1974: Efficient Adams Leads Sun to Win Against Storm

The Southern California Sun were at 4-3 and leading the World Football League’s Western Division as they faced the winless Portland Storm, who had a 0-6-1 record, on August 28, 1974 in the eighth week of the first WFL season.

The Sun were coached by Tom Fears, a former Hall of Fame player for the Rams and, more recently, the first head coach of the New Orleans Saints. They had good luck in signing draft choices, most notably HB Kermit Johnson and FB James McAlister from UCLA and OT Booker Brown of USC. They also had a fair sprinkling of quality veterans such as WR Dave Williams and OT Joe Carollo, while unheralded QB Tony Adams (pictured above) was proving to be a pleasant surprise guiding the offense. Southern California had won its last two contests and was trying to build its lead in the division. However, the Sun was without McAlister, who was replaced in the starting lineup by Greg “Buffalo” Herd, due to a thigh injury as well as Booker Brown.

Portland had been the last franchise to enter the WFL and was guided by Head Coach Dick Coury. QB Greg Barton had CFL experience and replaced rookie Ken Johnson, who suffered a broken hand in the opening week. Running backs Rufus “Road Runner” Ferguson and Marv Kendricks were talented but the team had difficulty producing points, reaching 20 in a game only once thus far.

There were 27,814 fans in attendance at Anaheim Stadium on a Wednesday night. The Sun started off the scoring following a turnover when DT Charles DeJurnett forced Marv Kendricks of the Storm to fumble at the Portland 41 on the game’s second play.  Four plays later, Tony Adams threw to Dave Williams for a 28-yard touchdown. The pass for the action point was unsuccessful (In the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point that could not be kicked).

Late in the opening period, Adams tossed another TD pass, this time to WR Terry Lindsey covering 37 yards, and although the action point attempt again failed, the home team held a 14-0 advantage.

Heading into the second quarter, Portland came back with a 61-yard drive that culminated in Greg Barton connecting with TE Bob Christiansen, who was free in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown. A throw for the action point was no good. But the Sun quickly advanced to another score, helped by a pass interference penalty near the goal line, and HB Ralph Nelson pounded over from a yard out for another TD. Once again the try for the action point was unsuccessful, but it hardly mattered. On Portland’s next play from scrimmage, CB Gene Howard intercepted a Barton pass and returned it 44 yards for another touchdown and this time the action point was added thanks to an Adams toss to Williams that put Southern California well in front by a 29-7 score.

On the final play of the first half, Adams added to the home team’s lead by finishing off a long drive of 92 yards in 16 plays with an 11-yard completion to Williams, and the two once again connected for the action point. The halftime score stood at 37-7 and Adams took a seat for the remainder of the contest. 

Southern California’s backup QB Gary Valbuena helped to pile on to the home team’s lead in the opening minutes of the third quarter when he threw to Lindsey along the right sideline and, when the defender dove and missed, he ran 26 yards for another TD. Nelson ran for the action point and the crowd began heading for the exits.

The Storm finally scored again when a Barton pass intended for WR Jim Krieg drew a pass interference penalty of 33 yards to the Southern California two and, three plays later, Kendricks drove over right tackle for a one-yard touchdown. QB Ken Johnson ran a bootleg to add the action point. It counted for nothing more than pride as the Sun came away with a convincing 45-15 win.

The Sun outpaced Portland in total yards (394 to 233) and first downs (22 to 15). The Storm turned the ball over twice to one suffered by Southern California.

Tony Adams, in his half of action, completed 12 of 13 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns while Gary Valbuena, in mop-up duty, was 8 of 14 for 77 yards and a TD. HB Alonzo Emery gained 40 yards on 7 carries while, in his relief appearance, Greg Herd (pictured at right) rushed for 31 yards on 8 attempts and caught an eight-yard pass. Dave Williams had 6 catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns and Terry Lindsey gained 86 yards on his three pass receptions. MLB Eric Patton and DT Dave Roller performed notably well on defense.

For the Storm, Greg Barton was successful on 8 of 15 throws for 57 yards and a TD while giving up one interception. Rufus Ferguson was held to 31 yards on 13 carries and led the club in pass receiving with three for 50 yards.

“They’re an excellent team,” said Portland’s Coach Coury of the Sun. “They have good talent, good receivers, and they executed very well.”

The Sun lost the following week but then reeled off seven straight wins on the way to easily topping the Western Division with a 13-7 record. However, they also encountered financial problems and the star rookies Johnson, McAlister, and Brown chose to sit out the playoff game against the Hawaiians, which the demoralized club lost. As for Portland, the Storm finally won the next week against the Detroit Wheels, the first of four victories in five games, and finished the season at 7-12-1.

Tony Adams was named one of the WFL’s three co-MVPs as he led the league in passing yards (3905) and finished second in attempts (510), completions (276), and yards per attempt (7.7). He was also a first-team All-WFL selection by The Sporting News and moved on to the NFL in 1975, where he spent four seasons primarily as a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs before moving on to Canada.

