1974: Houston Scores Early, Holds On to Beat Florida

The Florida Blazers and Houston Texans were off to very different starts in the World Football League’s inaugural season as they met in Houston on July 31, 1974.

The Blazers were undefeated at 3-0. Coached by Jack Pardee, a recently retired star linebacker with the Rams and Redskins, the Blazers featured a veteran NFL backup, Bob Davis, at quarterback. While there was more veteran talent at running back in A.D. Whitfield and Jim Strong, rookie Tommy Reamon had emerged as the leader of the group. The defense was especially able in the backfield, featuring more experienced players in safeties Rickie Harris and W.K. Hicks along with CB Miller Farr.

Houston, on the other hand, was 1-2 and had yet to score an offensive touchdown (the defense had accounted for one in the club’s lone victory). Head Coach Jim Garrett’s team had plenty of experience, which was apparent on defense, but not much scoring punch. QB Mike Taliaferro had already missed time due to injury while the running game was led by FB Jim Nance (pictured above), who twice led the American Football League in rushing. The clubs had met the previous week in Orlando and Florida won handily by a 15-3 score.

16,268 fans showed up for the Wednesday night contest billed as “Nickel Hot Dog Night” at the Astrodome. Less than two minutes into the first quarter, Houston safety John Mallory intercepted a Bob Davis pass and returned it 59 yards to the Florida one yard line. From there, Jim Nance plunged to the left for a touchdown on the next play. While the try for the action point failed, the Texans held the early 7-0 lead (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point, which could not be kicked).

Later in the opening period, the Blazers got on the board following a 42-yard drive with a Les Perry field goal from 26 yards. Along the way, Davis threw to RB Jim Strong for an 18-yard gain that proved to be the longest of the game for either club. Perry connected on another field goal in the second quarter, this time from 21 yards, to climax a 36-yard advance that was helped along by a 17-yard defensive pass interference penalty.

Houston’s Mike Taliaferro left the game due to injury and was relieved by Dave Mays, a rookie out of Texas Southern. It seemed to ignite the Texans, who reached the Florida eight before Charlie Durkee’s 24-yard field goal attempt sailed wide of the mark.

Beyond that, Houston’s defensive line of ends Don Brumm and Joe Robb and tackles Al Dotson and Jim Kanicki kept constant pressure on Bob Davis and the home team held on to the narrow one-point lead for the remainder of the game. The Texans were threatening late in the fourth quarter, but after reaching the Florida three they came up empty when time ran out. Still, they won by a narrow 7-6 verdict.

In the defense-dominated game, the Texans led in total yards (157 to 122) and first downs (14 to 9), with the offense almost perfectly balanced between rushing yardage (79) and passing (78). Houston also turned the ball over three times, to two by the Blazers. However, the Texans recorded six sacks and Florida was penalized 16 times, at a cost of 136 yards, to 7 flags for 81 yards thrown on Houston.

Mike Taliaferro completed one of three passes for 11 yards before exiting the game and Dave Mays was 7 of 17 for 67 yards while giving up an interception. Jim Nance gained just 29 yards on 10 carries, but that included the game’s only touchdown. WR Rick Eber led Houston’s receivers with 5 catches for 46 yards.

For the Blazers, Bob Davis was successful on only 5 of 18 throws for 54 yards and was picked off twice. Tommy Reamon was the leading ground gainer with a lackluster 21 yards on 15 attempts and Jim Strong, who ran for 14 yards on 10 carries, led the club in pass receiving with three catches for 27 yards.

Houston tied Portland the following week before dropping five of their next six games. At that point, the underfinanced franchise moved to Shreveport, Louisiana and was renamed the Steamer, finishing up with a record of 7-12-1 that tied with Portland at the bottom of the WFL’s Western Division. Florida won its next three games on the way to topping the Eastern Division at 14-6. However, the club was also beset by financial problems that included missed payrolls, although the Blazers still made it to the WFL Championship Game (the World Bowl) and lost narrowly to the Birmingham Americans.

Jim Nance’s touchdown against the Blazers was his first of eight over the course of the season. The 31-year-old veteran rushed for 1240 yards on an even 300 carries. John Mallory’s interception that set up the TD was one of five on the year, and at 59 yards was his longest return.

1969: Jets Intercept 6 Passes, Defeat Oilers to Clinch AFL Eastern Division Title

The New York Jets were looking to lock up a second straight AFL Eastern Division title as they faced the Houston Oilers on December 6, 1969. A year after Head Coach Weeb Ewbank’s team had not only won the AFL Championship but stunned the Baltimore Colts, champions of the NFL, in Super Bowl III, the Jets still boasted a formidable offense that featured the passing of QB Joe Namath (pictured above) to wide receivers Don Maynard and George Sauer and the running of FB Matt Snell and HB Emerson Boozer. While there were concerns about the defensive backfield, the line and linebackers were solid. The Jets had an 8-4 record, having lost to the Raiders the previous week.

