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The USFL season hit week and the Western Conference finally began division play. We got a lot of blowouts this week, but we also got a major upset, a statement game from a Summer Bowl favorite, and we may have seen the true birth of a rivalry in the Pacific Northwest. Not bad for April Fool’s weekend. We got a bit of everything in the matchup between the undefeated Showboats and the homestanding and equally undefeated Philadelphia Stars. We saw an understudy come up big, we saw some rookies looking like seasoned pros, and we saw one of the league’s best do what he does best. All this and 2 score changes in the final minute of play made this inter-divisional game our clear GOTW winner. Let’s start with Memphis, a team that seems to be transitioning right on schedule for Coach Ryan. It also looks like he hit on a couple of gems in this year’s draft as rookie HB Moe Williams is among league leaders, racking up another 91 yards on only 13 carries in this game against the tough Philly D. That would be enough, but we also have midround pick Joe Horn working his way into the Memphis offense. He only had one catch in this one, but it was an 8-yard TD catch. Most of the balls went towards veteran Carl Pickens, who snagged 7 receptions for 104 yards. For Philadelphia the revelation was backup HB Pat Chaffey, subbing for a dinged up Charlie Garner. Coach Berry gameplanned Garner well, using the threat of the pass to set up several nice draw plays, and using a lot of pulling linemen to work the outside game which is Chaffey’s forte. The result? How about 21 carries for 144 yards and 2 TDs? Not a bad first start in the league for young Chaffey. The other big hero for Philadelphia was Cris Carter, whose 7 receptions led the team and included a 45-yarder when the Stars were desperate for a big play. Both clubs looked good in a first half that ended 20-14 in favor of the Stars. Pat Chaffey had his 2 TD’s and Heath Shuler looked sharp, connecting with both Joe Horn and Adrian Cooper for scores. The 2nd half began with rookie back Moe Williams putting Memphis on top 21-20 with a short TD run. It would be the only score of the quarter and the final TD of the day. The rest of the game would depend on the feet of Chip Lohmiller and Kevin Shea. Lohmiller struck first, connecting on a chipshot 25-yarder with 6:35 left on a drive where Stepfret Williams missed on a corner route that could have given the Stars 7. Memphis received the kickoff and used a methodical short game to get the ball in range for Kevin Shea. Shea connected on a 40-yarder with only 25 seconds left and Memphis players started to celebrate just a bit prematurely. Philly received the kickoff from Shea as a touchback. They would have the ball on their own 25 yard line but with only 25 seconds left. After a quick toss to the left was ruled out of bounds, the Stars opted to go deep. They placed Williams, Cris Carter and Jeff Graham in trips formation, with the receivers kris-crossing after 10 yards. The coverage got confused, with 2 DB’s following Williams, and no one on the sideline to follow Carter. Long released the deep ball and Carter tip-toed along the sideline as he caught the slightly errant pass. Out of bounds at the Memphis 23 with 19 seconds left. It was a huge error by Ryan’s defense, and, after a kneel down by Long to center the ball, Philly would run down the clock to 3 seconds left before calling their last time out and bringing out their new kicker, Chip Lohmiller. It was a 46-yard kick, with all the pressure on Lohmiller, but it sailed right down the middle and likely would have been good from 55 as it easily cleared the crossbar. Philadelphia moves to 3-0 and keeps pace in the hyper-competitive Atlantic Division, while Memphis learns a valuable lesson about playing to the whistle. BIR 9 NJ 23 Don’t look now but the revamped Generals’ defense under Coach Chuck Knox may just be for real. No one expected Brett Favre to be held out of the endzone all game, but with 2 interceptions and only 19 completions on 42 passes, New Jersey showed it could be done. The offense also came through, with Bam Morris’s 78 yards and the game’s lone offensive TD leading New Jersey to an upset victory. TBY 10 WSH 41 The Washington Federals got their first victory in dramatic style this week, laying the lumber to the favored Tampa Bay Bandits. Barry Word scored 4 times as the Federals just kept pounding the ball into the Tampa line. This strategy was implemented when Don Majkowski went down and Kordell Stewart came in at QB. Stewart would run 11 times himself, and with Morris and Terrell Fletcher, they formed a triad of rushers that overwhelmed the Bandits. ORL 21 PIT 42 Pittsburgh got another monster game (182 yards rushing and 3 TDs) from Mike Rozier as they doubled up the Orlando Renegades. Add in two Michael Shaw TD receptions and a 21-0 run between the 2nd and 3rd quarters and Orlando just did not have an answer for the Maulers, who move to 3-0 on the season. ATL 13 BAL 36 Trailing only 13-10 at the half, the wheels came off the bus for the Fire in the 2nd half. Baltimore got 113 yards receiving from Bill Brooks and the Blitz defense sacked Eric Zeier 6 times to keep the Fire down all day. Add in 5 Luis Zendejas field goals and the game quickly got away from the Fire. JAX 37 OHI 10 The Bulls got their second victory of the year in Columbus as they manhandled the Glory. Natrone Means went over 100 yards and Jamie Morris added another 53 as Baltimore found holes in Nick Saban’s defense. Rookie Terrell Owens also had a good game for Baltimore, catching 4 balls for 49 yards. For Ohio, Joey Galloway again led all receivers while for the 2nd time in 3 weeks Eddie George had difficulty finding room to run behind Ohio’s shaky line. NOR 23 MGN 45 A statement game from the Panthers as they took down Jamie Martin and the Breakers with ease. Weegie Thompson gained 132 yards in the air, helping Doug Flutie to his best game as a Panther (293 yards and 66.7% completion rate). Ad in a defense that picked off Jamie Martin 4 times and you have a beat down. Chris Snyder nabbed a share of the league league with 2 more picks in this game, and Garland Rivers added to his impressive career total with one of his own. TEX 17 STL 7 The Outlaws had a tough go of it in St. Louis, but their defense held the Knights and their offense did just enough to eke out a win. It was a strange game for Kelly Stouffer, as he completed 33 of 37 passes, but almost all were short completions which St. Louis kept from turning into long gains. Reggie Cobb averaged only 2.8 yards per carry, and the game could have gone either way until a late Boniol FG gave Texas a definitive 10-point lead. DEN 21 ARZ 13 In a game that may be Robbie Bosco’s swansong as the Wrangler starter, Arizona again struggled to move the ball. Bosco finished with only 176 yards passing, and Arizona again needed to rely on its defense to keep the game in range. By the 4th quarter they were down 21-6 before a late “garbage time” score made the game look closer than it was. Second year back Rashaan Salaam looked good, rushing for 110 yards on 22 carries and scoring twice. OAK 18 LA 33 Trouble in Oakland for Coach Mora as his new team lost one most expected them to win easily. The LA Express came out ready to rumble, and it showed. QB Brent Pease threw for 3 scores, including a nice thread-the-needle play to rookie TE Rickey Dudley, and the LA defense, led by Santana Dotson’s 2 sacks, took down Bobby Hebert 6 times. Despite the constant pressure, Hebert threw for 305 and both Ellard and McCaffrey went over 100 yards, but the problem was red zone offense, a problem LA used to keep the Invaders from keeping pace all day. SEA 29 POR 14 Another shocker in the Pacific as Seattle got their first win of the year, and their first road win ever, by knocking off the Thunder in Portland. Down 14-7 early in the 2nd quarter, Seattle went on a 22 point run, getting 2 field goals from Mike Hollis to pull within 1 at the half, then starting the 2nd half with a safety as Jack Trudeau was sacked in the endzone. Roosevelt Potts rushed for 102 yards and Eric Metcalf led the Dragons with 7 receptions as Seattle upended Portland and perhaps started a true rivalry among the two clubs. HOU 29 CHI 10 The finale for the week was the highly anticipated Gamblers-Machine showdown in Chicago. Once again Jim Kelly carried the team, as he threw for 443 and 3 scores. Thurman Thomas was a game time scratch due to an eye infection that impacted his vision, so Keith Woodside stepped in. He was adequate, but it was clear that Kelly would need to lead the team, and he did, finding Antonio Freeman twice for scores and adding another to TE Ken Dilger. Run to Daylight: It was a good week indeed for fans of the run game as we had several contenders for Offensive POTW from the HB position. With weather a little dicey in many games, and with teams trying to avoid good defenses from teeing off on their QBs the run game has had some moments in this pass-happy league, and this week was certainly one of them. Leading the pack, as he always seems to be, was Mike Rozier, who does not seem to be slowing down at all. Rozier’s 182 yards and 3 TDs were too much for Orlando to handle. Not far behind him were Pat Chaffey in Philadelphia (144 yards), Natrone Means, for Jacksonville (116), Rashaan Salaam for Denver (110), Robert Drummond in Portland (110), Roosevelt Potts (102) for Seattle (102), and Terrell Davis for New Orleans . Of note, from those 100-yard days, only Drummond’s Thunder failed to win their game this week. And, while he did not make the 100-yard group, Barry Word’s 4 TD day should also not be ignored. The message to other clubs, get yourself a run game. Dragon Breathing Fire: Special kudos to Scott Stephen of Seattle, who won the Defensive POTW, a first for the longtime rotational player of the Panthers who is getting his chance to lead for the expansion club. It is also a first for Seattle, which has hardly been a regular in the weekly awards. Seattle got their first win of the year, and only their 2nd in 2 seasons, in large part due to their defense containing Portland in a tough road environment. Stephen’s day was a big part of that. The strongside backer finished the day with 8 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and his sack of Trudeau in the endzone to open the 2nd half was the game-changer that gave momentum and a belief in themselves to the entire defense. A good day indeed for the 10 year vet who has found new life in the Northwest. Glimpse at the Future: Washington fans may have gotten a glimpse of their future this week, and likely will get more over the next month. Midway through the 2nd quarter of their game against Tampa Bay, Don Majkowski went down, awkwardly twisting his throwing arm on a 2nd quarter sack. Kordell Stewart, the star signing from Washington’s 1995 draft came in, and what we saw from Kordell caught the attention of fans. While the former Colorado Buffalo completed only 14 of 26 passes, he avoided the deadly turnover, and he added 11 rushes, helping the Federals run away from the Bandits and leading them on 5 scoring drives in 8 possessions. While Majkowski remains a popular figure among Federal fans, this next month, with the Majik Man out with a wrist injury, may give Washington a chance to see how their franchise might transition to a new style of play with Stewart under center. Injury Report: While the Majkowski injury is certainly a big one this week, it is sadly not the only one. We saw a few long-term concerns around the league. Seattle’s success this week came at a cost as their starting strong safety, Chris Hayes herniated a disk and could miss 2 months. Philadelphia tackle Chris Conlin may be out upu to 6 weeks as doctors revaluated his neck injury. New Jersey will be without TE Jeff Spek after he fractured his jaw in a collision with a linebacker this week. In Pittsburgh, the Maulers lost two of their speedier players, with CB Le-Lo Lang likely to miss 1-2 weeks with a torn abdominal muscle and wideout Freddie Scott nursing a gimpy ankle. Expect Pat Chaffey to get a 2nd start at HB in Philadelphia as it does not appear that Charlie Garner is ready to return, and in Memphis, good-looking rookie wideout Joe Horn could miss a week or two with turf toe. News this week from Nike as the three teams getting updates to their for the 1997 season have been announced. It will be Denver, Texas, and Orlando getting facelifts for the next year. While we don’t expect any of the three to abandon their current color schemes, past history has shown that an updated logo, along with newly-imagined uniform designs are certainly within the realm of the possible. Of the 3, we would have to say that both the Orlando and Denver logos do seem a bit dated, or at least not as aligned with contemporary style as many other teams in the league. Denver’s gold starburst is simple enough, but lacks any real connection with the region or its rich mining history. We would not be surprised to see a new logo that contains a mountain element or makes use of the golden nugget instead of a more astronomical-themed gold icon. For Orlando, the tomahawk seems an appropriate logo, but the long horizontal style, along with the script wordmark, is awkward on the side of a helmet. We would not be shocked if the Renegades found a way to balance out the logo a bit more, perhaps two crossed weapons, similar to the famous Chicago Blackhawk crossed-tomohawk “C” logo. Something that creates a more centered logo might make sense. As for Texas, the scruffy-looking bandit placed on a blue star has received some criticism for being derivative of the Dallas Cowboys’ star logo, but it is a good, well-balanced logo that captures the spirit of the original Oklahoma Outlaws masked bandit and allows the team to incorporate black into the otherwise blue and green look of the city’s original team, the Gunslingers. If anything, we would expect an attempt to connect the franchise more to San Antonio now that the club has a permanent home in the Alamodome rather than splitting time across the state. Expect to see new looks towards the end of the season, as has become the norm in the league, as teams try to build up excitement for the next year. Of course, if these three “middle of the road” teams can make a push towards the playoffs that may be all the excitement needed for their fanbases. Week 4 offers up the rarest of the rare, a full slate with all 24 clubs fighting within their divisions. So many meaningful games, especially for those clubs who have not started off as hot as they, or their fans, would like. Among the high-tension games we have Baltimore @ Pittsburgh in a battle of 3-0 clubs, Jacksonville heading down to Tampa, with both at 2-1, and Birmingham trying to right their course on the road in Memphis. In the Western Conference we have Michigan headed to Chicago to face the Machine, Texas down in New Orleans, Denver in LA, and in a surprising matchup of 0-3 clubs, Oakland hosts Portland in a must win for both clubs. Other games include Seattle at Arizona, St. Louis in Houston, Atlanta @ Orlando, Ohio traveling to DC to face the Federals, and, in a game that could surprise some folks and spark that classic rivalry, the 2-1 Generals head to Veterans Stadium to face the unbeaten Philadelphia Stars.