1950: Rams Defeat Bears in National Conference Playoff

The Los Angeles Rams hosted the Chicago Bears on December 17, 1950 in a playoff game to decide the champion of the NFL National Conference (the renamed Western Division). Both teams had finished the regular season with 9-3 records, but the Bears had beaten the Rams both times they faced off, including three weeks earlier at Chicago. 

Los Angeles topped the Western Division in 1949, losing the league title to the Eagles, and Clark Shaughnessy was replaced as head coach by Joe Stydahar, formerly an outstanding player for the Bears. The Rams had an explosive offense that scored as many as 70 points in a game and set league records with 64 touchdowns and 466 points. The quarterback tandem of Bob Waterfield (pictured above) and Norm Van Brocklin was superb and there were excellent receivers in ends Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch as well as HB Glenn Davis, once a Heisman Trophy winner at Army, who also topped the club in rushing. The defense, however, was not nearly as impressive. Furthermore, Waterfield was unable to practice during the week before the game due to the flu and was still showing the effects during the pregame warmup.

The Bears were owned and coached by “the Papa Bear”, George Halas, and depended on a solid running attack, led by HB George Gulyanics, behind a good line along with a tough defense. QB Johnny Lujack was suffering from a shoulder injury that affected his passing ability but he could still run well and had scored 11 touchdowns on the ground.  

There were 83,501 fans in attendance on a sweltering 92-degree day at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Norm Van Brocklin started the game at quarterback for the Rams and in the first quarter Bob Waterfield kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Los Angeles the early lead. The Bears, establishing their strong ground game, responded by driving 65 yards in eight plays, the last of which was a 22-yard touchdown carry by HB Al Campagna.

LA’s high-powered offense was having difficulty getting on track and an apparent 63-yard run by Glenn Davis was nullified by a holding penalty. Van Brocklin completed just two of 10 passes during the opening period and Waterfield relieved him in the second quarter, bringing results from the first series that he was behind center. The Rams went 76 yards, most of it occurring when Waterfield fired a pass to Tom Fears that covered 67 yards for a TD. Waterfield then kicked the extra point to put the home team up by 10-7.

On their next possession, the Rams drove to another score. Again it was Waterfield to Fears (pictured at left) for a 32-yard touchdown and Waterfield booted the point after. The Rams took a 17-7 lead into halftime.

The Bears still couldn’t add points and Waterfield’s ability as a punter came into play as his booming kicks kept Chicago pinned on its side of the field. Late in the third quarter, Waterfield threw to HB Verda “Vitamin T.” Smith for a 35-yard gain and followed up with a short toss to Fears that the end turned into a 23-yard TD as he broke five tackles along the way. Los Angeles held a formidable 24-7 lead.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Bears finally got on the board again at the conclusion of a 12-play, 76-yard drive that featured the running of George Gulyanics and HB Julius “Julie” Rykovich. FB Fred “Curly” Morrison powered the last four yards for a touchdown and Lujack kicked the extra point to make it a ten-point contest.

Chicago again advanced deep into LA territory, but was stopped at the two yard line with six minutes remaining as the Rams’ defense rose to the occasion. Twice the Bears came up empty on drives into Los Angeles territory. Tensions between the teams eventually boiled over as in the final seconds a free-for-all broke out and it took several minutes for the officials to restore order. In the end, the Rams came away with an impressive 24-14 win.

The Bears actually outgained LA (422 yards to 371), with 229 yards of their total coming on the ground. Chicago also had more first downs (23 to 11). But LA gained 297 yards through the air and the defense accounted for six sacks, totaling 52 yards in losses, to none for the Bears. Chicago also turned the ball over three times, to two by the Rams.

Bob Waterfield had a fine overall performance as he completed 14 of 21 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns while giving up one interception. He also was successful on all of his placekicks and averaged 42.4 yards on seven punts, including a long kick of 67 yards. Tom Fears was equally outstanding with 7 catches for 198 yard and all three TDs. The running game was an afterthought and FB Dick Hoerner led with just 18 yards on 7 carries.

For the Bears, Johnny Lujack was successful on 15 of 29 throws for 193 yards but was intercepted three times in addition to the six sacks. George Gulyanics (pictured above) led the team with 94 yards on 15 carries and also with 6 pass receptions for 67 yards. Julie Rykovich contributed 67 yards on 14 rushing attempts.

The Rams advanced to the NFL Championship game and lost a close contest against the Cleveland Browns, newcomers from the AAFC that topped the Giants in the American Conference. Los Angeles returned to the title game for a third straight year in 1951 and this time came away winners over the Browns. Chicago dropped to fourth place in ’51 with a 7-5 record. The Bears next returned to the postseason in 1956.

1974: Emery’s Third TD Propels Sun Past Bell

Two World Football League teams with 3-3 records met in Philadelphia on August 21, 1974. The visiting Southern California Sun were in first place in the Western Division, just ahead of the Houston Texans, while the host Philadelphia Bell were third in the Eastern Division and trying to keep pace with the Florida Blazers and New York Stars.

