List of the Day: Best Rushing Seasons, 1990s AFC

Terrell Davis

TOP 10
1- Terrell Davis, 1998 Denver Broncos
2008 yards, 392 att., 5.1 avg., 21 TD

2- Terrell Davis, 1997 Denver Broncos
1750 yards, 369 att., 4.7 avg., 15 TD

3- Barry Foster, 1992 Pittsburgh Steelers
1690 yards, 390 att., 4.3 avg., 11 TD

4- Jerome Bettis, 1997 Pittsburgh Steelers
1665 yards, 375 att., 4.4 avg., 7 TD

5- Edgerrin James, 1999 Indianapolis Colts
1553 yards, 369 att., 4.2 avg., 13 TD

6- Chris Warren, 1994 Seattle Seahawks
1545 yards, 333 att., 4.6 avg., 9 TD

7- Terrell Davis, 1996 Denver Broncos
1538 yards, 345 att., 4.5 avg., 13 TD

8(tied)- Thurman Thomas, 1992 Buffalo Bills
1487 yards, 312 att., 4.8 avg., 9 TD

8(tied)- Curtis Martin, 1995 New England Patriots
1487 yards, 368 att., 4.0 avg., 14 TD

10-Curtis Martin, 1999 New York Jets
1464 yards, 367 att., 4.0 avg., 5 TD


Barry Foster



Jerome Bettis



Chris Warren

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Houston/Tennessee: Eddie George, 1997
1399 yards, 357 att., 3.9 avg., 6 TD

San Diego Chargers: Natrone Means, 1994
1350 yards, 343 att., 3.9 avg., 12 TD

LA/Oakland Raiders: Napoleon Kaufman, 1997
1294 yards, 272 att., 4.8 avg., 6 TD

Jacksonville Jaguars: Fred Taylor, 1998*
1223 yards, 264 att., 4.6 avg., 14 TD

Cincinnati Bengals: Corey Dillon, 1999
1200 yards, 263 att., 4.6 avg., 5 TD

Miami Dolphins: Karim Abdul-Jabbar, 1996
1116 yards, 307 att., 3.6 avg., 11 TD

Kansas City Chiefs: Christian Okoye, 1991
1031 yards, 225 att., 4.6 avg., 9 TD

Baltimore Ravens: Priest Holmes, 1998**
1008 yards, 233 att., 4.3 avg., 7 TD

Cleveland Browns: Leroy Hoard, 1994***
890 yards, 209 att., 4.3 avg., 5 TD

* Jaguars joined NFL in 1995
** Ravens joined NFL in 1996 from relocated Browns franchise
*** Includes original Browns franchise, 1990-95, plus new Browns franchise that joined NFL in 1999


Thurman Thomas



Curtis Martin



Eddie George



Natrone Means

1985: Stars Defeat Invaders in Final USFL Title Game

The championship game of the United States Football League on July 14, 1985 was billed as the circuit’s last as a spring entity, but ultimately it was the USFL’s final contest altogether. There were 49,263 fans on hand at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ for the matchup between the Baltimore Stars and Oakland Invaders.

The Stars, reigning USFL champions who had moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore in preparation for the switch to fall, used the familiar formula under Head Coach Jim Mora to return to the title game for the third time. QB Chuck Fusina competently guided the offense. RB Kelvin Bryant rushed for 1207 yards and caught 40 passes for 407 more. WR Scott Fitzkee had his most productive season, catching 73 passes for 882 yards. The opportunistic defense, featuring LB Sam Mills, DE William Fuller, and S Mike Lush, was still one of the best.

However, the Stars weren’t as dominant in the regular season as they had been the previous two years in Philadelphia (31-5 overall), starting slowly and ending up in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 10-7-1 record. The fact that the team continued to train in Philadelphia while playing 40 miles from Baltimore at the University of Maryland’s Byrd Stadium likely contributed to the club’s on-field difficulties. They had to win two postseason games on the road, against the New Jersey Generals and Birmingham Stallions, to make it back to the championship game.

