Highlighted Year: John Corker, 1983

Linebacker, Michigan Panthers

Age: 24

4^th season in pro football, 1^st in USFL & with Panthers

College: Oklahoma State

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 240

Prelude:

Corker was the Big-8 Defensive Player of the Year in 1978, impressing with his combination of speed and size, although he suffered torn ligaments in his knee during the season. He came back to receive second-team all-conference recognition in ’79 and was chosen by the Houston Oilers in the fifth round of the 1980 NFL draft but, after three undistinguished and injury-plagued years, was let go following the 1982 season. Corker was signed by the Panthers of the new USFL, who obtained his rights from the Washington Federals.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in 17 of 18 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 28 [1]

Most sacks, game – 6 at New Jersey 4/10

Multi-sack games – 6

Interceptions – 2

Int. return yards – 22

Int. TDs – 0

Fumble recoveries – 5

Fumble recovery TDs – 1

Tackles – 116.5

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 2 G

Sacks – N/A

Interceptions – 0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

USFL Defensive Player of the Year: League, Pro Football Weekly

1^st team All-USFL: Official, Sporting News, College & Pro Football Newsweekly, Pro Football Weekly

Panthers went 12-6 to finish first in the USFL Central Division while leading the league in sacks (74). Won Semifinal playoff over Oakland Invaders (37-21) & USFL Championship over Philadelphia Stars (24-22).

Aftermath:

Corker followed up his sensational 1983 season with a lesser, if still effective, performance, registering 8 sacks and 76 tackles over the course of 14 games in ’84 and receiving All-USFL honors from The Sporting News. He was left unprotected when the Panthers merged with the Oakland Invaders in 1985 and joined the Memphis Showboats. Adding another 5.5 sacks, he finished his USFL career with 41.5. With the demise of the USFL, Corker attempted a return to the NFL but failed to catch on, at least partly due to off-field drug use. He joined the Detroit Drive of the Arena Football League in 1988, performed well on offense as well as defense, and returned to the NFL with Green Bay, appearing in two games. Corker returned to the arena league in 1990 and spent another six seasons with the Detroit Drive and Miami Hooters. He was named to the Arena Football League’s 10^th Anniversary All-Time team as an offensive and defensive lineman and was inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame in 2002.

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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

1983: Federals Defeat Panthers for First Win

The Washington Federals had endured tough going in the first three weeks of the inaugural United States Football League season, losing all three of their games, including the most recent thanks to a late field goal. On March 27, 1983 they hosted the Michigan Panthers, who came into the contest at 1-2.

The Federals, coached by Ray Jauch, had a good rookie running back in Craig James, but he was already sidelined with an injury. WR Joey Walters was a dependable receiver, but quarterback was unsettled with another promising first-year play, Mike Hohensee, injured and veteran NFL backup Kim McQuilken taking his place.

Michigan had a big-name rookie of its own, WR Anthony Carter, who was off to a slow start and a less-heralded first-year quarterback in Bobby Hebert. LB John Corker already had five sacks, but Head Coach Jim Stanley’s team was still coming together and, following a low-scoring opening win, was struggling.

There was an extremely disappointing crowd of 11,414 fans in attendance on a rainy day at RFK Stadium. The Federals got on the board first, just three minutes into the contest, with a 32-yard field goal by Obed Ariri.

That was it until midway through the second quarter when Washington extended its lead on a pass from Kim McQuilken to WR Mike Holmes that was good for a 40-yard touchdown. The Panthers responded by driving 81 yards in 12 plays, culminating in a TD pass from Bobby Hebert to Anthony Carter that covered 33 yards. It was Carter’s first pro touchdown and, with Novo Bojovic adding the extra point, Washington’s lead was narrowed to 10-7.

In the waning seconds of the first half, the Federals scored another touchdown on an eight-yard McQuilken toss to Joey Walters. Ariri missed the extra point, but the home team took a 16-7 lead into halftime.

Late in the third quarter, the Panthers came through with a big play to once again cut into Washington’s lead. Hebert connected with WR Derek Holloway for a 69-yard TD, although Bojovic also failed to convert the extra point. Still, it was a three-point contest heading into the fourth quarter. It was almost enough for the Federals, but Bojovic tied the game with a 43-yard field goal as time expired in regulation.