The first divisional games of the year and some quality clashes in the Western Conference highlight the second week of USFL action. We come out of the week with several clubs starting off stronger than expected, a few hoping to turn things around quickly, and a few clubs still trying to figure themselves out after a long offseason. We start with a nip & tuck battle in Houston that went to overtime before a winner was decided. It is no easy task to go into the Astrodome and keep pace with the Gamblers, but that is what Denver did this week as Mark Brunell battled with Jim Kelly through 4 quarters and a little more. The two teams combined for over 900 yards of offense on the day, with Denver getting a strong performance from their run game to complement Brunell’s arm, while Houston relied on another huge day from Jim Kelly, with 437 yards passing, to earn the win. Houston started fast, and after only 5 plays found themselves up 7 as Keith Woodside took over for Thomas at the goal line and plunged in from 3 yards out to give Houston the early lead. Denver was not going to sit back and let Houston earn all the momentum, and with their second drive they found some holes in the Houston secondary, with Brunell hitting Odessa Turner for a game-tying score. In an action-packed first quarter, Kelly then responded by hitting Antonio Freeman with a 48-yard scoring strike to again go up by 7. Denver finished the quarter with a long drive ending in a Jeff Wilkens Field goal. 14-10 after one. The 2nd quarter saw the two clubs swap scores again as Houston got a Kelly to Heller TD pass and Denver responded with a nice Rashaan Salaam run for 14 yards to go into the half down only 21-17. The 3rd quarter slowed down the pace a bit as both defenses made halftime adjustments. The lone score was on a short field after a Denver takeaway as rookie HB Rickey Whittle found space around the left side and danced along the sideline before falling into the endzone to give the Gold their first lead of the day, 24-21. Houston kame on strong in the final quarter, scoring on their first two drives, a Kasay field goal and then a second Woodside run to build up the 7-point lead at 31-24. But, scoring with 3:45 left meant that Denver would have a shot at an equalizer. Brunell moved the ball down the field and capped off the game-tying drive with a nicely thrown corner route to Mark Carrier for 17 yards. With 1:37 left to play, Houston tried to get the ball into field goal range for Kasay, but when his 52-yarder went wide left, it was on to overtime. Both clubs held fast on their opposition’s first drive, meaning the game would be a true sudden death situation. After a 3-and-out on Denver’s second possession, Houston took over with 5:28 left to play in the extra period. They took advantage of a roughing the passer call and a blown coverage to get the ball well into field goal range, but, not satisfied to sit on the ball, QB Jim Kelly found Brett Perriman on a play action pass and Perriman loped into the endzone for the winning score. Kelly finished the day 25 for 46 for 437 yards and 3 TDs, despite being sacked 5 times by the aggressive Denver D. Mark Brunell went 33 for 43 for 257 and 2 scores, and was helped out by 118 yards from Rashaan Salaam. For Houston both Freeman and Perriman went over 100 yards, while Mark Carrier led the Gold with 9 catches for 81 yards and a score. Houston, with the win, moves to 1-1 while Denver, which has played well these first two weeks, falls to 1-1 after their week 1 win in Birmingham. They have one more road game next week before their late home opener in Week 4. Houston will now prepare for a vital road game in Chicago against the top contenders in the Central Division. BAL 19 NJ 13 New Jersey’s defense again played well, but so did the Blitz D, and a low-scoring game was won on 10 fourth quarter points from the Blitz. The big play on the day was a late Miller to Derrick Fenner TD which put a positive spin on a 3-interception game from Miller. New Jersey’s Rob Johnson also threw three picks against that tough Blitz secondary, and with Bam Morris only able to muster 3 YPC (15 for 45 yards) it was tough sledding all day for the Generals’ offense. PIT 24 WSH 21 Pittsburgh got the better of Washington in RFK this weekend, despite Mike Rozier being limited to only 32 yards rushing on 21 carries. It was the Mauler D that won the day as Demetrius DuBose had a huge week, capped off by a 51-yard interception return in the 4th to turn a 17-13 lead into a 24-13 advantage, just enough as Washington came back to within 3 in the final minutes. PHI 17 OHI 9 Ohio and Philadelphia found themselves in a defensive struggle as well this weekend, with the Stars holding Ohio to only 3 field goals, while Ohio kept Philadelphia from running away with the game. The Stars were hamstrung, literally, by an early game injury to Charlie Garner. Pat Chaffey struggled in relief, rushing for only 44 yards on 16 carries (2.8 YPC) while the Philly D had their hands full with a pretty decent outing from the HB duo of the Glory, Eddie George (77 yards) and Ernest Byner (31 yards). Ohio had their chances but could not turn yards into points, settling for 31 and 32 yard field goals from within the red zone. BIR 31 ATL 6 After a tough home loss to Denver, Birmingham was happy to take their frustrations out on the Atlanta Fire. Brett Favre threw for 334 yards and 3 scores and the rookie duo of Davis (8 for 37) and Alstott (13 for 79) made life difficult for the Atlanta defenders. Atlanta came after Favre (5 sacks) but were unable to keep pace on offense despite 109 yards from wideout Ernie Jones. MEM 19 JAX 7 Memphis’s good start continued as their defense got after Chris Chandler for 6 sacks, while Moe Williams had a good 2nd outing with 82 yards rushing. Add in 99 yards and a score from #1 receiver Carl Pickens and you have a formula for a Memphis division win. TBY 20 ORL 13 Tampa Bay also moved to 2-0 after a hard-fought road win against the Renegades. Errict Rhett came up big with 105 yards rushing and a score, while James Stewart added a 2nd rushing TD for the Bandits. Tampa held Terry Kirby to only 27 yards rushing and Orlando had to rely on Scott Mitchell to keep pace. Despite 290 yards passing from Mitchell, the big plays did not come their way and the Bandits escaped with a division win. ARZ 20 CHI 34 Arizona again struggled to put points on the board, while Scott Zolak had a strong game with 73% passing and 3 TDs for the day. Ricky Watters added 75 rush yards and a score on the ground while also catching 5 balls for 48 yards and a 2nd score in one of his best games to date. Throw in 2 Wendell Davis TD catches and you get a 14-point win for the homestanding Machine. LA 10 MGN 37 Brent Pease had a rough day, throwing 4 picks against the Michigan D, while Doug Flutie made the most of his chances and got a HUGE day from Tyrone Wheatley. Wheatley rushed 28 times for 217 yards and a score, including a 46-yard run for a score that has to be seen to be believed. LA quickly got down double digits, taking Marcus Allen largely out of the game and putting a lot of pressure on Pease. SS Tony Covington of the Panthers was the beneficiary, picking off 2 Pease throws to lead the Michigan defense. OAK 10 NOR 35 Oakland’s rough start under Jim Mora continues as the Breakers got 2 TD’s from Terrell Davis and 2 from Qadry Ismail against the porous Invader defense. With Bobby Hebert sacked 4 times and hit many more, it was a long day for the Invaders offense, which did not score a TD until the final 3 minutes of a game already long out of reach. POR 13 STL 23 The Thunder also continue to underperform as St. Louis got the home win on the strength of a solid 3-TD day from Todd Collins. Rocket Ismail found himself on the receiving end of 2 of those passes while rookie Amani Toomer stepped up with 4 catches for 56 yards and a score himself. Despite 95 yards from Robert Drummond, the Thunder could not overcome the St. Louis defense as Trudeau was sacked 4 times and got picked 2 times in the defeat. SEA 13 TEX 34 Texas rebounded from an opening week shutout by putting up 34 against the Dragons in Seattle. The Outlaws were dominant from the opening kickoff, thanks in large part to 172 yards rushing from Reggie Cobb. Add in 3 Kelly Stouffer TD passes and a defense that limited Seattle QB Timm Rosenbach to a 47% completion rate and you have Texas’s first win of the year. Western Woes: After 2 weeks the Pacific Division has a combined 1-11 record, with Denver’s opening week win in Birmingham as the only bright spot. Offensive struggles seem to be the common theme among the 0-2 Pacific clubs, with Seattle still looking like a team without a clear offensive identity, LA still unable to make use of the talents of Marcus Allen, and Arizona still unsure about their future with Robbie Bosco at QB. Expect Coach Tollner to give Bosco one more week to show what he can do, but the option of Trent Green is there for him whenever he decided he has had enough. Oakland does not have a QB controversy, but Bobby Hebert is going to need more help from the players around him if he is going to turn this around for the Invaders, while in Portland teams are loading the box against Drummond and challenging Jack Trudeau to beat them. He needs to step up if Portland is going to meet expectations this year and take the division. Denver, with Mark Brunell having outdueled Brett Favre, and held his own against Jim Kelly, looks to be in the best position, with a solid run game and an up and comer at QB. Beasts of the East: If the Pacific looks like a division in search of a quality team, the Atlantic has the opposite issue. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore all look like legit contenders. Ohio and New Jersey have shown some spark, and no one expects Washington’s 0-2 start to represent their actual talent level. This is a division that again could contribute 4 clubs to the playoff pool come July, if they don’t beat each other up too much along the way that is. Fast Starts Down South: Tampa Bay and Memphis have gotten off to 2-0 starts and have looked good doing it. With Errict Rhett and Moe Williams providing solid games and with both clubs showing some defensive moxie, the two clubs look primed to compete for the division this year. And we are not yet ready to count out Birmingham, who looked good this week after being a bit rusty against Denver in the opening game. Even Atlanta has a win on the season so far, so this division may continue to be a close one all year. And, in the Central, what can we say? New Orleans has burst out to a 2-0 start, but with the rest of the division at 1-1 it is still anyone’d game. We like what we saw from Michigan this week, with Wheatley and Flutie complementing each other’s games, and we know that both Houston and Chicago can bring it. If Texas is also able to play solid ball in all 3 phases, the division could be home to a dogfight all season long. Injury Report: We knew the good luck would not last long. After a week of play with no significant injuries, we followed it with a 2nd week that saw a few clubs taking hits. The biggest knock of the week is the news that Houston would be without two of its big playmakers for several weeks. Ricky Proehl looks to be out at least 4 weeks with a torn meniscus while Thurman Thomas will likely miss 2-3 weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot. Philadelphia also got unwanted news as RT Chris Conlin could miss as much as 2 months with a neck injury that was quite scary to watch. The good news is that he is expected to make a full recovery as there was no fracture within the spine. Other injuries likely to cost players a week or two include Pittsburgh receiver Freddie Scott (collarbone), Oakland HB Mike Gaddis (hamstring), Philly HB Charlie Garner (knee), Ohio wideout Rob Thomas (concussion), and Birmingham rookie back Stephen Davis (ankle). Jim Kelly and Denver CB Anthony Tuggle were both briefly out in their game this week, but both are expected to play in Week 3. In Week 1 we looked at the coaches around the league, this week we take a look at the stadium situation for each club. Stadium capacity, amenities, age, and support can make or break a team's bottom line, and there is a wide range of situations around the league. As the 1996 season begins, let's explore how each team sits and where there may be issues. ARIZONA: Sun Devil Stadium is adequate, though mid-summer games in the desert heat are a concern for the Wranglers and the league. There has been some talk of the city trying to develop a domed stadium for the Cardinals and Wranglers, but with the cost of the recently built baseball stadium (for the upcoming Diamondbacks team to join MLB in 1998) it may be a while before citizens of the Valley of the Sun are willing to foot the bill for a football venue. ATLANTA: Despite the Georgia Dome offering air conditioned bliss, the Fire set up shop across town in Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium. The stadium itself is a good size for the USFL and it is in good shape, but those mid-summer humid games are not as enjoyable as one would like. We don't see a shift in the next few years, but the dome is there if the Fire opt to negotiate for a spring schedule indoors. BALTIMORE: The news this year of the relocation of the Cleveland Browns brought with it a new stadium deal that will benefit the Blitz greatly. Memorial Stadium is a bit of a dump, well past its prime, but it looks like by 1998 we will see a brand new football-specific stadium for the Blitz and their new, as of yet nameless, fall counterparts. BIRMINGHAM: Legion Field is too old, too big, and too revered, so it is not going anywhere. The Stallions share it only with a fledgeling UAB program and while other cities may have stadia with more luxury boxes and better amenities in general, there is a love for this old warhorse in Birmingham and fans will come out in droves for the Stallions despite the stadium's lack of modern features. Don't expect a new stadium any time soon. CHICAGO: Soldier Field is a bit big for the typical Machine crowd, but not so much that the stadium feels empty. It could use some updates, and with the Bears on board we may see a major renovation in the years to come, but the location is priceless and the atmosphere is plenty strong for the Machine. DENVER: Talks are well underway between the city and both Denver ballclubs to share funding for a new football-specific stadium. As with Arizona, Denver is still recovering from the expense of their new baseball club, and in Denver's case, the building of Coor's Field. That said, Denver is a football town and there is no way the beloved Broncos, and the well-supported (if not beloved) Gold will get the short end of the stadium stick for long. HOUSTON: The Oilers have been hoping for a new stadium for years. The rabid fanbase of the Gamblers and the team's ongoing success, have just given the city even more reasons to make it happen. Talks are under way, and if the Astrodome continues to become less desirable there is both Robertson Stadium (U. of Houston) and Rice Stadium available to both clubs. JACKSONVILLE: The Gator Bowl could use a facelift, to be sure, but unless the Bulls can assist the city with financing, this could be a big ask. While there is no immediate concern about the Bulls, this could become an issue down the road, as the viability of the Bulls franchise in Jacksonville could depend on the city and the region's willingness to fund a renovation. LA: The Express are sitting pretty in the newly dubbed Farmer's Insurance Field. The newly-opened stadium, which houses both the Express and the Raiders of the NFL has all the amenities, tons of luxury suites and boxes, state of the art tech, and, especially useful for the Express, the ability to tarp over some of the unused upper deck sections so that the typical 25k-30k Express crowd has an intimate feel while the 65k Raiders crowd can be accommodated. The Express would love to reach a point where they could open up those sections, but so fare the lower decks are all they need. MEMPHIS: The Liberty Bowl is not going anywhere. It is certainly large enough for the Showboats, but its lack of amenities and luxury boxes could become an issue for the club. It's a venerated stadium in a city with a long football history, but it will never be a major revenue generator. MICHIGAN: Pontiac and its SilverDome suffice for now, but the Panthers and Lions are going to be pushing the state and the city for a downtown stadium similar to the upgrade the Tigers are pushing for. With baseball and football both moving away from the multi-use stadium model, the city of Detroit, which is not exactly flush with cash, may have difficulty building venues for both sports. NEW JERSEY: The main complaints about Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands revolve around the commute and lack of public transit from NYC to East Rutherford. The stadium itself is a pretty decent venue, though larger than the Generals have needed the past few years (which is more about the team's performance than the stadium). NEW ORLEANS: While not the most modern or most beautiful dome in the country, the SuperDome is a fine home for both the Saints and the Breakers. Don't expect anything new in the near future. OAKLAND: Oakland-Alameda stadium is reaching the end of its lifespan. Sharing it with the A's is also not ideal for the Invaders. There has been some noise in recent years of moving the team up the road a bit to Berkely to play on the Cal campus, but unless a deal can be made regarding alcohol sales, we don't see that happening. As for a new stadium, that seems a longshot in Oakland. The question is more whether the lure of either San Francisco or San Jose may cost Oakland their hometown team. OHIO: The Horseshoe is way too big, that is clear. The Glory are trying to work with the city and the new MLS club in town to see if a more "right sized" option (something in the 35-45k range) might be possible. Problem is that the Glory prefer 45k and the Crew would be happier with 20k. That is a big difference in scale. ORLANDO: The Citrus Bowl is a solid venue, and modern enough to suit the Renegades just fine. Sure, some new screens and updated concessions would be nice, and those may happen if the USFL club continues to be the primary tenant. UCF is also growing their football program, which could help the city cough up some funds for an interior renovation. PHILADELPHIA: We all know what makes the Vet a mess, it's that horrible turf. Yes, the entire stadium needs work, but if they could just put in a more modern turf system the players would feel safer. That won't help the in-stadium experience for fans, so eventually a new building may be needed, but safety first. PITTSBURGH: We love Three Rivers, but as the Maulers and Steelers, along with Pitt, look to modernize, we expect the city will capitulate and a new stadium will be in the works soon. The football scene in the Steel City is way too big for this to be dragged out. PORTLAND: Despite the expansion that took Civic Stadium up to 34,000 seats, it remains a lesser quality venue within the league. But, with no prospect for an NFL club, no major college team in the city, and no local support to spend the money it would take for a top notch facility, it may come down to whether Phil Knight wants to spend his own money to develop a venue for the Thunder. If not, then Portland is at risk of losing their club eventually. ST. LOUIS: The new dome is great, as domes go, but the Knights have only been able to fill it occasionally (mostly in their first year) and mostly out of spite for the NFL after the Cardinals left town. Now that the Rams are filling the NFL void, will attendance dip even lower for the Knights? We think it is the club, not the stadium, that may eventually lead to problems for the USFL in St. Louis. SEATTLE: Husky Stadium is a solid venue, and the atmosphere at Dragon games is great, even if the club has been pretty tough to watch. With UW as the primary tenants, it would take a major campaign by the university to update the stadium, but that is not out of the question. TAMPA BAY: Work is already underway on a new stadium for the Bucs and the Bandits to share. Expect it to take advantage of the perfect Tampa weather with only a bit more shade provided, and a lot of open air amenities throughout. TEXAS: The AlamoDome works really well for the Outlaws. They can add or remove seating through tarping, can avoid the summer heat, and still have a solid revenue stream from not only their games, but other events co-hosted by the club. A solid situation. WASHINGTON: The shelf life of RFK is dubious, and with the NFL Redskins refusing to share their new prize out in Maryland, the Federals are going to have to find a way to persuade the District to spend some money in the near future. Perhaps a deal with the MLS DC United could help, though the Federals' best chance may be to help lure a MLB club to the city and build a joint-function stadium, though that seems a longshot at this time. Week 3 reverses what we saw in Week 2, with the Pacific and Central divisions engaged in divisional play while the Eastern conference clubs from the Atlantic take on those from the South. The best matchup is clearly going to be the Houston-Chicago tussle at Soldier field, but we are also looking forward to New Orleans headed to Michigan, Denver out in Arizona, and Oakland trying to get a W in LA. St. Louis also hosts Texas and Portland will host Seattle in a battle of 0-2 Pacific Northwest clubs. In the Eastern Conference the Memphis-Philadelphia game should be a real slobberknocker, while Orlando-Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay-Washington promise some fireworks. Don’t sleep on the Bulls visiting Ohio as the Glory have some talent to compete in this one. Birmingham will bring their high-powered O against the tough New Jersey D in the Meadowlands this week, and Baltimore tries to move to 3-0 as they head down to Atlanta to face the Fire.

