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One quarter of the season in the books and we have some stories to follow. Jacksonville and Washington are the surprise leaders in the league at 4-0, Birmingham cannot seem to find their feet, Chris Chandler is a darkhorse MVP candidate, and the expansion teams (at least some of them) are beginning to find ways to win. Fans in St. Louis are getting antsy about their club while Michigan Panther faithful have apparently found their next hero. It is all unfolding as the league hits the meat of its schedule and the early season jitters are turning into midseason form. Jacksonville silenced a lot of critics with a huge come-from-behind victory over the defending league champions on Sunday. The Bulls and Stars both came into the game with perfect 3-0 records, but skeptics of the Bulls loved to point out that their 3 wins were against winless expansion clubs and the 0-2 Memphis Showboats. A win against the undefeated defending champs would go a long way to silencing those naysayers, and that is exactly what the Bulls delivered. It was Jacksonville’s defense that surprised most as they held the Stars to only 240 total yards and all but eliminated the threat of Charlie Garner, who had started the season strong for the Stars. The offense did their part, primarily due to an outstanding game from Chris Chandler, who was called on to throw the ball 49 times on the day. Natrone Means struggled against the Philadelphia front 7, rushing 16 times for only 53 yards. It was the outside receivers who found room, often on play action to Means, with Brian Blades having his best game of the year, 8 balls for 151 yards and a score. For Philadelphia, the struggle to get Garner on track was real. He carried the ball 13 times, but with only a 1.8 YPC average, resulting in only 24 yards on the day. That put a lot of pressure on Chuck Long to deliver, and while his 202 yards and 65% completion rate were fine, that did not translate into points. And yet, despite their difficulties, Philadelphia took a 20-17 lead with 12 minutes left to play. Earlier scores by Gerard Phelan and Cris Carter were offset by Bulls TDs from Blades and Dokie Williams. After the Trout kick gave the Stars the lead, it would be up to the defense to bring the game home. They were successful in keeping the Bulls out of the endzone, but on two consecutive drives Jacksonville was able to get close enough for Pete Stoyanovich. The former Hoosier kicker connected from 21 yards and then 32 yards to move the Bulls up 23-20, the final kick coming with 17 seconds left on the clock. The win boosts Jacksonville to 4-0, a solid 2 games over Tampa Bay in the South, and means that they, along with Washington, remain the only undefeated teams in the league. Philadelphia is still strong at 3-1 but will need to regroup as they face those undefeated Federals next week. BAL 16 TBY 10 Baltimore’s defense is growing in confidence each week as they contained Bandit Ball, limiting the visitors to only 10 points. Derrick Fenner was the offensive star for the Blitz as he ground out 84 yards and a score to propel the visitors to the win. NJ 16 SEA 24 Seattle gets its first ever franchise win in front of 41,283 in Husky Stadium as the Generals clearly missed Herschel Walker in this game. Doug Flutie threw for 305 but also gave up 3 picks to the Dragon D. Seattle got a solid game from Roosevelt Potts, with 17 rushes for 75 yards and a score as Seattle notches the W. OHIO 21 BIR 18 Ohio gets the shocking win in Birmingham as the struggles for Favre and the Stallions continue. Favre threw for 301 and James Joseph had a strong day with 110 yards rushing, but they just could not convert yards into points. Meanwhile, Ohio got 98 yards from the combo of Workman and Byner, and the former Brown put Ohio up for good with a 4th quarter TD run (and 2 pt. conversion). PIT 21 MEM 24 The Showboats earned their first win, with 94 yards combined from Boone and Agie. Pittsburgh, playing with Pat O’Hara in for the dinged up Alan Risher, relied heavily on Mike Rozier, and while the veteran back rolled for 173 yards rushing, it was not enough to give a one-dimensional Mauler squad the road win. WSH 31 ORL 17 The undefeated Federals were dominant on both sides of the ball against Orlando, and got a surprise showing from backup Terry Kirby, who rushed for 113 yards on 14 carries to pace Washington. Add in some long balls to grey-haired veteran Joey Walters (4 receptions for 122 yards and a score) and the Feds pull away early in this one. STL 7 CHI 17 That Chicago D is legit, and that St. Louis offense is putrid. The Knights garnered only 16 yards rushing against a stacked front as Chicago dared David Archer to pass the ball, and Archer struggled to do so. Expect this game to trigger a switch to 1st overall pick Todd Collins as St. Louis needs to do something to spark some offense. MGN 13 HOU 45 The matchup of Montana and Kelly went decisively to the 2-time USFL champion. Kelly threw for 4 TDs, including 2 to rookie revelation Antonio Freeman as they used a 24-point 4th quarter to blow past the Panthers. Reggie Sutton took home Defensive POTW honors as well, with his 3 interceptions of Montana. TEX 14 NOR 30 The Texas Run & Shoot struggled against the solid secondary of the Breakers and New Orleans got a surprisingly poised performance from backup QB Jamie Martin to take the win. The star of the day was Qadry Ismail, who caught 8 balls for 94 yards, 2 TDs and even ran back a kickoff 56 yards when regular returner Ryan Yarborough got dinged up. POR 24 ARZ 28 The Pacific Division showdown was a GOTW contender as it had plenty of drama. Trailing 24-13 at half, Arizona’s D shut down Trudeau in the 2nd half, and when Robbie Bosco found Curtis Duncan from 36 yards out, the Wranglers secured their first lead of the day with only 6 minutes left to play. Portland drove for a winning TD, but a late Amp Lee fumble ended their hopes of stealing a road win in Tempe. LA 37 DEN 44 The upstart Express, hot off their first win as a “reborn” franchise, put a scare into the homestanding Denver Gold. Denver needed Mark Brunell heroics to pull it out after Brent Pease had 2 TD’s to Mike Pritchard in the 4th to even the score at 37. Brunell delivered, with a 15 yard TD to Odessa Turner with less than a minute to play to give Denver the W. ATL 13 OAK 26 Atlanta is still struggling to find a run game as the combo of McAfee and Parmalee combine for a 1.5 YPC average against Oakland. Add to that an inability to cover Henry Ellard (8 receptions for 166 and 2 scores) and Atlanta just did not have what it took to take down Oakland on the road. 1. Bullish on Jax & DC: The undefeated first quarter of the season by both Washington and Jacksonville is the talk of the league. Neither team was expected to finish above third in their divisions and yet here they are atop the standings. In Washington it has been the defense taking the lead, as the Feds have allowed only 50 points in 4 games, and have given up only 50 yards per game on the ground. In Jacksonville the decision to snag NFL free agent Chris Chandler has paid immediate dividends as he leads the league with nearly 1,300 yards in 4 games. He is also 3rd in TDs with 9 on the season. Adding Chandler and HB Natrone Means has helped Jacksonville reinvent their offense, much to the delight of Coach Jim Fassel, who starts his USFL career with straight wins. The road ahead is tough for both teams, with Jacksonville headed to Birmingham (who cannot be as bad as we have seen so far) and Washington facing the Philly Stars this week, and we don’t imagine either will make a serious run at 16-0, but for both fan bases the start of the season has been all they could have hoped for and both clubs look poised for continued success as the season continues. 2. Gambling on Freeman Paying Off: Houston is on a roll thanks to both their high energy defense (5 picks in this week’s game against Michigan) and the strong run of QB Jim Kelly. The 12 year veteran has thrown for 11 TDs and only 1 pick in the last 3 wins for the Gamblers. He has started to build a rapport with his new weapon, WR Antonio Freeman, who seems to be the perfect counterbalance to Brett Perriman, allowing Ricky Proehl to return to the slot, where he is best. Thurman Thomas is averaging only around 65 yards a game on the ground, but the balance he brings as a receiver is still fully in effect. This is the Houston offense we have expected to see and which failed Coach Willsey last year. They face tough challenges in the Chicago Machine defense and the re-energized New Orleans Breakers, but Houston is looking up to the task, at least so far this year. 3. Rookie Watch List: It has not taken long to spot some real contenders for Rookie of the Year. 4 players have really shown in the early stages of the season. In Houston it is wideout Antonio Freeman with 20 receptions for 273 yards and 4 scores. Michigan’s Tyrone Wheatley is among the league leaders in rushing with 358 yards in 4 games. Atlanta’s Tyrone Poole has been the star of their defense, and already has 2 picks and a defensive TD. And in Oakland CB Bobby Taylor is also looking solid, locking down the #2 CB position and already snagging a pick and a forced fumble. Yet to take the stage are the QB’s, with Todd Collins still waiting his chance in St. Louis (likely to come next week), Eric Zeier still learning from starter Cliff Stoudt in Atlanta, and Kordell Stewart more than happy to watch Don Majkowski lead the Federals to a 4-0 start. 4. Slow Starts: Looking at the other side of the coin, there has to be disappointment with the way several league stars have opened the season. Brett Favre has yet to find his mojo, throwing 8 interceptions to only 5 TDs in his first month. David Archer, well the less said the better in this case. And Joe Montana has not had an easy go of it with Michigan either, though neither he nor the Panthers are panicking at this point. Among the halfbacks, the clear concern is with Marcus Allen, who has struggled behind the makeshift LA line. Allen has only 28 carries after 4 weeks, and is averaging a mediocre 3.5 yards per carry. The issue in LA seems less Allen’s skills as it is the playcalling and the lack of dynamic blocking schemes. Coach Neuheisel is going to have to find a way to get Allen involved more if LA wants to win some games. 5. Injury Update: Finally, looking at injuries from this week’s games, we start with TE Tony McGee in LA. The big TE will likely be out about 4-6 weeks with a torn bicep muscle. Seattle will miss LB Scott Stephen for at least the same timeframe after he broke a bone in his lower arm. Arizona guard Todd Kalis could miss 2-3 weeks with a leg injury, and Arizona will be without rookie wideout J.J. Stokes for a game or two after he sprained a knee against Portland. Tim Rosenbach may miss another game for New Orleans, but with the strong outing from Jamie Martin this week, that may not be a major issue for the Breakers. Expected back this week are HB Barry Foster (BAL), HB Derrick Loville (SEA) and QB Alan Risher (PIT). The Maulers need Risher back as backup Pat O’Hara did not impress this week. One month in and some good news to report from our 4 expansion clubs. While wins have been hard to find, fans have not. Each club had strong opening day attendance, with Ohio leading the pack at over 44,000 in Columbus, and while, as usual, it seems that LA is lagging a bit behind other cities, the Express had a respectable 36,000 at their home opener. Playing in Angel Stadium is not ideal, and the Express ownership is still pushing sales of 1996 ticket reservations for the new Carson stadium that is in final stages of construction. Weather has helped, as Ohio has largely avoided bad winter weather this March, but now as we head into the warmer months it will be interesting to see how Atlanta’s decision to play outdoors in Bobby Dodd Stadium will impact things when the heat and humidity start. In Seattle, rain does not seem to discourage football fans, and the Dragons have sold more than 27,000 season tickets for their first year at Husky Stadium. It seems fans have also embraced the green & gold as the Dragon jerseys have outpaced sales of the other 3 expansion clubs. Ohio is second, then Atlanta, and once again. LA is proving a tough market. Finally, we can report that the league is looking at one of the 4 expansion cities as a potential host for the 1998 Summer Bowl. The Bowl is scheduled for Denver this year, New Jersey and San Antonio in ’96 and ’97, but LA, Columbus, and Seattle are all serious bidders for the 1998 championship game. Atlanta is not under contract with Bobby Dodd beyond 1998, but could make a bid if they can come to an agreement for the Georgia Dome, as it is unlikely the league would place the game outdoors in Atlanta in August. That is just too muggy for football. The week’s big matchup is in the Atlantic where Philadelphia hosts 4-0 Washington with first place on the line. In the South, Birmingham is going to have a tough chore to get their game righted, as they also face an undefeated foe, the Bulls. Tampa and Memphis face off in another key Southern Division game. The entire Atlantic is in division games with Pittsburgh visiting Baltimore and Ohio coming to the Meadowlands to face the Generals. In other games we have Orlando making the longest trip in the league as they fly to Seattle to face the Dragons. LA hosts the New Orleans Breakers, Oakland has St. Louis in town, Texas is in Portland, and Michigan is in Denver. Another big game to watch is the 3-1 Gamblers headed to the desert to face the 3-1 Arizona Wranglers. And finally, on Sunday night, the Atlanta Fire get a prime time game as they host the Chicago Machine.

