USFL SUMMER BOWL 1997

San Antonio, Texas-- They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and that certainly was the case for the celebration of Summer Bowl 1997. The city of San Antonio rolled out the red carpet for the USFL’s Eastern Conference Champion Washington Federals and the Western Conference Champion Portland Thunder. A river parade down the famed River Walk, photo shoots at the Alamo, music, pageantry, a pre-game party with more mariachi’s than the Cinco de Mayo, even the world’s largest quesadilla, all on hand to celebrate the pinnacle of spring football, the Summer Bowl.

The two teams took very different paths to get here. Portland blew through the season with a 13-2-1 record, winning their last 7 to capture the #1 seed in the West and guarantee home playoff games throughout. Washington battled with Philadelphia for 16 weeks, rising and falling in the standings as the two defensive-minded clubs slugged it out, but prevailing thanks to a 17-13 win on the season’s 13th week. Both clubs entered the playoffs confident and prepared. Washington would use a crushing pass rush to overpower the Birmingham Stallions by sacking Brett Favre a league-record 11 times. Portland suffered a huge loss when the league rushing champion, Robert Drummond, suffered a season-ending knee injury in their first playoff game against Chicago, but rallied to upend the Michigan Panthers by switching their offense to a pass-first multiple wideout aerial assault.

And, yes, the two have played each other already this year. Look at their records and you will see a tie for both, these very same clubs battled to an unsatisfactory 33-33 tie in Week 9, little knowing they would see each other again on the biggest stage available. So, it would be the old-school pressure of the Federals’ defense against the new-look offense of the Thunder in front of a full house of 72,000 in San Antonio, Texas as Portland and Washington battle to decide the 15th Championship of the USFL.

Following a rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner from Texas’s own Lyle Lovett, the game began with the Federals, wearing road white with silver pants, kicking off to Portland, in their trademark neon lime jerseys and white helmets. Portland could not move the ball and punted after 3 plays and ending with the first sack of the game, with Jerome Brown downing Trudeau on 3rd and 10. The Federals had better luck, with Kordell Stewart finding Bill Schroeder for 15 on the first play, then Mike Williams for 26, and 4 plays later it was Terrell Fletcher scooting around the left side and into the endzone to put the Federals up 7-0 after only 7 minutes of play.

Portland replied with a long drive that used up 6 minutes, but which contained 2 more Washington sacks, one from Michael Barrow and another from Willis Crocket. This was a theme to continue throughout the game as Jack Trudeau would continuously find himself flushed from the pocket or facing a throw-and-get-hit scenario as he tried to move the ball. The Crockett sack ended the drive for Portland, who relied on the strong leg of Al Del Greco to put the ball through from 52 yards out. 7-3 Washington after 1 quarter.

On their next drive, Washington again showed some offensive firepower s they started with back-to-back 6-yard and 21-yard rushes from Barry Word. With the Portland defense now keying on Word, Stewart was able to find Mike Williams and Bill Schroeder again, avoiding Portland’s double coverage of Herman Moore. On the goal line now, Portland had to commit against Barry Word and the run, so Herman Moore found single coverage and on a quick move and throw, Stewart connected with his top receiver to give Washington a 14-3 lead over the Thunder.

But the Thunder, despite this being the deepest the club had ever advanced in the playoffs, were a veteran team, and they responded once again. Trudeau used draws to Darius Turner to try to slow the Washington pass rush. A pass interference call against the Feds helped get Portland again into field goal range, but again, this time on 3rd and 7, the pass rush found Trudeau, and for a second time the Thunder would settle for an Al Del Greco field goal. 14-6 Federals.

Washington received the kick at the 11 after a penalty on the kickoff, but the proximity to his own goal did not seem to deter Kordell Stewart. On the first play of the drive, he rolled right and found Mike Williams again, for 11 this time. After a swing pass to Fletcher and short completion from Moore, Anthony Pleasant, Portland’s best pass rusher, got to Stewart, but in the diving attempt for a sack he injured himself, leaving Portland without one of their key defensive contributors for the rest of the game. The Federals recovered from the sack, and 5 plays later, at the 2:15 mark in the second, it was Herman Moore again, this time breaking double coverage and catching the ball over the top from 23 yards out to give Washington a commanding 21-6 lead.

Pressure would get to Trudeau on the next drive, causing a poor throw and a pick by Mike Dumas. The Federals moved the ball to the Portland 6 but when Terrell Fletcher was clipped by LB Jimmie Kimmel the ball popped out and Kimmel recovered to save Portland from being down even more at the half. The game went to the break at 21-6.