The Sun, coached by Tom Fears, had an all-rookie starting backfield of QB Tony Adams, FB James McAlister, and HB Kermit Johnson. Adams was playing well, but while Johnson ranked second in the league with 407 rushing yards, he had been injured the previous week and was unavailable for the game against the Bell.

Philadelphia had taken heat for inflating early home attendance figures with free and heavily-discounted tickets and the local media was thus making far more of missteps by the front office than the team’s play on the field. With Head Coach Ron Waller utilizing a creative offense, eccentric QB Jim “King” Corcoran had passed for 1168 yards and 12 touchdowns in six games and the running  back combination of John Land and Claude Watts was a productive one.

There were 14,600 fans in attendance at JFK Stadium on a pleasant Wednesday night. The Bell broke out to the early lead in the first quarter when RB John Land caught a pass from “King” Corcoran for a nine-yard touchdown. Corcoran tossed another TD pass later in the opening period, this time connecting with WR Paul Dunn from 34 yards out. In both instances the action point attempts failed and the score was 14-0 (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point attempt that could not be kicked).

The Sun got on the board when RB Alonzo Emery (pictured at top) ran for a one-yard touchdown and the tally was 14-8 after Tony Adams threw to James McAlister for the action point. In the second quarter, the visitors took the lead when Emery again scored from a yard out and Adams successfully ran for the action point and a 16-14 margin.

Philadelphia moved back in front at 21-16 on a one-yard TD carry by RB Alan Thompson, but the pass attempt for the action point was unsuccessful. Before the half was over, Adams threw to WR Dave Williams for an 11-yard touchdown and RB Ralph Nelson ran for the action point. The Sun took a 24-21 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, Corcoran again rallied the Bell on a series highlighted by two passes to TE Mike Carter, one of 12 yards and the next for a 27-yard TD. They failed once more at adding the action point, but led by 28-24.

The game had been highlighted by passing and long kick returns during the first three quarters, but the teams slugged it out in the final period. The Southern California offense remained stymied until late in the contest when they advanced 80 yards in 11 plays, helped along by two 15-yard penalties called on the defense. Adams threw to WR Greg Moses for a 29-yard gain to the Philadelphia one and, with 52 seconds remaining, Alonzo Emery scored his third touchdown to move the Sun back in front.

The attempt to add the action point was unsuccessful and so there was still an opportunity for Philadelphia, down by three points, to tie the score. A sweep by Land put the Bell at the Southern California 40 and Land then caught a pass from Corcoran at the 31. However, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved the ball back 15 yards (and drew the furor of Coach Waller) and, while two sideline passes moved the ball into field goal range, a 36-yard field goal attempt by Jerry Warren was blocked. Southern California came away with a dramatic 31-28 win.

The Sun had the edge in total yards (430 to 399) and first downs (23 to 17). Philadelphia turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by Southern California, and drew 11 penalties to five flags thrown on the Sun, although Ron Waller blamed “jaded officiating” for several of the infractions called on his team.

Tony Adams completed 21 of 40 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Ralph Nelson rushed for 49 yards on 17 carries and James McAlister (pictured below) added 35 yards on six attempts, while Alonzo Emery scored the three short TDs as part of his 9 yards on 7 carries. McAlister also led the receivers with 6 catches for 140 yards.

For the Bell, Jim Corcoran was successful on 18 of 33 throws for 241 yards and three TDs, although he was picked off twice. John Land ran for 51 yards on 10 attempts and Claude Watts carried 11 times for 44 yards. Claude Watts topped the receivers with 5 catches for 50 yards while Paul Dunn and Mike Carter had four pass receptions apiece, for 79 and 71 yards, respectively. CB Marv Pettaway had kickoff returns of 73 and 47 yards that set up scores.

The Sun moved a game over .500 and Philadelphia a game under. Southern California pulled away to top the Western Division with a 13-7 record and the Bell went 9-11 to place third in the Eastern Division. Both teams made it into the constantly-revamped playoffs and lost in the first round.

Alonzo Emery scored a total of seven touchdowns. Utilized in short-yardage situations, he ran for just 67 yards on 40 carries in his only pro season. 

1951: Long TD Pass Propels Rams Over Browns for NFL Championship

The Cleveland Browns had yet to fail to win a league championship in five years of existence and were looking to make it six straight as they faced the Los Angeles Rams for the NFL title on December 23, 1951. Head Coach Paul Brown’s team dominated the All-America Football Conference for four years before joining the NFL in 1950 and winning there as well.  While FB Marion Motley was showing signs of wear, QB Otto Graham was still an outstanding and mobile passer and had productive targets in ends Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli. After losing to ex-AAFC rival San Francisco in the opening game, the Browns didn’t lose again, finishing atop the American Conference with an 11-1 record.