Oakland benefited from a merger with the Michigan Panthers following the ’84 season which greatly improved the team’s nucleus. Head Coach Charlie Sumner inherited QB Bobby Hebert, who relegated Fred Besana to the bench as he ranked second in passing yards with 3811 and third with 30 TD passes, and WR Anthony Carter, who caught 70 passes for 1323 yards and 14 touchdowns. The other wide receiver, Gordon Banks, prospered by pulling in 62 catches for 1115 yards and another five scores.

The Invaders accumulated the USFL’s best record, 13-4-1, in winning the Western Conference. They narrowly defeated the Tampa Bay Bandits in the first round of the playoffs and then won against the Memphis Showboats to gain a spot in the title contest.

The game began in a heavy rain, to the benefit of the more conservative Stars. Baltimore scored first on a 16-yard pass play from Fusina to Fitzkee. However, Oakland was able to take advantage of the slippery throwing conditions as safety David Greenwood picked off an errant pass by Fusina and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. The score stood even at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Kelvin Bryant scored twice in the second quarter, on runs of 7 and 17 yards, with a one-yard TD by Oakland RB John Williams in between. The Stars held a 21-14 advantage at halftime and the Invaders offense had been able to put together only one scoring drive. Well defended by Stars CB Garcia Lane, Anthony Carter contributed just one catch for four yards.

The situation changed in the third quarter. First, Novo Bojovic connected on a 19-yard field goal for the Panthers. Then Carter began to get loose on crossing patterns, and Hebert connected with him for a seven-yard TD pass that staked Oakland to a 24-21 lead.

In the fourth quarter the Stars put together a drive that resulted in Bryant’s third touchdown of the game (pictured at top) on a 7-yard run. With time running down, the Invaders took over on their four yard line and methodically moved downfield. Williams made key runs and Hebert completed a 28-yard pass to Carter on yet another crossing pattern, and with 2:50 remaining on the clock Oakland faced a third-and-two situation at the Baltimore five.

Williams carried and was stopped for no gain by Sam Mills, but even more significantly, FB Tom Newton was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Instead of facing a fourth-and-two situation, it was now third-and-17. Hebert threw two incomplete passes and the Stars clinched the 28-24 win.

Kelvin Bryant was the game’s MVP, rushing 23 times for 103 yards and three TDs as well as leading the club with five catches for another 56 yards. Struggling with a slippery football, neither quarterback had a particularly strong showing. Chuck Fusina completed 15 of 26 passes for 155 yards with the one costly interception. Bobby Hebert was successful on just 14 of 30 throws for 187 yards with a TD and an interception. John Williams led the Invaders with 96 rushing yards on 13 carries while Anthony Carter was the top receiver with 5 catches for 74 yards and a TD.

Overall, Oakland won the statistical battle, outrushing the Stars 155 yards to 150 and gaining 177 net passing yards to 124. But they committed eight penalties to Baltimore’s four, including the costly flag on Newton.

An angry Coach Sumner said afterward, “It had been a rough game. They’d been calling offsetting penalties all night. How could they call it on just one guy?” But Newton admitted, “I was just too aggressive.”

The closely-fought championship game provided a fitting conclusion to the USFL’s existence, although no one knew it at the time. The league’s planned move to the fall for 1986 ended up not happening. While the league won an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, instead of being awarded a large settlement, it received just three dollars in damages. With overall debt topping $160 million, the USFL folded a year after Kelvin Bryant scored the last touchdown in its three-year history.

List of the Day: Best Rushing Seasons, 1990s NFC

Barry Sanders

TOP 10
1- Barry Sanders, 1997 Detroit Lions
2053 yards, 335 att., 6.1 avg., 11 TD

2- Barry Sanders, 1994 Detroit Lions
1883 yards, 331 att., 5.7 avg., 7 TD

3- Jamal Anderson, 1998 Atlanta Falcons
1846 yards, 410 att., 4.5 avg., 14 TD

4- Emmitt Smith, 1995 Dallas Cowboys
1773 yards, 377 att., 4.7 avg., 25 TD

5- Emmitt Smith, 1992 Dallas Cowboys
1713 yards, 373 att., 4.6 avg., 18 TD

6- Garrison Hearst, 1998 San Francisco 49ers
1570 yards, 310 att., 5.1 avg., 7 TD