The halftime show, featuring ZZ Top, was well-received by the Alamodome crowd, though the finale’s indoor fireworks left a bit of a cloud hanging over the field into the third quarter. Maybe it was the smoke, or maybe just plain overconfidence, that hurt the Federals on the opening drive of the second half. Washington moved the ball well, mostly on the ground with Word and Fletcher, but on a 3rd and inches, they called the relatively safe QB sneak. Straining to get over his own center, Stewart held the ball out and Portland LB Mike Vrabel popped it right out of his hands. At the bottom of the pile the Thunder had the ball and quickly took advantage to get back in the game. Trudeau, despite getting hit twice on the drive, connected with Webster Slaughter, then Jason Dunn, and then found TE Lonnie Johnson over the middle from the 9 yard line to get Portland back in the game. 21-13 after the PAT.

Portland’s D was now inspired, and they held Washington to a 3-and-out on the Federals’ next drive. But despite gaining 2 first downs, Portland’s drive stalled on the Washington 45 and the Thunder punted. Washington came out firing, on 1st and 10 Stewart set up a perfect screen against an overly aggressive run set by Portland. Sam Gash rumbled 50 yards before the Thunder finally knocked him out of bounds on the 38. 3 plays later the Thunder got a stop as Jerod Cherry broke up the Washington pass, but Doug Pelfrey came in and brought Washington back up to a 2-score lead at 24-13.

After two short drives ended in punts, and as the game bled into the 4th quarter, Portland again got the ball, this time on their own 33. Trudeau kept slinging the ball, despite getting knocked down on nearly every play. He found Turner for 6, Hatchette for 10, Dunn for 9, and then Dunn again for the score, pulling the Thunder within 5. They went for 2 and Trudeau rolled left to spot Dunn again for the conversion. Washington’s lead had been cut to 3 with just over 7 minutes to play. Had momentum shifted to the Thunder?

Washington would respond, using a 5 minute drive to burn some time and put Doug Pelfrey again in position to expand the lead. The kicker came through from 42 yards out and the Federals now had a 6-point lead with 2:12 on the clock. It would come down to a 2-minute drill for the Thunder, needing 6 to tie or 7 for the comeback win.

Pelfrey kicked the ball out of the endzone so Portland would have 75 yards to go in 2:12. On the first play of the drive the veteran QB Trudeau found Webster Slaughter along the sideline for 11. But on the next play Jerome Brown got to Trudeau first, leading to a 2nd and 17 and burning precious time off the clock. Trudeau rebounded, and shockingly was able to find Matthew Hatchette deep, gaining 21 on a pass between the backers and the safeties in Washington’s zone. After a short completion to the sideline to stop the clock, Trudeau faced a 2nd and 8. Again the pressure got to the Portland QB, pulling Trudeau down for a 6-yard loss and creating a 3rd and 15. After using a time out, Portland came back with a 4-wide set, and Trudeau just escaped Dexter Manley and completed a pass to Booker. The reserve receiver stepped out just shy of the first down, leaving Portland with a 4th and 2. Again Trudeau stood in the pocket despite the pressure and again he found a receiver, this time Lonnie Johnson, who gained 15 before going down.

After a neutral zone infraction against the aggressive Federals D-line, Portland had the ball 1st and 5 at the Washington 21. But with only 27 ticks on the clock, there was not time for mistakes. 1st down, pass to Turner misses the mark and falls incomplete. 2nd and 10, the pass to Slaughter was broken up by CB Derrick Beasley. 3rd down and Portland needed some yards, so Trudeau dumped the ball short, a gain of only 4 to Slaughter. 4th and 1 but only 7 seconds left and no timeouts left for the Thunder.

Trudeau called a play, three wide receivers on the right, only Slaughter to the left. June Henley, the better of the two backups as a receiver, lined up next to Trudeau in the shotgun. The ball snapped, Trudeau a slight bootleg to the right, hoping to slow down Dexter Manley, Jerome Brown double teamed, and Washington rushing only 4. Slaughter covered, Dykes covered, Trudeau saw Henley swinging out to the left and hit him with a short pass. Henley rushed past the line, and desperately tried to get to the sideline, but Beasley, coming back off his coverage of Slaughter, connected with Henley at the 17, forcing the runner’s knee down in bounds. The Portland players scrambled to get back in formation to spike the ball, but the clock ticked down, 3…2…1…game over.

Washington had survived thanks to their defense, as many predicted it would. The Federals would take home their second Bassett Trophy. Coach Hackett would take over the mantle passed to him by Sam Rutigliano, who he would thank in the post-game speech. For the first time in Summer Bowl history, the MVP award was shared by two players as DT Jerome Brown and LB Winston Moss, who combined for 14 tackles, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble, would share the honor, one truly shared with the entire Federals defense.

Kordell Stewart finished the game 23 of 35 for 282 yards and 2 scores. Barry Word and Terrell Fletcher would combine for 23 carries for 108 yards. For Portland, eleven-year vet Jack Trudeau would earn the respect of fans who always saw his as good-but-not-elite, by surviving 9 sacks from the Washington defense, to complete 26 of 33 passes for 234 and 2 scores, coming back in the second half and coming so very close to stealing the win from Washington. But nothing would steal Washington’s thunder (oof, the pun) as the Federals lifted aloft the John Bassett Trophy and celebrated a USFL championship.