Birmingham came into the season as a prohibitive favorite, but once again seem to be having difficulty finding their rhythm to start the year. After losing 2 straight to open the season a home game against a struggling expansion club seemed the perfect tonic for what ails the club, but despite getting the win in the end, this game did nothing to boost confidence in Birmingham. Seattle came close Saturday afternoon to becoming the first expansion club to win a game as they held a 21-12 advantage midway through the 4th quarter. It would take a 2-minute drill and a last second field goal to upend the Dragons as Birmingham shook off just enough rust to get the job done in the end. Seattle seemed well on their way to a huge upset as the 14 point underdog went into the half with a 14-3 lead thanks to TD runs by Torey White and Roosevelt Potts. Potts would end up as the leading rusher with 51 yards, while Derrick Loville added 34 on 10 carries. Seattle played a time-consuming possession game, limiting Birmingham touches in the first half. Add two Stallion turnovers in the first half and the Dragons were looking good. The 2nd half opened with a promising sign for the Stallions as Favre hit rookie HB Dino Philyaw for a quick score, but when the 2pt conversion failed, it remained 14-9. A field goal late in the quarter brought Birmingham to within 2 points at 14-12, but Seattle was not done yet. The Dragons took the ensuing kickoff and drove down to the Birmingham 12, thanks in part to two big penalties by Birmingham, an offsides on 3rd and 3, thanks to some Dave Krieg inflection at the line, and a roughing the passer 2 plays later. Seattle got what they wanted on 1st and 10 from the 12 as Roosevelt Potts took the toss wide right and just leveled a CB on his way to the endzone. Seattle was back up by 9 at 21-12. Birmingham did not panic, we will grant them that, and with nearly a full quarter to go they had time to mount the comeback before a nervous 44,303 in Legion Field. With 8 minutes to play, Favre hit TE Walter Reeves with a 2 yard scoring strike, and it was again down to a 2 point game. Seattle struggled on their next drive, eventually failing on a 4th and 2 from the Birmingham 44 yard line. The Stallions also had a hard time moving the ball, needing 8 plays to get to the Seattle 27 yard line. With time running down they trotted on reliable vet Scott Norwood, and with 27 seconds on the clock, Norwood got the Stallions the win, but a win that is not going to instill much confidence in the Stallion faithful. ARZ 10 CHI 19 Arizona struggled against a hard-hitting Chicago Defense on a cold, Saturday afternoon with sleet and icy rain. Chicago relied on Ricky Watters (89 yds) and short passes (TE Walls led the team with 88 yards) to earn a tough win on a tough day. DEN 7 HOU 28 Houston’s offense got rolling early and Jim Kelly had a POTW game as the Gamblers looked solid on both sides of the ball. Thurman Thomas contributed 83 yards passing but was held to only 47 on the ground by the Denver D. LA 24 MGN 21 The first expansion win of the season was an unexpected one as LA snuck up on the Panthers in the Silverdome. Brent Pease threw for 3 scores as the Express held their own in all three phases of the game. OAK 21 NOR 31 Bobby Hebert was held to only 16 of 31 as the New Orleans defense mixed zones and man coverage effectively all game. The Breakers also got solid days from all 3 HB’s they used, Pegram, Mayes, and rookie Terrell Davis. POR 24 STL 20 The Knights were game at home, but David Archer threw 4 interceptions that sunk their chances. Add in 146 yards from Robert Drummond and it was enough for Portland to move to 3-0 atop the Pacific. ATL 10 TEX 30 Texas’s Run & Shoot ran over and shot up the Atlanta defense. The stars came out in Texas as Cobb rushed for 123 and a score and Metcalf caught 9 balls for an equal 123 and a TD of his own. BAL 23 NJ 10 Baltimore showed that their defense could handle the Generals, especially after Herschel Walker left the game with what appears to be a broken jaw. Rookie Kyle Brady showed some moves for the Blitz as he caught 4 balls for 91 yards, including a 68-yarder to open the game up. OHI 20 PHI 31 The Glory had some success against the vaunted Philly D, but in the end Philadelphia had more than enough to secure the win. Chuck Long threw 3 interceptions against the Ohio D, but also found his own receivers for 2 late scores to help secure the win for the home team. PIT 3 WSH 42 Either the Federals are really good or Pittsburgh is having issue. Maybe a bit of both. Don Majkowski threw for 3 scores, and Herman Moore brought in 113 yards and score, but the story was Pittsburgh’s absolute inability to get any offense going. Mike Rozier had 15 carries but gained a stunning 8 yards on the day against the front 7 of the Federals. JAX 20 MEM 17 After two straight wins against expansion clubs, Jacksonville got a bit more respect this week by knocking off the Showboats in Memphis. On a rainy afternoon, Natrone Means and his 98 yards rushing helped the Bulls edge Memphis. ORL 10 TBY 34 Errict Rhett reminded everyone why he was USFL Rookie of the Year last year with a 105 yard, 2 TD day against the Renegades. Eric Truvillion also had a strong day with 5 catches for 93 yards and a score. 1. INJURY UPDATE: Injuries may be the top story of the week as several teams lost key players, though fortunately we are looking at 1-2 weeks out for most of the injured stars. New Jersey will be without Walker at HB for at least 2 weeks as he had to have his jaw wired shut after fracturing the bone early in the Baltimore game. Jacksonville and Baltimore may also be shorthanded in the backfield at least next week as Jamie Morris and Barry Foster are both likely out. New Orleans got the win but may have lost Timm Rosenbach for 1-2 weeks. Pittsburgh’s Alan Risher is also questionable after suffering a shoulder injury in the game this week. The more long lasting injury concerns were all for USFL defenses, with Chicago LB Mark Munford likely out for the year with a broken hip, Ohio DE Larry Roberts also dealing with a hip injury that could cost him up to 10 weeks, Arizona DT Sean lee expected to miss 2 months, and Generals CB Kirby Jackson out up to 3 weeks with a neck injury. 2. GROUND GAINS: Our second story of the week is the apparent early season rebound of the run game in the USFL offensive strategy. Big games from halfbacks have been important factors in the success of several clubs, not the least of which is Portland, relying on Robert Drummond to get the job done. In Michigan, rookie Tyrone Wheatley has over 250 yards in his first 3 games in the league. Others finding early season success include Philly’s Charlie Garner (2nd in the league with 274 yards), the heir apparent for Kelvin Bryant, Tampa’s Errict Rhett, and Texas’s Reggie Cobb. In Chicago, Ricky Watters, who struggled in his first 3 seasons, seems to be on an upward trajectory, gaining 1,042 yards last season and is on pace for more this year, with 227 yards after 3 games. 3. FEDERAL POWER: It seems the league needs to be concerned about the resurgence of the Washington Federals. After a rough 1994, Washington looks to be playing some excellent ball to start the year. They are currently 2nd in the league in scoring with 95 points in 3 games, and 2nd as well in points allowed, a paltry 33 in 3 games, that is an average score of 33-11, which has to scare the rest of the Eastern Conference. Another team to keep an eye out for are the 3-0 Portland Thunder. Yes, they are solid on offense, which we all expected, but after 3 weeks they are 3rd in scoring defense, which is the area the Thunder usually failed miserably at. Seems the hire of Vince Tobin as their new head coach has already begun to pay dividends for the Thunder D. 4. STALLION STUMBLES: If you want an answer for why Birmingham has started the year looking shaky, just take a gander at the turnover margin stat, where the Stallions are already at negative 6. Nine turnovers, including 7 interceptions from Brett Favre, are the main culprit, a pace of turnovers the defense cannot match with its takeaways. It also does not help that Birmingham just does not seem to have a reliable run game, forcing Favre to play “hero ball” to get wins. The Stallions have only 85 yards rushing after 3 games, which amazingly is not last in the league (Atlanta has been horrid, with only 70 yards in 3 games.) For the Stallions to turn the ship around, they will need to find a run game to complement Favre and Favre is going to have to make smarter decisions. News from Baltimore as the city council has rejected the proposed public-private financing for a harborside stadium for the Blitz. While not entirely unexpected, the loss still hurts the Blitz’s long term future in Baltimore. Memorial Stadium is desperately in need of updates if it is going to remain a viable option into the next century, and while fans love Camden Yard downtown, the cost of a new stadium for the Blitz seems more than the cash-strapped city can justify. Unlike cities such as LA, Houston, or Tampa, where the NFL and USFL have worked together to offer more municipal-friendly financing plans, Baltimore does not have an NFL partner to help spread the cost. The city, once a bastion of NFL support when the Colts were a dominant club in the Unitas years, now seems to have resigned itself to defeat in trying to attract a club. The expansion bid failed to garner much support with the fall league, as the NFL opted for growth markets in the South (Charlotte and Nashville). So, what can the Blitz do? They can try to work with the city to get some much-needed updates to Memorial Stadium, or start looking for another local option, perhaps as far away as the U. of Maryland, which is actually closer to DC than Baltimore. And with several cities missing out on USFL expansion, you know the pressure will be on the Blitz to at least consider the option to relocate once again. It is a tough bind for a city that has seen a lot of hard times, and which simply does not have the will or the wallet to invest in a new stadium for their USFL franchise. Let’s take a look at our 0-3 teams, desperate for a win this weekend. Seattle came close last week and now they head home to Husky Stadium where the Generals come in without Walker. Ohio is on the road again, and they will get their shot at the Stallions in Birmingham. Memphis could not handle Jacksonville last week, but they have a shaky Pittsburgh team coming to the Liberty Bowl this week. St. Louis has a much tougher task, heading up to rival Chicago to face the Machine. And finally, the hard luck Atlanta Fire have just had a tough start with a lot of quality foes to start the season. That continues as they head to Oakland to face the Invaders. The best game of the week? That is a tough call but we are going with a battle of 3-0 clubs as Philly heads down to Jacksonville to face the Bulls. Baltimore @ Tampa Bay and 3-0 Portland in Arizona is also one to catch. Other games this week include LA @ Denver, Texas @ New Orleans, Michigan @ Houston, and the white hot Washington Federals in Orlando.

(Hi all, before we get started a quick update. I have worked up a new uniform presentation template based on uniforms being revealed on mannequins. I will eventually (hopefully over Thanksgiving) update the entire "Teams" page and add these there, but if you want to see them as I work on them, head over to Sportslogos.net, the best sports design website I know. In the Concepts forum you will see these posted in a "USFL Tweaks" thread.) The Jacksonville Bulls have to be the most nervous 2-0 team in football history. Sure, they came away with another win this week, but for the second straight week they faced an expansion club and nearly lost. The Bulls defense seems to be having real issues and while Bulls fans have to be overjoyed by the play of new QB Chris Chandler, beating LA and Ohio by the slim margins they have been able to pull out cannot make them feel good. Ohio came into this game with a desire to get their running game on track, and that is exactly what they did, with Vince Workman rushing for 120 yards and 3 scores against a Bulls defense that simply did not have an answer. Jeff Hostetler used the play action game to his advantage as well, at least until a late game injury took him out. And that may have been the only thing that saved Jacksonville. Dave Brown came on in relief and while he completed 5 of 8 pass attempts, he also threw a poor interception that helped Jacksonville come back. For their part the Bulls relied almost entirely on Chandler, who threw the ball 42 times, completing 27 and gaining an even 400 yards in the air. Natrone Means found only modest success on the ground, rushing for 50 yards on 14 carries. The two outside receivers for the Bulls were key as both Blades and Dokie Williams went over 100 yards receiving. Even rookie Kez McCorvey got into the action, catching 4 balls for 57 yards. And yet, despite their offensive success, once again it came down to a last minute play. After a late Brown to Byner TD pas gave Ohio a 34-33 lead with 1:37 left, Chandler once again had to try to pull a miracle out of his hat. Once again he did, though perhaps not as dramatic as last week’s 75 yd TD, Chandler guided the Bulls down the field and eventually found Dokie Williams for a score, adding on a 2pt PAT to win by 7. So, the big question in Jacksonville is what happens next, as the Bulls start to face non-expansion teams? Will their offense continue to pull out games? Can their defense show some backbone? Is 2-0 a good thing even if the way you got there is a bit dubious? Sure, but week 3 may tell us a lot about the Bulls and their future this season. SEA 0 BAL 26 The Blitz defense shuts down the Dragons, and 100 yards rushing from Derrick Fenner gives Baltimore the win. BIR 29 NJ 37 Herschel Walker’s 102 yards and 3 TDs help New Jersey outpace the Stallions, sending Birmingham to 0-2. MEM 23 PHI 26 Despite 3 TDs from Mike Kelley the Philadelphia Stars do just enough to eke out a home win against a fired up Memphis squad. ORL 45 PIT 21 Orlando’s offense finds its rhythm as Scott Mitchell throws for 265 ad 2 scores, and the ‘Gades get a surprising 100 yard day from Todd Fowler. TBY 20 WSH 29 Barry Word rushes for 123 and Don Majkowski hits on 2 TDs as the Federals move to 2-0 against Tampa. CHI 3 HOU 38 Chicago comes out flat and Jim Kelly makes them pay. 3 TDs from Kelly and 120 on the ground from Thomas help Houston blow past their division rivals. MGN 16 NOR 3 Michigan’s defense was ready for the Breakers, and rookie Tyrone Wheatley had a huge game, rushing for 147 against New Orleans. STL 7 TEX 28 The Outlaws get the W at home thanks to 3 TDs form Kelly Stouffer, all 3 to their star receiver Eric Metcalf. ARZ 16 DEN 7 A slugfest played in about 2” of snow, the Wranglers get just enough for Mick Luckhurst to find the goalposts 3 times and secure the road win. LA 8 POR 16 The Express and Thunder did what no one expected, played a tough defensive match. The rain helped that cause, but so did aggressive blitzing by both clubs. OAK 44 ATL 14 Oakland looked every bit a Summer Bowl favorite as the rolled over the expansion Atlanta Fire. Hebert found Duper twice for scores, 2 of his 3 on the day. 1. GROWING PAINS: Two weeks in and we are still waiting on our first expansion club win as all 4 fall once again. Ohio showed some spirit, putting up 34 on the Bulls, and LA came close in rainy Portland, but so far no luck for our four new franchises. The inability to run the ball seems a common thread for the 4 as only Ohio’s Vince Workman gained more than 30 yards on the ground for their club. 2. NEW QB'S: New QB’s seem all the rage right now, with Chris Chandler leading the league in passing yards, followed closely by Brent Pease. Scott Mitchell also jumped into the Top 5 in QBR with a very strong outing this week. Who is not looking good early on? Well Dave Krieg sits at only 63.3 in QBR, with Scott Zolak and Mark Brunell not doing much better. Among starters, Jim Kelly is trailing all others with only a 50% completion rate on the season. Cliff Stoudt has also struggled in Atlanta, but don’t expect to see the Fire trot out Eric Zeier, not until they figure out their front line protection. 3. ROOKIE HB'S SHINE: If anything is going to turn fans in Michigan around about the Marcus Allen trade, it might be the difference between his production and that of rookie Tyrone Wheatley. Wheatley has 204 yards rushing and a 5.1 yard average, among the league leaders, while Allen, trying to find his footing with the expansion Express has only 27 yards on 7 carries after two weeks. Even if their line is still in flux, it is hard to understand the lack of carries for the former USC back. Another rookie back looking good early is Rashaan Salaam, who is averaging 4.1 yards per carry after 2 weeks, though he has yet to find paydirt with 0 TDs. 4. CAUSE FOR CONCERN?: It is way too early to panic, but sitting at 0-2 is not helping the nerves in New Orleans, Memphis or Birmingham. Of course the Stallions started off 0-2 last year and then won 12 of 14 games the rest of the way, so it is not yet time to scrap it all and play for next year. By the same token, Portland has to refrain from feeling too good about being 2-0, and the same for Jacksonville, who have played 2 expansion teams (and given up a lot of yards and points to both). We will see if the Bulls are actually any good as they face the Showboats in Memphis this weekend. 5. A TOUGH BREAK: A rough day for Coach Rutigliano in Washington despite the Feds big win over Tampa Bay. On a routine 2nd and 4 run, Tampa’s Kevin Mitchell undercut Washington HB Barry Word on the sideline, sending Word rolling right into the legs of the league’s oldest Head Coach. Rutigliano went down and had to be carted to the locker room. The diagnosis? A break in the tibia of his left leg. After a couple of days in the hospital, Rutigliano could be seen wheeling around the Federals offices, and expects to be present for the game on Sunday against the Maulers, but rather than prowling the sidelines, he will be in the booth and it will be defensive coordinator Rusty Tillman will be the main man on the sidelines. Last week we reported about stadium deals in the works, or at least hopefully in the works. This week we look at endorsements. The USFL has steadily increased their corporate partnerships over the years, but this week they announced a big one. Domino’s Pizza has signed on the dotted line and will be a major sponsor for the league. That is great, certainly for the league, but it puts a couple of players in an awkward position. QB Jim Kelly has been a spokesman for Pizza Hut for the past 3 years. In LA Marcus Allen had just signed a deal with Godfather’s pizza this offseason. Both should still be able to continue pitching their pizza, but there won’t be any footage of league games or use of uniforms or logos to accompany their pitches as Domino’s will have the exclusive rights to use USFL clips, logos, and identities as part of their campaigns. With Domino’s on board, we have nearly all the major categories of corporate partnership in place. Here’s the rundown: Automobiles: GMC Trucks: Dodge Ram Soda: Pepsi-Cola Fast Food: Burger King, Arby’s and, regionally, Bojangle’s Fried Chicken Airlines: Delta Beer: The Miller family Insurance: State Farm Retail: K-Mart Foodstuffs: Nabisco, Frito-Lay (through Pepsico), and Dunkin’ Donuts About all that is missing is the official feminine hygiene product and the official weedkiller of the USFL. Thus is the way of big time football these days. Another week, another list of players taken down by injuries. Oakland was dealt a blow as backup QB Cary Conklin was injured on, of all things, a field goal try. Conklin was all but stampeded by an Atlanta defender trying to get a block. The result was a torn ACL, and a quick trip to the IR, taking him out for the season. With Mike Pawlawski as the next up, Oakland has opted to sign a veteran, longstanding USFL backu Glen Carano is back for one more try, now likely as the 3rd QB in Oakland. Arizona also suffered a couple of hits as guard Todd Kalis and DT Sean Lee both are likely to be out for 1-2 months after sustaining injuries this week (leg and groin, respectively). LA will be without DE Antonio Edwards, thanks to a sprained knee, and veteran DT Mike Golic will be sidelined at least 1-2 weeks with a calf injury. Tampa will be without backup John Fourcade for about the same time after he suffered a deep thigh bruise in practice this week, and Ohio will likely not get Jeff Hostetler back this week and will have to go with Dave Brown for their game against Philadelphia Week 3 has some intriguing inter-divisional matchups. Arizona travels to Chicago in what some local broadcasters are saying could be a snow game. Denver is in the dome in Houston, Oakland heads to the Big Easy to face the Breakers, Portland is in St. Louis, and Seattle has another tough road game, this time in Birmingham. But, as usual it is the divisional matchups that have the prime time slots. The two big games this week are Baltimore at New Jersey on Saturday Night and Jacksonville at Memphis on Sunday Night Football. Other divisional games include Ohio visiting the league Champs in Philly, Pittsburgh headed to RFK to face the Federals and Orlando in a Florida Derby with the Bandits. The final two games this eek involve expansion clubs trying to get their first wins on the road, with the Express in Michigan against that tough Panther D, and Atlanta headed to San Antonio to face the Outlaws.