Houston, coached by Wally Lemm, was 5-5-2 and in second place in the mediocre Eastern Division. The Oilers were known for a tough defense that featured DE Elvin Bethea, OLB George Webster, MLB Garland Boyette, cornerbacks Miller Farr and Zeke Moore, and FS Ken Houston.  The offense was not so formidable and was without starting FB Hoyle Granger and QB Pete Beathard, who suffered a foot injury in the previous game and was a late scratch, to be replaced by backup Don Trull.

There were 51,923 fans in attendance for the Saturday game at the Astrodome. The tone was set on the first play from scrimmage when Don Trull of the Oilers threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Cornell Gordon, who returned it 20 yards to the Houston seven. Three plays later, Emerson Boozer ran two yards up the middle for a touchdown. Jim Turner added the extra point and the visitors had a quick 7-0 advantage.

Things got worse for the Oilers when, facing third-and-11 from their own 26, Trull fumbled and DE Verlon Biggs recovered for the Jets. Joe Namath went to the air on first down and connected with George Sauer for a 21-yard TD. Turner again converted and, with only 3:32 elapsed, New York held a 14-0 lead.

In response, the Oilers moved effectively on their ensuing possession. FB Roy Hopkins and HB Woody Campbell handled the ball carrying effectively although the first time Trull faded back to pass he was sacked by DT John Elliott. But facing third-and-12, Trull threw to WR Jerry LeVias for 18 yards and, after two runs by Campbell gained seven yards, he connected with TE Alvin Reed (pictured at left) for 15 yards on a third-and-three play. Another third down was converted when the Jets were flagged for pass interference but the drive finally stalled at the New York 17 and Houston turned the ball over on downs.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. Midway through the period, another Trull pass was picked off, this time by DE Gerry Philbin who returned it 15 yards to the Houston three. Matt Snell lost three yards on first down, but Namath then threw to HB Bill Mathis for a six-yard touchdown. Turner added the point after and the Jets were up by a comfortable 21-0.

Bob Davis, who had only recently been activated from the taxi squad, was at quarterback when the Oilers returned on offense, but after completing two passes, the second to LeVias for 22 yards, he gave up an interception to LB Paul Crane. This time the visitors were unable to take advantage of the turnover and had to punt. Houston put together a 58-yard scoring drive as Davis completed five passes, three to Reed and two to LeVias, the second of which resulted in a 20-yard TD. Roy Gerela added the extra point.

The Oilers got a break when, on the second play of New York’s next series, WR Bake Turner fumbled while running on an end-around and DT Carel Stith recovered at the New York 22. Davis completed a pass to LeVias for 10 yards, but an illegal motion penalty backed Houston up and the home team ended up settling for a 24-yard Gerela field goal that made the halftime score 21-10.

The Jets had the first possession of the third quarter, punted, and got the ball back a few plays later when CB John Dockery intercepted a Davis pass and returned it 35 yards to the Houston five. The Oilers were able to keep the Jets out of the end zone, but the visitors came away with a 10-yard field goal by Turner that extended their lead to 14 points.

LeVias returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards and the Jets were penalized 15 yards for a personal foul on top of it, but on the next play Davis fumbled when sacked by Biggs and New York had the ball back at the Houston 47. Runs by Boozer and Mathis picked up 18 yards before Jim Turner came on to kick a 38-yard field goal that put the Jets ahead by 27-10.

Davis was sacked twice by Biggs on the next possession and the Oilers had to punt from deep in their own territory. As the game moved into the fourth quarter, the Jets advanced to the Houston three, but this time they came up empty when Turner missed a short field goal attempt. It didn’t matter as, two plays later, Davis gave up another interception, this time with LB Ralph Baker (pictured at right) doing the honors. Veteran QB Babe Parilli was now spelling Namath and threw to Boozer for a gain of 29 yards. Snell scored from three yards out shortly thereafter and, with Turner again converting, the Jets had a commanding 34-10 lead.

The next two Houston possessions resulted in turnovers, by a fumble and yet another interception, the second by Dockery. But now New York turned the ball over on a fumble by FB Lee White and safety Johnny Peacock recovered and ran 27 yards for a touchdown. HB Mike Richardson scored for a two-point conversion that made it a 34-18 contest with a little over five minutes to play.