7- Emmitt Smith, 1991 Dallas Cowboys
1563 yards, 365 att., 4.3 avg., 12 TD

8- Barry Sanders, 1996 Detroit Lions
1553 yards, 307 att., 5.1 avg., 11 TD

9- Barry Sanders, 1991 Detroit Lions
1548 yards, 342 att., 4.5 avg., 16 TD

10-Barry Sanders, 1995 Detroit Lions
1500 yards, 314 att., 4.8 avg., 11 TD


Emmitt Smith



Jamal Anderson



Garrison Hearst

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Green Bay Packers: Dorsey Levens, 1997
1435 yards, 329 att., 4.4 avg., 7 TD

LA/St. Louis Rams: Jerome Bettis, 1993
1429 yards, 294 att., 4.9 avg., 7 TD

Philadelphia Eagles: Ricky Watters, 1996
1411 yards, 353 att., 4.0 avg., 13 TD

Washington Redskins: Stephen Davis, 1999
1405 yards, 290 att., 4.8 avg., 17 TD

Minnesota Vikings: Robert Smith, 1997
1266 yards, 232 att., 5.5 avg., 6 TD

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Errict Rhett, 1995
1207 yards, 332 att., 3.6 avg., 11 TD

New York Giants: Rodney Hampton, 1995
1182 yards, 306 att., 3.9 avg., 10 TD

Carolina Panthers: Anthony Johnson, 1996*
1120 yards, 300 att., 3.7 avg., 6 TD

Chicago Bears: Neal Anderson, 1990
1078 yards, 260 att., 4.1 avg., 10 TD

Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals: Garrison Hearst, 1995
1070 yards, 284 att., 3.8 avg., 1 TD

New Orleans Saints: Mario Bates, 1995
951 yards, 244 att., 3.9 avg., 7 TD

* Panthers joined NFL in 1995


Dorsey Levens



Jerome Bettis



Ricky Watters

1974: WFL Debuts with Five Games

The World Football League kicked off its inaugural 20-week season with five games on July 10, 1974. The new league started off with 12 teams, along with great ambitions and several novelties. Most games were scheduled on Wednesday nights in order to avoid conflict with high school, college, and NFL games (a weekly nationally-televised game would be played on Thursdays). The July start (the league played no preseason games, although there were some intersquad scrimmages) gave the WFL a head start on the NFL, which was beset by a player’s strike during the preseason that kept veterans out of the training camps until late August.

The WFL instituted several rules changes, some of which the NFL had adopted for the ’74 season as well - they included moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone, allowing for an overtime period in case of ties, and bringing the ball back to the line of scrimmage if a field goal was missed outside the 20 yard line. While kickoffs in the NFL would now be from the 35 rather than 40 yard line, the WFL chose to kick off from the 30. Additionally, the new league banned fair catches of punts, allowed for forward motion by backs prior to the snap, required receivers to have just one foot in bounds for a catch to be legal, and prohibited the bumping of receivers beyond three yards of the line of scrimmage. Touchdowns would be seven, rather than six points, to be followed by an “action point” that could not be kicked. An invention called a “Dickerrod” was used instead of the traditional chains for measuring first down yardage.

There were 55,534 fans in JFK Stadium as the Philadelphia Bell hosted the Portland Storm, winning 33-8 behind QB Jim “King” Corcoran (pictured below left), who had the best passing night in the WFL’s first week. Corcoran, a semi-legendary figure in the world of minor league football, completed 21 of 38 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. The running tandem of Claude Watts (94 yards on 16 carries) and John Land (73 yards on 14 attempts) also had an impressive debut. WR Vince Papale, later to become celebrated as a walk-on free agent and special teams standout for the NFL’s Eagles, caught three passes for 39 yards.


Attendance at Orlando’s Tangerine Bowl was far less (18,625) as the Florida Blazers defeated The Hawaiians in a low-scoring 8-7 contest. RB Jim Strong was the star for the Blazers, catching a three-yard touchdown pass and then scoring the decisive action point. RB Derrick Williams gained 94 yards on 18 carries for The Hawaiians while Strong and fellow running backs Tommy Reamon and A.D. Whitfield combined for 104 yards for Florida. Blazers QB Bob Davis passed for only 55 yards and Norris Weese and Bill Donckers combined for just 106 yards for the Honolulu-based club.