One of those wins was over Los Angeles, the same team that the Browns had faced for the NFL Championship the previous year. LA had the league’s most explosive offense, with the quarterback combination of Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin (pictured above), fullbacks “Deacon Dan” Towler and Dick Hoerner, and ends Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch contributing to a NFL-record 5506 total yards. The defense was less formidable, but benefited from the arrival of rookie DE Andy Robustelli, who joined a line that included All-Pro DE Larry Brink and MG Stan West. Head Coach Joe Stydahar’s team put together an 8-4 tally in winning the highly-competitive National Conference.  

There were 57,522 fans in attendance at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The Browns moved well on their opening possession, despite LA’s seven-man defensive front, but Lou Groza missed a 23-yard field goal attempt. Following a scoreless first quarter, the Rams put together a 55-yard drive in 12 plays that ended with Dick Hoerner plowing over for the last yard and a touchdown. Bob Waterfield added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

The Browns got on the board when Groza made up for the short miss with a 52-yard field goal, setting a new NFL Championship game record as he broke the previous mark by a full ten yards. Before the half was over, Cleveland drove to another score as Otto Graham completed three straight passes, to Mac Speedie for 14 yards, Marion Motley down the middle for 23, and the last to HB Dub Jones for a 17-yard TD. Groza kicked the point after and the defending champs took a 10-7 lead into halftime.

Graham faced heavy pressure from Larry Brink and Andy Robustelli throughout the contest, and in the third quarter the two combined on a big defensive play for the Rams. With the ball at the Cleveland 35, Brink hit Graham hard and forced a fumble. Robustelli recovered and ran to the one. From there, Dan Towler hit the line twice without success before finally breaking through for a touchdown. Waterfield’s conversion put the home team ahead by 14-10.

In the fourth quarter, the Rams drove to the Cleveland one but came up empty when they had to give the ball up on downs. They again drove inside the ten, but while the tough Browns defense again held, the Rams didn’t fail to score this time as Waterfield kicked a 17-yard field goal to increase LA’s lead to 17-10. The Browns fought back, advancing 70 yards in 10 plays as Graham had a 34-yard run and HB Ken Carpenter scored a two-yard TD. Groza converted to tie the score at 17-17.    

At this point Norm Van Brocklin relieved Waterfield at quarterback and he promptly threw deep for end Tom Fears, who gathered the ball in between two defenders and sprinted to the end zone for a 73-yard touchdown. It was the biggest play of the game, and Waterfield again added the PAT to put the Rams back in front by seven points.

Cleveland responded by advancing into Los Angeles territory, but facing fourth-and-two at the 42, Jones caught a short pass from Graham and was hit hard by hard-charging safety Norb Hecker for a two-yard loss, forcing the Browns to give up the ball. Late in the game, the Rams had a chance to add to their lead, but Waterfield missed on a field goal attempt. It had no effect as Los Angeles held on to win by a final score of 24-17.

The statistics bore out the closely-fought nature of the game. The Rams had the edge in total yards (334 to 325) while Cleveland accumulated more first downs (22 to 20). The Browns turned the ball over four times, to three turnovers suffered by LA, and the Rams, reflecting the outstanding play of their defensive ends, recorded all five of the game’s sacks.

Bob Waterfield completed 9 of 24 passes for 125 yards, giving up two interceptions, while Norm Van Brocklin was four-of-six for 128 yards with the long touchdown. Tom Fears (pictured at left) had four catches for 146 yards and a TD and “Crazylegs” Hirsch contributed four receptions for 66 yards. Dan Towler topped LA’s rushers with 36 yards on 16 carries that included a touchdown.

For the Browns, Otto Graham was successful on 19 of 40 throws for 280 yards and a TD, but gave up three interceptions. He also ran for a team-leading 43 yards on five attempts. Mac Speedie caught 7 passes for 81 yards and Dante Lavelli added four receptions for 65 yards. Dub Jones, in addition to a modest rushing total of 12 yards on 9 carries, had four catches for 62 yards that included a score.

Of the long game-winning touchdown pass, Tom Fears said that it was “the best thrown pass I’ve ever caught. He laid it right in there full stride.”

The Rams tied for first with Detroit in 1952, lost a playoff to determine the National Conference champion, and next appeared in the postseason in 1955. While often fielding contending teams over the years, the NFL Championship in 1951 was the only one the franchise achieved while based in Los Angeles (they won a NFC title in 1979, but lost the ensuing Super Bowl. Other NFL titles were while the team was in Cleveland in 1945 and St. Louis in 1999). The loss for the Browns, while putting a chink in the armor of their title-game invincibility, did not signal a decline. Cleveland continued to top its conference in each of the next four seasons, losing the next two Championship games before winning again in 1954 and ’55.

1974: Last-Play TD Pass Propels Sun Past Sharks

In the third week of World Football League action in 1974, the Southern California Sun traveled to Florida to face the Jacksonville Sharks on July 24. Both teams had split their first two contests in the new league’s early going.