The Jets recovered the ensuing onside kick but went three-and-out and punted. Houston drove 80 yards in 10 plays. Davis completed eight passes along the way and ran once for four yards. His last pass was to HB Rich Johnson for a one-yard TD and another toss to WR Jim Beirne added another two-point conversion. It was now an eight-point game and this time the Oilers succeeded on recovering the onside kick, but there were only 32 seconds remaining on the clock. Davis missed on four passes and New York came away with a 34-26 win.  

As a side note, the attention of the crowd was split between the game before them, during which they often booed the Oilers, and the major collegiate game between Texas and Arkansas that many of them were listening to via radio, causing cheers at odd moments.

Houston led in total yards (220 to 213) and in first downs (18 to 12), which was deceptive since the Oilers were playing from behind virtually the entire game. More significantly, they turned the ball over a crippling nine times, six of them by interceptions, which set a club record for the Jets. New York also recorded nine sacks, to none by Houston. The Jets suffered four turnovers.

Joe Namath had a relatively run-of-the-mill performance, completing 6 of 16 passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Emerson Boozer rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries that included a TD and caught a pass for another 29 yards. Matt Snell contributed 38 yards on his 14 rushing attempts that also included a score. George Sauer topped New York’s receivers with just three catches for 33 yards and a touchdown.

For the Oilers, Don Trull was three-of-nine for 37 yards with two interceptions before being relieved by Bob Davis, who was successful on 20 of 35 throws for 192 yards and two TDs, but with four interceptions. Jerry LeVias (pictured at left) and Alvin Reed caught 9 passes apiece, for 110 and 86 yards, respectively, and LeVias scored a touchdown. Roy Hopkins led the club in rushing with 30 yards on 9 carries.

The Jets defeated Miami in the season finale to finish with a 10-4 record and, in the revamped playoff format that the AFL used in its last season prior to the merger with the NFL, they faced the second-place team in the Western Division, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the first round. The Chiefs won to end New York’s hopes of repeating as AFL Champions. The Oilers won their last game to finish second in the division at 6-6-2 and were swamped by the Oakland Raiders, the Western Division’s top finisher, in their first round playoff game.

The relief performance against New York was the most significant action for third-year QB Bob Davis in 1969. Used sparingly in his first three seasons with Houston, he moved on to the Jets the following year and saw his most significant NFL action with them before moving on to New Orleans and then the World Football League.

Highlighted Year: Bob Davis, 1974

Quarterback, Florida Blazers

Age: 29 (Sept. 15)

8^th season in pro football, 1^st in WFL & with Blazers

College: Virginia

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 202

Prelude:

Davis was a quarterback who could both run and pass effectively in college, throwing for 3095 yards and gaining 930 on the ground, but he suffered a major knee injury in his last game. He was chosen by the Houston Oilers in the second round of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft and he was a backup in Houston for three seasons, completing 67 of 147 passes (45.6 %) for 735 yards and two TDs with 12 interceptions. Davis spent the 1970 to ’73 seasons with the New York Jets and started seven games in 1971 due to injuries to Joe Namath and Al Woodall. It proved to be his most productive NFL season as he threw for 624 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt and completed only 40.5 percent of his passes. Davis spent a year as a backup with New Orleans in 1973 and saw scant action. He was traded to Buffalo but signed with the Washington Ambassadors of the new WFL for ’74. By the time the regular season started, the club was in Orlando and called the Florida Blazers.

1974 Season Summary

Appeared in all 20 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 414 [3]

Completions – 227 [3]

Yards – 3079 [3]

Completion percentage – 54.8 [1]

Yards per attempt – 7.4 [3]

TD passes – 21 [5]

Interceptions – 23 [2]

Rushing

Attempts – 28

Yards – 94

Average gain – 3.4

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 2

Action Points - 0

Points – 14

(Note: Touchdowns counted for 7 points in the WFL)

Postseason: 3 G

Pass attempts – 50

Most pass attempts, game – 21 at Birmingham, WFL Championship

Pass completions – 17

Most pass completions, game – 8 at Birmingham, WFL Championship

Passing yardage – 317

Most passing yards, game – 184 at Birmingham, WFL Championship

TD passes – 3

Most TD passes, game – 2 at Birmingham, WFL Championship

Interceptions – 2

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Birmingham, WFL Championship

Rushing attempts – 3

Most rushing attempts, game – 3 at Birmingham, WFL Championship

Rushing yards – 10

Most rushing yards, game – 10 at Birmingham, WFL Championship

Average gain rushing – 3.3

Rushing TDs – 0

Blazers went 14-6 to finish first in the WFL Eastern Division. Won First Round playoff over Philadelphia Bell (18-3) & Second Round playoff over Memphis Southmen (18-15). Lost WFL Championship to Birmingham Americans (22-21). 