Kickoff weekend gave us a lot to love about the USFL. High flying O, gritty D, stars shining and a ton of big plays. The expansion clubs struggled, as expected, but showed signs that they would not be easy wins each week. One superstar had a horrible season start, while others seemed to get right back to business. It’s spring football season once again, bigger and better than ever. Our best game of the week came on a windy Sunday afternoon at the Gator Bowl. Rick Neuheisel and the LA Express gave the homestanding Jacksonville Bulls all they could handle but one huge error gave the Bulls the win in the end. In a game that saw two new starters at QB, both NFL import Chris Chandler and former Breakers backup Brent Pease have huge games. Chandler finished with 338 yards and 3 scores while Pease threw for 357 and ran for another 90, most of it on a 75 yard TD run that you had to see to believe. It looked like Jackonville would have this one early as they built up a 13-0 lead over the first 20 minutes of play. Chandler hit Dokie Williams for a 64 yard TD on a busted coverage, a harbinger of an even bigger play to come. LA fought back and over the rest of the 2nd and 3rd quarters they went on a 20-0 run against the Bulls, including Brent Pease’s ridiculous 75-yard run. But, down 7, Jacksonville woke up as Chandler hit Williams again to tie the score. They would go up 23-20 on a Stoyanovich field goal with 4:11 left, but LA was still game. They marched the ball down the field on an erratic, but eventually game-tying drive that ended with 26 seconds in the game and Doug Brien’s 56 yard field goal just edging over the cross bar. It looked like overtime was assured. But… After a fair catch on the kickoff, Jacksonville began on their 25, and the youth and inexperience of LA’s new secondary produced one of the biggest plays of the week. Chandler started in the shotgun, looked at Williams, and drew the safety far too much to the right side of the field, leaving Steve Johnson in one-on-one coverage alone down the left sideline. Once he had a couple of steps on the corner, Chandler shifted his eyes, found Johnson, and threw a perfect deep ball. LA’s defense was out of position, their corner hung out to dry, and 75 yards later Jacksonville had a score in 1 play. It was a sign of just how tough it is to put together a new team as LA simply did not have their defense in synch, and for the Bulls it was a huge play on a big opening week in front of nearly 50,000 fans. CHI 29 BAL 12 Ricky Watters rushed or 111 as the Machine opened on the road with a win. HOU 13 NJ 20 Lam Jones and Herschel Walker helped New Jersey edge the Gamblers on a blustery, wet March day. MGN 24 OHI 17 The Glory came prepared, but 10 points in the 4th for the erratic Panthers was enough to seal the win in front of 43,000 at Ohio Stadium. NOR 15 PHI 23 The Philly D was on the Breakers all game and new starting HB Charlie Garner had a solid 88-yard day for the Stars. STL 24 PIT 29 Despite 380 yards and 2 scores from David Archer, Pittsburgh got the win. Mike Rozier rushed for 109 and 2 TD’s to lead them. TEX 10 WSH 24 The Federals D harassed Stouffer as the new Run & Shoot in Texas fell flat in RFK. ARZ 33 SEA 17 Robbie Bosco threw for 3 scores and the Arizona D contained the Seattle ground game at a rain soaked Husky Stadium. DEN 27 BIR 14 Denver had all the answers, picking off Brett Favre 4 times and getting a combined 135 from Smith and rookie Rashaan Salaam to knock off the Stallions. OAK 30 MEM 17 The Invader line kept Reggie White off of Bobby Hebert’s back, and he threw for 4 scores against a Memphis secondary that was clearly overwhelmed. POR 31 ORL 10 A rough start for Scott Mitchell and the Orlando offense as Portland rolls thanks to 115 yards and 2 scores from Robert Drummond. ATL 10 TBY 20 Atlanta’s defense kept Tampa in check, but Cliff Stoudt looked rusty, throwing 2 picks as the Bandits held the Fire in check. Five storylines we saw this week that merit attention: 5. Rookie watch: As with any new season, you want to see who came out of the gate fast. Rashaan Salaam started strong for Denver, rushing for 55 yards to help the Gold to a win. Wheatley had 57 for Michigan in a decent game as well. Kez McCorvey caught 4 for 68 yards for the Bulls, but the biggest rookie coming out party was for Atlanta CB Tyrone Poole, who tallied 8 tackles and a pick-six for Atlanta’s only TD on the day. 4. NFL Crossovers: Of the new arrivals from the NFL, the gold star has to go to Jacksonville’s Chris Chandler, who sliced and diced the LA defense for 338 yards and that last gasp TD heave. Earnest Byner only garnered 3 carries for Ohio, and Rob Moore caught 6 for 59 yards for the Blitz. 3. Hollywood Action: While the Run & Shoot did not fare well for the Outlaws, whatever LA Coach Rick Neuheisel is calling his spread formations, they seem to be working. Brent Pease had a monster day against Jacksonville, finding Mike Pritchard for 132 yards, Darnay Scott for 124, and rushing for 2 scores. So do we worry about the Bulls’ defense or do we get some popcorn and see if LA might just be on to something? 2. Injury Watch: Only Week 1 and we already have some potentially season-altering injuries. Washington LB Michael Barrow is out for the year after a pretty gruesome broken leg. Arizona wideout Kendal Smith also might be gone for the year after a major knee injury, but the biggest hit was in Birmingham, where All-League receiver Ernest Givens went out early with a neck injury which may require extensive recovery time, possibly as much as 3 months. He was able to move his extremities, which is a good sign, but was taken off the field on a back board. A rough turn for Givens and for the Stallions as a team. 1. Fire in the Belly: What is it about rookie QB’s that seems to make the veterans play so well. Last year it was Heath Shuler in Memphis that ignited strong performances from Mike Kelley, and this week it was David Archer (37/46 for 380 yards) who seemed inspired by the presence of Todd Collins on the sideline. Archer had one of his better games, despite the Knights losing to Pittsburgh, as he seems intent on holding off on what most believe is the inevitable hook in favor of the Knights’ #1 draft pick. In off-the field news, the big hubbub this week is around stadiums. The city of Houston seems ready to negotiate with both Bud Adams (owner of the NFL Oilers) and the Gamblers on the prospect of creating a new mixed-use stadium to replace the aging Astro Dome. Plans for a retractable roof stadium, one which would allow open air football in Houston while also retaining the convention functions of the dome are under way, and with both the USFL and NFL behind the efforts, it very well could happen soon. In LA, the structure of the new stadium to be shared by the Raiders and the Express seems to be coming together, with about 6 months before it is expected to be ready for the Raiders season. And in Tampa Bay, the Bandits and Buccaneers, who have not exactly been the closest of neighbors, seem ready to work together to bring a new stadium to the city. Our question is whether they will look to the Big Sombrero for inspiration, perhaps designing a stadium with actual fringe or a brim on it. Finally, expect to hear soon from the city of Baltimore, which lost out on an expansion franchise for the NFL, as they debate whether a new stadium for the Blitz is an option. The city is not exactly flush with funds, and unless there is an NFL team looking to relocate, it is unlikely the Charm City will have a second tenant, so for now the Blitz continue to deal with an aging and under-monetized Memorial Stadium. The league’s new mixed-format schedule, with divisional games being randomized a bit more, comes into effect this week as all 6 Central Division teams are in divisional matchups, as are 4 of the 6 Pacific teams. The best Week 2 mathcups come from these games as Houston hosts Chicago in a bellweather game for both clubs. Michigan is in New Orleans, and St. Louis begins its stint in the Central with a road trip to San Antonio to face the Outlaws. Arizona is in Denver in a key rivalry game, and the LA Express are again on the road, this time in Portland to face the Thunder. In other matchups, Oakland heads to Dixie to inaugurate the Fire home season, while Ohio gets a second straight home game with the Bulls visiting. Seattle has to fly cross country to face the Blitz, while Birmingham will try to get in the game against New Jersey. It’s a defensive heavyweight fight as Memphis faces off against Philadelphia in Veterans Stadium, while Tampa heads to Washington and the Renegades are in Pittsburgh.

With all the new faces in new places, including four new franchises, this may be the most difficult season to predict since the league first began play in 1983. Every one of the 20 clubs from last year has had to adjust to retirements, expansion losses, and free agency. Four new clubs join the fray, and while we do not expect them to be playoff contenders in their first year, every win they record will have an impact on the teams that are vying for a title. As we look ahead to the 1994 season, uncertainty is the key word. Sure, we expect Birmingham’s Brett Favre to throw for 30+ TDs again. We anticipate that Philadelphia will win with defense, and that both Mike Rozier and Herschel Walker will somehow, despite years of wear and tear on their bodies, find a way to be among the league leaders in rushing. And yet, there is so much unknown, so many new pieces, that little else can be assured. So, what we are saying is that when the 1995 season wraps up, be kind to us about these predictions, because we are throwing darts with our eyes closed here. ATLANTIC DIVISION Philadelphia rose to prominence last year in large part due to the general parity found in the Atlantic. Every one of the division’s then 5 teams hovered at or near .500 throughout the season and only in Week 16 did we find out who would be in the playoffs and who would be on the edge looking in. This season should prove very much the same. It is a balanced division with 5 of the 6 teams having real playoff aspirations. Our Prediction: Philadelphia 10-6* Pittsburgh 10-6* Baltimore 9-7 New Jersey 7-9 Washington 7-9 Ohio 5-11 BALTIMORE BLITZ Coach: Lindy Infante (57-71) Top Players: DT William Perry, DT John Randall, SS Dave Dumars, WR Bill Brooks, CB Leslie Frazier Players Lost: LB Sam Norris, WR Mervyn Fernandez, HB Reggie Brooks, LB Danny Lockett New Arrivals: WR Rob Moore, OT Korey Stringer, TE Kyle Brady, Outlook: After 5 straight losing seasons in the Charm City, even an 8-8 finish was celebrated by Blitz fans, but this year they will want more. Coach Infante needs to get this club over the hump. Adding Rob Moore and drafting Kyle Brady should help QB Chris Miller get there. The defense has talent, especially on the inside, but is this a team that can explode on offense or will they need to grind out wins? NEW JERSEY GENERALS Coach: Sam Wyche (22-26) Top Players: HB Herschel Walker, QB Doug Flutie, LB Chris Spielman, CB Kirby Jackson, DE Phil Hanson Players Lost: QB Oliver Luck, LT William Israel, HB Amp Lee, G Dave Widell, LB John Offerdahl New Arrivals: QB Tommy Maddox, QB Rob Johnson, WR Darren Flutie, HB Lamont Warren Outlook: Flutie and Walker, that has been the story for a decade now and likely will be again for the Generals. The defense is legit, but the additions this offseason do not seem to make as much sense as we would like for a team that lost its starting LT and veteran leader in the LB corps. This could be a step-back year for the Generals as they don’t seem to have reloaded this offseason. OHIO GLORY Coach: Nick Saban (0-0) Top Players: TE Chris Kelley, CB Vince Buck, LB John Offerdahl, SS Kyle Kramer, HB Vince Workman Players Lost: None, expansion club. New Arrivals: WR Joey Galloway, LB Craig Powell, and NFL HB Earnest Byner Outlook: Ohio is going to try to build a team around a solid run game and a strong O-line. There have been worse plans in the history of the league. We worry a bit that the defense will take a while to gel, and may not be that good even when it does, but with so many Ohio names on the squad, the Glory should sell tickets even if wins are hard to come by. PHILADELPHIA STARS Coach: Raymond Berry (19-13) Top Players: CB Lorenzo Lynch, WR Cris Carter, QB Chuck Long, SS Marcus Quinn, DE William Fuller Players Lost: HB Kelvin Bryant, QB Browning Nagle, WR Ernie Jones, HB Bernie Parmalee, G Glenn Howard New Arrivals: G Mike Wythcombe, QB Will Furrer, WR Alfred Jackson, G Ruben Brown, TE Marcus Pollard Outlook: A year after becoming the first 3-time champion, the Stars dealt with the retirement of Kelvin Bryant, and the loss of both starting safeties about as well as one could expect. We love the pick of Ruben Brown in the draft, and TE Marcus Pollard could be a contributor as well. The defense came away unscathed from the expansion draft, so expect this to again be a team that leads with stifling D. PITTSBURGH MAULERS Coach: Ted Marchibroda (87-73) Top Players: HB Mike Rozier, DT DanSaleaumua, LB Erik Kumerow, QB Alan Risher, TE Mike Shaw, WR Louis Lipps Players Lost: QB Jeff Hostetler, WR Mike Pritchard, WR Robert Claiborne, DT Tony Siragusa, SS Kyle Kramer New Arrivals: WR Yo Murphy, QB Steve Matthews, T Zach Weigert, LB Damien Covington Outlook: How much longer do Alan Risher and Mike Rozier have? Both are getting a bit long in the tooth, so this year may have a sense of urgency to it. The rookie class is a bit week in immediate help, and the losses of Pritchard, Claiborne, and especially Kyle Kramer will hurt. Pittsburgh could have difficulty returning to the playoffs if these hits prove to be as deep as we imagine them to be. WASHINGTON FEDERALS Coach: Sam Rutigliano (81-63) Top Players: DT Jerome Brown, DE Dexter Manley, QB Don Majkowski, WR Herman Moore, T Ken Lanier Players Lost: DT Tim Johnson, LB Curtis Taliferro, HB Curvin Richards, C Joel Hilgenberg, DE Antonio Edwards New Arrivals: DE Bobby Hamilton, TE Demetrius Davis, QB Kordell Stewart, P Todd Sauerbrun Outlook: Washington seems ready for a transition. The selection and signing of Kordell Stewart seems to show that the team knows this. Don Majkowski has only played in 16 games once in the past 3 years, and only started 8 games last season. If he goes down again, it may simply be a time to transition to the young, athletic Stewart. SOUTHERN DIVISION The South still looks like Birmingham’s division to claim. Memphis and Tampa Bay are solid contenders as well, with Orlando, Jacksonville, and expansion Atlanta likely to finish below .500 as they build or rebuild their rosters and their cultures. The Stallions did not lose any major contributors in the offseason, so they are perhaps the team most chosen to repeat as a division champion. Memphis may be in the middle of a QB transition, and Tampa Bay still needs to show that their defense is good enough to allow them to avoid the win-by-shooutout as their only option. As for Orlando and Jacksonville, rebuilding around a new QB is not usually an immediate fix, but a process that takes time. In Atlanta, they are just hoping that the veteran leadership of Cliff Stoudt is enough to help them get off on the right foot as they groom Eric Zeier for the future. Our Prediction: Birmingham 12-4* Tampa Bay 10-6* Memphis 9-7* Jacksonville 7-9 Orlando 6-10 Atlanta 4-12 ATLANTA FIRE Coach: Dan Reeves (0-0) Top Players: QB Cliff Stoudt, LB John Roper, SS Robert Blackmon, T Eugene Chung, LB Mo Lewis Players Lost: None, expansion club. New Arrivals: Top rookies are QB Eric Zeier, CB Tyrone Poole, WR J.T. Thomas Outlook: Atlanta started accumulating defenders even before the Expansion Draft, and they just kept doing it. Roper, Blackmon, Mraz, Lewis, and Poole form a good defensive corps. Having Cliff Stoudt to guide the offense is also a really shrewd move (assuming he is mobile enough to survive behind a makeshift line). The Fire may not fully hit their stride this year, but they have a chance to be in almost every game if that defense is as good on turf as they seem on paper. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS Coach: Ron Erhardt (35-13) Top Players: QB Brett Favre, LB Kevin Greene, T Richmond Webb, WR Ernest Givens, TE Shannon Sharpe Players Lost: HB Brent Fullwood, WR Danny Knight, QB Cliff Stoudt, G Eric Moore, CB Aaron Glenn New Arrivals: LB Lorenzo Styles, CB Ken Irvin, S Kwamie Lassiter, WR Cedric Tillman Outlook: Everyone and their uncle picked Birmingham to win it all last year, and nearly as many are picking them this year. They just don’t seem likely to miss the players they have lost, and if preseason means anything, they may have hit on 3 potential starters in the draft this year. It will still be Brett Favre tossing the ball all over the field, but if the defense can improve even a little, that could be all the Stallions need to do. JACKSONVILLE BULLS Coach: Jim Fassell (0-0) Top Players: G Duval Love, WR Brian Blades, CB Domingo Bryant, LB Vaughan Johnson, FS Mark Carrier Players Lost: LB Mo Lewis, HB Vince Workman, QB Tony Eason, DE Bill Goldberg, WR Robb Thomas New Arrivals: HB Natrone Means, QB Chris Chandler, DT Reggie Rogers, G Matt O’Dwyer, WR Kez McCorvey Outlook: Jim Fassell inherits a team that just needs to reinvent itself. Having an NFL pro like Chris Chandler sign on is a good first step in that direction. A power run game led by former Gold big back Natrone Means can also help. The Bulls have talent on defense, enough to be a top 10 squad, and that may be just what Coach Fassel is hoping to see. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS Coach: Buddy Ryan (25-23) Top Players: DE Reggie White, HB Greg Boone, SS Bennie Blades, T Norman Randall, LB Eddie Simmons Players Lost: WR Vic James, HB Spencer Tillman, DE Santana Dotson, DT David Rocker, TE Tony McGee New Arrivals: DE Steve Rogers, LB George Bethune, DT Norman Hand, TE Christian Fauria, TE Adrian Cooper Outlook: QB Mike Kelley did more than enough to hold off rookie Heath Shuler last year, but he is not getting any younger and the calls for Shuler will only get louder if the Memphis offense cannot show improvement this year. The defense will definitely miss DE Santana Dotson and DT David Rocker, though we like the rookie Norman Hand to fill in. The D should still be solid enough to win a lot of games if the offense can keep teams guessing. ORLANDO RENEGADES Coach: George O’Leary (4-12) Top Players: WR Bert Emmanuel, HB Dalton Hilliard, G Dave Cadigan, DE Chris Doleman, DT Tracy Rocker Players Lost: QB Reggie Collier, WR John Jefferson, DT Greg Meisner, K Mike Hollis, LB J.D. Fuller New Arrivals: QB Scott Mitchell, WR Danny Knight, K Charlie Baumann, WR Tamarick Vanover, DE Derrick Alexander Outlook: Orlando was one of the worst teams in recent years last season, and losing their two best players is certainly not viewed as helping the team get better. Coach O’Leary brought in some interesting prospects, not the least of which is QB Scott Mitchell, but if he cannot reignite the culture of winning in the Renegades it could be another long season, something O’Leary cannot afford. TAMPA BAY BANDITS Coach: Jerry Glanville (8-8) Top Players: DT Rollin Putzier, QB Troy Aikman, WR Eric Truvillion, DE Fred Stokes, HB Errict Rhett Players Lost: HB Eric Bienemy, DE Mark Mraz, TE Chris Kelley, DT Chester McGlockton, FS Terry Hoague New Arrivals: TE Troy Drayton, DT Chris Maumalanga, LB Keith Traylor, FS Kurt Schulz, HB James Stewart, HB Terrell Fletcher, WR Freddie Solomon Outlook: 8-8 is not exactly a breakout season, but Coach Glanville brought excitemen to the Bandits by reviving the “Banditball” spirit of aggressive defense and big play offense. Addint solid depth behind Errict Rhett by drafting both Terrell Fletcher and James Stewart could make Tampa’s offense even more dangerous. The D may still be a step behind the offense, but may just be good enough to turn a 35-31 shootout into a 35-21 blowout. CENTRAL DIVISION For the first time in a long time there seems to be a challenger to Houston’s dominance in the division. Chicago surprised everyone last year by ousting the Gamblers from the top spot, and their impressive run to the Summer Bowl may be an indication that good things are still to come. We expect Houston to rebound, after a total collapse left them out of the playoffs altogether, but with improved teams in Chicago, Michigan, New Orleans and Texas, it may be a much more competitive division than we have seen in recent years. As the only division without an expansion team, with St. Louis filling the 6th spot, there will be no easy games against new teams on the schedule, so the winner of this division will have run a fierce gauntlet to get there. Our Prediction: Houston 10-6* Chicago 10-6* Michigan 9-7* New Orleans 8-8 Texas 7-9 St. Louis 6-10 CHICAGO MACHINE Coach: Marty Schottenheimer (35-52) Top Players: HB Ricky Watters, CB Eric Thomas, WR Wendell Davis, DT Kevin Fagan, TE Wessley Walls, QB Scott Zolak Players Lost: QB Bernie Kosar, T Greg Skrepenak, CB Robert Massey, CB Tyrone Hughes New Arrivals: CB Tony Collier, DE Mike Mamula, CB Clifton Abraham, TE Tony Cline Jr. Outlook: Coach Schottenheimer got the most out of his squad last season, winning the division and making it all the way to Birmingham for Summer Bowl 1994. Can the Machine repeat that feat or will having a target on their back make life difficult in Chicago? We like the addition of rookie Mike Mamula to the Machine D, and two additions to the secondary in Collier and Abraham could help make Chicago’s defense elite. HOUSTON GAMBLERS Coach: Ray Willsey (48-31) Top Players: QB Jim Kelly, HB Thurman Thomas, T Howard Ballard, SS LeRoy Butler, LB Fred Strickland, LB Pat Swilling, CB Ashley Ambrose Players Lost: WR Clarence Verdin, G Mike Wythcombe, TE Keith McKeller, SS Robert Blackmon New Arrivals: DE Terry Crews, DT Luther Ellis, TE Ken Dilger, WR Antonio Freeman Outlook: Houston was the surprise of the year last year, but not in a good way. Coach Willsey took a lot of heat for the team’s late season swoon, but with Kelly and Thomas focused on returning to glory, the Gamblers have a great shot to rebound. Their draft produced a solid DT prospect in Ellis, and a possible WR coup in Antonio Freeman, who could crack the starting lineup quickly and help draw attention away from Brett Perriman. MICHIGAN PANTHERS Coach: Skip Holtz (8-8) Top Players: QB Joe Montana, LB Hardy Nickerson, CB Garland Rivers, DE Renaldo Turnbull, SS Carnell Lake Players Lost: HB Marcus Allen, T Jim Lachey, LB Scott Stephen, WR Terrance Mathis, CB Keith Bostic New Arrivals: TE Kerry Cash, QB Shawn Moore, LB Ted Johnson, HB Tyrone Wheatley, T Melvin Tuten Outlook: The Montana and Marcus experiment helped Michigan return to the playoffs, but the trade that sent Marcus Allen to LA is still giving a lot of fans heartburn in the Motor City. Rookie Tyrone Wheatley has a great chance to become the hero for the Panthers that he was for the Wolverines, and LB Ted Johnson also looks like a keeper. A lot may hinge on whether rookie T Melvin Tuten can do anything close to what Jim Lachey had brought to the club. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS Coach: Mike Ditka (6-10) Top Players: DE Jerry Reese, FS Darren Woodson, CB Gene Atkins, WR Qadry Ismail, LB Lamar Lathon Players Lost: HB Marcus DuPree, QB Brent Pease, HB Fred Lester, CB Mike Riley New Arrivals: QB Jamie Martin, S Devin Bush, HB Terrell Davis, DE Gary Walker Outlook: We have a hard time figuring out the Breakers. Coach Ditka continues to focus his attention on the defense, but it may be the offense that will determine the future of the Breakers. The retirement of Marcus DuPree will need time to overcome, and we are not sure a combo of Erric Pegram and rookie Terrell Davis has what it takes to replace the former Sooner. This could be a year in which the Breakers struggle to stay in games, even if the defense comes together. ST. LOUIS KNIGHTS Coach: Jim Johnson (0-0) Top Players: FB Ironhead Hayward, DT Jerry Ball, WR Rocket Ismail, G Gary Zimmerman, HB Darrell Thompson, LB Chip Banks Players Lost: WR Eric Martin, TE Frank Wycheck, FS Roman Lewis, LB Bob Crable, WR Cedric Tillman New Arrivals: HB Joe Mickles, T Barry Shippang, QB Todd Collins, K Cole Ford, WR Curtis Marsh Outlook: Coach Johnson came into a hot mess in St. Louis, and we are not sure enough has been done to turn the tide yet. Losing Eric Martin and Frank Wycheck is tough on the offense, but perhaps the biggest issue is that the team is unsettled at QB, with rookie Todd Collins not stepping in immediately as the starter. The boo birds will be out for David Archer, who starts the year as the #1, but how long will Coach Johnson wait before acquiescing to the fans’ demands to see Collins play? TEXAS OUTLAWS Coach: Jack Pardee (55-40 with Houston) Top Players: C John Adickes, LB Brian Bosworth, HB Reggie Cobb, DE John Bosa, WR Eric Metcalf, G Larry Allen, QB Kelly Stouffer Players Lost: HB Roosevelt Potts, TE Theo Young, T Eugene Chung, CB Corey Raymond, FS Merton Hanks New Arrivals: QB Tony Sacca, FS Darren Carrington, HB Rodney thomas, DT Darius Holland Outlook: Texas is going Run & Shoot as Coach Pardee and Coach Davis return to the league that made them famous. But, do any of us really believe that Kelly Stouffer can be as successful as Jim Kelly was? Losing T Eugene Chung will not help. Coach Pardee may also need to tend to the defense a bit more than usual, which is not his strong suit, to be sure. PACIFIC DIVISION The Pacific has always been a tough division to call. Oakland and Denver seem like the sturdiest teams, able to win in a variety of ways, but we cannot count out Arizona as well. Portland is again going to try to establish some kind of defensive presence so that they can compete and having two expansion clubs may give the top teams a chance to win a couple more games and perhaps snag the conference’s top seed. Speaking of the reimagined LA Express and the Seattle Dragons, they like Atlanta and Ohio, are likely looking at a long season ahead, and likely will be happy just to be dubbed the best of the 4 expansion clubs, as a playoff run seems unlikely for either of them. Our Prediction: Oakland 11-5* Denver 10-6* Arizona 9-7 Portland 7-9 Seattle 5-11 Los Angeles 4-12 ARIZONA WRANGLERS Coach: Ted Tollner (78-82) Top Players: DE Charles Haley, SS David Fulcher, QB Robbie Bosco, LB Bill Romanowski, LB Broderick Thomas, HB Tim Lester Players Lost: QB Scott Mitchell, WR Trumaine Johnson, CB Vince Buck, WR Darnay Scott New Arrivals: DT Jeff Zgonina, HB Mel Farr Jr., WR J. J. Stokes, QB Craig Whelihan, Outlook: We all know the line about Arizona. They have the potential to have a nightmare defense, but once again no one has much faith in the offense. Losing both Trumaine Johnson (retirement) and Darnay Scott (expansion draft) is not going to help, and while we like J.J. Stokes as the team’s first round pick, there are still a lot of questions about just how Arizona will turn short fields into points. DENVER GOLD Coach: Wade Phillips (27-21) Top Players: TE Keith Jackson, CB Bruce Pickens, LB Kurt Gouveia, LB Marvcus Paton, DT M.D. Perry, WR Mark Carrier, DE Leslie O’Neill Players Lost: QB Dave Krieg, HB N. Means, T Harry Swaine, WR Glenn Koslowski, LB John Roper New Arrivals: WR Willie Jackson, C Joel Hilgenberg, HB Rashaan Salaam, QB John Walsh, C Cory Raymer Outlook: Denver likes to think that they are reloading, not rebuilding, but when you trade away the players who started at QB and HB week one a year ago, it sure feels like a brand new team. That said. Mark Brunell showed flashes last year, and we like the choice of Rashaan Salaam as both a fan favorite and a really talented back, if he can keep his nose clean and firmly placed on the grindstone. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS Coach: Rick Neuheisel (0-0) Top Players: DE Antonio Edwards, G Dave Widdell, DE Santana Dotson, HB Marcus Allen, WR Mike Pritchard, DT Greg Meisner Players Lost: None, Expansion club. New Arrivals: Rookies include T Blake Brockmeyer, LB Donta Jones. Outlook: We are still not sure who the starting QB will be for the Express, and that is not usually a sign of upcoming success. We know who will run the ball, as the big trade for Marcus Allen helped to define the club right away. This will be Allen’s club, and he will have to carry a lot of the offense on his back. The defense has some playmakers, especially Dotson on the edge, but the overall talent pool just does not seem to align well for a 7 or 8 win season. 5 or 6 wins for Coach Neuheisel may be a good first season. OAKLAND INVADERS Coach: Dick Vermeil (90-69) Top Players: QB Bobby Hebert, HB Siran Stacy, DE Ken Harvey, WR Henry Ellard, WR Mark Duper, LB Ron Rivera, DE J.J. Wierenga Players Lost: T Randy Dixon, HB Fred McAfee, DT Mike Ruth New Arrivals: HB Blair Thomas, LB Cedrick Crawford, CB Bobby Taylor, K Joe Nedney, G Brendan Stai Outlook: The Invaders went into the playoffs last year looking like a championship caliber team, but a quick exit shocked Invader fans. Oakland fared well in the expansion draft, and added some interesting talent in free agency and through the draft. We love CB Bobby Taylor, and getting Blair Thomas as a way to spell Stacy occasionally seems a very smart option. It could all come down to Hebert again, but that is not always a bad thing. PORTLAND THUNDER Coach: Vince Tobin (47-49 with Memphis) Top Players: T Bruce Armstrong, HB Robert Drummond, TE Clint Didier, WR Webster Slaughter, QB Jack Trudeau, FS Vencie Glenn, SS Ronnie Lott Players Lost: CB Gill Byrd, TE Adrian Cooper, HB Derrick Loville, T Joe Valerio, SS Bennie Thompson New Arrivals: QB Bill Musgrave, DE Hugh Douglas, C Dave Wolhabaugh, LB Mike Junkin Outlook: Portland brought in a defensive mastermind to finally address their huge issues there. Adding Hugh Douglas in the draft could be an immediate help, but the strength of the Thunder looks to still be that offense. If Drummond can repeat his 1,300 yard season, and if Trudeau can find Didier and Webster Slaughter regularly, Portland may just have enough to move past the others in the division. SEATTLE DRAGONS Coach: Woody Widenhofer ( 28-36 with Outlaws) Top Players: DT Tim Johnson, LB Scott Stephen, QB Dave Krieg, T Mark Shively, G Jesse Sapolo, DE Jim Reynosa, CB Robert Massey, HB Roosevelt Potts Players Lost: None, Expansion club New Arrivals: DT Dan Sasa, LB Stephen Boyd, FB Zack Crockett Outlook: Coach Widenhofer had a winning formula in Texas, and yet could never get past the 8-8 hump, finishing 3 straight years at .500. For the first year Dragons an 8-8 season would be a huge win. This is a team built to win close games, and likely to need to keep teams below 20 in order to win. While we like Dave Krieg, he has not been particularly successful in the USFL. Maybe a change of scenery and a return to the Great Northwest is just what he needs. OK. We have picked the divisions. Are we ready to pick the Champions? Not exactly. We have been burned the past few years, so rather than pick a club, we are going to give odds. Looking around the league, these 8 teams have, in our perspective, the best odds for a title this year: 1. Birmingham Stallions 4-1 2. Philadelphia Stars 5-1 3. Oakland Invaders 6-1 4. Chicago Machine 8-1 5. Houston Gamblers 10-1 6. Denver Gold 12-1 7. Tampa Bay Bandits 20-1 8. Michigan Panthers 25-1 And if you want a Darkhorse that can make a modest bet into a fortune, go for the LA Express, coming in at a whopping 5000-1.