The Federals had the first possession in overtime and drove 72 yards in six plays, the last of which was a pass from McQuilken to Walters, who outdistanced the coverage on a down-and-in pattern for a game-winning 23-yard touchdown at 2:43 into the extra period. Washington finally broke into the win column by a final score of 22-16.

The Panthers had the edge in total yards (326 to 314) and each team recorded 20 first downs. Most of the yards came through the air as neither club mounted much of a ground attack (the Federals had the edge at 48 yards to 42). Michigan recorded six sacks (five of them by John Corker, on his way to leading the USFL in that category) but also turned the ball over seven times (six on fumbles) to just one turnover suffered by Washington.

Kim McQuilken had a big day as he completed 24 of 48 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Mike Holmes caught 6 passes for 124 yards and a TD while Joey Walters also contributed 6 receptions, gaining 99 yards and scoring twice. RB James Mayberry was Washington’s leading ground gainer with 25 yards on 10 carries while RB Eric Robinson was held to just 22 yards on 17 attempts, although he caught 5 passes for 37 yards.

For the Panthers, Bobby Hebert was successful on 22 of 44 throws for 292 yards and two TDs, tossing one interception. WR Frank McClain led the receivers with 6 catches for 76 yards and Anthony Carter added three receptions and 51 yards, including a touchdown. RB Ken Lacy ran for 35 yards on 7 attempts.

The win for the Federals did not signal a turnaround. They were thrashed by the powerful Philadelphia Stars the next week and went on to finish at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 4-14 record. Michigan’s fortunes did improve dramatically, however. The Panthers lost again to drop into a 1-4 hole before reeling off six straight wins on the way to a 12-6 tally, best in the Central Division. They went on to win the first USFL Championship.

Kim McQuilken saw most of the action at quarterback for the Federals, throwing for 1912 yards with seven touchdowns against 14 interceptions in what would be his last pro season. Joey Walters remained productive as he caught 63 passes for 959 yards (15.2 avg.) and six TDs. 

1983: Corker Has 6 Sacks as Panthers Defeat Generals

The Michigan Panthers were struggling in the early going of the United States Football League’s first season as they took on the New Jersey Generals at the Meadowlands on April 10, 1983. Coached by Jim Stanley, they had lost four straight games following an opening-week win. The Panthers had unheralded rookie QB Bobby Hebert behind center and were waiting for their better known first-year player, WR Anthony Carter, to break out. LB John Corker had become the star of the defense and, while he missed the previous week’s game, had accounted for nine sacks in the two contests before and was back for the game against New Jersey.

The Generals, under Head Coach Chuck Fairbanks, were also 1-4 and had just broken into the win column in the previous contest. Star rookie RB Herschel Walker was the center of attention and had exploded for 177 yards in the winning effort. But QB Bobby Scott, a veteran backup from the New Orleans Saints, was mediocre and the rest of the team was lacking as well.

There were just 17,648 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium with a steady rain falling. Defense dominated as neither team was able to score during the first half. It stayed that way until, with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter, a punt by Dave Jacobs of the Generals was blocked by CB Clarence Chapman following a high snap. NT Ira Albright fell on the blocked kick in the end zone to finally break the scoreless battle and put the visitors in front.

The Generals came right back and scored less than two minutes later on a one-yard run by FB Dwight Sullivan. However the holder, WR Mike Friede, bobbled the snap for the extra point and it was missed. Michigan, having successfully added its PAT, thus maintained a one-point lead. With a minute remaining in the period, the Panthers extended their margin. Bobby Hebert passed to WR Derek Holloway for a 25-yard touchdown and, with another successful extra point the score was 14-6.

That was it until, with just under a minute to play in the fourth quarter, RB Ken Lacy ran for a nine-yard TD. Michigan ended up with a 21-6 win.

The Generals outgained Michigan (347 yards to 232) and had more first downs (20 to 12). However, the Panthers recorded nine sacks, six of them by Corker, while New Jersey had none.

Bobby Hebert completed 12 of 26 passes for 122 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ken Lacy rushed for 77 yards on 14 carries that included a TD and also had 4 catches for 39 yards. Derek Holloway gained 40 yards and had a touchdown among his three receptions, while Anthony Carter was held to just two catches for 22 yards.