Aftermath:

Following the demise of the Blazers, Davis joined the Philadelphia Bell in 1975 and beat out Jim “King” Corcoran to be the starting quarterback. He passed for 1114 yards and 7 touchdowns while giving up 12 interceptions before the league folded at midseason, ending his career as well. Davis ended up as the WFL’s career passing yardage leader in its brief existence with 4193 yards, tossing 28 TD passes with 35 interceptions. In the NFL, he started a total of 14 games and threw for 1553 yards and 14 TDs while giving up 23 interceptions.

--

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

1974: Wheels Defeat Blazers for Only Win

The Detroit Wheels of the World Football League were limping along at 0-11 as they traveled to Orlando to meet the Florida Blazers on September 11, 1974. With the Blazers on top of the Eastern Division at 7-3, it did not seem likely that the Wheels might finally break into the win column.

The Wheels, coached by Dan Boisture, were typically competitive in their games, but unlucky in close contests as well as largely ignored by the Detroit area fans. They were not helped by playing home games in Ypsilanti, some 30 miles away from the city, and were in bad financial condition from the start. The Wheels drew heavily from ex-CFL players, including QB Bubba Wyche (pictured above), who performed ably.

Florida had more wins, if not a better financial situation. The Blazers were coached by former NFL linebacker Jack Pardee and featured ex-Jet QB Bob Davis, rookie RB Tommy Reamon, and TE Greg Latta on offense and DT Mike McBath and CB Miller Farr on defense. They had beaten the Wheels earlier in the season in Ypsilanti.

There were 9003 fans in attendance at the Tangerine Bowl. In the second quarter, the Blazers drove 61 yards in 13 plays, culminating in Bob Davis throwing a swing pass to RB Jim Strong for a 16-yard touchdown. The pass attempt for the action point failed but the home team carried a 7-0 lead into halftime (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an “action point”, that could not be kicked).

That was it until the Wheels started their third series of the third quarter with good field position at midfield and Bubba Wyche threw to WR Jon Henderson at the sideline, who went the distance for a 49-yard TD. Detroit also failed to complete a pass for the action point and the score remained tied at 7-7.

The Blazers weren’t able to get beyond their 25 on the next series and Detroit again had good starting field position at its 45 following the punt. This time the Wheels needed ten plays to score, although they lined up to punt at one point but Eric Guthrie, a backup quarterback as well as punter, passed instead of kicking and safety Terry Hoeppner caught it for a 22-yard gain. RB Billy Sadler ran six yards for a touchdown and then caught the pass for the action point that made it a 15-7 game with less than two minutes to play in the period.

With 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Blazers began to move on offense, going 80 yards in six plays. Davis threw to Tommy Reamon for 16 yards and WR Eddie Richardson for 25 on a throw down the middle of the field. A pass to WR Matt Maslowski picked up another 25 yards and another toss to Maslowski for 17 yards moved the ball to the Detroit two. Reamon ran the final yard for a TD but Detroit LB Dick Blanchard broke up a pass intended for Greg Latta on the attempt for the action point. The Wheels remained in front by one, and it was enough as Detroit held on to win by a final score of 15-14, setting off a wild celebration by the players.

The Blazers outgained Detroit (381 yards to 248) and had more first downs (20 to 12). However, Florida also turned the ball over three times, to none by the Wheels. There were a total of 15 punts (8 by Detroit, 7 by the Blazers).

Bubba Wyche completed 7 of 14 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, but he was also sacked seven times. Billy Sadler had 55 rushing yards on 10 carries that included a TD. Thanks to the long scoring catch, Jon Henderson (pictured at left) gained 61 yards on three pass receptions.

For the Blazers, Bob Davis was successful on 16 of 33 throws for 245 yards and was intercepted twice. Tommy Reamon ran for 65 yards on 17 carries and Greg Latta caught three passes for 84 yards.

“We just took the night off,” said a frustrated Coach Jack Pardee. “It was a team loss.”

The loss dropped the Blazers into a tie for first in the Eastern Division with the New York Stars at 7-4. They managed to win their next four games and ultimately topped the division with a 14-6 record, advancing to the WFL Championship game (or “World Bowl”) before falling to the Birmingham Americans and barely staying ahead of their creditors. Detroit was 1-10 and would not win again – nor would the Wheels finish out the schedule as the franchise folded three weeks later.