A crowd of over 36,000 at Soldier Field saw the Chicago Fire record a 17-0 shutout of the visiting Houston Texans. QB Virgil Carter (pictured below right) threw two touchdown passes, although he also had three picked off. WR James Scott had 10 catches for 84 yards and one of the TDs. Houston ground out 116 yards rushing but veteran quarterbacks Don Trull and Mike Taliaferro passed for just 58 yards.


Legion Field in Birmingham was filled with 53,231 fans who saw the Birmingham Americans defeat the Southern California Sun by an 11-7 tally thanks to a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown by CB Steve Williams. RB Paul Robinson spurred the ground game with 79 of Birmingham’s 144 rushing yards although rookie RB Kermit Johnson of the Sun led all rushers with 88 yards on 24 attempts.

Elvis Presley was among 30,122 in attendance at the Liberty Bowl where the Memphis Southmen were winners over the Detroit Wheels, 34-15. Memphis RB J.J. Jennings (pictured at top) had the most rushing yards in the first week with 99, including a touchdown, and also caught four passes for 83 yards and another TD. Detroit WR Hubie Bryant had the best receiving game of the first week in defeat with 7 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown.

The following night, in the first nationally-televised contest with Commissioner Gary Davidson in attendance, the largest crowd of all, 59,112, was present at Jacksonville’s Gator Bowl as the Sharks defeated the New York Stars, 14-7. However, the game suffered a delay when a blown generator caused a blackout – it was perhaps a portent of bad things to come.

While the crowds were certainly encouraging, the scarcity of points was a disappointment. The league averaged just 13.8 points per game for the six contests. Scoring would improve as the season progressed, but other factors would cast a shadow over the WFL.

Several weeks into the season, it was divulged that attendance, particularly in Philadelphia and Jacksonville, had been considerably aided by the handing out of huge numbers of free tickets. Of the 55,534 fans at JFK Stadium, only 13,800 had actually paid; a crowd of 64,719 for the second home game, against New York, contained only 6200 paid attendees. The big opening night crowd at the Gator Bowl was padded by some 44,000 free passes.

League credibility never recovered from the disclosure, and the fact that the WFL was floating in a sea of red ink became clearer as the season progressed. By the end, 10 teams remained and two of those had relocated (Detroit and Jacksonville folded; the Houston Texans became the Shreveport Steamer and the Stars moved from New York to Charlotte, NC).

1967: Jim Taylor Signs with Saints

The expansion New Orleans Saints achieved a high-profile signing on July 6, 1967 when Jim Taylor, star fullback with the Green Bay Packers, inked a contract. Taylor had played out his option with the Packers, and while clearly on the downside of his great career at age 31 (he would turn 32 early in the ’67 season) and after 1811 carries, had been contacted by several teams. A native of Baton Rouge who had played his college football at LSU, the new franchise in New Orleans was a natural choice.

Taylor had been with Green Bay since 1958 and was at the heart of the outstanding ground game during the Vince Lombardi coaching era. He rushed for over a thousand yards in five consecutive seasons and won the NFL rushing title with 1474 yards in 1962, the one year between 1957 and ’65 that Cleveland’s Jim Brown didn’t. He also set a record of 19 rushing touchdowns in that ’62 campaign – a mark that stood until 1983.

But after averaging 4.8 yards per carry during his first seven years in Green Bay, he averaged 3.5 yards in both the ’65 and ’66 seasons. A very physically punishing runner, the 6’0”, 214-pound Taylor was clearly wearing down. The Packers had drafted Jim Grabowski out of Illinois as his replacement, and after not signing a contract in his option year of 1966, it was apparent that his tenure in Green Bay had come to an end. Taylor’s high-profile backfield mate for much of his tenure with the Packers, HB Paul Hornung, was chosen by the Saints in the expansion draft but was forced to retire before the season due to a nagging neck injury.