A great start to a new season. The USFL kicked it all off with a rematch of the 1995 Summer Bowl between Houston and Pittsburgh, then gave us some great interconference games like Chicago-Philly, Michigan-Baltimore, N’Awlins-Washington, Arizona-J’ville and Denver-Birmingham. We saw huge crowds across the league, despite some dicey mid-March weather (especially Sunday on the East Coast) and we had some down-to-the wire games. It was a weekend to remember for spring football fans and a great way to kick off 1996 in style. While Saturday night’s Summer Bowl rematch was the most anticipated game of the week, we give the nod for the best game of the week to the matchup of the Michigan Panthers and the Batlimore Blitz. It was a game that saw several lead changes, 4 scores in the final quarter, a huge game from Panther wideout Weegie Thompson thanks to his new QB, and a late game-winning drive from a QB not known for his ability to win the close ones. The game marked the first start for longtime NJ General Doug Flutie as the new Panthers QB, and while his 289 yards and 74.4% completion rate were solid, he also threw 2 picks, leading to 10 Blitz points. Chris Miller, the oft-maligned Blitz QB had himself a solid day, throwing for 256 yards and 3 TDs to lead Baltimore to the win. After a couple of short drives ending in punts, Chris Miller led the Blitz on the first scoring drive of the game, finding Rob Moore for the TD. Michigan responded as Flutie got the Panthers into position with a dynamic scramble to the 2 yard line, and Tyrone Wheatley scored his first TD of the season on the next play. Michigan pressed their advantage in the 2nd quarter, scoring 10 points in the quarter to take a 17-7 lead at the half. Baltimore came out inspired in the second half, and put up 13 unanswered points in the 3rd and beginning of the 4th, with both the TD drive (Alexander Wright TD catch) and the first field goal coming off of two poor throws by Flutie leading to picks. Down 17-7, Baltimore flipped the score and took a 20-17 advantage with 7 minutes left in the game. Down 3, Michigan rallied as Doug Flutie got them in range for a 31 yard Daluiso field goal to even the score. With 1:48 left on the clock, the Generals kicked the ball away to Baltimore, hoping to hold the Blitz and take the game to overtime. Miller and the Blitz got the ball at the 14 after Torin Dorn questionably took the ball out of the endzone. After a short Barry Foster draw play, Michigan helped the Blitz with two consecutive penalties (Neutral Zone Infraction and Facemask) to get the ball to the 42. Miller hit Kyle Brady for 10, then found him again, 2 plays later, for 20 yards, getting the ball to the Michigan 37. After spiking the ball, a bit of controversy as Miller completed a short pass but was thrown to the ground by Michigan’s Renaldo Turnbull. Turnbull got called for Roughing, and Miller had himself a first down at the Michigan 17 with 34 seconds to play. Rather than milk the clock, as Michigan expected, the Blitz faked the ball to Foster and Miller found Bill Brooks on a post-corner route that fooled the safety. Touchdown Blitz, and the Blitz fans, who had not been kind to Miller all offseason, hoping a trade or signing would dethrone him as the starter, cheered the QB off the field. 45,000 Baltimoreans returned home happy, while Doug Flutie and the Panthers resigned themselves to a tough road loss. For Doug Flutie, a frustrating day but overall a solid opening performance with his new club. DEN 27 BIR 24 Saturday’s 2nd afternoon game was equally thrilling as the Gold held off the Stallions to snag a road win in Birmingham. Mark Brunell had a huge day, completing 28 of 39 for 385 yards against an often-confused Stallion defense, with Odessa Turner busting coverages for 134 yards on only 6 catches as the Gold get the 3-point win. HOU 31 PIT 41 The nightcap was the game everyone waited for, and it provided plenty of fireworks as Jim Kelly threw for a whopping 533 yards and 4 TDs but in the end it was Pittsburgh, thanks in part to 2 TDs from Mike Rozier (111 yards rushing) and 4 Alan Risher TD’s upended the Gamblers once again. The Maulers showed off the trophy at the half, much to the delight of nearly 50,000 at Three Rivers Stadium. CHI 17 PHI 24 Scott Zolak returned as Chicago’s starter, throwing for 319 and 2 scores, but a 7 catch, 128 yard day from Philly’s #1 receiver Cris Carter helped the home team snag a season-opening win. Philly veteran LB Frank Stams had himself a day with 2 sacks to lead the Stars to victory. NOR 20 WSH 7 The Breaker secondary was on fire as four different backs snagged interceptions off of Don Majkowski, including Darren Woodson’s pick-6 as the Breakers confused and confounded the Federals all game long. Jamie Martin avoided turnovers, throwing for only 169 yards, and the combo of Terrell Davis and Eric Pegram helped New Orleans milk the clock and control the game. STL 23 OHIO 26 Joey Galloway exploited the opening day secondary for the Knights, racking up an impressive 216 yards to help Ohio open the season with a home win. While Galloway shone, rookie HB Eddie George had a tough introduction to pro ball, contained to only 15 yards on the day. But, with St. Louis unable to slow down the pass game for the Glory, Ohio still earned the W. TEX 0 NJ 13 Sunday’s all-day soaker meant it was a wet field and rough conditions when the Outlaws faced off in New Jersey against the Generals. The Run & Shoot of Mouse Davis was waterlogged as Kelly Stouffer completed only 53% of his passes and tossed 2 interceptions. Rob Johnson did not do much better after earning the starting job over Tommy Maddox, but Bam Morris’s plodding 77 yards on 17 carries helped the Generals hold off the punchless Outlaws for a shutout win to open the season. ARZ 6 JAX 9 Another rain-soaked game, though significantly warmer in Florida, mean no touchdowns on the day. Jacksonville kicked 2 fourth quarter field goals to defeat the Wranglers. LB Broderik Thomas for Arizona helped keep Jacksonville’s offense in check with 11 tackles, a pick, and 2 forced fumbles on the sloppy field. LA 7 TBY 33 The Express started off well, scoring on their opening drive, but Tampa got momentum off of a 59 yard Aikman to Baker TD pass, and rattled off 33 unanswered points. Aikman would throw for 367 on the day, despite some lingering rain from the stormfront, and Errict Rhett had a solid 75-yard day to help propel the Bandits to an impressive opening day win. OAK 28 ORL 34 Oakland made the long distance flight to Orlando, but came up just short as the Renegades got 3 TD’s from Scott Mitchell and held off a late rally for a home win. Terry Kirby started off well with his new club, rushing for 50 yards while sharing carries with rookie Kantroy Barber. Bert Emmanuel stepped up as well, catching 12 balls for 123 yards and a score. POR 20 MEM 33 Heath Shuler looked good, throwing for 343 and 3 scores, as the Showboats upset the visiting Portland Thunder. Memphis was able to contain Robert Drummond (only 59 yards) while rookie Moe Williams and Tommy Agie combined for 104 yards rushing. A strong first game from rookie WR Joe Horn (107 yards and a score) also helped the Showboats get the home win in front of 39,000 happy Memphians. SEA 17 ATL 21 Atlanta won the battle of 2nd year clubs, thanks to a late Zeier to Mathis TD with 3:41 left. The Fire still struggle to run the ball as new HB Blair Thomas amassed only 25 yards on 12 carries. Mathis was the hero for Atlanta, catching 2 TDs from Zeier, including the game winner. Eric Metcalf, Seattle’s big offseason acquisition, had 8 receptions but only a 7.9 yard average in the Seattle loss. Offense Wins the Day: Other than a couple of foul weather games, it appears that offense got the jump on defense in week 1. Whether Jim Kelly’s 533 yards passing, Galloway’s 216 receiving, or a strong 20 carry, 111 yard day from the ageless Mike Rozier, offensive stars came out in force. That is not to say that defenders did not have their moments (Eddie Simmons’ day was a good one with 8 tackles 2 sacks, 2 fumbles caused and one recovered) but the overall win went to the offenses. Welcome to Pro Ball, Rookies: Other than the surprise performance from mid-round pick Joe Horn, the rookie class of stars had a rough opening week. Eddie George was completely stifled. Terry Glenn had New Jersey’s lone score, but managed only 3 receptions in his first start, and no rookie QB started this week. That latter situation was anticipated as there were no QB’s taken who were expected to begin the year as starters. On defense, several rookies got the starting nod, including LB Kevin Hardy in St. Louis (4 tackles), CB Walt Harris (8 tackles) for New Orleans, and two big DE’s: Regan Upshaw in Philly (1 Sack) and Simeon Rice for Chicago (1 tackle). Bad Day for the Majik Man: Not often an ALL-USFL QB finds himself last in the QBR, but that is what we see with Don Majkowski after week 1. Aided by 4 picks, Majkowski sits at a 41.2 QBR, last in the league, though Kelly Stouffer is not much better at 48.6. Bobby Hebert, despite losing to Orlando, leads the league with a 150.3 QBR thanks to 344 yards passing and 3 TDs in a losing effort. Injury Report: We have a near miracle this week, a full slate of USFL games and no noteworthy injuries. Yes, there are some bumps and bruises, but no players are ruled out for next week, perhaps the only week in league history when we can say that. So, enjoy while you can, but we all know this game too well to expect this good fortune to last. It seems a little cruel to start off a new season by looking at coaches on the hotseat, but football is a cruel game, and nowhere is that more true than when it comes to the often herky jerky careers of coaches. Last year we saw 3 positions change, though two of these were due to retirements rather than firings. We expect that this year might not be as kind. With four expansion clubs entering their second year, the pressure will be on to make strides, and while we don't see the 4 expansion head coaches as being under the most pressure to win now, they certainly will feel some pressure to improve on last year, especially in Seattle, where the 1-win Dragons need to show more this season. So, who is under the most pressure? Well, that all depends on who you ask and what your standards are for your club. Looking at the league's 24 head coaches, it is relatively simple to see who is secure, who is wavering, and who may be feeling the heat. Here is our grouping: NOT GOING ANYWHERE This group is securely in place and only a major scandal is likely to shock them out of a position: Marchibroda (PIT), Willsey (HOU), Berry (PHI), Erhardt (BIR), Schottenheimer (CHI), Fassel (JAX) BEING GIVEN ROPE This next group is secure for the moment only because they are new enough in their positions to be allowed rope to hang themselves with. We cannot picture any of these 1st or 2nd year coaches getting pulled even with a bad year this season: Reeves (ATL), Neuheisel (LA), Johnson (STL), Knox (NJ), Mora (OAK), Saban (OHIO), Tobin (POR), Pardee (TEX), Hackett (WSH). PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING These are veteran coaches who are expected to show strides this season after decent years last year and could be at risk if they do not produce: Tollner (ARZ), Infante (BAL), Holtz (MGN), O'Leary (ORL) FEELING THE HEAT This is a pretty well-known group of coaches, but their teams have not responded as hoped to their guidance yet. One more bad season and this could be the end of their time at the helm: Wade Phillips (DEN): Another .500 season, another early playoff exit, and it may be time to look for a more dynamic offense and more aggressive defense in Denver. Buddy Ryan (MEM): The Memphis defense has gotten sloppier each season, and the impact of Reggie White won't be enough if the Showboats don't start showing something. A lot rides on Heath Shuler's development and Buddy Ryan is not exactly known as a QB guru. Mike Ditka (NOR): The Breakers have been just good enough to get hopes up each offseason, but so far Ditka has not been able to recreate either the smothering defense of his '85 Bears or the fan frenzy that the Breakers used to muster. Another 8-8 type year may mean the end for Big Mike's tenure in the Big Easy. He needs the decision to go with Jamie Martin and jettison Timm Rosenbach to work out in his favor. Jerry Glanville (TBY): Another huge personality who has not taken huge strides with a talented Tampa Bay roster. Many claim that Glanville's lack of offensive knowledge has wasted some prime years for Troy Aikman. Even worse, the defense has not been good enough to compensate for Glanville's offensive woes. Another weak season, and particulalry another weak offensive show from Tampa Bay could likely mean that the man in black will see pink, a pink slip that is, in August. Week Two gives us our first divisional action as the Atlantic and Southern Divisions stay in the division while out west the Pacific Clubs travel to face Central Division foes. Expect some real nasty battles as Baltimore heads up I-95 to face the New Jersey Generals, as Pittsburgh heads to DC to face the Federals, and as the Stars face off against the Glory in Columbus. In the South it is Birmingham @ Atlanta, Memphis @ Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay in an in-state clash at Orlando. The best of the Pacific @ Central matchups has Denver heading into Houston. Arizona @ Chiago and Oakland @ New Orleans could also produce some fireworks. We also have LA heading to the Silverdome to face the Panthers, Portland hoping to get a win on the road in St. Louis, and the Seattle Dragons on the road in San Antonio to face the Outlaws.