The Sun were coached by Tom Fears, a Hall of Fame player with the Rams who had been the first head coach of the NFL Saints. They had made preseason headlines by signing highly-touted rookie running backs James McAlister and Kermit Johnson out of UCLA as well as USC tackle Booker Brown. There was a good mix of veteran and new talent on the team. QB Tony Adams (pictured above), who had failed to catch on with the NFL Chargers the previous year, had proven veteran WR Dave Williams to throw to and Brown was joined on the offensive line by 13-year veteran OT Joe Carollo. After losing a close contest to Birmingham in their opening game, the Sun had won a shootout over The Hawaiians.

Jacksonville hired an ex-high school coach, Bud Asher, to direct the club but had plenty of players with NFL experience. QB Kay Stephenson was a backup with the Chargers and Bills. RB Tommy Durrance, a local college star out of Florida, led the running attack. The defensive line was anchored by seasoned veterans in DE Ike Lassiter and DT Bob Taterak. The club had won its opening nationally-televised game against the New York Stars but lost on a last-second field goal to the Chicago Fire the next week.

There was a big crowd of 46,780 in attendance at the Gator Bowl for the Wednesday night contest (although the number that had actually paid to attend was reportedly at least 15,000 less). Southern California had difficulty mounting an offensive threat in the first half as Tony Adams faced significant pressure from Jacksonville’s tough defensive line, tossing two interceptions, and McAlister and Johnson were held to just two rushing yards. Additionally, punter Steve Schroder bobbled two snaps and WR Terry Lindsey fumbled a punt return. The explosion and fire on a cargo ship on the nearby St. John’s River created far more excitement than the visiting team’s offense.

The Sharks used four Grant Guthrie field goals to take a 12-0 lead – the first, from 23 yards, provided the only points in the first quarter and the other three came from 29, 27, and 42 yards. Still, after dominating the first half, the home team had yet to penetrate the end zone and the visitors were still within striking distance.

Tony Adams and the Sun offense came alive in the third quarter and drives of 44 and 62 yards put them ahead by 15-12. The first ended with Adams throwing to Dave Williams for a 20-yard TD, but the action point attempt, a running play, failed (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point, which could not be kicked). The second came on a one-yard run by RB Ralph Nelson and Adams threw to James McAlister to add the action point.

An eight-play, 68-yard series put the Sharks back in front on the first play of the fourth quarter. Kay Stephenson threw to WR Tony Lomax for a 16-yard touchdown. The pass for the action point was unsuccessful but the home team was ahead by 19-15.

Twice the Sharks stopped Southern California drives in the final period and, buoyed by the enthusiastic crowd, appeared to be in command. With 2 ½ minutes remaining, the Sun got the ball back and mounted a drive from their own 20. Short passes to McAlister and Williams moved the ball to midfield. On a fourth-and-six play Adams completed a pass to Kermit Johnson to the Jacksonville 40 for a first down but with only seven seconds left on the clock.

Following a timeout, and with the crowd in a frenzy, Adams threw deep into the end zone from 40 yards out and Williams made a leaping catch for a touchdown. Williams, a seven-year NFL veteran, made use of his four-inch height advantage to out-leap 5’10” Jacksonville CB Jerry Davis. The action point attempt failed, but it didn’t matter as the Sun came away with a stunning 22-19 win.

The Sharks outgained the Sun (271 yards to 258) although the visitors had the edge in first downs (17 to 16). However, Jacksonville also turned the ball over three times, to two by the Sun.

Despite a rough start, Tony Adams completed 18 of 31 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns as well as two interceptions. Kermit Johnson rushed for 88 yards on 15 carries while James McAlister, who ran for 18 yards on 6 attempts, led the club with 9 pass receptions for 74 yards. Dave Williams (pictured below) had 5 catches for 99 yards and the two TDs.

For the Sharks, Kay Stephenson was successful on 12 of 21 throws for 127 yards and a touchdown with one picked off. Tommy Durrance ran for 73 yards on 22 carries and RB Ricky Lake added another 60 yards on 9 attempts. WR Drew Buie topped the team’s receivers with four receptions for 51 yards.

“We just threw up a prayer and hoped someone would answer,” said Dave Williams of the climactic touchdown play.

It was the second straight game in which the Sharks had lost on the last play of the game and Coach Asher could only shake his head afterward and say “I can’t tell you how much this hurts – losing two in a row like that.” They lost again the next week and then scandal would hit the team – and the whole league – when it was revealed that robust attendance figures were inflated by the handing out of free tickets. Asher lasted six weeks before being fired and the financially troubled club failed to last the full season, ending up with a 4-10 record.

The Sun also had financial problems but completed the schedule, topping the Western Division with a 13-7 tally and reaching the playoffs. They lost dismally to The Hawaiians in the first round, however, after the star rookies McAlister, Johnson, and Brown chose to sit out the contest due to a missed payroll.

Tony Adams ended up being one of the WFL’s three Co-MVPs as he led the league in passing yards (3905). Dave Williams caught 59 passes for a team-leading 979 yards (16.6 avg.) and 11 TDs. 

