The Express, who have lost veteran leadership when Cornelius Bennett resigned with the Buffalo Bills for what is likely a farewell tour, as well as Danta Jones to free agency, pick up a team leader and one of the best run stuffing middle linebackers in the league. The Fire get a chance to add talent to a roster that simply needed to improve across several positions.

Other Trades

Other swaps in the first month of the offseason include Michigan bringing in a veteran backup for Drew Brees by trading a 5th round pick in the 2003 draft (not this year’s) to Atlanta for disgruntled former Generals starter Spence Fisher. Fisher was stuck behind both Marc Bulger and Aaron Brooks for the Fire but now will be the clear #2 in Michigan. Michigan also added some depth at WR, trading their 5th rounder this year to Baltimore to get slot receiver and return man Oronde Gadsden. New Orleans needs help in the secondary and they got some, trading TE David LaFleur to Houston for CB Allen Rossum. Seattle did likewise, acquiring a quality corner in Dre Bly of Pittsburgh, while helping the Maulers rebuild their D-line, sending DT Shane Burton to the Steel City. And in a very rare QB-for-Kicker swap, Portland, having 4 QBs on the roster, got themselves a new kicker by sending QB A.J. Feely to Arizona for veteran Carlos Huerta and a 6th round pick.

USFL TO NFL MOVES

While it was a quieter than usual NFL-USFL window in August, closing on Labor Day, less than 1 week before the NFL season, we still saw several players of note jump from the USFL directly into an NFL season. Among those whose departure will have the greatest impact on the league we see:

Wideout Ed McCaffrey will leave the Oakland Invaders after 11 seasons to join the NFL Denver Broncos. McCaffrey, who has had four 1,000 year seasons in his USFL career, is looking to take on a bigger role, having been supplanted as the top guy in Oakland by youngster Plaxico Burress, and even seeing Marty Booker cut into his snaps.

Bruising halfback Tim Lester also seems to have been unhappy after being traded to Washington, where he was used mostly as a short yardage option while Deuce McCallister and Rueben Droughns were the primary one-two punch of the Federal offense. Lester took his 1-year deal with Washington and moved on, signing with the Dallas Cowboys on another 1-year deal.

Wideout Shawn Collins, a former league leader in receptions, is yet another player who saw his role diminish. Texas had brought in Carl Pickens from Arizona and while Pickens had a 100-reception, 1,400 yard season, Collins’s numbers dropped to only 51 receptions and 597 yards in 2001, just two years after toying with the league record by catching 140 balls in 1999. Collins leaves Texas and joins the Green Bay Packers.

Linebacker Adalius Thomas will leave the Seattle Dragons, where he racked up 72 tackles in his first year as a starter. He had signed a somewhat unusual rookie contract, only 2 years in length, and apparently saw this as his chance to cash in on a larger free agent contract by signing with the Baltimore Ravens.

Portland lost 2 starters to the fall league this month, as both Tight End Carlester Crumpler (Vikings) and kicker John Kasay (Carolina) are opting to join the NFL this month.

Michigan, particularly HB Duce Staley, will miss the blocking of FB Lorenzo Neal, who leaves the Panthers to join the NFL Bengals in Cincinnati.

Cornelius Bennett, as noted earlier, has opted to return to his glory days with the Buffalo Bills, signing a 1-year contract to finish his career where it began. He leaves the LA Express after only 1 season, coming over after 5 years in Birmingham.

Others jumping to the NFL include Houston DT Esera Tuaolo and Birmingham linebacker Joe Mott.