Bubba Wyche was one of sixteen players that were picked by the remaining WFL franchises after the Wheels folded. He joined the Chicago Fire for the remaining four games. Overall, he completed 50.9 percent of his passes for 2342 yards and 11 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. He also rushed for 287 yards and scored 11 TDs on his own.

1974: Late TD Propels Blazers to Win Over Wheels

July 17, 1974 marked the home debut of the Detroit Wheels, one of the teams in the newly-formed World Football League. Having lost their first game at Memphis the previous week, they were hosting the Florida Blazers with hopes of breaking into the win column.

The Wheels had a large group of investors, but were quickly showing signs of financial trouble to come. Dan Boisture had been hired away from Eastern Michigan to be head coach, and the team found itself playing at that college’s Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, over 30 miles from Detroit, having been unable to get a lease for Tiger Stadium. With a limited budget for players, the Wheels made little effort to sign NFL veterans, looking to Canada instead. QB Bubba Wyche, formerly of Saskatchewan, directed the offense and WR Hubie Bryant was the WFL’s early receiving leader after gaining 153 yards on seven catches in the opening week, although he was suffering from an eye injury.

The Blazers were coached by ex-NFL linebacker Jack Pardee and had won a narrow victory over The Hawaiians in Week 1. QB Bob Davis (pictured above) had NFL experience, having most notably served as backup to Joe Namath with the Jets, but the offense managed just eight points in the opener.

There were 10,631 fans in attendance at Rynearson Stadium for the Wednesday night contest. Several hundred people watched the action for free from a nearby hill. The atmosphere was festive, with a rock band playing prior to the game.

The Blazers scored first, driving 62 yards in eleven plays on their opening series, and Bob Davis threw to WR Matt Maslowski for a six-yard touchdown. The pass for the action point attempt failed, but the visitors held a 7-0 lead (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point, which could not be kicked).

Detroit came right back, going 80 yards in ten plays that ended with FB Sam Scarber running ten yards for a TD. The Wheels also failed to add the action point, and the score remained 7-7 until, with 29 seconds left before the end of the half, Les Perry kicked a 26-yard field goal for Florida.

The Wheels regained the lead in the third quarter when Bubba Wyche connected with RB Jim Rathje, who eluded several tacklers after the catch on the way to a 41-yard TD. The attempt to run for the action point came up short, but the home team was ahead by four points.

That remained the situation until late in the fourth quarter. Florida put together a series that covered 82 yards in 18 plays and was capped when RB Tommy Reamon scored on a five-yard run with 1:37 remaining. This time, the Blazers added the action point on a pass from Davis to TE Greg Latta, and now it was Florida on top by four.

There was still enough time for the Wheels to come back, however. Wyche threw to WR Charlie McKee for a 43-yard gain, and when the receiver fumbled at the end of the play, Sam Scarber recovered at the Florida seven with the clock now down to 1:07.

Scarber ran for two yards and Rathje picked up four to reach the one yard line. After Rathje was stopped for no gain, and with no timeouts remaining, Wyche hurriedly fired a fourth down pass into the end zone, but it fell incomplete. Florida came away with an 18-14 win.

The Wheels outgained Florida (340 yards to 308) although the Blazers had the edge in first downs (18 to 13). There were no turnovers, but lots of penalties, with Detroit flagged 9 times at a cost of 87 yards and the visitors penalized seven times for 50 yards.

Bob Davis completed 14 of 20 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. RB Jim Strong led the ground attack with 89 yards on 18 carries and was also Florida’s leading receiver with four catches for 29 yards. RB A.D. Whitfield also had four receptions, for 18 yards. Tommy Reamon contributed 65 yards on 16 rushing attempts, which included the game-winning TD.

For the Wheels, Bubba Wyche was successful on 14 of 29 throws for 221 yards and a TD. Sam Scarber (pictured at left) rushed for 74 yards on 11 attempts that included a touchdown. Charlie McKee topped the receivers with three catches for 69 yards.

“Sure it boosted our spirits,” said a relieved Coach Pardee of the Blazers. “Any game you win like that has to make you feel good.”

Detroit had to hurriedly prepare for a weekend game at Honolulu and lost, and kept on losing until reaching 0-10 before finally pulling out a victory in the return meeting with the Blazers. It was the only win for the Wheels, who failed to finish out the season and ended up at the bottom of the Central Division with a 1-13 record. Florida, which also suffered from major financial problems, fared much better, topping the Eastern Division at 14-6 and advancing to the WFL Championship game (called the World Bowl) before losing to the Birmingham Americans. 