Grant Guthrie went to the Birmingham Americans, who won the league title, after the Sharks folded and received All-League honors from both the WFL and The Sporting News. A veteran of two NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills, his 18 field goals topped the WFL. 

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: Sun Lose Key Players, Then Lose WFL Playoff Game to Hawaiians

Befitting the state of the World Football League as it staggered toward the end of its first (and only complete) season, the outcome of the first round playoff game between the Southern California Sun and The Hawaiians was significantly determined by off-field events before the teams took the field on November 21, 1974.

Prior to the season, the Sun had made a splash with the signing of three prize rookies, FB James McAlister and RB Kermit Johnson from UCLA and OT Booker Brown out of USC. It was good publicity for the team, especially with all three players coming out of local major college programs. Indeed, the Sun was the most aggressive of the WFL clubs in pursuing their draft choices, with considerable success.

Coached by Tom Fears, a Hall of Fame end with the Rams who had also been the first head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Southern California had former Utah State QB Tony Adams running the offense that included several players with NFL experience, most notably WR Dave Williams, formerly of the Cardinals; TE Dave Parks, previously with the 49ers and Saints; and 13-year-veteran OT Joe Carollo, who had been with the Rams, Eagles, and Browns. The Sun easily won the Western Division with a 13-7 record.

For the WFL’s Honolulu-based team, the road to the playoffs had been more difficult. Coached by Mike Giddings, a former assistant with the NFL 49ers, The Hawaiians were also a young club with many players from West Coast schools. They had begun the season with rookie Norris Weese starting at quarterback, with predictable problems. The receiving corps was good, however, although the running game was lacking, and there was experience on defense. There was also a grueling round of travel, not helped by The Hawaiians insisting on playing Sunday afternoon home games while the rest of the league took the field on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

They got off to a 2-8 start, but the addition of several veteran players who were released from NFL contracts had a good effect in the second half of the year, in particular QB Randy Johnson (pictured at top), previously of the Falcons and Giants. By season’s end, The Hawaiians were 9-11, which was nothing special but enough to finish second in the Western Division and qualify to appear in the much-revamped postseason.

Just before the game, it was announced that McAlister (who was injured in any case), Johnson (the team’s leading rusher), and Brown would not be playing for the Sun. Because owner Larry Hatfield had missed a week’s payroll, the agent for the three players, Mike Trope, said that their contracts had thus been violated and they were now free agents. It was a huge blow for the club.

There was a disappointing crowd of 11,430 on hand at Anaheim Stadium. The Sun started 20-year-old Ralph Nelson and 258-pound Greg Herd at running back in place of the missing rookies.

In the first quarter, Tony Adams threw to Dave Parks for a 23-yard gain that set up a 47-yard field goal attempt by Rod Garcia, but it was missed with 9:47 to go in the period.

The Hawaiians had difficulty moving the ball on offense and finally scored thanks to a turnover. LB Jim Sniadecki picked off an Adams pass intended for Parks at the Sun 43 and returned it to the 23. Randy Johnson passed to TE John Kelsey for a 20-yard gain and HB Al Davis ran in for a touchdown from three yards out. The score remained 7-0 as Davis was stopped short on the action point attempt (touchdowns counted for seven points in the WFL and were followed by an action point, which could not be kicked).

The Hawaiians stopped the Sun on offense and got the ball back at their own 38. Johnson completed a 12-yard pass to WR Tim Delaney, who led the WFL in pass receptions during the season, and throws of 12 and 19 yards to Kelsey to set up a 23-yard field goal by R.A. Coppedge at just under three minutes into the second quarter.

Again Southern California couldn’t move the ball and Adams was sacked for a 14-yard loss on a third down play to force another punt from deep in Sun territory. CB Willie Williams returned the kick 27 yards to the Southern California nine yard line.

The Sun briefly got a break when a holding penalty backed The Hawaiians up ten yards, but gave it right back with a pass interference call that gave the visitors a first down at the five. Kelsey, running a crossing pattern, caught a touchdown pass from Johnson that gave The Hawaiians a 17-0 advantage (they again failed on the action point attempt, which consisted of Weese tossing an incomplete pass).

Southern California fought back thanks to the throwing of Adams and running and receiving of Herd, who gained 18 yards on a pass. Their next possession was finally stopped at The Hawaiians’ 20 yard line and Garcia kicked a 37-yard field goal with 3:54 left in the half to finally get the Sun on the board.

The Sun got the ball back as the clock ticked down to 41 seconds remaining before halftime and ran the ball, prompting boos from the crowd. Adams called a timeout and then threw to Nelson for 18 yards and 46 yards to WR Keith Denson for a touchdown. A pass was completed to HB Clay Jeffries for the action point and the score was 17-11 at the intermission.