While he provided a recognizable name for the new franchise, it was nevertheless an expansion team and not to be confused with the championship club Taylor had just left. The New Orleans offensive line was certainly not on a par with its Green Bay counterpart that had included Hall of Famers Jim Ringo at center (through 1963) and OT Forrest Gregg, and the outstanding pulling guards Jerry Kramer and Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston – nor, for that matter, was much of the rest of the club. As sportswriter Arnold Hano put it after the first preseason game, “The starting guards…were men named Jake Kupp and Del Williams, and they do not remind you of Jerry Kramer and Fred Thurston. Backing up Kupp and Williams are other guards who do not even remind you of Kupp and Williams.”

The Saints went 3-11 in their inaugural season and while Taylor was the leading rusher, it was with just 390 yards on 130 carries, for a 3.0 average gain with two touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes, second best on the team, for 251 yards and no scores. Bothered by nagging injuries, he split time at fullback with the less-accomplished veteran Ernie Wheelwright. His best rushing total was 39 yards on 14 carries in a loss to the Cowboys; he caught 7 passes for 50 yards in a contest at Philadelphia (the Eagles, who had been the first team to lose a regular season game to the Saints, 31-24 at Tulane Stadium, gained revenge in the rematch by a 48-21 margin).

Gary Cuozzo struggled as the starting quarterback, particularly as a classic drop-back passer behind a poor group of blockers, and split time with the more mobile veterans Bill Kilmer and Gary Wood. Rookie WR Dan Abramowicz, an unheralded 17th round draft pick out of Xavier of Ohio, was the star on offense with 50 pass receptions for 721 yards and six TDs. CB Dave Whitsell, a veteran obtained from the Bears, starred on defense where he was the NFL’s co-leader in interceptions with 10 (along with Detroit’s Lem Barney). Moreover, the Saints drew large and enthusiastic crowds at Tulane Stadium.

Taylor returned for the 1968 season, but when he was assigned to special teams for the opening preseason game, he left the club and announced his retirement. For Taylor, it was an unbecoming finale to his Hall of Fame career. He retired as the NFL’s number two rusher of all-time with 8597 yards on 1941 carries for a 4.4-yard average gain with 83 touchdowns. Taylor also caught 225 passes for another 1756 yards and 10 TDs.

In seven postseason games, he added 508 yards on 146 attempts (3.5 average) and two touchdowns, plus 19 catches for 137 yards and no scores. His playoff rushing numbers might not appear impressive, but he had memorable showings against strong defensive clubs (in particular the 1962 NFL title game against the Giants).

It was perhaps unfortunate that Taylor was a contemporary of Jim Brown, because he was overshadowed by the great Cleveland fullback throughout the best years of his career – a situation that he clearly resented. He was not gifted with the same level of talent as Brown, but Taylor devoted himself to conditioning and had a solid work ethic. Quiet off the field, he was an intimidating force on it, snarling at and taunting opposing defensive players while never shying from contact and fighting for every inch of ground he could gain. He was a perfect fit in the Green Bay offense and, while Jim Brown won the rushing titles and accolades, it was Taylor playing on four championship teams to Brown’s one.

1969: Don Meredith Retires From Cowboys

It was a surprise to pro football fans on July 5, 1969 when Don Meredith, after nine seasons as quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys, announced his retirement. Stating that he no longer felt committed to playing football, there was plenty of speculation as to why he was walking away at age 31. Years later he indicated that, with a divorce pending and three young children to raise, he simply felt it was time to move into something else.

Meredith’s entire football career was based in the Dallas area. He had starred at Mount Vernon High School, 60 miles from Dallas, and went on to an impressive college career at Southern Methodist. Originally chosen in the third round of the 1960 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, his rights were obtained by the expansion Cowboys in order to keep him away from the American Football League’s Dallas Texans (in fact, he signed a personal services contract with Clint Murchison, eventual owner of the Cowboys, before the franchise had officially been awarded).

For his first two pro seasons, Meredith backed up veteran QB Eddie LeBaron. The two quarterbacks split time for much of the ’62 season, and Meredith supplanted LeBaron as the full-time starting quarterback in 1963. There were criticisms regarding Meredith’s laid-back nature (he was known to trot into the huddle singing a country music tune) and a lack of commitment to learning his craft, but he demonstrated a great deal of toughness and football savvy and was popular with teammates – if not always with Head Coach Tom Landry and his staff.

