MVP Profile: Otto Graham, 1955

Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

Age:  34 (Dec. 6)

10^th season in pro football & with Browns

College: Northwestern

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

A single-wing tailback in college, Graham chose to sign with the Browns of the new AAFC rather than the NFL Detroit Lions, who had drafted him in the first round in 1944, after coming out of the Navy. An outstanding athlete, he first played pro basketball before joining the Browns for the 1946 season. Mobile and an accurate passer, Graham threw for 1834 yards as a rookie and led the AAFC with 17 TD passes as the Browns won the league championship. He was the league’s MVP for the first time in ’47 as he led the AAFC in overall passing as well as completion percentage (60.6), yards (2753), TD passes (25), and yards per attempt (10.2). Graham was co-MVP with San Francisco’s Frankie Albert in ’48, a season in which he once more led the AAFC in passing yards (2713) while tossing another 25 TD passes and the Browns went undefeated. The Browns won the AAFC title for the fourth straight year in 1949, and Graham led the league in passing yards (2785) and yards per attempt (9.8). While no MVP was awarded by the league, he was a consensus first-team All-AAFC selection. Graham and the Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 and kept up their winning ways by achieving another championship. Graham was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was named league MVP by UPI in ’51 as the Browns went 11-1, although they lost the Championship game to the Rams. In 1952, Graham led the league in pass attempts (364), completions (181), yards (2816), and TD passes (20), as well as interceptions (24), and was once again named to the Pro Bowl. He received MVP honors from UPI again in ’53 after leading the league in passing yards (2722), yards per attempt (10.6), and completion percentage (64.7) and, while the Browns lost the NFL Championship game for a third straight year, they returned to the top in 1954 as Graham again led the NFL in completion percentage (59.2). He retired at that point, although when the Browns had difficulty in the 1955 preseason, he was coaxed back into action for one more year.

1955 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 185 [10]

Most attempts, game – 31 at NY Giants 11/27

Completions – 98 [8, tied with Charlie Conerly]

Most completions, game – 17 at NY Giants 11/27

Yards – 1721 [6]

Most yards, game – 319 at NY Giants 11/27

Completion percentage – 53.0 [1, tied with Bobby Layne]

Yards per attempt – 9.3 [1]

TD passes – 15 [3]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at NY Giants 11/27, vs. Chi. Cardinals 12/11

Interceptions – 8 [12]

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Washington 9/25, at Philadelphia 11/13

Passer rating – 94.0 [1]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 2

Rushing

Attempts – 68

Yards – 121

Yards per attempt – 1.8

TDs – 6 [4, tied with Ed Modzelewski & Lew Carpenter]

Scoring

TDs – 6 [17, tied with four others]

Points – 36

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at LA Rams)

Pass attempts – 25

Pass completions – 14

Passing yardage – 209

TD passes – 2

Interceptions – 3

Rushing attempts – 9

Rushing yards – 21

Average gain rushing – 2.3

Rushing TDs – 2

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: UPI, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News, Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

Browns went 9-2-1 to finish first in the NFL Eastern Conference while leading league in scoring (349 points) and touchdowns (45). Won NFL Championship over Los Angeles Rams (38-14).

Aftermath:

Graham retired for good following the 1955 season. Altogether, over 10 seasons (four in the AAFC, 6 in the NFL) he averaged 9.0 yards per attempt (a record 8.6 in the NFL alone) while throwing for 23,584 yards (10,085 in AAFC, 13,499 in NFL) with 174 TDs (86 in AAFC, 88 in NFL). He also ran for 882 yards and scored 44 TDs, with a high of 8 in 1954. Graham was a first-team All-league selection three times in the AAFC as well as three more times in the NFL and was chosen for the first five Pro Bowls. Perhaps most significantly of all, he quarterbacked Cleveland to a championship game in all ten years, winning seven of them. The Browns retired his #14 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). 