The Sun still had the momentum as the third quarter began. The defense held The Hawaiians to a short possession and the offense then drove to The Hawaiians’ 16. However, they had to settle for a field goal when Adams was sacked for a nine-yard loss on third down. Garcia was successful on the 42-yard attempt and it was a three-point game with 9:07 remaining in the third quarter. It was the high point of the contest for Southern California.

The Hawaiians took the ensuing kickoff and went 72 yards in 12 plays. Davis capped the drive by diving into the end zone from two yards out for the TD. Weese ran for the action point, increasing the visitors’ lead to 25-14.

To make matters worse for the Sun, Adams was knocked out of the game with a knee injury after being tackled by DT Ron East early in the fourth quarter and backup Gary Valbuena came in to replace him. He was not up to the task of engineering a comeback as he was sacked three times and tossed three interceptions.

The second of the interceptions, by LB John Douglas, was returned 37 yards to the Southern California 14. Three plays later, Johnson threw to WR John Isenbarger for an eight-yard touchdown which not only sealed the win but started a fight when CB Jim Bowman of the Sun took a swing at Isenbarger. The Hawaiians again failed to convert the action point, but it no longer mattered.

Valbuena threw to WR Ike Harris for a 49-yard gain late in the game, but followed up with his third interception. Ex-USC and Philadelphia Eagles LB Adrian Young picked it off at the six. That was the last gasp for Southern California, and The Hawaiians advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 32-14 win.

The Sun, playing catch-up for almost the entire game, outgained The Hawaiians (402 yards to 254) and had more first downs (23 to 17). However, Southern California’s running game accumulated just 99 yards on 30 carries without Johnson and McAlister in the backfield; The Hawaiians sacked the Sun quarterbacks six times, at a loss of 58 yards, while Johnson was only dumped once; and the Sun turned the ball over four times while he visitors suffered no turnovers.


Randy Johnson completed 14 of 24 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns. John Kelsey caught 6 passes for 82 yards and a TD while Tim Delaney contributed 5 receptions for 40 yards. Al Davis (pictured at left) was the team’s top ground gainer with 49 yards on 12 carries that included two scores.

For the Sun, Tony Adams was successful on 11 of 21 passes for 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Gary Valbuena went to the air 17 times and had 10 completions along with three interceptions. Keith Denson caught 6 passes for 122 yards and the one long TD. Greg Herd ran for 52 yards on 10 attempts and Ralph Nelson added 39 yards on his 14 carries.

Afterward, there was plenty of frustration over the off-field issues expressed by Coach Tom Fears and the Southern California players.

“It sure as hell didn't help any not having Kermit and Booker,” said Fears.

“If management had done their part, we would have gone all the way,” complained DT Dave Roller. “You can’t win if you can’t concentrate and you can’t concentrate if you don’t get paid.”

The Hawaiians lost a close contest to the eventual-champion Birmingham Americans in the next playoff round. Both franchises returned for the abbreviated 1975 season, but James McAlister, Kermit Johnson, and Booker Brown jumped to the NFL and never played for the Sun again.

None of the three distinguished themselves post-WFL. McAlister played for two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and one with the Patriots, gaining a total of 677 yards rushing, catching 30 passes for 218 more, and returning kickoffs for an average of 20.5 yards. Johnson spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers and ran for just 124 yards, caught one pass, and had a 24.9 average on his 10 kickoff returns. Booker Brown also played just two seasons in the NFL, with the San Diego Chargers.

Both starting quarterbacks also defected to the NFL in 1975. Tony Adams, the league’s top passer and a co-MVP in ’74, became a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Randy Johnson joined the Washington Redskins, where he played behind Bill Kilmer along with Joe Theismann.

1969: Kilmer & Johnson Each Throw 6 TD Passes as Saints Hold Off Cards

The lowly New Orleans Saints were off to a 0-6 start prior to facing the St. Louis Cardinals on November 2, 1969, and it hardly seemed likely that they would do any better in Week 7. The Saints had scored a total of 91 points, an average of 15.2 per game, with a high of 20 in the season-opening contest against the Redskins.

In losing to Philadelphia the previous week, Jim Ninowski had seen action in place of QB Bill Kilmer (pictured at right), but the 30-year-old veteran was back behind center against the Cardinals. In addition, Dave Parks was shifted from wide receiver to tight end with Al Dodd being moved into Parks’ spot as Head Coach Tom Fears sought to generate some offense.


The Cardinals, under Head Coach Charley Winner, were having their own problems. They had started off at 2-1 but came into the game against New Orleans at 2-2-1. Injuries in the defensive backfield were a concern. Both Jim Hart and Charley Johnson (pictured at left) had started at quarterback, with Johnson holding down the job against the Saints.

There were 46,718 in attendance at Busch Memorial Stadium. In the first quarter, the Saints missed a scoring opportunity after CB Gene Howard returned a kickoff 86 yards before being knocked out of bounds. Following a pass interference call on CB Nate Wright, they had a first down at the one. FB Andy Livingston lost a yard, FB Ernie Wheelwright gained it back and then was stopped for no gain on third down. Going for it on fourth down, Kilmer tried to sneak the ball in and was stopped short. However, they were successful on a 25-yard touchdown pass play from Kilmer to Parks, and Johnson had connected with WR Dave Williams on a 32-yard TD throw for the Cardinals. The score was even at 7-7 after the opening period.