1974: Blazers Upset Southmen in WFL Semifinal Playoff Game

Determining the playoff format for the World Football League’s 1974 season proved to be a reflection of the overall chaos surrounding the entire operation. A structure was finally agreed to that would include six teams and allow the Memphis Southmen and Birmingham Americans, the clubs with the best records, to have a bye for the first round. While The Hawaiians upset the Southern California Sun in one contest, the Florida Blazers defeated the Philadelphia Bell in the other. On November 29 the Blazers traveled to Memphis to take on the Southmen in a Semifinal Playoff game.

The Blazers hadn’t been paid in 13 weeks due to lack of income compounded by organizational flux and lawsuits that prevented the league from stepping in to compensate the players. In addition, the Blazers were angry because they had to beat Philadelphia to advance to the Semifinal game while Memphis and Birmingham drew first-round byes.

Head Coach Jack Pardee held the team together through all of the adversity, and Florida had topped the Eastern Division with a 14-6 record. The offense was directed by QB Bob Davis, formerly of the Oilers, Jets, and Saints, and had the WFL’s leading rusher in rookie RB Tommy Reamon (pictured above). The defense was one of the league’s best and contained All-League selections DE John Ricca, DT Mike McBath, and CB Miller Farr, an ex-NFL star primarily with the Oilers and Cardinals.

The Memphis Southmen (or “Grizzlies”, as the local fans preferred to call them), coached by John McVay, were well-funded as well as successful on the field, having topped the Central Division with a 17-3 tally. 31-year-old veteran QB John Huarte, a journeyman backup in the AFL and NFL, competently directed an offense that featured a solid stable of running backs led by rookie J.J. Jennings and a fine receiver in WR Ed Marshall. CB David Thomas was the featured player on defense. Moreover, the Southmen had not lost at home all season.

There were just 9692 fans in attendance at Memphis Memorial Stadium (aka the Liberty Bowl) on a cold and rainy Friday night. Memphis scored in the first quarter on a one-yard carry by Jennings. The Southmen got another TD before the opening period was over thanks to a completion by Huarte to Marshall that covered 45 yards. While Jennings successfully ran for the action point following his initial score, the attempt failed following the second TD, but Memphis was out in front by a score of 15-0 (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an “action point” that couldn’t be kicked).

It only seemed to get worse for the Blazers in the second quarter when Bob Davis suffered a rib injury and was replaced by rookie Buddy Palazzo, who had thrown just five passes during the regular season. But while there was no further scoring in the first half, most notably thanks to an interception by Miller Farr of a Huarte pass in the end zone, Florida began to close the gap in the third quarter.

First, capping the Blazers’ first series of the second half, Dave Strock kicked a 25-yard field goal and then Tommy Reamon ran for a 21-yard touchdown. The action point was successfully added and the tally was at 15-11 heading into the final period.

It looked as though it would stay that way until the Blazers got a break late in the fourth quarter. Forced to punt after Palazzo was sacked deep in in his own territory, David Thomas fumbled the kick and TE Luther Palmer recovered at the Memphis 22 with 1:13 remaining. Four plays later RB Richard James ran four yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The pass attempt for the action point was intercepted but the Blazers were ahead by three.

Memphis still had a chance, but Bob Etter’s 40-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds on the clock was blocked by DE Louis Ross. Florida advanced to the WFL Championship game by a score of 18-15.

The Blazers gained just 58 net passing yards but more than made up for it with 213 yards on the ground. They also had the edge in first downs (17 to 15). There were three turnovers, with Memphis giving up two of them.

Tommy Reamon was the offensive star as he rushed for 125 yards on 25 carries that included a touchdown. Bob Davis completed only three of 10 passes for 20 yards with one intercepted before exiting the contest and Buddy Palazzo was good on three of six throws for 47 yards with no TDs but also no interceptions. TE Greg Latta led Florida’s receivers with three catches for 26 yards. 

For the Southmen, J.J. Jennings rushed for 106 yards on 24 attempts. John Huarte (pictured at left) was successful on 17 of 22 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown and had one picked off. WR Jack Ettinger had 9 catches for 105 yards.

“We beat Memphis, the World Football League, and their money,” exulted Florida LB Larry Ely afterward. It was a stunning win for the underfunded underdog team.

“We were mad and hungry,” summed up Coach Pardee. “We played that way.”

The Blazers came up short in the league title game, called the World Bowl, by a 22-21 score against the Birmingham Americans. It marked the end for the team, as what was left of the franchise was transferred to San Antonio for the WFL’s second (abbreviated) season in 1975, including around 20 of the leftover players.