Sporting News, March 3, 1995 A new year, four new teams, a wide open season with every franchise looking quite a bit different from a year ago. Last second signings, last minute hires, and a lot of roster shakeups highlight the last month of the USFL offseason. The teams are in camp, the season ready to begin, and what are we to make of it. In this USFL preview edition of Sporting News we will look at the eight new head coaches in the league, the lastest NFL and CFL signings, and the 10 high impact rookies everyone is watching, and, of course, our look at all 24 teams as we gear up for the season. We will do this in two parts, with our first story focused on the new faces around the league, and then a second article looking at each club’s potential, their strengths and concerns as the season starts. Let’s get to it! NEW COACHES IN THE USFL Eight men step into one of the toughest jobs in pro football, head coaching in the topsy turvey USFL. Three are here for a second go around, 5 are new to the position though not always new to the league. From expansion coaches who have been on the job for nearly 2 years, to Texas’s brand new hire, there is a wide range of experiences and expectations around the league with these leaders taking on the challenge of leading a USFL franchise. ATLANTA: Coach Dan Reeves Coach Reeves is stranger to pressure, having helped to lead the NFL’s Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls, only to face defeat each time. In Atlanta he has a new challenge, building a team from scratch. He immediately went out and got the best veteran QB he could find in former Stallion Cliff Stoudt, then doubled down on the position by signing Georgia rookie Eric Zeier. His challenge will be building a consistent offense around his QB. He will be looking to veteran USFL HB Bernie Parmalee and speedy wideouts in Ernie Jones and Terrance Mathis to help Stoudt or Zeier move the ball. JACKSONVILLE: Coach Jim Fassel The former Breakers OC, who has spent several years in the NFL with the Giants and Broncos, inherits a team that has been sliding further and further away from the leaders in the Southern Division. His first order of business was to find a QB to replace the retired Tony Eason. He first signed Browning Nagle, and many thought it would be Nagle v. Shula for the starting job, but his front office decided a late signing was needed, so the Bulls and Coach Fassel will be hurrying to get former Atlanta Falcon Chris Chandler up to speed for the opener. Fassel is known as a no-nonsense coach with a creative mind, so expect solid play from the Bulls and maybe a few gadget plays as well. LOS ANGELES: Coach Rick Neuheisel Neuheisel, the former UCLA and USFL QB stays close to home with the Express. Having retired from play as one of the most accurate QB’s in league history, despite an injury-plagued career, Neuheisel will have to bring attention to detail to his squad, as they do not appear to have the talent level of many other clubs in the Pacific Division. Oddly, for a former QB, Neuheisel did not jump on any of the bigger name USFL, NFL, or even CFL QB’s that were available, though somewhat briefly. He will go into the season with career backup Brent Pease as his starter, though the buzz in camp has been around 2nd year pro Jeff Garcia, who left the CFL for the Express after only one season up north. OHIO: Coach Nick Saban The former Cleveland Brown Defensive Coordinator will be building a new USFL franchise from the ground up, and one with a lot of Ohio in its blood. Not only did the front office bring in former Buckeyes Vince Workman and John Booty, but they drafted wideout Joey Galloway and then signed, just last week, Cleveland’s Ernest Byner. It will be a home-town team, to be sure, but can Saban build a defense around Booty, LB John Offerdahl, and two solid safeties in Kyle Kramer and Pat Terrell. The Glory will also need to work up an offense around Workman and Byner’s ground game (perhaps trying to recapture the glory of Byner and Mack?). PORTLAND: Coach Vince Tobin This is not Vince Tobin’s first rodeo. After making a name for himself by building the early defensive success of the Philadelphia Stars, Tobin served as the Head Coach in Memphis for 6 pretty solid seasons. He returns to the big chair with Portland, a team that has talent, especially on offense, but which seems allergic to playing smart defense. Tobin will try to fix that quickly, and he may have help from rookies like DE Hugh Douglas and CB Jimmy Hitchcock. Portland will go as far as the defense allows. If they can even be a middle-of-the-pack squad, the offensive talent around Jack Trudeau and 1994 breakout player Robert Drummond could spell quick success for Tobin. ST. LOUIS: Coach Jim Johnson Jim Johnson knows the USFL, having served on the defensive coaching staffs in both Oklahoma and Jacksonville, and he knows that St. Louis will need to overhaul a defense that has simply not been up to snuff the past few years. Even with talented players like LB Chip Banks, DT Jerry Ball, and CB Troy Vincent, the Knights have been anything but stalwart. And, to a large degree that is why Johnson was chosen. His defensive pedigree is solid, now he gets the chance to prove it with the Knights. Oh, and as if that is not enough, there is sure to be pressure to move past David Archer, the week 1 starter, and get Michigan product Todd Collins onto the field, ready or not. SEATTLE: Coach Woody Widenhofer Another 2nd time around, and for Widenhofer it is his second go with an expansion team. After leading the Oklahoma, then Texas, Outlaws through their initial growing pains, Widenhofer is back at it again in Seattle. Just like last time, he is building a team around a QB. With the Outlaws it was Doug Williams, and with Seattle it will be former Seahawk Dave Krieg. He helped build a solid offensive line in Seattle, with expansion picks like T Mark Shively and the addition of 49er Jesse Sapolo at guard. The hands players may not be household names, but a good line is not a bad place to start. TEXAS: Coach Jack Pardee Big Jackie P is back in the USFL. After building the Houston Gamblers into a powerhouse, then shuffling across town to the NFL Oilers, Pardee is back in the spring league, and he is bringing a familiar face with him. It will be Pardee and Mouse Davis on the sideline with the Outlaws, not far down the road from where they made their names in Houston. Texas delayed hiring a coach, and when Pardee was let go by the Oilers, the Outlaws pounced. Pardee and Davis will bring instant excitement to the San Antonio based squad, all of whom now expect Kelly Stouffer to start looking like Jim Kelly. That may be a tall order but with Eric Metcalf and Quinn Early out wide, there is space for a run & shoot to work, just as long as they don’t forget to feed their best player, Reggie Cobb, the ball too. LATE NFL & CFL SIGNINGS It has happened every year since the USFL and NFL developed the August and January transfer windows. Teams that seemed to have a weakness in one area suddenly find starting talent in a late signing. This year is no different as no fewer than 10 NFL starters jumped to the Spring league. When you add in the nearly 45 players who jumped from the CFL or from NFL practice squads to the USFL, there are a lot of players coming in with the skills and experience to make an immediate impact. Here are our picks for the 10 new arrivals most likely to shake things up in the USFL this spring. 10. WR Darren Flutie (NJ): We don’t expect the Flutie Brothers to light up the league, but it is fun to have Doug’s brother and former BC teammate on the squad in East Rutherford. Darren still has some quickness and can be effective in the slot, but mostly we think this is just one more way for the Generals to keep Doug Flutie happy. 9. DE Terry Crews (HOU): The former LB returns to the USFL after brief stints in the NFL with Green Bay and San Diego, and he returns as an edge rushing DE. The move of position may benefit Crews, who has added a lot of muscle, but seems to have retained speed as well. Crews starts the season as the swing DE, subbing for Michael Sinclair and Gerald Williams as needed, but expect him to see significant time on the field, especially on obvious passing downs. 8. QB Tommy Maddox (NJ): With Doug Flutie clearly the starter, and USC rookie Rob Johnson a developmental project for the future, the signing of Maddox by the Generals seems a bit of a head scratcher. Do not be surprised however if this is not just a tactic, with New Jersey waiting for another team to make an offer. With Maddox signed to a cap friendly contract, we could see him move to a team that suffers a big injury at the position. 7. HB Blair Thomas (OAK): The former top draft pick of the NY Jets has not had a stellar NFL career, and likely will serve as backup to Oakland’s Siran Stacy, but if he can show any of the talent that we saw in college, he could become a big piece of a balanced Oakland attack. 6. LB Marvin Pope (MEM): One of the better coverage backers in the CFL, Pope will add speed and a sense of the passing game to the Memphis linebacking corps. Not a huge player, but certainly one with range, expect Pope to help Memphis lock down the middle against slot receivers and tight ends. 5. FS Myron Guyton (ATL): Atlanta has been pushing for defensive talent since the free agent period began, dealing with Tampa for Mark Mraz, Jacksonville for Mo Lewis, and now signing Guyton away from the NY Giants of the NFL. Guyton is a smart player who can also lay a lick on receivers and backs. Add in a DT rotation of Chester McGlockton, Tony Siragusa, and Mike Ruth and Atlanta may be a solid defense from day one. 4. WR Rob Moore (BAL): Baltimore signed the former Jet to a 4 year deal, and immediately improved one of the weakest groups on their roster. Moore is a surehanded receiver and one of the best route runners in the game today. Paired up with Bill Brooks, Baltimore does not have Olympic speed outside, but they have two reliable guys who know how to get open against any defender. 3. G Jesse Sapolo (SEA): Any time you can get an experienced player on your O-line, that is a good thing, but when that player has had a major role in a multiple time Super Bowl champion, like Sapolo has with San Francisco, you have a coup on your hands. Sapolo, paired with former Mauler Mark Shively, will help Seattle’s backs (Potts, Loville, and Torey White) find space, and should also help Dave Krieg immensely. 2. HB Ernest Byner (OHIO): Apparently signing a lot of talent from local schools like Ohio State, Pitt, and West Virginia was not enough for the Glory, they went out this last week and gave the Glory a solid 1-2 punch at HB by adding former Brown Ernest Byner to a backfield that already had former Buckeye Vince Workman and former Pitt Panther Curvin Richards. This is a 1-2-3 punch of big men who will grind down opposing defenses, taking pressure off of former Mauler QB Jeff Hostetler. 1. QB Chris Chandler (JAX): Jacksonville is counting on Chandler to make an immediate impact. The former Falcon should be comfortable in the Jim Fassel offense, as both come in from the NFL and both seem to favor a run game which allows for deep balls on play action. Chandler has a strong arm and a good head for the game. He is injury prone, which has to concern Bulls fans, but for now they are looking at him as the next big thing in Duval County. ROOKIES TO WATCH What would a season be without impact rookies. This year we saw the USFL go aggressively after big name talent, and while many of the biggest names, players like Steve McNair, Warren Sapp, or WR Michael Westbrook opted for the NFL instead, plenty of the best of the NCAA signed on with the USFL. We wrap up our look at the new faces of the league with our predictions for the 1995 ALL-USFL-ROOKIE Team. QB: Todd Collins, Penn State (St. Louis)--- Of the three big signees at QB, along with Kordell Stewart in DC and Eric Zeier in Atlanta, we see Collins as the one most likely to get a shot to start by midseason. Five years down the line it may be Stewart who grabs the headlines, but Collins is well positioned to play this year. HB: This is between Michigan Wolverine-turned-Panther Tyrone Wheatley and Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam in Denver. Denver was so enamored of Salaam that they traded away a solid back in Natrone Means on the very day they picked Salaam. So the pressure is on. Same is true for Wheatley, who replaces Marcus Allen in the Panther backfield. No small task. WR: The obvious choice here is Joey Galloway with the Ohio Glory, but expansion is not easy, and there are two other wideouts who have looked really good in camp. The first is former Hokie Antonio Freeman with the Gamblers, and the other is J.J. Stokes with the Wranglers. All three could get significant action this year. TE: Kyle Brady is the consensus pick, as he is slated to start week 1 with the Blitz. He had quite a career at Penn State, and opted to join the Blitz over the sad sack NY Jets when they picked him 2 weeks after the USFL draft. The other name to watch is Christian Fauria with the Showboats. Since losing Keith Jackson to free agency, Memphis has been looking for a big man with good hands, and Fauria fits that bill. OL: A lot of linemen picked in this year’s draft, but none will be a bigger immediate contributor than Philadelphia’s Ruben Brown. Brown comes to a team that won the USFL Championship and then lost both their starting guards in the expansion draft. So, Brown is on a good team, during a transition period, and will get the chance to show his stuff protecting Chuck Long. DL: Warren Sapp opted to go to Tampa Bay in the NFL, but the USFL still snagged some real impact players on the D-line. We like the look of DT Luther Ellis in Houston, as well as Hugh Douglas in Portland, but don’t sleep on BC’s Mike Mamula, who is well situated in Coach Schottenheimer’s D in Chicago. LB: It was not a great draft for impact linebackers, but that is not to say that the USFL came away with nothing. Expect to see Ted Johnson on the field in Michigan, Lorenzo Styles in Birmingham, and Damien Covington with Philadelphia. CB: Tyrone Poole may end up as the #1 CB for expansion Atlanta. He has the stuff, at least from what we could see in camp. Clifton Abraham in Chicago may also see a lot of action with the Machine, and Bobby Taylor in Oakland is giving the veterans a run for their money as well. S: New Orleans has been overjoyed from what they have seen from their top pick, FSU’s Devin Bush. He seemed pro ready from the first day of camp. Birmingham may have also found a diamond in 5th round pick Kwamie Lassiter. K/P: A lot of special teams guys went undrafted, and were signed later, but Oakland spent a 5th round pick on K Joe Nedney from San Jose State, and he has earned their trust in camp, winning the kicker competition handily. Cole Ford likewise has won the job in St. Louis and rookie punter Todd Sauerbrun seems to have the job locked up in Washington as well.