Hello all. It will still be a couple of days before I can kick off the 1996 season, but there is something I can announce, and a way you can participate. Below we have 12 nominees for consideration for the 1996 class of the USFL Hall of Fame. Only 5 can be selected for entry this year, so we have some tough decisions to make. All candidates must have retired from the game no later than December 1, 1991, prior to the 1992 season. All are strong contenders, but only 5 can enter the Hall this year. The others will remain eligible for voting in future years. So, what is your role? Review the 12 semifinalists and use the comment section to offer up to 5 nominees you believe should make it into the USFL HOF (within the Pro Football HOF in Canton, Ohio). It is just that simple. Here are your semifinalists: QB Chuck Fusina: 1983-1991. Philadelphia Stars The 2-time USFL Champion QB retired with 3056 completions for 31,334 yards, a career QB Rating of 91.1 and 200 TDs to 116 Interceptions. He was named to the All-USFL team twice in his 9 USFL seasons. Known for his steady leadership and clutch performances, Fusina was never considered a physical marvel, but was regarded as one of the best field marshals, able to use his wits and steady hand to guide the Stars offense to two titles. QB Doug Williams: 1984-1990. Jacksonville Bulls, Oklahoma Outlaws, Texas Outlaws Doug Williams was one of the early gunslingers at QB in the USFL. Named the Offensive Player of the Year in 1989, Williams's deep ball and ability to extend plays made him a force to be reckoned with and one of the league's early stars. Williams was named to 5 All-USFL teams in his 7 USFL seasons before returning to the NFL in 1991. He finished his USFL career with 2017 completions for 23,889 yards, with 182 touchdowns and 80 interceptions. His career QB rating was 95.3 HB Craig James: 1983-1989. Washington Federals One of the two legendary Pony Express members of the SMU backfield, James joined the USFL in 1983 and for 7 seasons was the engine behind the Washington Federals' offense. He went over 1,000 yards in all 7 of his USFL seasons before injuries shortened his career. He finished his career with 8,908 yards on 2238 carries, a 4.0 YPC average. He also contributed 53 TDs to Washington's cause. James was named an All-USFL player twice in his 7-year USFL career. HB John Williams: 1983-1990. Michigan Panthers Williams was not a big name when signed by the Panthers for the league's inaugural season, but quickly became a player known throughout the league for his slashing runs and ability to take on defenders. Williams rushed for 8,291 yards and 55 TDs in 8 seasons, a 4.2 YPC average for his career. He reached the 1,000 yard mark 6 times in those 8 years and was named to 4 All-USFL squads. Williams was a key member of the 1984 and 1986 league champion Michigan Panther squads. HB Gary Anderson: 1983-1989. Tampa Bay Bandits A dual threat, Anderson joined the Bandits from the NFL in 1983 and in his 6 seasons with the team helped them to the league's first championship in 1983, and played a major role in the defining years of "Bandit Ball" as a wide open, multifaceted offense. Anderson returned briefly to the NFL in 1990, but his best years were his 6 USFL years, where he rushed for 7,557 yards, 54 TDs and a 4.3 YPC average. He went over the 1,000 yard mark 5 of his 7 seasons for Tampa Bay and was also one of the first true dual threat backs, as deadly in the passing game as rushing the ball. WR Nolan Franz: 1983-1990: Boston/New Orleans Breakers. A prolific receiver, known for tough catches in traffic and in the Red Zone, Nolan Franz was one of the stars of the Breakers during their run of playoff years that extended from 1984 into the 1990's. Franz, while not the flashiest player in the league, put up some flashy numbers, finishing his career in New Orleans with 559 receptions for 9,305 yards, an average of 16.6 yards per catch. He was on the receiving end of 76 TD passes over his 8 year career. While never on a championship team, Franz's four 1,000 yard seasons and four All-USFL nods are testament to his place among the league's early receiving stars. WR Mel Gray: 1984-1990: Memphis Showboats Mel Gray, already an established name after several NFL seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, came to the USFL with the expansion roster of the Memphis Showboats and immediately became one of the new club's premiere players. Gray was simply uncoverable, leading the league in receptions 3 times in 7 years. Gray still holds the league record for catches in a season with the 143 he hauled in during the 1987 season. He retired from football after 7 years in Memphis with 764 receptions, going for 8,924 yards and 44 TDs. He was a 5-time All-USFL awardee, and will forever be known as "the old man who's always open". TE Raymond Chester: 1983-1991. Oakland Invaders Raymond Chester was exactly what every QB hopes to have, a big man, with good hands, who knew how to find a hole in a zone. The Invaders' top TE and one of its leading receivers for 9 seasons, Chester left the game in 1991 with 581 receptions, 6,007 yards, and 37 TDs. His steady presence provided Oakland QB's from Fred Besana through Brian Sipe and Gale Gilbert, with a safety valve when pressure mounted. Named All-USFL 4 times, Chester helped Oakland appear in the playoffs six times, capped off by the league title in his final season, 1991. LB John Corker: 1983-1990. Michigan Panthers The undisputed leader of the Panthers defense in the 80's, John Corker helped galvanize the team's defensive squad and lead Michigan to two league titles in the early years of the league. Corker retired in 1990 with 782 tackles over 8 seasons, including 130 in his first season to set the stage for his entire career. He was named an All-USFL defender 5x and was the league's first Defensive Player of the Year in 1983. In addition to his tackle total, Williams added 25 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and 96 tackles for loss, along with a reputation as a leader which no stats can quantify. CB Raphel Cherry: 1985-1991. Los Angeles Express For 7 seasons Raphel Cherry defined the position of shutdown corner for the LA Express. A perennial interceptions leader, Cherry always took on the best receiver the opposition had, and often came out on top. When he retired from the game in 1991, Cherry had amassed 38 picks, including 8 that he returned for scores. He also added 692 tackles, 2 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, and 158 passes defended. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1987, a season in which he led the league with 7 picks, and also forced 5 fumbles. Cherry appeared on five All-USFL teams in 7 years. DT Jumpy Geathers: 1983-1990. Boston Breakers, Michigan Panthers, Philadelphia Stars The "Big Man in the Middle", Gaethers came to the USFL when the league began, spent a few years moving around and eventually found a home in Philadelphia. In his first year with the Stars he made a huge impression in the Jim Mora defense, recording 11 sacks from the Nose Tackle position. Geathers would finish his USFL career in Philadelphia, with 43 career sacks, 368 tackles, and 9 forced fumbles. He was a member of the 1987 title team for the Stars and was named All-USFL 6 times. DT Laval Short: 1983-1990. Denver Gold Denver's mountain of a man, Laval Short compiled 276 tackles, 32 sacks and 9 forced fumbles in his 8 years of play at Mile High Stadium. Short was the key to Denver's run defense for his entire USFL career, named All-USFL 6 times in 8 seasons. Appearing in the first USFL Title Game, Short and the Gold never reached the mountaintop, but his outstanding play in the center of the d-line was recognized around the league. So there you have them, the 12 semi-finalists for the USFL Hall of Fame Class of 1996. Only 5 can be enshrined this year, and your vote is a big piece of the puzzle. Just use the comments section below to nominate up to 5 of these stellar USFL performers for the greatest recognition in the USFL, induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hello all. Before we kick off the 1996 season I thought it might be a good idea to run through the 24 clubs and highlight the key players on each roster. So, here we have the players to watch on each club, in alphabetical order. ARIZONA WRANGLERS COACH: Ted Tollner QB: Robbie Bosco, Trent Green HB: Tim Lester, Karim Abdul-Jabbar (R) WR/TE: Courtney Hawkins, J.J. Stokes, Terry Orr OL: Kirk Lowdermilk, Todd Kaliss DL: Charles Haley, Al Noga, Russell Maryland LB: Bill Romanowski, Broderick Thomas, Winfred Tubbs DB: David Fulcher, Philippi Sparks, Martin Bayless ST: Mick Luckhurst ATLANTA FIRE COACH: Dan Reeves QB: Cliff Stoudt, Eric Zeier HB: Blair Thomas, Ricky Blake WR/TE: Ernie Jones, Terrance Mathis, Frank Wycheck OL: Eugene Chung, Keith Ballard DL: Chester McGlockton, Mark Mraz, LB: Mo Lewis, John Roper, Randall Godfrey (R) DB: Robert Blackmon, Myron Guyton, Tyrone Poole, Torey James (R) ST: Jason Elam BALTIMORE BLITZ COACH: Lindy Infante QB: Chris Miller, Cody Carlson HB: Barry Foster, Derrick Fenner WR/TE: Bill Brooks, Rob Moore, Kyle Brady OL: Jumbo Elliott, Brian Bollinger, Wayne Gandy, Korey Stringer DL: William Perry, John Randall, Mike Piel, Robert Porcher LB: Barney Bussey, Jason Gilden DB: Torin Dorn, Leslie Frazier, Lawyer Malloy, Brian Blades ST: Luis Zendejas BIRMIGHAM STALLIONS COACH: Ron Erhardt QB: Brett Favre, Danny Kannell HB: Stephen Davis, Mike Alstott, James Joseph WR/TE: Ernest Givens, Lawrence Dawsey, Cedric Tillman, Shannon Sharpe OL: John Brohin, Richmond Webb, Emory Yates DL: John Copeland LB: Cornelius Bennett, Kevin Greene, Lorenzo Styles DB: Chris Dishman, Blaine Bishop, Kwammie Lassiter ST: Olindo Mare CHICAGO MACHINE COACH: Marty Schottenheimer QB: Scott Zolak, Dan McGwire HB: Ricky Watters, Mario Bates, Kimble Anders WR/TE: Wendell Davis, Reggie Langhorne, Wessley Walls OL: Leo Goeas, Frank Winters DL: Sean Gilbert, Kevin Fagan, Alonzo Spellman, Simeon Rice (R) LB: Gary Reasons, Fred Smalls, Darryl Talley DB: Derrick Burroughs, Eric Thomas, George Teague, Anthony Prior ST: John Carney DENVER GOLD COACH: Wade Phillips QB: Mark Brunell, Billy Joe Tolliver HB: Rashaan Salaam, WR/TE: Mark Carrier, Odessa Turner, Keith Jackson OL: Jason Odom (R), Joel Hilgenberg, Cory Raymer DL: Leslie O'Neill, Oliver Barnett LB: Trev Alberts, Kurt Gouveia, Marvcus Patton DB: Anthony Dorsett (R), Bruce Pickens, Anthony Tuggle ST: Jeff Wilkens HOUSTON GAMBLERS COACH: Ray Willsey QB: Jim Kelly, Chuck Hartlieb, HB: Thurman Thomas, Keith Woodside, Mario Greer WR/TE: Antonio Freeman, Brett Perriman, Ricky Proehl, Ken Dilger OL: Howard Ballard, John Rienstra, Keith Van Horne DL: Kavika Pittman (R), Luther Ellis, Terry Crews, Michael Sinclair LB: Quentin Coryatt, Fred Strickland, Pat Swilling DB: Ashley Ambrose, Kerry Glenn, Reggie Sutton, LeRoy Butler ST: John Kasay JACKSONVILLE BULLS COACH: Jim Fassel QB: Chris Chandler, Browning Nagle HB: Natrone Means, Jamie Morris, Edgar Bennett WR/TE: Brian Blades, Kez McCorvey, Dokie Williams, Terrell Owens (R) OL: Duval Love, Matt O'Dwyer, Antone Davis, Mark Stepnoski, John Runyan (R) DL: Reggie Rogers, John Thierry LB: Tedy Bruschi (R), Vaughan Johnson, Johnny Holland, Jessie Armstead DB: Domingo Bryant, Terrell Buckley, Mark Carrier, Dana Hall ST: Pete Stoyanovich, Chris Mohr LOS ANGELES EXPRESS COACH: Rick Neuheisel QB: Brent Pease, Jeff Garcia HB: Marcus Allen, Bernie Parmalee WR/TE: Mike Pritchard, Darnay scott, Patrick Rowe, Rickey Dudley (R) OL: Dave Widell, Harris Barton, Blake Brockmeier, Jonathan Ogden (R) DL: Mel Agee, Lemark Shackerford, Santana Dotson, Antonio Edwards LB: Donta Jones, Bryce Paup DB: Ray Crockett, Aaron Glenn, Merton Hanks ST: Doug Brien MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS COACH: Buddy Ryan QB: Heath Shuler, Mike Kelley HB: Moe Williams, Tommy Agie WR/TE: Jeff Query, Carl Pickens, Joe Horn (R), Christian Fauria OL: Jamie Dukes, Norman Randall, Bruce WIlkerson DL: Norman Hand, Curtis Maxey, Reggie White LB: Eddie Simmons DB: Deon Figures, Bubba McDowell ST: Kevin Shea MICHIGAN PANTHERS COACH: Skip Holtz QB: Doug Flutie, Sean Salisbury HB: Tyrone Wheatley, Rodney Culver, Winslow Oliver (R), Lorenzo Neal WR/TE: Weegie