1975: Sun Defeat Bell in Highest-Scoring WFL Game

The Southern California Sun were off to a 3-1 start in the second World Football League season as they hosted the Philadelphia Bell on August 29, 1975. Under the guidance of Head Coach Tom Fears, the Sun were benefiting from the presence of rookie RB Anthony Davis, a local star out of USC who had spurned the New York Jets to become the troubled WFL’s lone high-profile rookie signing for ’75. It had been anticipated that ex-Raider Daryle Lamonica would take over at quarterback for departed 1974 co-MVP Tony Adams, but injuries kept him off the field and another rookie from Southern Cal, Pat Haden (pictured at right), stepped into the starting role after overcoming a preseason injury. But while the offense could put points on the board, there were concerns about the defense, especially when star DT Dave Roller was knocked out of action with an injury the previous week.

Philadelphia had undergone coaching turmoil during the preseason, but was now guided by ex-Green Bay Hall of Famer Willie Wood, a pioneering African-American head coach. The Bell had also picked up QB Bob Davis from the Florida Blazers, who beat out the flamboyant Jim “King” Corcoran for the starting job, as well as RB J.J. Jennings from Memphis and TE Ted Kwalick from the NFL 49ers. The Bell came into the contest at 2-2.

There was a paltry crowd of 17,811 on hand at Anaheim Stadium for the Friday night game. Philadelphia had the first scoring opportunity, but a 38-yard field goal by Bob Cooper was nullified by a penalty and the follow-up attempt was blocked.

On Southern California’s first play, Anthony Davis threw an option pass to wide-open WR Dave Williams that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown. Davis successfully ran for the action point (in the WFL, touchdowns were good for seven points and were then followed up by an “action point” that could not be kicked). It was the beginning of a big first half for the 10^th-year veteran Williams.

The Bell evened the score when RB John Land ran for a two-yard TD to cap a seven-play, 54-yard drive, followed by Bob Davis throwing to Land for the action point, but the Sun came right back when Anthony Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for another touchdown. While they failed to convert the action point attempt, the Sun had a 15-8 lead – and had run just one play from scrimmage.

Before the first quarter was over, Williams scored again to cap a 72-yard drive, this time on a pass from Haden that covered 37 yards. The Sun again failed to add the action point but still held a 22-8 lead.

The Sun poured it on in the second quarter, with FB Greg Herd scoring on a one-yard carry set up by a pass interference call in the end zone (followed by a successful action point conversion on a run by backup QB Mike Ernst), and Williams adding two more TD catches from Haden on plays that covered 15 and 38 yards. Ted Kwalick caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bob Davis (and caught another pass to convert the action point), but Southern California maintained a solid 44-16 lead at the half.

The Bell didn’t give up as Davis tossed three more touchdown passes in the second half, of eight yards to WR Ron Holliday in the third quarter and, in the final period, of 13 yards to ex-Eagles veteran WR Ben Hawkins and 49 yards to a future Eagles special teams star, WR Vince Papale. Two of the action point attempts were successful.

The Sun added a one-yard TD carry by RB Bill Kramer in the third quarter and an eight-yard run by RB Gary Dixon in the fourth. Both action point attempts failed, but they weren’t needed as Southern California prevailed by a score of 58-39. To add insult to injury for the Bell, the local television station that was showing the game in Philadelphia pulled the plug on the telecast because it was running too late.

The 97 points scored made it the highest-scoring game in the WFL’s brief history. The Sun rolled up 508 total yards – with 233 coming on the ground – to 436 for Philadelphia, trying vainly to play catch-up throughout most of the game. Southern California also had the edge in first downs (25 to 22) while the Bell led in turnovers (3 to 2) and penalties (14, at a cost of 152 yards, to 10 flags for 96 yards thrown on the home team).

Anthony Davis (pictured below) had another noteworthy performance, rushing for 115 yards on 21 carries, throwing a touchdown pass, and returning a kickoff for another TD. Pat Haden completed 13 of 21 passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns and had one intercepted. Dave Williams was the receiving star with 6 catches for 179 yards and four scores.

For the Bell, Bob Davis was successful on 21 of 46 throws for 285 yards and four TDs along with two interceptions. John Land ran for 55 yards on 12 carries that included a touchdown and J.J. Jennings was right behind with 10 attempts for 52 yards. Land and Ben Hawkins each caught 5 passes (for 44 and 42 yards, respectively) and Ted Kwalick gained 93 yards on his four receptions.

“All week we talked about containing (Anthony) Davis,” said a disappointed Coach Willie Wood. “Then the first time the Sun has the ball he goes around end and throws for the 51-yard touchdown. We got flat, we lost concentration because of that play.”

Southern California compiled a 7-5 record and was in first place in the Western Division when the WFL abruptly folded in October. The Bell were at the bottom of the Eastern Division at 4-7.