The critical period for Meredith came in 1964 and ’65. A mobile quarterback, his scrambling exposed him to multiple injuries throughout his career, but especially during the ’64 season when he suffered torn knee cartilage, a shoulder separation, sprained ankle, and ruptured stomach muscle. A bad shoulder caused him to get off to a poor start in 1965 and young backups Craig Morton and Jerry Rhome were used in his place. But after a vote of confidence from Coach Landry (with whom the quarterback had a decidedly up-and-down relationship) Meredith and the Cowboys offense caught fire in the second half of the ’65 season, winning five of the last seven games.

Dallas made it to the NFL Championship game following the 1966 and ’67 seasons, losing close contests to the Green Bay Packers in each instance. Meredith was selected to the Pro Bowl after each of those years (he also received the Bert Bell Trophy from the Maxwell Club as NFL Player of the Year in ’66). He was named to the Pro Bowl again in 1968 after a solid statistical season in which the club went 12-2, the best record with Meredith as quarterback. However, the Cowboys were upset 31-20 in the Eastern Conference Championship contest by the Cleveland Browns. The team had gained a reputation for not being able to win big games, and Meredith took a great deal of heat from the Dallas fans and media.

In all, the 6’3”, 210-pound quarterback completed 50.7 % of his 2308 passes (his 55.3 completion percentage in ’68 was his career high) for 17,199 yards with 135 touchdowns and 111 interceptions. The team’s record in his regular season starts was 48-33-4, but 1-3 in the postseason. The effect of the numerous injuries he sustained was reflected in his only twice appearing in all 14 games in a season.

Meredith became a stockbroker immediately after retiring, but didn’t stay with it for long, returning to public view as a color commentator for the original Monday Night Football broadcasting crew in 1970. Typically referred to by his nickname “Dandy Don”, his wry wit was often used to needle the pompous Howard Cosell, to the delight of audiences, and he would sing “turn out the lights, the party’s over” when a game’s outcome was certain. He left following the 1973 season but returned in ‘77, leaving the Monday Night Football booth for good in 1984. Meredith also had an acting career and even recorded a couple of country music songs while still a player for the Cowboys.

Had Dallas been able to win at least one of the tight title matches with the Packers, Meredith’s reputation likely would have been enhanced. As it was, “Dandy Don” was eventually honored by selection to the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. Dallas moved on with Craig Morton and Roger Staubach, the former Heisman-winning signal caller at Navy who joined the team following the end of his military commitment in 1969, right as Meredith was leaving.

List of the Day: Best Pass Receiving Seasons, USFL

(1983-85)


Richard Johnson

TOP 10 RECEPTIONS
1- Richard Johnson, 1984 Houston Gamblers
115 rec., 1455 yards, 12.7 avg., 15 TD

2- Richard Johnson, 1985 Houston Gamblers
103 rec., 1384 yards, 13.4 avg., 14 TD

3(tied)- Ricky Sanders, 1984 Houston Gamblers
101 rec., 1378 yards, 13.6 avg., 11 TD

3(tied)- Lonnie Harris, 1985 Denver Gold
101 rec., 1432 yards, 14.2 avg., 8 TD

5- Joey Walters, 1984 Washington Federals
98 rec., 1410 yards, 14.4 avg., 13 TD

6- Trumaine Johnson, 1984 Arizona Wranglers
90 rec., 1268 yards, 14.1 avg., 13 TD

7- Jim Smith, 1984 Birmingham Stallions
89 rec., 1481 yards, 16.6 avg., 8 TD

8- Jim Smith, 1985 Birmingham Stallions
87 rec., 1322 yards, 15.2 avg., 20 TD

9- Clarence Verdin, 1985 Houston Gamblers
84 rec., 1004 yards, 12.0 avg., 9 TD

10-Alton Alexis, 1985 Jacksonville Bulls
83 rec., 1118 yards, 13.5 avg., 5 TD


Ricky Sanders

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Chicago Blitz: Trumaine Johnson, 1983*
81 rec., 1322 yards, 16.3 avg., 10 TD

Tampa Bay Bandits: Danny Buggs, 1983
76 rec., 1146 yards, 15.1 avg., 5 TD

Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars: Scott Fitzkee, 1985
73 rec., 882 yards, 12.1 avg., 3 TD