The Cardinals took the lead early in the second quarter on Johnson’s second scoring pass to Williams, this one covering 14 yards. Tom Dempsey booted a 43-yard field goal for the Saints to narrow the margin to 14-10.

Midway through the second quarter, Howard leaped and knocked away a Johnson pass that was intended for Williams, who was in the clear at the New Orleans 20. Following the thwarted scoring throw, FB Cid Edwards caught a pass from Johnson for a 14-yard gain but fumbled and CB Elijah Nevett recovered for the Saints at the St. Louis 43. Two passes to Dodd moved the ball to the 20 and then Kilmer hit Wheelwright for a touchdown that put New Orleans ahead at 17-14.

Late in the second quarter, Kilmer had an apparent 50-yard scoring pass called back when he scrambled before throwing to HB Don Shy. However, he had crossed the line of scrimmage before launching his pass. Still, the Saints extended their lead before halftime when Kilmer completed his third touchdown toss of the game of five yards to WR Dan Abramowicz. While Dempsey’s extra point attempt failed, New Orleans was up by 23-14 at the intermission and would never relinquish the lead – although there was still plenty of scoring to go.

In the third quarter, the Saints poured it on when Kilmer connected with Shy on a 28-yard scoring play and then capped another possession with a one-yard touchdown run by Wheelwright. Johnson threw a TD pass to WR John Gilliam, but Kilmer hit Abramowicz for another touchdown, from 11 yards out, and New Orleans held a 44-21 lead going into the final period.

Kilmer threw his sixth and last scoring pass less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, to Parks for 13 yards, and then St. Louis played catch-up with the score at 51-21. First came two Johnson scoring passes to Williams that covered 31 and 26 yards, respectively. After FS Larry Wilson returned a blocked field goal attempt by Dempsey late in the game, Johnson tossed his sixth touchdown pass to HB Roy Shivers that covered 14 yards. Time ran out on St. Louis, however, and the Saints held on to win the improbably wild offensive show by a score of 51-42.

It was the most points the Cardinals had given up since moving to St. Louis in 1960, and the 12 combined touchdown passes broke the NFL record of 11 first set by the Giants and Redskins in 1962.

Both teams piled up plenty of yardage, with New Orleans outgaining the Cardinals, 508 to 478. The Saints also led in first downs by 26 to 19. St. Louis was hurt by four turnovers, to one by New Orleans, and 10 penalties (as opposed to five flags thrown on the Saints).


Bill Kilmer completed 22 of 32 passes for 345 yards and a club-record 6 touchdowns and had one intercepted. Al Dodd (pictured at right) caught 7 passes for 145 yards and Dan Abramowicz and Dave Parks each caught 5 passes and scored two TDs (Abramowicz outgained Parks, 72 yards to 64). RB Tony Baker rushed for 110 yards on 14 carries.

For the Cardinals, Charley Johnson tied a franchise record with 6 touchdown passes (originally set by Jim Hardy in 1950, Johnson had matched it previously in 1965) while completing 20 of his 37 throws for 374 yards and giving up two interceptions. Dave Williams was the chief beneficiary as he caught 8 passes for 164 yards and 4 TDs. John Gilliam gained 106 yards on his 5 receptions that included one score. HB Johnny Roland was the team’s leading rusher with 44 yards on 10 attempts and Cid Edwards was right behind with 42 yards on 5 carries.

“There really isn’t any key to what happened,” said Kilmer afterward. “The receivers were getting open and I had great protection. When you get that, it makes it easy.”

“I was just disappointed in our defensive showing,” said a frustrated Charley Winner. “I just never thought a Cardinal defense would permit that many points.”

After a loss to the Cowboys the next week, the resurgent Saints won three straight games and ended up at 5-9 and in third place in the Capitol Division of the Eastern Conference. St. Louis rebounded with a big win over the Giants but won only once more and finished with a 4-9-1 record that ranked third in the Century Division.

Bill Kilmer, better known for his leadership ability than passing prowess, ended up throwing for 2532 yards with 20 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. Charley Johnson, in the meantime still splitting time with Jim Hart, passed for 1847 yards with 13 TDs and 13 interceptions apiece (he was dealt to Houston in the offseason, thus resolving the quarterback dilemma in St. Louis).


Dave Williams (pictured at left) caught a career-high 56 passes for 702 yards, but caught just three more touchdown passes over the course of the season to give him a total of seven. John Gilliam was the Cards’ more accomplished receiver overall with a fourth-ranked 997 yards on 52 receptions for a 19.2 average and 10 TDs. Dan Abramowicz of the Saints led the NFL with 73 catches and ranked third with 1015 yards.