Anthony Davis was outstanding, comfortably leading the league in rushing (1200 yards), rushing touchdowns (16), and scoring (133 points) after 12 games. He went on to play in the CFL, NFL, and USFL, but never came close to the same level of performance.

Pat Haden was off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar before the league folded, but would return to pro football with the NFL’s Rams for six years. Dave Williams finished off his pro career by catching 21 passes, 9 of which were good for touchdowns. He gained 327 yards (15.6 avg.) and the scoring reception from Anthony Davis was his longest of the year. 

1974: Birmingham Defeats Florida for WFL Championship

The World Football League (WFL) came into being with grand pretensions. Founded by Gary Davidson, who had been involved with the American Basketball Association (ABA) and World Hockey Association (WHA), the plan was to create a world-wide league that would spread American football to other continents. As it was, the WFL took the field in 1974 with 12 US-based teams split into three divisions (the one Canadian franchise, in Toronto, shifted to Memphis before ever taking the field).

There were a number of rules changes that differentiated the WFL from the NFL (although the older league picked up a few of them, such as overtime in case of ties and moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone). Most notably, touchdowns were worth 7 points, and were followed by the “action point” – either a running or pass play, but no placekicking, and worth one point.

By the time the 20-game regular season came to an end, two teams had folded and two others had transferred to other cities. Large initial crowds turned out to have been padded by the handing out of free tickets, and ultimately most of the teams became mired in red ink. The playoffs were expanded from four to six to, finally, eight teams (80 % of the surviving teams in the end) with the Philadelphia Bell and the Hawaiians making it into the postseason with 9-11 records.

When the dust cleared after two rounds of playoffs, the Florida Blazers, who had placed first in the Eastern Division with a 14-6 record, faced the Birmingham Americans, the second place team in the Central Division at 15-5, for the league championship in what was called the World Bowl (or, more optimistically, World Bowl I) on December 5, 1974 at Birmingham’s Legion Field. Attendance was 32,376 for the location that had received the most fan support during the year in the WFL.

The Blazers, coached by Jack Pardee, had missed 15 payrolls and the players nearly boycotted the game. It appeared that they would fall easy prey to the Americans, who led 15-0 at the half and 22-0 after three quarters. Veteran QB George Mira directed the offense to three touchdowns – first, a one-yard run by RB Joe Profit; then a four-yard run by RB Art Cantrelle; and finally, a 26-yard TD pass from Mira to TE Bob Brown. Backup QB Matthew Reed ran for an action point after the second score, the only one that was successfully converted during the game, which proved to be crucial in the end. An apparent first quarter TD plunge by Panthers RB Tommy Reamon, in which it appeared that he had broken the plane before losing his grip on the ball, was ruled a fumble and, with the ball passing through the end zone, a touchback.

Florida came to life in the fourth quarter. QB Bob Davis threw touchdown passes of 39 yards to Reamon and 40 yards to TE Greg Latta. With 4:14 left in the game, Rod Foster returned a punt 76 yards for a TD in spectacular fashion to bring the Blazers to within a point. However, the Americans stopped Reamon on the ensuing action point attempt and held on to win, 22-21.

Fights broke out as the Americans ran out the clock. Florida CB Billy Hayes grabbed the game ball after the last play and ran for the locker room with Birmingham players in pursuit, ending in a shoving match under the end zone stands.

Mira (pictured) was the game’s MVP, more for his outstanding direction of the offense than his passing statistics, which came to five completions in 14 attempts for 90 yards with a TD and no interceptions. The team ran for a total of 211 yards, spread among four backs and Mira, who gained 27 yards on four carries. Joe Profit led the group with 58 yards on 21 attempts. TE Brown was the top receiver with three catches for 55 yards and a score.

Bob Davis ended up completing 8 of 21 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tommy Reamon, who led the league in rushing during the regular season, was also the top ground gainer in this game, carrying 13 times for 83 yards. WR Hubie Bryant was the team’s top receiver with 3 catches for 50 yards.

There were the usual celebratory comments after the game. Said Mira, “I’ve waited eleven years to be a starter on a championship team”. And Birmingham’s Head Coach Jack Gotta added, “I don’t know what happens tomorrow, but tonight is the greatest night of my life.”

Afterward, sheriff’s deputies took possession of the Americans’ uniforms, which were sold at a local sporting goods store.

The WFL made it back to the field for another season in 1975, but failed to complete the schedule; there was no World Bowl II. But the name “World Bowl” returned in the 1990s when the NFL’s developmental league, the World League of American Football, adopted the same name for its annual championship game.