Sporting News, February 3, 1994 A lot to report from yesterday’s conclusion of the USFL Collegiate Draft. It was a day full of surprises and more trades than we have seen in a long time. Hopes run high as teams selected from the collegiate elite, 8 rounds of picks for the 24 league franchises. Now comes the real challenge, signing as many of these picks as possible before training camp opens in 2 weeks. With the NFL Draft soon approaching, there will be some who wait out the process, dipping their toes into the USFL waters, but not taking the dive until they see what the fall league has to offer. Others will jump at USFL contracts which, at least in the first few rounds, often tend to outpace those of the senior league as the USFL has always tried to build through the draft and sign top college players, since the very first season when Heisman Winner Herschel Walker became the first big signee of the fledgling league. Will the league sign another Heisman Winner in Colorado HB Rashaan Salaam? What about top QB’s like Steve McNair, Kerry Collins, or Michigan’s Todd Collins? And what of other award winners like Miami DT Warren Sapp, or Outland Trophy Winner Zach Weigert of NCAA Champion Nebraska? The names have been selected, now lets see who signs. Here is our team by team analysis: ARIZONA: The top needs for Arizona were at WR, CB, T, and possibly a backup QB behind Bosco. They went for their receiver right away, drafting UCLA’s J.J. Stokes in the first round. They drafted 2 players each at CB and T, including ASU’s Zach Keysar in the 3rd. They waited on a QB pick, opting in the 4th round to go with Craig Whelihan of Pacific. ATLANTA: As an expansion club, the Fire had a lot of holes to fill, but they also traded away several picks to get Mraz and Mo Lewis on defense. They kept their first pick, however, and with it did what everyone expected, selecting Georgia QB Eric Zeier. Zeier, considered a mid-level pick for the NFL may just sign to stay in Georgia with the Fire. An interesting pick on defense was CB Tyrone Poole of little-known Fort Valley State, a player who had dominated against smaller school competition and now looks to make the leap to pro ball. BALTIMORE: The Blitz retained all 7 of their picks, avoiding the trades that so many others jumped at. In the early rounds they tried to shore up their offense, going Tackle, Tight End, and Wideout with their first 3 picks: Ohio State’s big LT Korey Stringer, TE Kyle Brady of Penn State, and Justin Armour of Stanford. In the late rounds they looked to defense but took two more fliers on receivers, using a 7th round pick on Winston-Salem State’s Oronde Gadsden, and then using the 8th round pick to take a low risk shot at Viriginia’s Tyrone Davis. BIRMINGHAM: The Stallions needed to replenish depth behind their starters, notably at QB and HB after the departures of Cliff Stoudt (ATL) and Brent Fullwood (NFL), but they did not appear to be in a hurry on either, waiting until the 3rd round to take a QB, local kid Jay Barker of Alabama, and a RB (in a pick from their trade with Washington, snagging Dino Philyaw of Oregon. Birmingham had made two trades earlier in the day to acquire talent at the Guard position, another decimated by the expansion draft. They traded WR Danny Knight to Orlando for G Ed King and a pick, and then sent C Chris Thome to Washington for draft picks, one of which would turn into Safetu Kwamie Lassiter. CHICAGO: The Machine were another club that opted to hold onto their picks. They wanted to find help at tackle and DE, and the addressed the latter need right away, selecting Boston College’s big DE Mike Mamula with their first pick. They went tackle in rounds 2 and 4, selecting Melvin Hayes of Miss State in the 2nd and Tony Berti of Colorado in the 4th. They also used a late pick on a bit of a flyer, taking HB Kijana Carter, who has already indicated a desire to look at the NFL and not sign right away with the USFL. DENVER: Denver must know something, because they pounced on Heisman Winner and Colorado star Rashaan Salaam as soon as their pick came up in the first round. Expect that a deal is already verbally agreed upon, because no sooner was the pick in than they worked on trading Natrone Means. They would send Means to Jacksonville in return for a second round pick, giving them back to back picks in the second round, where they selected C Cory Raymer and LB Chris Cowart. Denver was aggressive, and now will look very different on offense with Salaam and Mark Brunell taking on the challenge. HOUSTON: The Gamblers also made a deal on draft day, sending guard Mike Wythcombe to Philadelphia for the Stars’s second round pick. Houston went defense in the first round, selecting Utah DT Luther Ellis, but used their 2 second round picks to make Jim Kelly happy, selecting big TE Ken Dilger first and following that with Va Tech’s elusive Antonio Freeman. The rest of the draft included 3 offensive linemen taken, which should also put a smile on Kelly’s face. JACKSONVILLE: One of the most active teams, both before the draft, acquiring Browning Nagle from Philly and trading away both Mo Lewis and Vince Workman, but also during the draft, obtaining Natrone Means from Denver. As far as their picks go, the Bulls doubled down on the QB position, picking Alcorn State’s Steve McNair in the first round and Tennessee’s Jerry Colquitt in the 5th. LOS ANGELES: The pre-draft deal for Marcus Allen left LA with only 5 rookie picks this year. Their first pick, in the second round, was for LB Donta Jones of Nebraska, and they may have pulled a coup, selecting Black Brockmeyer, the big tackle from Texas in the 5th round. MEMPHIS: The Showboats did not like the look of the TE’s available in the draft, so they made a draft day trade with Portland to get one they trusted. Adrian Cooper will be coming to Memphis and in return the Showboats send LB Mike Junkin to the defensively-challenged Thunder. In the draft, Memphis still took a TE in Christian Fauria of Colorado. They also looked to help Reggie White out on the D-line, selecting both UCF DE Greg Jefferson and Ole Miss DT Norman Hand. MICHIGAN: We all expected Skip Holtz to go after Wolverine HB Tyrone Wheatley, and that is exactly what the Panthers did in the first round. Wheatley seems open to playing in the USFL, and in Michigan he will have a clear path to the starting job. Michigan also selected three tackles with their 9 picks, and got a solid backer in Colorado’s Ted Johnson. NEW JERSEY: With only 1 QB on the roster after the retirement of Oliver Luck and the loss of Dave Brown in the expansion draft, New Jersey had to take a shot on a rookie QB. They opted to wait until the 2nd round, selecting guard Jesse James of Mississippi State with their first pick. In the second they selected “prototype” QB Rob Johnson of USC, a very different kind of QB from their starter, Doug Flutie. The Generals also used 3 picks on LB’s and even gave a local kid some love, selecting Hofstra wideout Wayne Chrebet with their final pick in the 8th round. NEW ORLEANS: Not surprising with Mike Ditka at the helm, the Breakers used 5 of their 7 picks on defense, including 3 DE’s and 1st round pick Devin Bush, the safety out of FSU. Their lone “hands” player, is a bit of a flyer, HB Terrell Davis out of Georgia, who was not even the starting back for most of his career in Athens, so a bit of a surprise in the 5th round. OAKLAND: Oakland had few glaring needs coming into the draft, so they could play the Best Player Available game. They went for a longshot in FSU LB Derrick Brooks in the first round, then settled into a more familiar scheme in the second, selecting Notre Dame CB Bobby Taylor. Still unsure about the kicker position, the Invaders selected a local foot, San Jose State’s Joe Nedney and will give him a shot in camp. OHIO: Already signing local stars like WVU’s Jeff Hostetler and Buckeye Vince Workman to help boost their first season attendance, Ohio doubled down on that strategy, and now hope they can sign their first pick, Ohio State wideout Joey Galloway. Staying in Columbus may be tempting for the Buckeye star, but so might the NFL. Ohio also selected Buckeye LB Craig Powell, keeping to the home town team theme. ORLANDO: With Collier and Jefferson gone, and coming off a horrible season, it is definitely retooling time for Coach O’Leary. He got Scott Mitchell in trade to potentially start at QB, and in the draft he added speed in FSU wideout Tamarick Vanover. The speedy Vanover could see action in the slot and will almost certainly be a special teams returner. Orlando got another receiver in veteran Danny Knight through trade with Birmingham. PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia knew they needed to rebuild their interior line after losing both starters this offseason. They used the trade and the draft to do just that, acquiring guards Chris Snyder and Mike Wychcombe in trades and then drafting big Rueben Brown from Pitt in the first round. Brown may be tempted to wait for the NFL draft, but Philly seems ready to lay out a tempting offer to sign the big man, and starting your career with the defending league champ is enticing on its own. Keep an eye out on mid-round selection, LB Damien Covington as well. He looked really good in pre-draft combines. PITTSBURGH: The Maulers made some interesting choices in the draft. After trading away Jeff Hostetler, they chose not to draft a QB. After losing promising young receivers like Mike Pritchard and Robert Claiborne, they waited until round 5 to pick their only wideout. And despite having a perennial All-USFL tight end in Mike Shaw, they used both their 3rd round picks to add two at the position, Texas’s Lovell Pinkney and Louisville’s Jamie Asher. Not sure what the plan is for Pittsburgh, but expect them to make a couple of late signings, especially at QB, where they only have untested Pat O’Hara behind Risher. PORTLAND: We expected Coach Tobin to want to immediately address that defense, and he did. First they traded for LB Mike Junkin from Memphis. Then they use their first 3 draft picks on the defensive side, going after some big names in Washington State LB Mark Fields, the raw Hugh Douglass from Central State, and UNC standout corner Jimmy Hitchcock. They would also add later picks for another corner and a safety. Their only offensive selections were on the O-line, though they did make a trade with New Jersey to bring Amp Lee in as a backup to Robert Drummond. SEATTLE: The expansion Dragons had their QB when the draft started, and they had found some decent talent in NFL/CFL/USFL free agents in receivers Bobby Olive and Orlando McKay, QB’s Doug Nussmeier and David Klingler, and LB’s Jim Schwantz, Joe Johnson, and Tommy Thigpen. They filled in most other starting positions in the Expansion Draft, but must not have felt all that comfortable with the idea of Roosevelt Potts at HB, because they took the flier and drafted Napolean McCallum in the first round. McCallum is expected to be a tough sign, but perhaps being able to be stationed by the Navy in Seattle could help. They followed that pick by adding WSU Cougar Don Sasa at DT, LB Stephen Boyd of BC, WSU Corner Torey Hunter, and finally selecting a FB, one of only 2 taken in the draft, in FSU’s Zack Crockett. ST. LOUIS: A team in need of a bow to stern retooling, St. Louis was surprisingly quiet on the trading block, going into the draft with all 8 picks intact. With confidence in David Archer eroded, it is no surprise that the Knights went after a top QB option. What is surprising is that they went with Todd Collins of Michigan instead of the more highly-regarded Kerry Collins of Penn State. Collins, taken with the first pick in the draft, was all but signed on draft day, and maybe that is the key for St. Louis. The rest of their draft was somewhat nondescript, adding 2 safeties, DE Dameion Jeffries from Alabama, and looking for a kicker late, with the selection of USC’s Cole Ford. TAMPA BAY: The Bandits, who lost both backups to Errict Rhett in the offseason, took some shots at HB in the draft, picking both Wisconsin speedster Terrell Fletcher and Miami grinder James Stewart. They also tried to bolster their run defense, selecting 3 DT’s, including Miami Hurricane Pat Riley and the big name, Warren Sapp. Sapp was a late round pick, as he is just not expected to sign pre-NFL selection, so don’t expect him to be a Bandit, but Riley might be a possibility. TEXAS: The Outlaws did what we expected they would do, found a backup to Reggie Cobb first, and then went BPA the rest of the way. A&M’s Rodney Thomas will almost certainly stay in Texas with the Outlaws, platooning with Cobb. After that, the best selection may have been Colorado DT Darius Holland, who could be a Day 1 starter for Texas. We also like the selection of CB Kenny Gales of Wisconsin. WASHINGTON: With both Don Majkowski and backup Mike Hohensee both qualifying for AARP membership, we figured the Federals would go QB early, but we did not see Kordell Stewart as that pick. Stewart, the athletic but somewhat raw Colorado Buffalo QB, has a ton of ability, and being selected in the 1st round may be incentive for him to sign with Washington, but he is a very big stylistic departure for Coach Rutigliano. Likely to sit behind Majkowski as long as the Majik Man can stay healthy, he could find himself starting this year at some point because Maj has simply not been able to play a full 16 in recent years. That too may be incentive to sign with the Feds. So, a few big holes still to fill, and our expansion franchises will need to add depth to the roster as well, as we have a few weeks of free agency before training camp opens. The rosters are not set in stone at this time, but things are beginning to shape up. Now, sign these picks and get to work as the 1995 season will be here sooner than you think.

PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY January 4, 1995 The USFL has reached the midpoint of its offseason marathon. The Expansion Draft proved enlightening as each of the 4 new franchises helped to define themselves with their selections, and now they, and 20 returning clubs, look towards the Collegiate Draft and the NFL-USFL transfer window to fill out the rosters, sign potential playmakers to replace lost stars, or add depth to depleted positions. Before we look ahead to the 1995 USFL Draft, let’s first review what happened at the USFL Expansion Draft and take a look at what Atlanta, LA, Ohio, and Seattle have done to build their rosters. ATLANTA FIRE Pre-Draft Moves: Atlanta’s big pre-draft moves were trades to add instant leadership to their defense. They acquired LB Mo Lewis from Jacksonville and DE Mark Mraz from Tampa Bay. In Free Agency they also signed potential contributors in LB Juan Long and DT Mark Pearce. Their only noteworthy offensive additions were NFL Vagabond WR Sanjay Beach, former Panther wideout Chris Calloway, and former KC Chief backup QB Matt Blundin. So, when the draft began, the expectation was that offense would be the focal point, with some quality defenders also added to the mix. Top 5 USFL Vets Drafted: #5—LB John Roper: Atlanta’s first pick was the Denver backer, again building their defense up seems a clear priority for Coach Reeves. #4—HBs Bernie Parmalee and Fred McAfee: The duo, picked in the 5th and 10th rounds, will almost certainly work as a duo, with final round pick Tony Vinson playing more special teams than offensive snaps. Neither is a gamebreaker, but both Parmalee and McAfee can grind out tough yards when called upon. #3—TE Frank Wychek: We love the former Oakland TE as a mid-round pickup. He is versatile, a tough blocker and a more than capable receiver. He should provide the Atlanta QB with a solid outlet option. #2—DT Chester McGlockton: Lined up with Mraz, his teammate from Tampa Bay, McGlockton will have a chance to help Atlanta build a solid run defense and possibly even contribute to the pass rush. #1—QB Cliff Stoudt: Unlike Seattle and Ohio, the Fire did not trade for a QB. They bided their time and that patience paid off with a proven starter in the league falling to them in the 4th round. Stoudt may have only a couple of years left in him at this point, but you could not ask for a better veteran presence and mentor to a young QB (Georgia senior Eric Zeier anyone?). Strongest Roster Group: It’s between the LB corps and the DT group, both of which seem stacked to limit the run. With Mo Lewis, John Roper, Danny Lockett and Juan Long, the LB corps may have a slight edge. But a line with Tony Siragusa, Chester McGlockton, Mike Mraz and Dale Rogers is nothing to sneeze at. For an expansion team, this kind of front 7 is a luxury. Area of Concern: The WR group has a lot of quickness, with Terrance Mathis, Chris Calloway, and Ernie Jones, but it does not have a true #1. How Sanjay Beach and Glenn Koslowski will fit in is also a bit of a mystery. Expect the emphasis on quickness over speed to mean a short passing game for the Fire. Potential Breakout Player: We love Siragusa as a block-absorbing sponge, which means he won’t get on the stat line too often, but it will free up McGlockton, Mraz and Rogers to pursue the QB or the outside run. Siragusa is just the type of undervalued big body in the middle that could really boost this defense. Other Notable Picks: DEN C Chuck Lanza, BLT CB Brian Mitchell, DEN K Jason Elam, former CFL T Keith Ballard, HOU SS Robert Blackmon, and Texas T Eugene Chung. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS Pre-Draft Moves: LA had the splashiest trade of the offseason, acquiring former USC Trojan Marcus Allen from Michigan after only 1 year with the Panthers. It cost them three top picks over the next 2 years, but Allen will be the face of the franchise. Other acquisistions pre-draft include former Blitz LB Bryce Paup, Stallion wideout Tyree Davis, and a couple of players who had cups of coffee with the NFL: DT LaMark Shackerford and H Ricky Blake. Top 5 USFL Vets Drafted: #5—WR Mike Pritchard: The former Denver speedster adds instant nitrous to the LA passing game. #4—DT Greg Meisner: The Renegade run stuffer was often overwhelmed in Orlando, but may have a better line around him in LA,thanks to two early DE picks. #3—QB Competitors: LA has 4 QB’s any one of whom could emerge as a solid starter. Our money is on former Florida signalcaller, New Orleans’s Brent Pease, but both Rodney Peete (USC), and former Express/Knight backup Frank Seurer have solid experience. The wild card in the group is former San Jose State signalcaller Jeff Garcia, who was signed from the CFL after only 1 season on the bench in Calgary. #2—CB Aaron Glenn: Glenn was on the fast track to being an ALL-USFL player for the Stallions. Now he will have a chance to continue that trajectory in LA, where his flamboyant style will translate well to Hollywood. #1—DE Santana Dotson: Reggie White’s linemate may be just as talented a passrusher, though more speedy than powerful. In L.A. he will be the undisputed focus of every offensive line that faces the Express, but Dotson has the guile and the moves to be successful despite double teams. Strongest Roster Group: While we are not sure who will be throwing the ball, LA does have a nice group of young speedy receivers in former Blitz WR Patrick Rowe, Wrangler Darnay Scott, Pittsburgh’s Mike Pritchard, and free agents Tyree Davis and Curtis Mayfield. Adding Memphis’s #1 TE, Tony McGee makes this a very solid starting group for whomever takes the reins at QB. Area of Concern: The secondary has one bonafied starter in CB Aaron Glenn from Birmingham, but he is the only CB the Express drafted. They have Irvin Smith from the CFL, but will need to draft some young DB’s to build a secondary. A bad secondary in the USFL can be a brutal weakness. Potential Breakout Player: While he struggled to get targets in Arizona, we still think WR Darnay Scott could be a big hit with the right offensive scheme. Having Pritchard and Rowe on the field with him should open up single coverage for the hot rod wideout. Other Notable Picks: BAL TE Deems May, HOU T Harris Barton, NJ HB Lars Tate, WSH LB Curtis Taliferro, and young kicker Doug Brien from Florida State. OHIO GLORY Pre-Draft Moves: Ohio was one of two teams, along with Seattle, that opted to secure their starting QB before the draft, trading 2 picks to the Maulers to acquire Jeff Hostetler. They also added a local hero in HB Vince Workman of Ohio State. Their free agent signings were not big names (not that there were many available), but adding SS Brock Marion, DT Pio Sagapolutele, and tackle Reggie Redding was a pretty good first step towards adding depth. We are also intrigued by former Minnesota Gopher QB Rickey Foggie as a young athletic backup to Hostetler. Top 5 USFL Vets Drafted: #5—Tampa TE Chris Kelley: We are still surprised that Tampa did not protect Troy Aikman’s favorite safety valve, but TE is an undervalued position so Ohio got a steal in the 2nd round with this pick. #4—SS Kyle Kramer was an up and coming player in Pittsburgh’s secondary. He now has the chance to be a major factor just a few hundred miles away in Columbus. #3—Lined up next to Kramer will be former Arizona CB Vince Buck. Buck has good cover skills and even better hand skills, which Ohio hopes will translate into takeaways. #2—New Jersey LB John Offerdahl. The 31-year old still has a lot to offer and will be a solid veteran presence on what looks to be a very young defense. #1—O Line. Not flashy, but Ohio made several strong O-line picks, including #1 pick, Birmingham guard Eric Moore, followed by T Joe Valerio from Portland, Tampa’s Ed Miller at center, and another guard in Philly’s Lester Holmes. Strongest Roster Group: It has to be that O-line, as it is the only group where the clear starters are known. Area of Concern: While the WR Corps is a possible weakness, the LB Corps seems the obvious choice here. Other than Offerdahl there is not much to be excited about here. Former Gold LB Aubrey Beavers has speed, but has not proven to be a very savvy player. Former CFL backer Malco Goodwin and NFL camp player Dean Lytle are the only other backers on the squad. Perhaps some Big 10 rookies are on the way to strengthen the group? Potential Breakout Player: Ohio picked 5 safeties, and while we expect Pat Terrell and Kyle Kramer to be the week 1 starters, we like the athleticism of Free Agent Brock Marion to help him find a role on defense, possibly even in nickel coverage as the Ohio corners are not a deep group. Other Notable Picks: WR Robb Thomas (JAX), HB Reggie Brooks (BAL), QB Dave Brown (NJ), P John Jett (WSH), FS John Booty (MEM) SEATTLE DRAGONS Pre-Draft Moves: Seattle signed their QB in trade from Denver, as former Seahawk Dave Krieg will return to the Pacific Northwest. They backed him up with another free agent, former Houston backup David Klingler. Other free agents likely to end up starting for the Dragons include LB Jim Schwantz, WR Derek Hill, C Ian Sinclair, and punter Josh Miller. Top 5 USFL Vets Drafted: #5—DE Jim Reynosa has led the Panthers in Sacks for the past 3 years. He may have lost a step, but he can still outmaneuver many tackles to get to the QB. #4—HB Roosevelt Potts was stuck behind Reggie Cobb in Texas, but when he got the chance he proved to be a very effective power runner for the Outlaws. Can he carry the load in Seattle or will they run a platoon with scat back Derrick Loville and NFL reject T.C. Wright? #3—Tackle Mark Shively from the Blitz was a solid RT in Baltimore. Will Seattle keep him there or move him to the left side? #2—DT Tim Johnson never got the limelight lined up alongside Jerome Brown in Washington, but he is a high motor guy who will make plays for Seattle’s D. #1—We love the TE combo that Seattle signed, both for blocking and receiving. Texas TE Theo Young and Houston TE Keith McKeller were both very successful in their USFL careers, and the pairing could lead to some interesting options for a 2TE lineup being both a running or passing formation. Strongest Roster Group: The TE group is strong, as cited above, but we like the QB group as a really solid, if unspectacular group. Dave Krieg had his issues in Denver, but has proven to be a reliable option. David Klingler can run a very similar offense to Krieg, which may be needed as O-line issues may lead to him getting a shot. Finally, former Idaho QB, and Saints draft pick Doug Nussmeier, has a strong arm and could be a solid developmental project. Area of Concern: The offensive line is a concern. Only Shively and G Haynes Hayward (formerly of Denver) were solid starters in the USFL, and we don’t see a lot of depth here either. Potential Breakout Player: Potts will have a chance to carry the Seattle run game, but we also like the possibility of former Penn State and Philly Star wideout O.J. McDuffie getting a chance to start for the Dragons, and he could emerge as their #1 in short order. Other Notable Picks: SS Alton Montgomery (ORL), LB Eddie Robinson (BIR), K Mike Hollis (ORL), FS Terry Hoague (TBY), CB Derrick Massey (CHI) COLLEGE DRAFT PREVIEW With almost every team in the USFL now shorthanded as players moved around the league to the new expansion teams, this draft has to be a winner for every club or they may see significant backslides this year. While some clubs, like Oakland, St. Louis, and Jacksonville saw minimal player losses, others, like New Jersey, Portland, Pittsburgh and Denver, took some severe hits to their rosters. Every team will have holes to fill, but for these clubs, along with the 4 expansion teams, drafting well this February 2 will be essential to rebuilding (or just building) a roster. Here is what we see as the key needs of each team after retirements, free agency, and the expansion draft: ARZ: QB—After trading away Scott Mitchell, a QB makes sense, but Arizona also lost Trumaine Johnson and Darnay Scott, so they need to hit on at least one immediate contributor at wideout. ATL: We expect Atlanta to make a serious play for local star Eric Zeier of UGA, but they should also try to invest in a quality receiver like Auburn’s Frank Sanders or even UCLA’s J.J. Stokes to help add speed to the receiving corps. BAL: The Blitz got hit hard this offseason, losing WR Mervyn Fernandez and LB Sam Norris to retirement and then getting hit for 6 players in the expansion draft. They too need to hit on a wideout after losing both Patrick Rowe and Fernandez. But are they happy with Chris Miller after so many mediocre seasons? Could they take a shot at Penn Stater Kerry Collins or Michigan’s Todd Collins? BIR: Losing Stoudt is a blow, but with Brett Favre solidly ensconced as the starter, not an urgent need. They need to figure out how to replace the losses of two key defenders in LB Eddie Robinson and CB Aaron Glenn. We like the idea of going after FSU’s Derrick Brooks or Ohio State’s Lorenzo Styles at backer. CHI: Bernie Kosar’s injury-triggered retirement was not unexpected, and with solid play from Scott Zolak taking Chicago all the way to the Summer Bowl, we don’t see them making a play for a top QB. More likely they will try to find a replacement for the 3 CBs they lost in the expansion draft. Ty Law of Michigan or Sun Devil Craig Newsome could be a start for the Machine. DEN: Another team hit hard by the expansion draft, and after trading away Dave Krieg, a team relying on the continued development of Mark Brunell. Denver lost 6 players in expansion, including two linebackers. Expect them to try to sign local talent like Buffs LB Ted Johnson, but will they also go for one of the offensive stars of the Buffs, Rashan Salaam, Michael Westbrook, or even QB Kordell Stewart? HOU: The Gamblers will likely look for a small slot receiver to replace Clarence Verdin in the mid rounds of the draft, in the early rounds, look for a solid TE to replace the departed Keith McKeller. Kyle Brady of Penn State and Mark Breuner of Washington look like good candidates for a 1st or 2nd round pick. JAX: Tony Eason is gone. Does Jacksonville feel comfortable with either Glen Foley or Mike Shula as the starter? Unlikely. So, we expect the Bulls to take a shot at Alcorn State’s Steve McNair, and, failing there, they may look at Kordell Stewart. LA: Coach Neuheisel seems content with his QB room (already at 4) and with Marcus Allen the HB spot is settled, so what does LA need? A lot of depth, and with no 1st or 3rd round pick due to the Allen trade, they need to maximize the mid rounds. The secondary was our area of concern, so expect a lot of CB and S picks from the Express. MEM: Losing Santana Dotson opens a huge hole for Memphis on the D-line. They need someone to take pressure off of Reggie White. The best option there, if the Showboats are willing to shell out the money for him, would be Kevin Carter of Florida. A cheaper option, but one that may be just as appealing, would be Louisiana-Monroe’s Sean King. MGN: We are still trying to figure out why Coach Holtz would trade away Allen after the year he had for them, but having 2 first round picks can help put balm on that wound. One of those picks is almost 100% guaranteed to be Michigan halfback Tyrone Wheatley. Signing the Wolverine back will immediately quiet the boo birds after Marcus Allen trade. NJ: The expansion draft was not kind to the Generals. Not only did they lose their MLB Offerdahl, but also three guards from an O-line that is key to their offensive production. Guard will be the target early and often, with Indiana’s Andrew Greene a likely target for the Generals. NOR: Marcus DuPree is gone, but the Breakers like young Eric Pegram, so they may not go for a back early. They should look at CB, having lost 2 in the expansion draft, but they also lost backup QB Brent Pease, so don’t be shocked if they go after a mid-round QB like USC’s Rob Johnson or K-State’s Chad May. OAK: The Invaders had the fewest players chosen in the expansion draft (only 3), so they have a lot to play with as they look at the potential rookie class. If they want to take advantage of the salary cap discount for California schools, they could take a shot at USC tackle Tony Boselli or Trojan LB Brian Williams. OHIO: The Glory still have some big holes on their roster. Wideout is a noted weakness and local superstar Joey Galloway is there for the taking. Look also for them to try to add depth to the O-line and D-line in the draft. ORL: The Renegades were not a good team before the offseason. They then lose both Reggie Collier and John Jefferson to retirement, and, as if that were not enough, they get hit for 5 players, including 3 defenders, in the expansion draft. DT is a concern, as is wideout. They traded for Scott Mitchell to compete for the QB spot with Craig Erickson, so we don’t see that as a priority. PHI: The league champions lost Kelvin Bryant to retirement, but with Charlie Garner groomed to take over, the bigger concern may be the loss of two guards and two wideouts to the expansion draft. Pitt’s Rueben Brown would be a coup for Philly since he would provide them with an instant starter and one at a salary cap discount as well. PIT: The Maulers were afraid Rozier, the league’s leading rusher, would call it a career, but he has resigned, so now they will just try to replace some of the 7 players lost to expansion (the most in the league). Wideout is a big area of need after losing both Mike Pritchard and Robert Claiborne, two promising young flankers. They still have Brown and Lipps, so maybe they don’t go after Michael Westbrook or J.J. Stokes early, but what about TCU’s Jimmy Oliver for quicks or FSU’s Tamarick Vanover for pure speed? POR: New coach, new scheme, and with QB, HB, and WR looking good, the time is ripe for Portland to go heavy on defense. Adding a dynamic edge rusher like Gator Kevin Carter, Seminole Derrick Alexander, or even BC Eagle Mike Mamula would be a slam dunk to get their defense on the right track. SEA: The lines (offensive and defensive) as well as linebacker are obvious areas of concern, and having local talent like WSU Cougar LB Mark Fields or DT Don Sasa may be great ways to kill two birds with one stone. If they want an even bigger splash, signing HB Napoleon Kaufmann from the Huskies is about as big as a Seattle team can get this year. STL: Rebuilding is key for the Knights. They let David Archer go into the expansion draft and no one wanted him, which has to tell you something. The Knights may not want to go QB, but the fans are calling for it. IF they go defense early and then try to slip in a Stoney Case or Steve Stenstrom in the mid rounds, they may really find themselves facing the music with the growingly unhappy St. Louis fanbase. TBY: Tampa lost a lot of quality in McGlockton, Kelley, and Terry Hoague. If they want to keep Troy Aikman happy, signing a Kyle Brady at TE would go a long way. But the defense also needs to patch some holes, and there is such great in-state talent, from Kevin Carter to Derrick Alexander, or even the outspoken big man, Miami’s Warren Sapp. TEX: A big tackle to replace Eugene Chung seems key, but so too would be replacing TE Theo Young. We expect tackle will be the pick, at least early, and they could look long and hard at Boselli or at in state stud, Houston Cougar Billy Millner. WSH: Washington lost three good defensive players in Taliferro, Johnson, and DE Anthony Edwards. They could take a shot at a DE in the first round, or they could throw us a curveball and pick an heir apparent to the oft-injured Don Majkowski. Could you picture Kordell Stewart in DC? What about Kerry Collins?