Thompson, Muhsin Muhammad (R), Butch Rolle, Jay Riemersma OL: Mike Zandofsky, Melvin Tuten DL: Renaldo Turnbull, Tony Garbarczyk, Michael McCrary LB: Hardy Nickerson, Ted Johson DB: Garland Rivers, Chris Snyder, Carnell Lake ST: Brad Daluiso NEW JERSEY GENERALS COACH: Chuck Knox QB: Rob Johnson, Tommy Maddox HB: Bam Morris, Lamont Warren WR/TE: Terry Glenn (R), Wayne Chrebet, Keenan McCardell, Mark Chmura OL: Corbin Lacina, Mike Baab DL: Joe Phillips, Phil Hansen, Bob Otto LB: Dino Hacket, Ty Hallock, Chris Spielman DB: Kirby Jackson, Cliff Hicks, Eric McMillian ST: Adam Vinatieri (R) NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS COACH: Mike Ditka QB: Jamie Martin, Bobby Hoying (R), Gus Frerotte HB: Terrell Davis, Erric Pegram WR/TE: Qadry Ismail, Herman Fontenot OL: Jeff Zimmerman, Brian Brauninger, Doug Reisenberg, DL: Shane Burton (R), Shawn Lee, Chidi Ahanotu, Jerry Reese LB: Donnie Edwards (R), Michael Brooks, DeWayne Dotson, Jeff Herrod DB: Walt Harris (R), Devin Bush, Darren Woodson ST: Lin Elliott OAKLAND INVADERS COACH: Jim Mora QB: Bobby Hebert, Cary Conklin HB: Siran Stacy, Glyn Milburn WR/TE: Henry Ellard, Ed McCaffrey, Johnnie Morton, Carlester Crumpler OL: Michael Cheever (R), Branden Stai, Todd Steussie, Harry Swayne, Mike Devlin DL: Reggie Rogers, Tony Siragusa, JJ Wierenga LB: Ken Harvey, Ron Rivera DB: James Hasty, Clayton Holmes, Aeneas Williams, John Lynch ST: Joe Nedney OHIO GLORY COACH: Nick Saban QB: Jeff Hostetler, Dave Brown HB: Eddie George (R), Ernest Byner, Curvin Richards WR/TE: Joey Galloway, Robb Thomas, Mario Bailey, Chris Kelley OL: Roman Oben (R), Eric Moore, Joe Valerio DL: LaRoi Glover (R), Pio Sagapolutele LB: Aubrey Beavers, John Offerdahl DB: Corey Raymond, John Booty ST: Don Silvestri, John Jett ORLANDO RENEGADES COACH: George O'Leary QB: Scott Mitchell, Craig Erickson HB: Terry Kirby WR/TE: Bert Emmanuel, Tamarick Vanover, Shawn Jefferson, Danta Whittaker OL: Robert Curry, Leon Searcy, Jim Juriga DL: Israel Ifeanyi (R), Joel Steed, Tracy Rocker, Chris Doleman LB: Duane Bickett, Tim Green DB: Brian Dawkins (R), Robert Bailey, TIm McDonald, CHris Oldham ST: Charlie Baumann, Mitch Berger PHILADELPHIA STARS COACH: Raymond Berry QB: Chuck Long, Eric Kramer HB: Charlie Garner, Pat Chaffey WR/TE: Cris Carter, Stepfret Williams, Marcus Pollard, Eric Green OL: Ruben Brown, John Flannery DL: Regan Upshaw (R), John Jurkovic, Leon Lett, Esera Tuaolo, William Fuller, Steve Bryan LB: Andre Collins, Robert Gooch, Ed Brady DB: Ray Mickens (R), Lorenzo Lynch, Tim Hauck ST: Chip Lohmiller, Rhon Stark PITTSBURGH MAULERS COACH: Ted Marchibroda QB: Alan Risher, Doug Nussmeier HB: Mike Rozier, Dorsey Levins WR/TE: Louis Lipps, Raynard Brown, Yo Murphy, Mike Shaw, Cap Boso OL: Steve Kenney, Zach Wiegert DL: Dan Saleamua, Kimo Van Oelhoffen, Bob Kuberski LB: Erik Kumerow, Godfrey Miles, DeMetrius DuBose, Mark D'Onofrio DB: Harry Colon, Quintin Jones, Jay Bellamy, Jason Belser ST: Rafael Septien, Mark Royals PORTLAND THUNDER COACH: Vince Tobin QB: Jack Trudeau, Bill Musgrave HB: Robert Drummond, Amp Lee, Mike Cade WR/TE: Webster Slaughter, Bruce Hill, Hart Lee Dykes, Lonnie Johnson OL: Ray Brown, Bruce Armstrong, Siupele Malamala DL: Paul Grasmanis (R), Mike Golic, Eric Curry, Hugh Douglas, Anthony Pleasant LB: Cedric Figaro, Lewis Bush, Todd Howard, Billie Ray Smith DB: Je'Rod Cherry (R), Vencie Glenn ST: Al Del Greco SAINT LOUIS KNIGHTS COACH: Jim Johnson QB: Todd Collins, Frank Reich HB: Darrell Thompson, Reggie Brooks, Ironhead Heyward WR/TE: Amani Toomer (R), Rocket Ismail OL: Chris Villarial (R), Gary Zimmerman, Joe Goebel DL: Jerry Ball, Deadrick Wise, Mike Lodish LB: Kevin Hardy (R), Marcus Coton, Barry Minter DB: Steve Israel, Troy Vincent, Rodney Harrison ST: Cole Ford SEATTLE DRAGONS COACH: Woody Widenhofer QB: Timm Rosenbach, Damon Huard (R), Jon Kitna (R) HB: Roosevelt Potts, Derrick Loville, Zach Crockett WR/TE: Eric Metcalf, O.J. McDuffie, Keith McKellar, Theo Young OL: Willie Anderson (R), Jesse Sapolo, Greg Skrepanak DL: Bill Goldberg, Jim Reynosa LB: Eddie Robinson, Jim Schwantz DB: Robert Massey, Terry Hoague ST: Mike Hollis TAMPA BAY BANDITS COACH: Jerry Glanville QB: Troy Aikman, Kerwin Bell, Kent Graham HB: Errict Rhett, James Stewart WR/TE: Robert Brooks, Freddie Solomon, Chris Doering (R), Ben Coates OL: Will Shields, William Boatwright, Corey Lachey DL: Orpheus Roye (R), Chris Maumalanga, Fred Stokes LB: Bobby Houston, Keith McCants, Keith DeLong, Kurt Schulz, Chris Croomes DB: Eric Allen ST: Dean Biasucci TEXAS OUTLAWS COACH: Jack Pardee QB: Kelly Stouffer, Tony Sacca HB: Reggie Cobb, Rodney Thomas WR/TE: Quinn Early, Lawyer Tillman, Eddie Kennison (R), John Henry Mills OL: Larry Allen, Troy Auzene, Ian Sinclair DL: Darius Holland ,Lester Archambeau, John Bosa LB: Zach Thomas (R), Brian Bosworth, Garth Jax DB: Corey Barlow, Corey Sawyer, Reggie Rutland ST: Chris Boniol WASHINGTON FEDERALS COACH: Paul Hackett QB: Don Majkowski, Kordell Stewart HB: Barry Word, Terrell Fletcher, Sam Gash WR/TE: Herman Moore, Bill Schroeder, Reggie Barlow (R), Demetrius Davis OL: Eric Harmon, Ken Lanier, Chris Thome DL: Tony Brackens (R), Jerome Brown, Dexter Manley, Bobby Hamilton LB: Michael Barrow, Dante Jones, Willis Crockett, Winston Moss, Tracy Scroggins DB: Lester Lyles, Derrick Beasley, Tyrone Drakeford, Louis Oliver ST: Doug Pelfrey, Todd Sauerbrun

USA Today, February 21, 1996 It has been 4 years since a Western club has won the league title, and 5 years since a club from the Pacific Division had a representative in the big game. In a conference that has been dominated by the Houston Gamblers for the past half-decade (if not longer) the tendency is for close division races and erratic play, particularly in the Pacific Division, which alway seems to come down to a battle between a cluster of clubs hovering around .500. Will this year be different? Will Chicago, or Texas, or any club from the Pacific dethrone the Gamblers and make their way to the Championship? BIGGEST PERSONNEL MOVES: WESTERN CONFERENCE While the Eastern clubs might have had a bit more flash in their offseason, the West had its moments as well. Here are our picks for the most impactful signings and trades for Western clubs this offseason. The soap opera drama in New Jersey got all the headlines, but Oakland’s choice to replace longstanding coach Dick Vermeil with former 2x Summer Bowl Champion Jim Mora was without doubt the best move of the offseason. Mora will bring a championship pedigree to the Invaders. He was without doubt the best coach of the USFL’s first seasons, and he knows what it takes to win in this league. Add him to a roster led by another 2x champion in QB Bobby Hebert and you could have instant magic. We love this move, and we are shocked that Mora was not the target of bidding wars when the Saints let him go, but what is the NFL’s loss is clearly Oakland’s gain. Arizona is taking a shot that it can get from DT Russell Maryland what everyone in Dallas thought they would get when they drafted the big guy out of the U. Maryland did not reach his potential in the NFL, but the Wranglers still see something in the big guy. Of course, being on a line with Charles Haley and Al Noga (3rd and 4th respectively in sacks last year) could make life easy for Maryland. This will be a line that will give offensive coordinators nightmares, but only if Maryland can lock down the middle to free up Haley and Noga outside. While not a major on-field impact player, St. Louis’s Frank Reich could have a huge impact in his ability to act as a coach on the sidelines. Much as New Orleans did several years ago when they signed Joe Ferguson, St. Louis is bringing in the veteran Reich to be a teacher, a mentor, and a moral support for young Todd Collins. Collins had some moments last year, but also made some typical rookie mistakes. Reich is a tactician and the eternal optimist as a player, and that could be just what Collins needs to take the next step into being a quality pro QB. We mentioned the Flutie to Michigan trade in our Eastern Conference Preview, but perhaps we should have saved that for this preview, because while New Jersey will certainly be transformed by his departure, Michigan is likely to benefit from his arrival much more. After 2 years of somewhat disappointing results from the Joe Montana experiment, Michigan again foregoes the rookie QB experience, passing on this year’s poorly-regarded crop of QB’s and signs a veteran. In Flutie they get erratic performance, to be true, but also the potential for some game saving plays and amazing physical feats. Flutie is also a media darling, so expect a lot of his face on local TV in the state. We like this move. Michigan already has a strong run game in place, so Flutie can do what he does best, play action passing, some scripted bootleg run plays, and some key plays at big moments while the offense relies on Wheatley for the regular grind of yards and first downs. Could be just what the doctor ordered for the Panthers. Finally a bit of an under-the-radar pickup. Oakland traded away Blair Thomas to Atlanta, and while everyone focused on Atlanta’s bizarre attempt to fix their run game with the former Penn State back, few commented on what Oakland got in return. Thomas left and the Invaders get DT Tony Siragusa in return (along with a draft pick). Siragusa is not going to remind anyone of Jerome Brown in Washington, but what he does very well is occupy double teams. He is a big, strong guy who can take pressure off the DE’s, freeing them up to rush the passer. With undersized J.J. Wierenga on one side and power rusher Garin Veris on the other, Oakland has not been able to muster much in pass rush the past few years, but perhaps having the Goose in the middle will help them generate more sacks and more pressures this year. Free up LB Ken Harvey to come on the blitz as well and they just may have something. BIGGEST ROOKIE SIGNINGS: WESTERN CONFERENCE Arizona is taking a big shot on a small college player, going cross-country to sign LB John Mobley from tiny Kutztown State in PA. Mobley has range, power, and savvy, but the competition level for Kutztown was not exactly pro level, so he will have a lot of learning and a lot of adjustments to make to his game. Texas went for depth, signing a backup HB to Reggie Cobb in A&M’s Detron Smith, a raw local talent in A&M-Kingsville’s Jermaine Mayberry, and a wideout prospect in LSU’s Eddie Kennison. None of these players will be Day 1 starters, but all could see significant action this year. Having traded with St. Louis to get David Archer as a backup to Kelly Stouffer, the Outlaws are clearly focusing on depth and not immediate talent upgrades. It is an unorthodox strategy but one that may help them avoid the late season slump that often accompanies a growing injured reserve list by season’s end. Chicago’s defense just got yet scarier. One of the best squads in the league added local terrorizer Simeon Rice from the Illini. Rice is a vicious pass rusher, and that can only help the Machine keep scores down, force turnovers, and give their offense a short field to work with. We expect Rice to be in the starting D-line rotation from day one, and an early candidate to be Defensive Rookie of the Year. Houston, which seems to believe they are in an arms race on defense with Chicago, signed their own sack-specialist in DE Kavika Pittman from McNeese State. While Pittman does not have the Division 1 pedigree of Simeon Rice, his film shows as much speed and power as Rice’s. Houston is hoping he too can have an immediate impact on how offenses deal with Houston’s line. LA used their local ties to sway big LT Jonathan Ogden to stay close to his UCLA roots by signing with the Express. A highly-regarded prospect, Ogden should take over the LT starting job from week 1, making Brent Pease very happy. If he proves as effective in LA’s power run game as he was as a Bruin, Marcus Allen may be the immediate beneficiary. A lot of press went to Michigan’s selection of Mushin Muhammed at wideout, Jay Riemersma at TE, and Dusty Zeigler at center, all local products who come on the cheap for the Panthers, but the pick that really intrigues us is HB Winslow Oliver from New Mexico. Oliver has a shifty style that will be a good contrast to Tyrone