NFL TO USFL MOVES

So, we know who has headed to the fall league during the first transfer window. Who has come the other direction? As we have seen developing as a trend the past few years, mostly linemen, backups, and players hoping to turn potential into playing time in the USFL. No big name QB’s, runners or receivers this time around, but some talent that certainly will help clubs plug some holes. As we have seen, the bigger name players tend to jump ship from the NFL to the USFL in the 2nd transfer window, just as the NFL season ends and they first become free agents. It is rare for a high talent player to stay a free agent long enough to enter this Fall window, as it risks too much the chance of not signing with either league. So, who did opt to join the USFL just as the NFL season was set to start? Here is the list:

Arizona signed DT Kenard Lang from the Cleveland Browns.
Atlanta landed possession receiver Joe Jurevicius, formerly of the Buccaneers.
Chicago added 2 NFL players in Ravens’ CB James Trapp and Green Bay guard Mike Wahle
LA dealt with their kicker position, bringing in former Bills kicker Steve Christie.
Memphis added depth behind Adrian Cooper at TE, singing Saint TE Johnny Mitchell
Michigan, very active this offseason, added RT Matt Willig from the 49ers as well as center Corey Raymer from the Chargers. Both moves that should make Drew Brees a bit more comfortable behind the line.
New Jersey brought in former Raider DT John Parrella.
Oakland landed two offensive “hands” players in TE Byron Chamberlain (Vikings) and HB Mack Strong (Seahawks)
Ohio is trying to improve their defense, an dadding former Chief LB Glenn Cadrez is a good start.
Pittsburgh also added a LB in former Redskin Eddie Mason.
Seattle wants to jumpstart their special teams, and the signing of former Eagle returner and HB Brian Mitchell is a great way to do it.
Tampa Bay did not go far to do the same, adding return specialist and lanky wideout Karl Williams, formerly of the Buccaneers.

FREE AGENCY WITHIN THE USFL

And, of course, the first month of the offseason also saw quite a few USFL free agents stay in the league, shifting from team to team. With the average club having 10-12 players eligible for free agency, there is always a flurry of action in the first few weeks of the free agency period, and this year we saw a shortened, but productive “frenzy” to sign top players. Here are some of the more notable signings.

SEATTLE: We knew the Maulers could not resign both of their high impact linebackers, so when they spent big to resign Demetrius DuBose, that meant that Godfrey Miles was on the market. He did not last long, signing with the Seattle Dragons on the 2nd day of Free agency.

MEMPHIS: The Showboats, now facing the challenge of an in state rival with Nashville coming to the league, are not resting on their laurels. They made a quick move to shore up their secondary, signing the best corner on the market, former General Darien Gordon.

OHIO: The Glory’s defense was simply not very good this year, with the team finding success through offensive explosiveness, but it appears they are going to be looking to upgrade on defense, with their first big defensive signing being along the D-line. The Glory pull DE Vonnie Holliday away from the Knights.

MICHIGAN: With a significant number of retirements and free agents, is expected to make a lot of moves this year as they build around Drew Brees. O-line is a priority (as we saw in the NFL signings) and wideout was also a major concern. The Panthers addressed that concern in a big way one week into free agency with the signing perhaps the best receiver on the market in several years, former Wrangler Hines Ward. Ward will immediately become a top target for Brees and the Panther offense.

TEXAS and ATLANTA also snagged receivers early, with the Outlaws adding Lake Dawson from the Fire, while Atlanta went a different direction, looking for a pure slot receiver and finding one in New Jersey’s Wayne Chrebet.

PORTLAND looked to enhance their O-line and found just what they were looking for in athletic tackle Todd Steussie, who will leave the heat of Birmingham for the cool summers of Portland.

PHILADELPHIA: Another tackle on the move is Orlando’s Paul Gruber, who takes his newly minted league title and heads to Philadelphia, where he will protect whoever the Stars decide will follow Bobby Hebert as the new starter at QB.

NEW ORLEANS: With Ricky Williams enshrined as the clear bell cow back in New Orleans, the Breakers add a change of pace back, a quality 3rd down receiver, in former Oakland Invader Troy Davis. The diminutive Davis will largely play a spot role on passing downs while Williams remains the main 1st and 2nd down back.

Finally, two back up QB moves as both HOUSTON and SEATTLE add depth in the QB Room. Houston went with a somewhat untested option, signing Kris Kershaw away from the Knights, while Seattle went for proven experience, nabbing Orlando backup Craig Erickson.

In our next edition: Draft Previews, more USFL Free Agency, big news out of Atlanta, and a late offseason retirement that will create panic for one club.