Memphis Showboats: Derrick Crawford, 1985**
70 rec., 1057 yards, 15.1 avg., 9 TD

Oakland Invaders: Anthony Carter, 1985
70 rec., 1323 yards, 18.9 avg., 14 TD

Los Angeles Express: Ricky Ellis, 1983
69 rec., 716 yards, 10.4 avg., 6 TD

Boston/N.O./Portland Breakers: Dan Ross, 1984
65 rec., 833 yards, 12.8 avg., 2 TD

Pittsburgh Maulers: Greg Anderson, 1984***
63 rec., 994 yards, 15.8 avg., 6 TD

Michigan Panthers: Derek Holloway, 1984*
62 rec., 1219 yards, 19.7 avg., 9 TD

Okla./Arizona Outlaws: Alphonso Williams, 1985**
55 rec., 1020 yards, 18.5 avg., 8 TD

New Jersey Generals: Herschel Walker, 1983****
53 rec., 489 yards, 9.2 avg., 1 TD

San Antonio Gunslingers: Don Roberts, 1985*****
53 rec., 653 yards, 12.3 avg., 4 TD

* Team played in 1983-84 only
** Team played in 1984-85 only
*** Team played in 1984 only
**** Running Back
***** Running Back; team played in 1984-85 only


Joey Walters



Anthony Carter

TOP 10 YARDS
1- Jim Smith, 1984 Birmingham Stallions
1481 yards, 89 rec., 16.6 avg., 8 TD

2- Richard Johnson, 1984 Houston Gamblers
1455 yards, 115 rec., 12.7 avg., 15 TD

3- Lonnie Harris, 1985 Denver Gold
1432 yards, 101 rec., 14.2 avg., 8 TD

4- Joey Walters, 1984 Washington Federals
1410 yards, 98 rec., 14.4 avg., 13 TD

5- Richard Johnson, 1985 Houston Gamblers
1384 yards, 103 rec., 13.4 avg., 14 TD

6- Ricky Sanders, 1984 Houston Gamblers
1378 yards, 101 rec., 13.6 avg., 11 TD

7- Anthony Carter, 1985 Oakland Invaders
1323 yards, 70 rec., 18.9 avg., 14 TD

8(tied)- Trumaine Johnson, 1983 Chicago Blitz
1322 yards , 81 rec., 16.3 avg., 10 TD

8(tied)- Jim Smith, 1985 Birmingham Stallions
1322 yards, 87 rec., 15.2 avg., 20 TD

10-Trumaine Johnson, 1984 Arizona Wranglers
1268 yards, 90 rec., 14.1 avg., 13 TD


Trumaine Johnson



Danny Buggs

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Michigan Panthers: Derek Holloway, 1984*
1219 yards, 62 rec., 19.7 avg., 9 TD

Boston/N.O./Portland Breakers: Frank Lockett, 1984
1199 yards, 56 rec., 21.4 avg., 8 TD

Tampa Bay Bandits: Danny Buggs, 1983
1146 yards, 76 rec., 15.1 avg., 5 TD

Memphis Showboats: Greg Moser, 1985**
1145 yards, 57 rec., 20.1 avg., 6 TD

Jacksonville Bulls: Alton Alexis, 1985**
1118 yards, 83 rec., 13.5 avg., 5 TD

Okla./Arizona Outlaws: Alphonso Williams, 1984**
1087 yards, 50 rec., 21.7 avg., 7 TD

Pittsburgh Maulers: Greg Anderson, 1984***
994 yards, 63 rec., 15.8 avg., 6 TD

Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars: Scott Fitzkee, 1984
895 yards, 55 rec., 16.3 avg., 9 TD

Los Angeles Express: JoJo Townsell, 1984
889 yards, 58 rec., 15.3 avg., 7 TD

San Antonio Gunslingers: Frank Lockett, 1985**
794 yards, 43 rec., 18.5 avg., 3 TD

New Jersey Generals: Sam Bowers, 1983
715 yards, 43 rec., 16.6 avg., 1 TD

* Team played in 1983-84 only
** Team played in 1984-85 only
*** Team played in 1984 only


Scott Fitzkee



Sam Bowers