For the Generals, Herschel Walker, who ran the ball sparingly in the second half as the offense tried to rally through the air, still had a very productive day with 133 yards on 26 carries and another 51 yards on 6 pass receptions. Bobby Scott was successful on 16 of 31 throws for 220 yards and gave up an interception. FB Maurice Carthon, who added another 23 yards on six runs, also pulled in four throws for 52 yards and WR Tom McConnaughey gained 80 yards on his three catches.

The win marked a turnaround for the Panthers, who won five straight games on their way to topping the Central Division with a 12-6 record and ultimately defeating the Philadelphia Stars for the league’s first championship. The offense, helped by the addition of some veteran linemen, came together as Bobby Hebert led the league in passing, Anthony Carter caught 60 passes for 1181 yards and nine touchdowns, and Ken Lacy rushed for 1180 yards.

John Corker’s six sacks gave him 15 in three games on the way to a league-leading total of 28. He received All-League honors from both the league and Sporting News and gaining Defensive Player of the Year recognition.

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s frustrations continued and the Generals finished third in the Atlantic Division at 6-12. Herschel Walker led the new league in rushing with 1812 yards, but the passing attack ranked 9^th among the 12 USFL clubs and only one team, the Arizona Wranglers, gave up more than New Jersey’s 437 points.

1983: Panthers Defeat Wranglers to Wrap Up Division Title

Coming into the season finale on July 3, 1983 at the Pontiac Silverdome, the host Michigan Panthers were running as hot as the visiting Arizona Wranglers were cold. Coached by Jim Stanley, it had been a remarkable first year for the Panthers, who stumbled out of the gate at 1-4 before winning six straight games to pull into contention. They had won 10 of the previous 12 contests coming into the last game, with the United States Football League’s Central Division title on the line.

Meanwhile, Arizona was going in the opposite direction. Head Coach Doug Shively’s team got off to a 4-4 start, good enough to be in contention in the weak Pacific Division, but then lost nine straight games.

Michigan’s balanced offense was led by rookie QB Bobby Hebert and contained key performers in wide receivers Anthony Carter and Derek Holloway, TE Mike Cobb, and running backs Ken Lacy and John Williams. On defense, OLB John Corker was having an outstanding season, along with NT Dave Tipton, ILB Ray Bentley, CB Clarence Chapman, and S David Greenwood.

There was a crowd of 31,905 in attendance, Michigan’s second largest of the season. The fans didn’t have long to wait for the home team to take control of the game. Less than three minutes into the contest, Lacy took a pitchout from Hebert and, rolling to his right, tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Holloway. On Michigan’s next possession, Lacy capped a five-play, 57-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run. It was 14-0 after the first quarter, and there was no turning back.

Novo Bojovic added a 42-yard field goal for the Panthers in the second quarter, and shortly before halftime they scored another touchdown when Hebert tossed a screen pass to Carter who turned it into a 68-yard scoring play. Bojovic added a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter and Williams topped off Michigan’s scoring in the final period with an 11-yard touchdown run (the extra point attempt failed, not that it mattered).

Arizona finally got on the board in the fourth quarter when QB Dan Manucci connected with WR Wally Henry for a 48-yard TD, but it only averted a shutout as the Panthers breezed to a 33-7 win.


Michigan’s domination was complete, as the Panthers gained 487 yards to Arizona’s 234 and accumulated 23 first downs to 16 by the Wranglers. Michigan’s defense sacked Manucci four times (three by Corker, pictured at left, to top off his league-leading total of 28) while the Wranglers didn’t record any.

Before being relieved by backup QB Whit Taylor, Bobby Hebert completed 11 of 15 passes for 141 yards with a TD and none intercepted. In addition to throwing for a score, Ken Lacy rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries that included a touchdown; John Williams added another 85 yards and a TD on 16 attempts. Anthony Carter caught four passes for 112 yards and a score and Mike Cobb also had four receptions, for 32 yards.

For the Wranglers, Dan Manucci was successful on 18 of 43 pass attempts for 226 yards with a TD and an interception. TE Mark Keel led the receivers with 5 catches for 72 yards. The feeble running attack was topped by RB Harold Blue, who gained 37 yards on 13 carries.

