August 31, 2015

Highlighted Year: Kelvin Bryant, 1984

Running Back, Philadelphia Stars



Age: 23
2nd season in pro football & with Stars
College: North Carolina
Height: 6’2”   Weight: 195

Prelude:
A three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference back in college, Bryant was chosen by the Stars in the first USFL territorial draft and went with the new league (the Washington Redskins selected him in the 7th round of the ’83 NFL draft even though he had already signed with the USFL). He moved directly into the starting lineup and quickly became the focal point of the ground-oriented offense. Bryant rushed for 1442 yards and 16 TDs, caught 53 passes for another 410 yards and a score, and received MVP honors from the league as well as consensus first-team All-USFL recognition.

1984 Season Summary
Appeared in 15 of 18 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 297 [1, tied with Joe Cribbs]
Most attempts, game – 27 (for 114 yds.) vs. Tampa Bay 4/1
Yards – 1406 [2]
Most yards, game – 194 yards (on 24 carries) at Denver 6/8
Average gain – 4.7 [11]
TDs – 13 [6, tied with Leon Perry]
100-yard rushing games – 5

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 48      
Most receptions, game – 5 (for 34 yds.) vs. Oakland 3/18
Yards – 453
Most yards, game – 67 (on 3 catches) vs. Pittsburgh 6/4
Average gain – 9.4
TDs – 1

Scoring
TDs – 15 [5, tied with Richard Johnson & Kevin Long]
Points – 90 [5, tied with Richard Johnson & Kevin Long]

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 80
Most rushing attempts, game – 29 vs. Arizona, USFL Championship
Rushing yards – 384
Most rushing yards, game – 152 vs. Birmingham, Eastern Conference Championship
Average gain rushing – 4.8
Rushing TDs – 5

Pass receptions – 4
Most pass receptions, game – 2 vs. New Jersey, USFL First Round playoff
Pass receiving yards – 45
Most pass receiving yards, game - 32 vs. New Jersey, USFL First Round playoff
Average yards per reception – 11.3
Pass Receiving TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:
1st team All-USFL: League, Sporting News, College & Pro Football Newsweekly, Pro Football Weekly

Stars went 16-2 to finish first in the USFL Atlantic Division with the league’s best record. Won First Round playoff over New Jersey Generals (28-7), Eastern Conference Championship over Birmingham Stallions (20-10), and USFL Championship over Arizona Wranglers (23-3).

Aftermath:
Bryant continued to be one of the league’s best runners, even though battling occasional injuries, tying for fourth in ’85 with 1207 yards. He ended up gaining 4055 yards over the course of the three USFL seasons, and the Stars won the league championship in the last two. Following the demise of the USFL, Bryant joined the Redskins where he spent four seasons from 1986 to ’90, missing all of 1989 due to a neck injury. In the NFL, he battled injuries and was utilized more for his pass receiving skills, catching over 40 passes in each of his first three years but only once compiling as many as 100 carries (108 in 1988). With Washington, he rushed for a total of 1186 yards and caught 154 passes for 1634 yards.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose: Total Yards
Defense: Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff Returns: Average
Punt Returns: Average
Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970