Wheatley’s one-cut style. This could be a 1-2 punch to monitor this year. Seattle, which had needs across the board, is hoping that their future is in the late rounds of the draft. Not only did they use a 7th round pick to secure Washington Husky QB Damon Huard, but they also took a flier on Central Washington’s Jon Kitna. Both have talent but both are raw. They are unlikely to contribute much this year, and we expect one or both to end up on the practice squad, but if one of them can develop into a quality starter, the Dragons may be set for years to come. Don’t look now but the lowely St. Louis Knights may have come away with the best draft class in the league. Not only were they able to sign their #2 pick (after a futile effort to land HB Lawrence Phillips), Linebacker Ken Harvey of Illinois, but they also added guard Chris Villarial, wideout Amani Toomer, DE Mike Ulafale, and a sneaky pick late in the draft, CB Reggie Rusk from Kentucky, who could turn out to be a diamond in the rough. MOST ANTICIPATED ROSTER BATTLES: WESTERN CONFERENCE The first one is an easy prediction, in part because we just keep stressing it. Trent Green v. Robbie Bosco for the QB job in Arizona. After a decade of moderate success and equal levels of frustration it just feels like Arizona needs to turn the page on the Robbie Bosco era. We thought they would do it when they signed Scott Mitchell, only to watch when they traded him away to Orlando. Now they have a prototype QB in Trent Green, will the same happen or will they give him a legit shot to start this year? Texas Outlaws #1 receiver. After trading away Eric Metcalf, the receiving corps to be utilized in Mouse Davis’s Run & Shoot seems lacking in star power. We get that the R&S tends to utilize multiple receivers and not a clearly defined #1, but someone has to be there when Kelly Stouffer needs a 3rd and 9 completion. The frontrunners to take on that role are Quinn Early and Lawyer Tillman, but don’t be shocked if rookie Eddie Kennison gets into the mix. He has looked very sharp in camp. Nickel Back in St. Louis should be a dogfight. The top 2 CB slots clearly belong to Troy Vincent and Ron Pitts, but that all-important nickel slot is likely to be a fight between veteran Steve Israel and the fresh legs of rookie Reggie Rusk from Kentucky. With so many teams moving to 3-receiver sets as their base formation, having a solid, dependable nickel back is becoming a must. Seattle’s TE group is an interesting fight. You have two 9-year vets in former Gambler Keith McKeller and former Outlaw Theo Young, but you also have two rookies vying for a key position, including Tony Johnson from ‘Bama and Jarius Hayes from just up the road at Northern Alabama. It is unlikely Seattle holds all 4 on the roster, so it is a battle between these 2 rookies to see who gets bumped to the practice squad. The QB situation in New Orleans is our last point of interest. We all expect Jamie Martin to start the season, but who gets the #2 position and who ends up as the emergency-only #3 QB could be a fascinating battle. 3-year vet Gus Frerotte has the inside track, but New Orleans has a lot of interest in seeing how rookie Bobby Hoying transitions to the pro game. The former Buckeye was a surprise pick in the 3rd round, and by most accounts can become a reliable backup if not a marginal starter in the league, but can he unseat Frerotte this year? CONFERENCE PREVIEW CENTRAL DIVISION HOUSTON (14-2 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 13-3, Division Title It would be foolish to predict anyone but Houston to win the division that the Gamblers have had a stranglehold on for so many years. The Gamblers have lost a few pieces, but they retain a core that is one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the league. So long as they can keep their stars on the field, the Gamblers will always be a tough out and a team others aspire to be. The loss in Summer Bowl 1995 will likely build their resolve even more to strive for a third league title. CHICAGO (12-4 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 11-5, Wild Card Chicago is the clear challenger to the Gambler’s dominance. They came close last year after a fluke division title in 1994, but fell just short. The fact that they seem to do this with a backup QB each year is astonishing. Now, with both Zolak and McGwire back, there is a potential for a QB controversy if things don’t start off well, but we anticipate that Coach Schottenheimer will not waver once his starter is chosen, and he will continue to feed the ball to Ricky Watters, so whoever starts at QB is basically there to hand off and occasionally go for a play action bomb. TEXAS (8-8 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 10-6, Wild Card Of the 3 mid-range clubs in the division, Texas just seems to be the best-positioned to make a run, that is if they can avoid their almost predictable late season swoon. The Outlaws always seem to be in the mix until mid-June and then for some reason fade away into the sunset. This year they were not very active in free agency, but did pick up some potential contributors in the draft, including WR Eddie Kennison, LB Zach Thomas, and HB Detron Smith (from nearby A&M). Is it enough to outpace Michigan and New Orleans for a Wild Card? Maybe, but let’s see how June looks in San Antonio this year. MICHIGAN (8-8 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 8-8 We like the move to trade for Flutie. In the right system, once which lets him use his feet as well as his arm, he can be a top tier QB. Give him a solid run game, which Wheatley can certainly do, and he can guide a team to victories, as he did a lot in New Jersey. A lot will hinge on the development of the receivers in Michigan, who are not exactly an intimidating lot, and on the aggressiveness of the Panther defense. The Panthers did add two potential targets for Flutie, both in-state cap-friendly signings, MSU’s Mushin Muhammad out wide and Big Blue’s Jay Riemersma at TE. NEW ORLEANS (7-9 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 6-10 Coach Ditka got the most out of his roster last year, and got a surprisingly good season out of Jamie Martin at QB. Now, with Timm Rosenbach out in Seattle, it will be Martin’s job to prove Ditka’s trust in him was deserved. The emergence of unheralded former UGA Bulldog Terrell Davis as a solid starting back was a second pleasant surprise last year. If Davis is for real, then New Orleans could outperform expectations once again. But we worry about the defense, supposedly Ditka’s forte, even with some big imports this year in former Buccaneer Chidi Ahanotu, and rookies Walt Harris at CB and UCLA’s Donnie Edwards at LB. ST. LOUIS (5-11 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 6-10 We think the Knights are a better team than their record indicated last year, especially if Todd Collins continues to mature and grow into the starting QB role. They played teams tough last year, and played their best ball in the final month of the season. In the offseason they added some interesting pieces in WR Amani Toomer of Michigan, LB Kevin Hardy of Illinois, backup QB Frank Reich from the NFL, and in DT David Wise, acquired in the trade that sent David Archer to the Outlaws. We think they will be better this year than last, but that may not lead to fewer L’s in the standings. PACIFIC DIVISION PORTLAND (9-7 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 10-6, Division Winner Of the three teams that clustered at the top of the Pacific last year, we like Portland as the most improved and most likely to break out and take the division crown. As usual their big weakness remains run defense, but Coach Tobin did not stand pat, signing three rookies to strengthen the center of the defense. While none are likely to be starters on Week 1 we like all three: SS Je’Rod Cherry, LB LaCurtis James, and mostly DT Paul Grasmanis as solid run stoppers at each level. If they can get better against the run, the Thunder have the talent on the offensive side, especially in league rushing champion Robert Drummond, to win a lot of games. DENVER (9-7 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 9-7, Wild Card Denver is what Denver always is, a plugger, a tough defense and an adequate offense. Nothing flashy, few big names, but solid talent throughout the roster. They were not big players in free agency, as usual, and their draft was solid but without flash, as usual, but somehow this tends to work for the Gold. We like the early pick of WR Alex Van Dyke from UNLV, who we expect to be dynamic on kick returns even if he is not a starter on offense. We also like the meat & potatoes pick of tackle Jason Odom from Florida to eventually move into the RT spot, key with a lefty QB like Mark Brunell at the helm. OAKLAND (7-9 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 9-7 We are picking Oakland to potentially rise out of the pack and even to challenge for the division title. Why? Well, Jim Mora is why. The former Philadelphia Stars coach returns to the league after a stint with the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. He is a master strategist, a great motivator, and will get the most out of this roster, which means getting the most out of QB Bobby Hebert. With Mora and Hebert together, the Invaders seem primed to make a run. Their roster is one of the oldest in the league, and honestly we don’t see a lot in their rookie class that will change the dynamics by the bay, but we have faith that Oakland has the leadership it needs to win the close games you have to win to take this division. LOS ANGELES (4-12 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 7-9 Yup, we are predicting the LA Express, in their second season, to overtake last year’s Division Winner and improve to nearly .500 in their second year. We just see too much talent on this roster to keep them at the bottom of the division. QB Brent Pease had a really strong year on a weaker team last year, and we just cannot imagine Marcus Allen doing anything but improving on 1995. LA added some depth with rookies like immediate starter Jonathan Ogden at LT and TE Rickey Dudley from Ohio State. They added Bernie Parmalee as a change of pace to Allen in the backfield, and while their receiving corps is not deep, Michael Pritchard was a revelation last year. If either Darnay Scott or Patrick Rowe can develop some consistency, the Express offense can be a league leader. Now…about that D… ARIZONA (9-7 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 6-10 Maybe we are being too harsh here, but we see that the Arizona offense is just not good, and we also see that the Wranglers did not pull the trigger on a new QB, so once again it will be Bosco leading a vanilla offense into the season. Without Lionel James, the Wranglers are without spark on offense. Adding unknown quantity Karim Abdul-Jabbar at HB might help with that, but the big issue remains the QB position and cautious Bosco is not the answer. Will Coach Tollner give Trent Green a shot to supplant Bosco? Can Green add dynamism? He has a strong arm but he is a bit raw and a bit stiff also. We just don’t like the direction, or lack thereof, in Arizona’s offense, supposedly Coach Tollner’s expertise. If we don’t see more, it may be Tollner’s downfall. SEATTLE (1-15 in 1995)—Predicted Finish 4-12 We expect the Dragons to make strides this year. How could they not after only a single win in their first season? They finished last in all 4 major statistical categories, which means they needed improvement at nearly every position. They addressed QB first, jettisoning Dave Krieg and signing Timm Rosenbach. They also added support for their QB in LT Lomas Brown from the NFL’s Lions. They drafted another tackle in Auburn’s Willie Anderson, two tight ends (the better of which in camp has been Alabama’s Tony Johnson) and used late picks to sign both Brock Huard and Jon Kitna as developmental QBs. What they did not do was make a big signing on defense. That will hold them back this year, but they do seem to be intent on building a roster that can slog out wins in the rain and wind of Husky Stadium. We don’t see them making a huge stride this year, but they are better than last season if that is any consolation.