SPORTING NEWS, October 7, 1994 Just about 2 months into the USFL offseason and things are heating up. Front Offices have reported to the league their 12 protected protected players for the upcoming expansion draft, and there are a lot of All-League players and longtime veterans wondering if they are soon to be headed off to a new club. Teams are dealing with retirements and NFL defections, there are already a few new faces coming into the league from both the NFL and CFL, and, scouting for the 1995 College Draft, the first in league history without protected territorial schools. Trades have been made as the expansion clubs (and a few others) seek to build up talent levels, and one club is still in search of a new coach as the Texas Outlaws play the long game, likely not settling on a coach until after the NFL season, just as Tampa Bay did with their Jerry Glanville hiring last January. There is a lot to discuss, but before we rush into the hot stove, and the 1995 season, let’s look back at the 1994 season and see if we have learned anything about what to expect moving forward. Here are the 5 takeaways we see from 1994: 1. Defense still wins championships. We all went into last year talking about the dynamic offenses in Birmingham, Houston, or Tampa Bay, but in the end, it was defense that proved the better option as several of the league’s top defensive squads, including Chicago, Denver, Memphis, and eventual champion Philadelphia, rose up the standings. While some offense was certainly needed, Philadelphia’s win over Birmingham in the Eastern Conference Championship clearly showed that a solid defense can still be the ticket to a league title. 2. They've still got it. While we are now beginning to see the slow dwindling of the top RB’s from the early years of the USFL, with Joe Cribbs now several years into retirement, and others announcing their retirement this year, when you look at the final stats from 1994, it is amazing to see that among the Top 10 rushers in the league we still find Mike Rozier at the top of the list (1984 rookie), with Herschel Walker (1983 rookie) and Kelvin Bryant (1983 rookie) not far behind. Yes, we are losing 1 of those 3 players for 1995, but it goes to show that a 10-12 year career, even for a running back, is very possible for those with the talent. 3. We learned that big name QB’s are not always needed. Yes, Joe Montana certainly helped Michigan regain playoff form, but Chicago got a great year out of little-heralded Scott Zolak. Philly won a title with oft-maligned Chuck Long, and Denver got all the way to the Conference Title Game with an uncertain duo of Dave Krieg and Mark Brunell. Sure, if you can get a Favre, Kelly, Montana, or Hebert, you do so, but teams can still win with a guy who was not a Blue Chip 1st Round draft pick. 4. The USFL, despite its HB talent, remains a passing league. How do we know? Well, the fact that there are only 8 backs who went over 1,000 yards rushing, but nearly 20 wideouts who surpassed that total. Or, how about the fact that the top 2 tacklers in the league were not middle linebackers, but cornerbacks? Not to take away from the talent of Houston’s Ashley Ambrose or Oakland’s Aeneas Williams, but CB’s can only get close to 100 tackles when the ball is in the air a lot, and in the USFL, that is what we are seeing with more and more 3-4 WR sets and fewer teams willing to put an I-formation on the field. 5. Even record-breaking seasons are no guarantee of victories. Portland’s Jack Trudeau set league records in pass attempts and completions, with 682 and 470 respectfully, but Portland was still one of the league’s weaker teams. Sure, he had to throw because they were trailing, and it is still an impressive achievement, but in this case proficiency did not lead to victories. Also setting records this year: Leslie Frazier’s 4 defensive TD’s, which got him the Defensive POTY award, but could not get the Blitz into the postseason. David Trout’s 60 yard field goal in Washington stands as the league’s longest ever. Troy Aikman’s 68 pass attempts against Memphis set the highest total in league history. Ready to move on to a new season? Well, ready or not, the league is already gearing up for the next season, and with rosters very much unsettled, there could be a lot of action this offseason. Here is what we have seen in only 2 months of offseason action: RETIREMENTS As the heroes of the early years of the USFL get older, it is only natural that we start to see some big name retirements, and this year is no different. Here are some of the tougher players teams will be looking to replace this offseason: PHI HB Kelvin Bryant: After garnering his 3rd USFL Title, Bryant retires as the #3 rusher in league history with 15,378 yards and 113 touchdowns (#1 well ahead of Mike Rozier’s 94. Philadelphia will now look to Charlie Garner to move up to their lead back position. NJ T William Israel: The Generals will need to shore up the LT position after the announcement by Israel that he will retire after an injury-plagued 1994 campaign. Israel played in 164 games since coming into the league in 1984, missing only 7 games until this year, where he missed 7 due to injuries. ARZ WR Trumaine Johnson: A surefire HOF candidate, Johnson retires as the #1 all time leader in receptions with 1,209, nearly 300 more than 2nd best, as well as the #2 All-Time USFL receiver in yardage, with 16,580 yards. His 119 TDs is also second all time only to Eric Truvillion. ORL WR John Jefferson: Orlando loses two huge offensive stars this offseason, the first being WR Jefferson, who leaves after 10 years in the USFL (3 with Pittsburgh and 7 in Orlando). Jeffersion retires with 878 USFL catches (along with over 250 NFL receptions) and 70 TD’s to his name. ORL QB Reggie Collier: Looks like Orlando will need some major rebuilding as they lose not only their top receiver but their 9 year starter at QB. Collier, who currently ranks 2nd all time in Pass Attempts, Yardage, and TD passes, behind only Jim Kelly in each category, began as a dual threat QB in 1983, backing up in Birmingham, before becoming the starter in Washington and Orlando’s first player taken in the 1987 expansion draft. NOR HB Marcus DuPree: The former 1-year player at Oklahoma finishes his USFL career with 10,703 yards, good enough for 5th all time in the league. His 11-season USFL career is highlighted by a run of 1,000 yard seasons spanning 1986-1989. He often shared carries in a dual-back system, but was the gamebreaker for the Breakers offense for nearly a decade (after beginning his career in Memphis). STL WR Eric Martin: A stalwart contributor first for the LA Express, and then when relocated to St. Louis, Martin retires with 9,561 yards on 1,215 receptions. He had 4 1,000 yard seasons, including 1,016 yards for St. Louis in 1993. This year, despite 104 targets, he finished with only 65 catches and 756 yards. MGN CB Keith Bostic: The wily Bostic, who began as a nickel back but worked himself up to the #1 slot in the Panther secondary, played 10 seasons in Michigan, amassing 33 interceptions, 207 passes defended, and missed only 2 games due to injury since 1985. PHI LB Glenn Howard: A key piece of the Stars’ linebacking corps since coming into the league with the team in 1983, Howard amassed 723 tackles in his long career in Philly, and retires with 3 championship rings. POR CB Gill Byrd: Byrd came to Portland as the team’s first big NFL signing. Since arriving with the club in 1990, he has led the team in interceptions 5 of 6 years, including a stellar first season in 1990, when he garnered 7 picks and 92 tackles. This past year he topped over 100 tackles, but was criticized for allowing 97 catches thrown against him. JAX QB Tony Eason: The Bulls were caught by surprise by the retirement of their starter, but after 12 tumultuous seasons, including a 14-interception year this season, Eason felt the time was right. Eason began his career in New Orleans before signing with Jacksonville in 1988. He played in only 8 games his first 3 seasons in a Bulls jersey before earning the starting nod with a brilliant 31 TD season in 1991. BAL WR Mervyn Fernandez: After a solid early career in the NFL with the Raiders, Fernandez came to the USFL and quickly became a top receiver for the Blitz. Fernandez had the dubious distinction of playing on some pretty bad Baltimore squads, including the only team in league history to finish a year winless. HOU WR Clarence Verdin: A founding player of the Gamblers, Verdin has been a special teams and slot receiving mainstay for the 1984 expansion club and 2 time league champion. His best year in the slot came back in 1984, when he caught 88 balls for 1,163 yards and 10 TDs. While he would not reach 1,000 yards again in his career, he remained a regular target for QB Jim Kelly and the club’s top kick returner for several years. He did not return kicks this season, and was limited to only 52 receptions as well. BAL LB Sam Norris: The longtime centerpiece to the Blitz LB Corps, since the days in Chicago, Norris retires with 1,174 tackles, 29 career sacks and 5 career interceptions. Known as a run-stuffer, Norris had over 200 tackles for loss in hi his 12 year USFL career. He topped 100 tackles for the year on 6 occasions. MEM WR Vic James: James, who played for 3 different clubs during his USFL career, began as the #1 receiver in Denver, where he had his 3 most productive years, beginning in 1983 with 108 receptions for 1,240 yards and 10 TDs. In 1987 he left for Orlando in the expansion draft and in 1991 caught on with the Memphis Showboats. He finishes his career with 565 career receptions for 6,864 yards and 42 TDs. Along with retirements we have seen a handful of players make the leap to the NFL, including Bandits HB Eric Bienemy (to San Diego), St. Louis HB Terrance Flagler (to Detroit), Birmingham HB Brent Fullwood (to Green Bay), NJ backup QB Oliver Luck (to Houston), Chicago DE Eric Dorsey (to Dallas), and Oakland RT Randy Dixon (to the Raiders). TRADES The big trades came early on this offseason, with the already reported movement of Marcus Allen from Michigan to LA, Jeff Hostetler from Pittsburgh to Ohio, Dave Krieg from Denver to Seattle, Vince Workman from Jacksonville to Ohio, and Mo Lewis also from Jacksonville, but heading to Atlanta. With the unexpected retirement of Tony Eason, Jacksonville scrambled to find a possible starter and settled on a low-risk trade with Philadelphia to obtain backup QB Browning Nagle. Nagle, a top prospect coming out of Louisville, has not been able to break through in Philly but now will get a chance, competing with Mike Shula and Dereck Foley in the Bulls’ QB group. The other big QB movement in the past month was Arizona backup Scott Mitchell, who showed some signs of talent this year when subbing for Robbie Bosco. Mitchell was sent by the Wranglers to Orlando, where the Renegades are hoping he can step in to replace the retired Reggie Collier. Mitchell, who has been Bosco’s understudy since joining the league in 1990, has a career QBR of 88.2, but a decent completion rate of 65.5 in backup duty for Arizona. He has thrown 20 TDs to 12 interceptions in sporadic duties. He will now compete with Craig Erickson and longtime veteran backup Jimmy Jordan for the starting job in Orlando. Oakland, after losing starting LT Randy Dixon to the NFL has made a rare intra-divisional trade with Denver, acquiring Denver 3rd tackle Harry Swayne in return for Oakland DE Derwin Jones. SIGNINGS With so many USFL free agents resigned ahead of the expansion draft, there has been slim pickings for clubs. Of course, the 4 expansion teams, getting only 25 players through the expansion draft, have been the most active in signing the few USFL free agents who are out there, as well as reaching into the CFL for talent as the NFL season continues. Here are the top Free Agent signings at this point: ATLANTA: WR Chris Calloway, FS Mark Pembrook, WR Sanjay Beach (NFL FA), TE Lavar Bell (NFL FA), QB Matt Blundin (NFL FA), OT Keith Ballard (CFL), LB Juan Long (NFL FA), DT Mark Pearce (CFL), and CB James Bullock (CFL) LOS ANGELES: LB Bryce Paup, QB Jeff Garcia (CFL), HB Ricky Blake (NFL FA), WR Tyree Davis (NFL FA), WR Curtis Mayfield (CFL), OT Alan Kline (NFLFA), G Bill Henry (CFL), LB Virgil Robertson (CFL), LB Nate Dingle (NFL FA), DT LaMark Schackerford (CFL), and CB Irvin Smith (CFL) OHIO: SS Brock Marion, DT Pio Sagapolutele, T Reggie Redding, QB Rickey Foggie (CFL), WR Mario Bailey (NFL FA), WR Mike Bellamy (NFL FA), C Bob Kronenberg (CFL), G Brandon Houston (CFL), LB Malco Goodwin (CFL), LB Dean Lyttle (NFL FA), K Don Silvestri (NFL FA), DT Jerold Jeffcoat (NFL FA), DE Arthur Bussie (NFL FA) and CB Eric Carter (CFL) SEATTLE: QB David Klingler, WR Derek Hill, LB Jim Schwantz, QB Doug Nussmeier (NFL FA), RB T.C. Wright (NFL FA), WR Orlando McKay (CFL), WR Bobby Olive (NFL FA), TE Victor Hall (NFL FA), SS Greg Briggs (NFL FA), P Josh Miller (CFL), T Todd Peat (NFL FA), C Ian Sinclair (CFL), LB Tommy Thigpen (NFL FA), LB Joe Johnson (NFL FA), DT Junior Tagoai (NFL FA), DE Steve Bates (CFL), and CB Johnny Dixon (NFL FA). PROTECTED PLAYERS The lists our out ahead of the Expansion Draft. While most of the protected players are pretty much expected, there remains some really top talent available to the 4 expansion teams. Each will have their own strategy (youth vs. experience, speed v. durability, etc.), there are players who can immediately help form a culture in their new cities. And, we have to remember, that with each player chosen from their roster, the USFL team losing that player gets to protect another, so some of these names may come off the board as others are chosen. Rather than give you the full protected list of 12 players for each team, here is our assessment of the best players available and unprotected, by position: QB: Cliff Stoudt (BIR), D. Archer (STL), K. Bell (POR), D. McGwire (CHI), C. Carlson (BLT), B. Tolliver (DEN) HB: G. Boone (MEM), L. James (ARZ), D. Levins (PIT), T. Fowler (ORL), T. Smith (DEN), D. Fenner (BAL) FB: R. Wolfley (PIT), M. Cade (POR), K. Anders (CHI), C. Hayward (STL), E. Colson (PHI) TE: M. Shaw (PIT), C. Didier (POR), S. Bowers (OAK), C. Kelley (TBY), W. Walls (CHI), T. McGee (MEM) WR: D. Williams (TEX), J. Walters (WSH), W. Buggs (ORL), G. Phelan (PHI), M. Duper (OAK), J. Townsell (MEM), B. Edmunds (MGN), I. Fryar (NJ), M. Pritchard (PIT) OT: R. Delaney (BAL), M. Behning (TBY), A. Gardner (TEX), M. Shively (BAL), K. call (DEN), J. Totten (ARZ) OG: R. Milstead (PIT), D. Widdell (NJ), R. Hallstrom (MGN), E. Moore (BIR), H. Haynes (DEN) C: R. Hemphill (PIT), M. Tracy (HOU), B. Bush (ORL), C. Pitcock (BIR), C. Lanza (DEN) DE: K. Bokamper (OAK), S. Dotson (BIR), J. Reynosa (MGN), A. Edwards (WSH), L. White (DEN) DT: D. Butz (DEN), T. Johnson (WSH), C. Scotts (BIR), D. Gagne (JAX), G. Meisner (ORL0, D. Rocker (MEM) LB: B. Apuna (BAL), M. Douglass (MEM), C. Banks (STL), S. Stephen (MGN), J. Roper (DEN0, M. Munford (CHI), K. DeAyala (HOU), M. Tuiasosopo (BIR), D. Smith (MEM), J. Offerdahl (NJ), J. Armstead (JAX) CB: A. Clark (JAX), D. Bryant (JAX), V. Buck (ARZ), N. Mustafaa (TEX), D. Beasley (WSH), R. Massey (CHI) SS: D. Dumars (BAL), R. Blackmon (HOU), K. Kramer (PIT), K. Porter (TEX), S. Lumpkin (DEN) FS: M. Kelso (NOR), P. Terrell (PIT), B. McDowell (MEM), B. Bishop (BIR), M. Dumas (WSH), T. Bowles (HOU) The trend, as is obvious in this list, is that the 20 existing USFL clubs protected young players, particularly starters still on their rookie contracts, and that there is a lot of talent in the 32-36 year old range available. We expect a lot of these players to be retained as soon as an expansion club picks others, but some of the biggest veteran names on USFL clubs could be in a new home based on this list. The other thing we should note is that very few kickers or punters were protected, so at the very least the new clubs will have their pick of top special teamers even at the end of the draft. So, next up is the expansion draft. We will be here with a full recap and a look at the roster needs of all 24 USFL clubs prior to the second USFL/NFL transfer window in January and the Collegiate Draft in February.