The Panthers, at 12-6, ended up with the same record as the Chicago Blitz but won the division title thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker (they won both of their games against the highly-touted Blitz). With a full head of steam heading into the playoffs, they easily defeated the Oakland Invaders, Pacific Division champs despite a 9-9 record, in the first round and went on to win the USFL’s first Championship game over the Philadelphia Stars.

Arizona finished at a dismal 4-14, at the bottom of the Pacific Division and tied with the Washington Federals for the league’s worst record. When the Wranglers took the field in the spring of 1984, they would essentially be the team that had played as the Chicago Blitz in ’83 – in an odd turn of events, what was left of the 1983 Arizona club (minus Coach Shively, among others) became, in turn, the Chicago Blitz, under new ownership - but with no greater success.

1983: Bobby Hebert Tosses 5 TD Passes as Panthers Beat Blitz

After a slow start in the United States Football League’s first season, the Michigan Panthers caught fire. They were 1-4 by the fifth week, but proceeded to win six straight games and 9 of 11 prior to their June 26, 1983 showdown against the Chicago Blitz at Soldier Field.

The Panthers offense had prospered behind the play of two rookies, QB Bobby Hebert and WR Anthony Carter, and this game would be no different. Meanwhile the Blitz, coached by George Allen and heavy preseason favorites to dominate the USFL, were 11-5 and just a game ahead of Michigan in the Central Division. They had obtained veteran QB Bobby Scott from the New Jersey Generals after Greg Landry, the club’s original starter, went down with a broken ankle; after Landry’s replacement, Tim Koegel, also suffered an injury, Scott moved into the starting lineup the previous week in a 29-14 win over Birmingham.

On a 99-degree day before 25,041 fans, the Panthers took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a pass from Hebert to RB Ken Lacy that covered 39 yards. It was 14-0 in the second quarter after Hebert threw his second TD pass of the day, for 35 yards to Carter. The Blitz got on the board with a 34-yard field goal by Frank Corral, but Hebert threw a 42-yard TD pass to WR Derek Holloway and Michigan took a 21-3 lead into halftime.

Hebert hit Holloway for another touchdown, of 15 yards, in the third quarter. While the extra point failed, the lead of 27-3 seemed secure. Still, Chicago rallied for 16 straight points in the fourth quarter. RB Kevin Long ran for a four-yard TD, although the attempted two-point conversion afterward failed. But Corral kicked a 40-yard field goal and Scott threw a nine-yard scoring pass to WR Trumaine Johnson to pull within reach of the Panthers at 27-19. However, Hebert’s fifth touchdown pass of the day, covering 32 yards to Carter, sealed the 34-19 win for Michigan.

Bobby Hebert completed 13 of 20 passes for 265 yards and an interception. His five touchdown passes set a USFL record that was tied six times over the next two seasons but never exceeded. Anthony Carter had his best game as a pro to date, catching 8 passes for 143 yards including the two TDs. Ken Lacy led the club in rushing with 77 yards on 21 carries in addition to his lone pass reception, the 39-yard TD.

Bobby Scott did not do badly for the Blitz, completing 22 of 39 passes for 345 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Trumaine Johnson, the eventual league-leader in pass receiving, had 8 receptions for 138 yards and the one TD. However, the normally proficient running game was held to 98 yards, with Kevin Long accumulating 33 yards on 10 carries and Tim Spencer adding 29 yards, also on 10 attempts.


The Panthers sacked Scott six times (suffering just one of their own), with LB John Corker accounting for two on his way to a USFL-leading 28. Corker also had an interception.

The win put the Panthers in a three-way tie atop the Central Division with the Blitz and Tampa Bay Bandits. Ultimately, after the final week action, Michigan and Chicago ended up with 12-6 records; the Panthers won the division title on tiebreakers while the Blitz made it to the postseason as the wild card entry. Tampa Bay placed third with an 11-7 mark. Chicago lost to the Philadelphia Stars in the first round of the postseason. Michigan ultimately won the league championship, defeating the Stars, 24-22.

Bobby Hebert led the league in overall passing rank as well as touchdowns (27) and yards per attempt (7.9). His 3568 yards through the air ranked third. Anthony Carter placed well behind Trumaine Johnson in pass receptions, but had an outstanding first year with 60 catches for 1181 yards and 9 touchdowns. John Corker not only was an All-League selection, but the Defensive Player of the Year.