USA Today, February 20, 1996 With camps in full force and the USFL’s 1 preseason week almost upon us, it is time to take a look at how the league’s 24 clubs have managed the offseason, the moves made, the draftees signed, and to look ahead at what we see on the horizon this spring. We will start with the Eastern Conference, and then tomorrow present the Western Conference’s prospects. For each we will discuss the biggest moves, the new talent headed our way, and our predictions for the upcoming season. BIGGEST PERSONNEL MOVES: EASTERN CONFERENCE After just a lampooning by the media and an outcry by the fans, the New Jersey Generals may have been able to save face with their late signing of Chuck Knox to be the new leader of the Generals franchise. Paired with new Head of Football Operations Tom Flores, Knox will bring an old school feel to a team that has been too loose and too careless in recent years. Flores made news by ending the Rick Kotite era after only 8 weeks and no games played, but in signing the former Rams, Bills, and Seahawks head coach, he brings in a proven winner and a disciplinarian. Unlike the Kotite signing, this move has been largely praised in the market, with most folks expecting the Generals to be a more cohesive, more disciplined squad this year. First on the agenda for Knox will be setting up a new offense around HB Bam Morris, QB Rob Johnson, and a largely unproven wide receiver corps that includes NFL transfer Keenan McCardell and rookie standout Terry Glenn of Ohio State. Orlando needed more experience in their linebacking corps, and they think they have found it by bringing in Duane Bickett of the Seahawks. Bickett, after a successful career in Indianapolis and Seattle, is likely to only spend a season or two in Orlando, but with a relatively young linebacking corps, the Renegades needed leadership and Bickett certainly can bring that, along with a lot of savvy. Jacksonville signed safety Dana Hall to a 3 year deal, hoping that the former 49er can bring some of San Francisco’s winning ways and defensive toughness to the Bulls’ secondary. Baltimore did not sign a lot of big name offensive weapons for their problematic offense, but the inking of former NY Giant Jumbo Elliott at Left Tackle could be bigger and more impactful than any of the “hands” players signed this offseason. Elliott will lock down Chris Miller’s blind side, and help the entire line learn how to play together and keep their QB comfortable in the pocket. Even without big name receivers or a monster back, this will help Baltimore improve their offense to align better with their Top 5 defense. With NCA&T rookie Jamain Stephens likely to start the year as the #1 Right Tackle, Baltimore could have a very dynamic line, something miller and HB Barry Foster should truly enjoy. The Blitz are clearly hoping to compete in the tough Atlantic Division, not stopping with the Elliott signing, they outbid several other clubs to land former Memphis SS Bennie Blades. Blades immediately energizes an already deep and talented Blitz defense. With Pittsburgh, Washington, and Philadelphia also posting top 10 defenses, Baltimore is hoping that by doubling down on that side of the ball, they will have the edge in what appears to be a competition in the Atlantic to shut down all opposition. If Baltimore got the clear #1 defensive player available in USFL free agency, Orlando signed perhaps the top offensive prize in former Washington Federal HB Terry Kirby. The Renegades, who have struggled to put together a top grade running game over the past few seasons, are looking at Kirby’s versatility as a key to their ability to threaten the opposition offense with both the run and the pass. If we are going to acknowledge USFL signings from the NFL, we should also probably recognize that some top talent is headed the other way as well. Among the USFL stars no longer plying their trade in the NFL are All-USFL Center John Adickes, who will be with the Vikings to end out his career. The Eagles signed safety Eric Reid from the Bulls, halfback Reggie Brooks will move on from Baltimore to the Tampa Bay Bucs, and wideout Bobby Joe Edmunds is hoping to get another 1-2 seasons before he retires by signing on with the Cincinnati Bengals. And perhaps the biggest “signing” this offseason is neither a player or a coach, it is an agreement between the City of Baltimore, the Baltimore Blitz, and the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. After lengthy negotiations between the Browns and the NFL, the club will be relocating for the NFL’s 1996 season to the Charm City, where they will share Memorial Stadium with the Blitz. The NFL has agreed to the move, with the franchise required to keep the team name “Browns” and all team records in Cleveland, promising an expansion franchise to the city, while the soon-to-be-named Baltimore franchise will move and restart their record books as a “new” team but with an established roster. What is even more beneficial in an offseason that has gone very well for the Blitz, is that the negotiations between the new NFL club and the city have led to a three way deal to replace Memorial Stadium with a new facility in the city by the year 2000. It is something the Blitz had not been able to negotiate on their own, but now with the combined clout of the two leagues, the city of Baltimore will soon have a new stadium, and year round football. BIGGEST ROOKIE SIGNINGS: EASTERN CONFERENCE While it is always hard to judge rookies before they even make it into the league, the USFL feels that they have had a very good year, nabbing not only the Heisman Winner this year, but a pretty deep pool of talent signed and ready to jump into Spring Football. Recognizing that some of our picks may fall short of expecctations, and that some players who are not arriving highly regarded may prove to be stellar additions, this is our tentative, but intriguing list of the top rookie signings in the USFL after this year’s draft. We could give Birmingham two top spots if we were ranking our list as they addressed their issues in the run game with two big signings. At HB they add power runner Stephen Davis of Auburn, but they were not finished, doubling up on the idea of a strong inside run game by also signing the bruising FB Mike Alstott of Purdue, a rare talent at the position who could be as effective a ballcarrier as he is a blocker. Jacksonville feels they had a top to bottom haul with their draft picks, signing three players who have shown a lot of potential in training camp and may all earn starting positions in their first year. They include 2nd round pick Tedy Bruschi at LB, tackle Jon Runyan in the 4th round, and big receiver from a smaller school, Terrell Owens of Chattanooga in the 6th round. All three signed with the Bulls despite NFL offers, and all 3 look like they could break into the starting lineup early this season. Memphis got the back they were hoping would be there for them, a possible replacement for the retired Greg Boone. Memphis jumped on Kentucky’s Moe Williams with their first draft pick, and it took them only 3 days to come to an agreement with the talented back. We mentioned earlier that New Jersey got their pick of the top receivers in the draft, signing Ohio State speedster Terry Glenn. Glenn will likely compete with veteran Scott Schwedes to be the #1 target for Rob Johnson right out of the gate. They may also have found Roger Ruzek’s replacement as they spent a late draft pick on South Dakota State’s Adam Vinatieri. Unlike many positions, there is less of a concern that small school competition impacts a kicker, though it certainly will be a huge transition from South Dakota to the NY media circus. Orlando continued to try to beef up their defense in the draft as well, signing two intriguing prospects in FS Brian Dawkins of Clemson and USC DE Israel Ifeanyi. Ifeanyi was bypassed in the NFL draft due to injury concerns, but if he can overcome his collegiate health issues, Orlando may have very wisely spent a 7th round pick on the edge player. Philadelphia had something of a 2-headed draft. They surprised many by using their first two picks on defenders (Cal DE Regan Upshaw and Texas A&M CB Ray Mickens) but then proceeded to select (and sign) 5 consecutive offensive players, including 4 linemen (3 of them tackles). The sole offensive hands player was Northeast Louisiana’s Stepfret Williams at flanker, and having 3 late round tackles for many is not as valuable as having one early pick at the position. Pittsburgh’s draft was even more mystifying for fans, as they have signed no player graded above a 5th round pick by NFL scouts. They did use an early pick on Michigan’s Tim Biakabatuka, but the hard-to-pronounce pick has opted for the NFL instead, leaving Pittsburgh with a no-name pool of signees, with perhaps the best of the bunch being UNC DB Sean Boyd or LSU’s Gabe Northern at DE. Tampa went for need with several picks, including Arizona punter Josh Miller, OT Andre Johnson of Penn State, and WR Chris Doehring from nearby Florida. Their best pick may have been one of their other “home town” selections, Seminole DE Orpheus Roye did not have a huge career in Tallahassee, but has shown good instincts and a great burst off the line in training camp for the pass-rush-challenged Bandits. Washington also put a heavy focus on defense, signing Texas DE Tony Brackens to line up opposite Dexter Manley, and adding depth in the secondary with Austin Peay CB Kirk Pointer. They also replaced the retired Mike Hohensee on the depth chart by signing prospect QB Mike Cawley out of James Madison, a raw player with some upside and a miniscule cap hit. And if you are wondering what happened with the expansion clubs, well, we have big news there as well. Atlanta, who many expected to jump on the rookie HB class, seems content with the signing of Blair Thomas. They did not even attempt to draft a top tier back, instead focusing on defense, with 5 key defensive signings. Top among them are CB Tory James to create a killer 1-2 combo in the defensive backfield. They also went for hard-hitting LB Randall Godfrey out of Georgia (a territorial selection that will cost them half on salary cap numbers) and LB Carlos Emmons of Arkansas State. Their only noteworthy offensive signing was TE Lovett Purnell of West Virginia, who is more of a blocker than a receiver. But the biggest signing of the draft class, as so often it has been for the USFL, is the reigning Heismann Winner, HB Eddie George of Ohio State. George opted to stay put, remaining in Columbus to play for the expansion Ohio Glory. Expect George to quickly supplant Ernest Byner as the lead back for the Glory, and to bring a lot of Buckeye faithful to the team, as he teams up with last year’s big signing, fellow Buckeye Joey Galloway on the Glory offense. But while everyone was (understandably) obsessed with the George signing, on a year when neither Biakabatuka or Lawrence Phillips joined the USFL, Ohio also helped upgrade their defensive line, inking two quality tackles to stuff the middle of the line. The first is Daryl Gardener of Baylor, who was rated a 1st round talent by many scouts, and then, much later in the draft, with a 5th round pick, the Glory also added DT La’Roi Glover of San Diego State. Finally, with their 2nd round pick, they also added quality at offensive tackle, signing Louisville’s Roman Oben. Ohio may well have won the draft, and for the expansion club that ended 1995 with the best record of the 4 new teams, they may be fast-tracking their way to relevance, even in the toughest division in football. 5 BIGGEST MISSED OPPORTUNITIES It is not an offseason without missed opportunities, whether it is the trade that did not happen, the draftee who signed with the NFL instead, or the free agent that just did not come to terms with a team that really needed him. This year is no exception. Here, in our opinion, are the 5 biggest missed opportunities. Atlanta standing pat at HB after the Blair Thomas trade. The Fire had several backs on their radar in this draft, but ended up not selecting any of them. They could have gone after Lawrence Phillips with their early pick, and while the Nebraska back did not end up signing with the league, despite being selected by Jacksonville in the 3rd round, an earlier pick by Atlanta might have lured him to the Spring. Arizona passing on a Doug Flutie trade. Sure, Robbie Bosco has been the incumbent for years, and backup Trent Green has shown some talent, but in getting the former Heisman winner, the Wranglers could have had an upgrade in both on-field playmaking and Q-rating with local sponsors. Flutie is a natural on camera, and on the field, but he will now be touting car dealerships and insurance agencies in Detroit, not Phoenix. Pittsburgh missing on Dan Marino. Yes, Marino was in contract negotiations with the Dolphins, but there was enough smoke being blown about the Maulers trying to prepare for Alan Risher’s expected retirement, and hopes that the former Pitt QB and now NFL icon would come back to his home to finish his career to get Mauler faithful all riled up. That this did not happen will be seen as a disappointment in the Steel City even knowing that it was a longshot to begin with. Baltimore features in our penultimate missed opportunity. The Blitz chose to double down on defense, signing SS Bennie Blades and drafting/signing 5 of 6 picks on the defensive side, including another safety in the highly-touted Lawyer Milloy out of Washington, but they put no effort at all into adding mor dynamism to their offense. While the emphasis on the tackle position should benefit the offense, there is just not a lot of explosiveness in an offense led by Chris Miller, with Barry Foster at HB and a receiving corps made up of veteran Bill Brooks and younger receivers Rob Moore, Lamar Thomas and Oronde Gadsden. TE Kyle Brady is solid, but hardly a gamebreaker. Baltimore needs to show that they can muster consistent scoring from this group, and in a year when there were some really interesting prospects at both HB and WR, it seems an opportunity missed. Finally, we have to say that several clubs missed out on the chance to sign a truly top flight head coach in Jimmy Johnson. Johnson, who spent last season in broadcasting, signed with the Miami Dolphins, meaning he was open to returning to coaching. Whether it was New Jersey’s Kotite to Knox bizarre situation or the internal hire of Paul Hackett in Washington, it just feels like a missed chance to put a proven winner in charge of their team and make an immediate statement. SEASON OUTLOOK Having looked at the moves, signings, and draftees likely to impact the 1996 season in the Eastern Conference, it is time for the rubber to hit the road, our picks for the season. We know that you know that we are not great at this. Sure, we can basically tell who looks stronger and who looks weaker, but every year there are surprises, collapses, and uprisings, which make it really hard to do this. But, that is, of course, part of the fun, not knowing what will happen when they put the pads on. Here is what we see today as the climate in the East, but, as always, don’t hold us to it. ATLANTIC DIVISION: PHILADELPHIA (12-4 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 12-4, Division Title We are picking the Stars, and not the Maulers to win the division. We like their balance of offense and defense, and the Stars are eager to return to the form that got them a title 2 years ago. If any of their OT picks end up as solid contributors it will help the Stars, and we like the addition of Upshaw and Mickens on defense as well. PITTSBURGH (13-3 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 11-5, Wild Card The Maulers return a lot of the strengths that got them the title last year, but it is so hard to repeat when everyone is gunning for you. Add in a relatively weak draft pool and the loss of All-USFL roadgrater Ron Wolfley leading Rozier to easy yardage and we think things will be tougher, but not overwhelming for the Maulers. BALTIMORE (9-7 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 10-6, Wild Card We criticize the defense-first mindset of the Blitz’s front office, and we worry that their offense just does not have enough flash, but at the end of the day if the defense can be as dominant as many expect, then this team could win a lot of low-scoring game. That is an iffy proposition, but Baltimore seems committed to a strategy and sometimes having a clear vision of who you are can lead to success all on its own. WASHINGTON (11-5 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 8-8 We loved the early run of the Federals last year, and while they clearly lost that mojo at year’s end, we tend to view their early success as more of an anomaly than their late season struggles. There is a good amount of talent on this club, but they are getting older and their draft did not feel like one which would add a lot of immediate impact. The retirement of Coach Rutigliano also leaves a gap at the top and we are just not feeling Paul Hackett as the kind of guy who will step in and inspire an uprising from the onset. OHIO (5-11 in 1995) – Predicted finish: 6-10 We like the direction the Glory are taking, and we think that young talent like Joey Galloway and rookie HB Eddie George will provide dividends in upcoming years, there are still a lot of positions where the team still screams “expansion roster” and that will take time to attend to. We know the Glory will fight for Coach Saban, and we think they can spoil things for some clubs, but it feels a year or two too early to expect a winning record or Wild Card berth just yet. NEW JERSEY (4-12 in 1995)—Predicted finish: 4-12 We think Chuck Knox will push this team to play a tough, disciplined style, but he is also a very conservative coach, which may not be ideal in the more fast-paced USFL, compared with the NFL game. We are also still very wary of the talent level on offense for this club. Rob Johnson has something to prove, but little time to get it right. Bam Morris needs to step up big, and rookie Terry Glenn will have a lot of pressure on him to produce immediately, without a lot of veteran leadership on offense to mentor him. That is a formula for another rough year in the Meadowlands as the team just does not have what it needs to flip the script this season. SOUTHERN DIVISION BIRMINGHAM (8-8 in 1995)--Predicted Finish: 11-5, Division Title The way you hear it from Stallion fans, you would think they finished last year 0-16 instead of 8-8, but dropping from the top and finishing out of playoff contention was a tough pill for this club to swallow. They have so much talent on offense, and now have a real shot to add a power run game to their undeniable aerial power. If their defense improves just enough to be mediocre, the Stallions could once again see themselves run away with the division. JACKSONVILLE (10-6 IN 1995)—Predicted Finish: 9-7, Wild Card The Bulls have some quality. That is undeniable. Their surprise run last year showed us that. They also still have some holes to fill. We like the depth of their rookie class (the three already mentioned plus 1st round pick Fred Thomas, the CB from Tenn-Martin) and we think that their acquisition of Dana Hall from the 49ers was shrewd, but the loss of both Eric Reid and Donald Gagne is going to hurt this defense. The key for both their offense and defense may honestly be nothing more than being able to run the ball with Natrone Means. A solid run game can shorten their defense’s exposure and open up passing for Chris Chandler. TAMPA BAY (7-9 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 9-7 We like the Bandits to leapfrog Memphis and Orlando and earn that one extra win to stay above .500. With Troy Aikman and Errict Rhett they have more than enough offensive firepower to compete with most clubs. Adding scatback Terrell Fletcher through trade and drafting a solid slotback in Chris Doehring should also help them convert more 3rd downs. On defense, the Bandits still have a lot of questions, and they need to generate more pass rush to be sure, but perhaps the addition of Orpheus Roye will help there. More talented than both Memphis and Orlando, we just think 1-2 more wins will be in the cards for the Bandits this year. ORLANDO (8-8 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 8-8 We like the direction the Renegades are taking. They have some quality signings in veteran LB Duane Bickett from the NFL, and in rookie FS Brian Dawkins, but is that enough? Their offense still has to be more consistent. Scott Mitchell has been up and down at QB, and the run game, which now will rely on Terry Kirby as a lead back, has a lot to prove. We think another 8-8 season is a fair prediction, but the Renegades could fall anywhere 2 games above or below this pick. MEMPHIS (7-9 in 1995)—Predicted Fiinish: 6-10 We are not sold on the Buddy-Ryan-Led Showboats. They show too much of their coach’s fire, but also his lack of discipline to make the most of their talent. Heath Shuler has yet to show that he can become an elite QB, though, admittedly, the talent around him has been a bit shaky as well. Rookie Moe Williams will be expected to lead the run game right away, and that is a lot to ask of a rookie. The defense now feels like it relies more than ever on Reggie White after losing both LB Mike Douglass and SS Bennie Blades this offseason. Without a staunch defense, we just don’t see how Memphis will win a lot of games. ATLANTA (4-12 in 1995)—Predicted Finish: 5-11 Atlanta added some young talent on defense with the drafting and signing of both Torey James and Randall Godfrey. If James pans out, the Fire will have a shot at being a takeaway machine on defense, and that could help them produce wins. Eric Zeier is likely to take the helm from the start, but we are still so unsure about a run game now led by Blair Thomas. The line needs more depth and more explosiveness, and the playcalling needs to be more creative, but the building blocks are there, but maybe another draft away from really making a move.

USA Today--October 3, 1995 With the USFL-NFL window now closed, we await the USFL Collegiate Draft in January, but that does not mean that things are not still happening around the league. It has been a tumultuous month for many clubs, with several noteworthy trades, some significant free agent signings, and, just utter chaos for one franchise. We start there. GENERAL DISASTER? What to make of the cyclone of weirdness that has swept across the New Jersey Generals franchise? It began with the retirement of two of the club’s premiere players in HB Herschel Walker, the first true star of the USFL, and wideout Lam Jones, New Jersey’s leading receiver for the past decade. Then you had the hiring of Rich Kotite, former Eagles and Jets Head Coach, which led to an immediate uproar on sports radio and across all media platforms in this media mecca. Add in the departure of Irving Fryar via free agency, and the trading away of a Generals icon, and you have a mess. Ownership made it a bigger mess altogether by releasing Kotite after only 6 weeks on the job. In what may be a first of its kind move, the Generals, bowing to media and public pressure, released Kotite even before he was able to hold one practice. Let’s start with Kotite. The release came with another firing as President of Football Operations Chuck Schmidt was dismissed and the new Executive VP and Director of Player Personnel Tom Flores was brought in. The Former Oakland & L.A. Raiders Head Coach, who briefly served as President and GM in Seattle before taking on coaching duties, is seen as a no nonsense, old school presence. Flores immediately lobbied ownership to allow him to rehire for the head coach position. Once the press got wind of this, a quick and devastating media blitz pushed the ownership group, led by Malcom Borg, to let Kotite go and allow Flores free rein to find a new coach. Within a week, Borg met with Flores and Kotite, and the very next day Rich Kotite stepped down. For metro area fans this was a win, dropping a coach who had worn out his welcome in the region through the way he had handled the Jets. For the franchise however this is an embarrassing turn of events, one which is still unresolved as now the Generals are likely to wait until December or January before a new coach is hired, allowing for the NFL season to play out and possible hires at the end of the rival league’s season to become an option. As if the coaching fiasco was not enough, New Jersey now finds itself in a full top-to-bottom rebuild. This was, of course, going to be the case after the retirement of both Walker and Jones, but it was made worse with Flores’s immediate trading away of the third icon of the franchise, QB Doug Flutie. More on that in a minute, but we should first at least recognize what is lost from the Generals with the retirements of two of its biggest names on offense. Herschel Walker defined the Generals, and in its early years, the entire USFL. Signed after his sophomore year by the USFL, his contract with New Jersey shot the league into the headlines and began a series of signings that would rob the NFL of its monopoly on top talent. The Heisman winner would be the first of 3 consecutive honorees to be signed by the new league (Rozier and Flutie would follow) and the first of countless top NFL draft picks who would opt for the energetic and innovative spring league. And, lest we forget, Walker also brought the goods on the playing field. His rookie year with the Generals he set what is still the league rushing record with 1,767 yards. Since then, in his 13 seasons with the Generals, he rushed for over 1,000 yards 11 times, reaching 1,500 yards on 5 different occasions. He retires with an astounding 15,569 yards rushing, 93 touchdowns and a career 4.4 average yard per carry. Despite this dominance, he leaves the game with only 1 ring, the 1989 league championship, but he also leaves with 9 All-USFL honors, the 1989 MVP, 1989 Playoff MVP, 1983 Rookie of the Year, 1983 Offensive Player of the Year, and a jaw dropping 55 different AP Player of the Game honors. Jones, while not as accomplished as his teammate, still casts a long shadow. Jones, in 11 seasons with the Generals caught 1,418 passes for 13,088 yards and 86 touchdowns. He too was a part of the 1989 championship for New Jersey, and appeared on the All-USFL roster 3 times. His best year was 1993, when he caught 94 passes for 1,682 yards and 14 touchdowns. His only under 1,000 yard season was back in 1988, when a late season injury held him just under at 996. Both Jones and Walker are almost certainly headed into the USFL’s wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with Walker a guaranteed first ballot entry. Their departure leaves New Jersey with huge shoes to fill for next season. We expect backup Bam Morris will be the frontrunner to take over carries as the lead back. His big, bruising style aligns well with the type of game that Walker brought, though he is nowhere near the same quality of receiver out of the backfield that Walker was. At receiver, the Generals made an immediate move to try to bring in talent, a story we will report in just a moment. With Walker and Jones both gone, that left Flutie as the sole remaining “icon” from the early years of the franchise and its success. That did not last long either. In one of his first moves as GM, Tom Flores ended the Flutie-Johnson QB debate by trading away the former All-USFL QB (1989, 1993). After flirting with the Arizona Wranglers, who are looking to upgrade from Robbie Bosco despite several playoff seasons, Flores found a taker, and a price he liked for Flutie in Michigan. Flutie will be joining the Michigan Panthers as their new starter after the short-lived late-career stint of former Super Bowl Champion Joe Montana. Flutie heads to Michigan with a chance to reignite his love for the game after a tough few years in the Meadowlands. In return, New Jersey gets depth at LB with the arrival of utility backer Ty Hallock, and a chance to start rebuilding with Michigan’s 3rd round pick. Flutie has never fully lived up to the hype coming out of Boston College. His career has been up and down, with turnover issues coming along with some amazing highlight reel plays. Known as a scrambling QB, Flutie often was running for his life behind an undermanned NJ line. He was known for the seemingly impossible pass while in mid-scramble, but he was also known as a QB who would put the ball in dangerous places. He leaves New Jersey having thrown 217 TD’s for the Generals, but also 170 interceptions, including an upside down 8-16 ratio this past season, a stat line that speaks volumes as to why then Head Coach Sam Wyche benched him in favor of rookie Rob Johnson. Flutie’s best year in New Jersey was 1993, when he threw for 4,633 yards, 35 touchdowns and 17 interceptions (a far better ratio than his typical year.) Flutie insists he still has a lot of game left in him, and it appears Michigan is hoping that is the case. So, 2 months into the offseason and the Generals have no coach, no stars, and no clear path forward. Flores is now clearly in charge, and it will be his vision, and the coach he hires, the players he drafts or acquires and the vision he brings that will define the future of the Generals franchise. TRADE NEWS While the Flutie to Michigan deal was clearly the most dramatic and impactful of the trades we have seen this offseason, it is hardly the only one of importance. Several teams opted to go the trade route to try to solve their most pressing needs, looking ahead at a draft that has some blue chippers sprinkled throughout but is not viewed as a particularly deep draft. Outside of the Doug Flutie trade, the most prominent moves revolve around the Atlanta Fire and their search for a lead running back. Having traded to acquire Jeff Blake midseason, Atlanta’s search continued in the offseason. In their first move, they sent DT Tony Siragusa to Oakland in return for former NY Jet Blair Thomas. Thomas, whose outstanding career at Penn State made him a prized early 1st round draft pick in the NFL (after turning down the selection by Washington in the USFL Draft). After a decent, but unsatisfactory rookie and sophomore year in New York (620 and 728 yards respectively), Thomas started having injury problems, and saw his yards and games played decline to 440 in 1992 and 221 in 1993. After being released by the Jets, he signed on with Oakland, and spent last season sitting behind Siran Stacy on the Invader bench. He carried the ball only 51 times for a 3.6 average last season in mop up duty. But it seems the promise of his Penn State years was enough for Atlanta to gamble on the 28-year-old back. This was evident by their next move, sending 1995’s club rushing leader Bernie Parmalee on his way. Atlanta sent Parmalee to LA, where he will likely spell Marcus Allen as the backup, in return for TE Deems May and a 7th round pick. So it will apparently be Blair Thomas and Ricky Blake who will battle for carries in Dan Reeve’s I-back system. Two other running backs also shifted teams in the early weeks of the offseason, with Seattle sending backup Torey Wright to Orlando (who lost 2 HBs to retirement and free agency) for a 7th round pick, and Washington sending the scatback Terrell Fletcher to Tampa Bay as part of a deal that sees guard Wayne Boatwright coming to DC. St. Louis finally resolved their QB debate, clearly favoring 2nd year QB Todd Collins over veteran David Archer. They ship Archer off to Texas, where he will back up Kelly Stouffer, and in return bring in DT David Wise and a late round pick. Finally, among players who are likely to be in the starting 11 come week one, the biggest move was by the defending champions, who send off a 2nd round pick to New Orleans in order to shore up their line by acquiring RT Brian Williams. With significant free agent defections along the line, the trade for Williams is clearly a quick fix to an urgent need for the Maulers. FREE AGENCY Not a lot of big signings in the USFL free agent pool, but a pretty significant NFL players jumped ship and joined the spring league during the transfer window this August. Let’s start with the one predicted move that came to pass. Shocking no one, the Seattle Dragons have signed former Bull, General, and Breaker QB Timm Rosenbach. The former Washington State Cougar will be the clear frontrunner for the starting gig in Seattle, with returning QB David Klingler struggling last season as he subbed for an injured Dave Krieg. Rosenbach, who had his best season in 1994 with the Breakers (3,205 yards, 19 TD, QBR of 85.8), will try again to start anew with a new club. The good news for Rosenbach is that Seattle only 2 weeks earlier had swung a deal with Texas to bring Eric Metcalf up to the Pacific Northwest as the club’s new standout #1 receiver. Krieg, who was unceremoniously let go by Seattle after only 1 injury-plagued season, was the first major USFL to NFL signing, as he was snatched up by the Arizona Cardinals and has already earned the starting job, though after a 1-4 start to the fresh NFL season, we are not sure how long that will last. The Krieg signing, along with the signing of Orlando LB Alex Moyer (Tampa), Bandits DT Jason Gregory (Cincinnati), and Jacksonville SS Eric Reid (Eagles) highlight the very few USFL players snatched up during NFL training camps. The pendulum definitely swung a little bit more in the USFL’s direction with their signings of NFL talent. Chief among the USFL’s top signings from the fall league was New Jersey’s first attempt to restock their offense. Former Cleveland Brown wideout Keenan McCardell signed with the Generals for 4 years, hopefully taking on the lead receiver role. McKardell has shown some flashes in Cleveland, but has not been able to crack the starting lineup. That is unlikely to be an issue with the barren cupboard that New Jersey begins with in their receiver room. The Former UNLV receiver is sure to have chances to make a splash. The Wranglers also addressed a need with a big-name player, but one whose full potential has not been realized yet. Arizona signed former Dallas Cowboy (and Miami Hurricane), DT Russell Maryland to an incentive-laden 2-year contract after he was let go by Dallas. Maryland has been an on-again, off-again starter in Dallas, and has accumulated 14.5 sacks in five seasons in Big D. With two All-USFL DE's outside of him in Arizona (Noga and Haley) Maryland should be poised to focus on occupying space and interior linemen. Seattle stayed busy, with their third big move, again clearly looking to improve their last place offense, signing former Lion LT Lomas Brown to a 3-year deal. With Brown and Metcalf, QB Timm Rosenbach has some options compared to what we saw in Seattle’s offense last year. Brown will be key to keeping Rosenbach upright as the veteran QB is not the most nimble, but with protection, Rosenbach has shown that he can be an effective passer. Philadelphia addressed the retirement of kicker David Trout by jumping on Saints kicker Chip Lohmiller. The former Redskin kicker and Golden Gopher product was a 2nd round pick of Washington in 1988, one of the highest picks for a kicker in NFL history, but had only a middling career with the Skins, averaging only a 71.8% field goal percentage, hardly comparable to David Trout’s 80.4%. Birmingham tried to strengthen its shaky defense by signing 2x Super Bowl Champion LB Cornelius Bennett from the Buffalo Bills. Bennett, who was part of a dominant Bills team that appeared in 3 Super Bowls from 91-93 (including the dramatic victory over the Giants in 1990 and the blowout of Detroit in 1993) returns home to Birmingham, his birth city, and Alabama, his college home, to play with the Stallions. Finally, the Tampa Bay Bandits believe they have upgraded their QB depth, finding a backup for Troy Aikman after the release of John Fourcade this offseason. Tampa has signed former NY Giant and Ohio State QB Kent Graham. Graham, taken in the 6th round of the 1992 NFL Draft, started 3 games his rookie year, losing all three, and has started only 1 more in the two subsequent years. He has a strong arm, but clearly needs some development. Sitting behind Aikman is likely to help that process. So, there you have it. A pretty interesting start to the USFL preseason, with more to come for certain. With a second NFL-USFL transfer portal opening at the conclusion of the 1995 fall season for the senior league, with the upcoming 1995 Draft, and with one franchise still looking for its next head coach, we are sure to see some interesting moves in the months to come before the USFL season kicks off in March.