1960: NFL Approves Move of Cards from Chicago to St. Louis

On the evening of March 13, 1960 the NFL approved the transfer of the Chicago Cardinals franchise to St. Louis. The owners agreed to the move upon two conditions. First, a satisfactory lease agreement had to be worked out with Busch Stadium, which was owned by the major league baseball Cardinals, as well as arrangements for television coverage (as anticipated, these were not problematic conditions. A new stadium, which would come to be Busch Memorial Stadium, was in the planning stages and was finally available in 1966).

The team’s managing director, Walter Wolfner, strongly denied that a move was imminent right up to the day of the vote. He indicated afterward that the league had unexpectedly agreed to meet certain conditions that made the franchise shift possible.

The NFL agreed to pay the team $500,000 to help defray the costs of the relocation, which included paying off the lease for use of Soldier Field. The Bears were especially willing to assist with the cost in anticipation of increased revenue due to the freeing up of the Chicago territory.

While sentimentalists were sorry to see the move of the league’s oldest franchise, which had such long ties to the Windy City, the club had long played second fiddle to the more successful Bears.

The Cardinals had Chicago roots dating back to 1898, when they began life as an amateur community team called the Morgan Athletic Club. From there they became the Racine Normals, due to their venue being Normal Field on Racine Avenue, and then the Racine Cardinals after obtaining a supply of faded maroon jerseys from the University of Chicago. The team disbanded and reorganized on two occasions and joined the fledgling NFL (then the American Professional Football Association) in 1920, quickly becoming known as the Chicago Cardinals.

While the Cardinals had sporadic success, winning NFL titles in 1925 and ’47, for the most part they quickly fell behind the rival Bears, who won far more regularly. The club was bought by Charles W. Bidwill in 1933, and by the late 40s he had begun to assemble a winning squad that featured the “Million-Dollar Backfield” of QB Paul Christman, FB Pat Harder, and halfbacks Charley Trippi and Elmer Angsman. But he died before the championship-winning season in 1947 and his widow, Violet, married businessman Walter Wolfner two years later, who became managing director in 1951.

Organizationally, the Cards floundered in the 1950s, putting together just one winning season. Attendance was poor and not helped by the move from Comiskey Park to Soldier Field in 1959, also playing two games in Bloomington, Minnesota, a potential NFL market (the Vikings arrived on the scene in 1961). The Wolfners turned down suitors willing to buy the franchise (two of whom, Lamar Hunt and Bud Adams, went on to found the American Football League), but they were losing money. With a study showing that St. Louis was a viable candidate to field a NFL team, the decision was made to relocate. Additionally, a St. Louis brewer named Joe Griesedieck bought a ten percent interest in the club.

The team’s fortunes immediately improved on the field. After having finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 2-10 record in 1959, the Cardinals were 6-5-1 in their first St. Louis season. They were the NFL’s top rushing team, with star HB John David Crow leading the way with 1071 yards and second-year split end Sonny Randle led the league with 15 receiving touchdowns among his 62 catches. The defense was greatly improved and included DE Leo Sugar, DT Frank Fuller, plus an established star safety in Jerry Norton, who was also an excellent punter, and Larry Wilson, a rookie who would go on to a Hall of Fame career, in the other spot.

Violet Wolfner died in 1962 and a legal battle ensued between her sons from her marriage to Charles Bidwill, Charles W. Jr. (aka Stormy) and Bill, and the pugnacious Wolfner who contested the will leaving the bulk of her estate – including the majority ownership in the Cardinals – to the brothers. The nasty legal battle was finally settled out of court. Stormy ran the team until selling his interest to Bill in 1972.

Meanwhile, on the field there was difficulty at quarterback, and the acquisition of 31-year-old Sam Etcheverry, a legendary player in Canada, failed to resolve the issue when it was found that his arm was worn out. However, in 1962 a promising young quarterback from New Mexico State named Charley Johnson took over and, in 1963 and ’64, the Cards exhibited a productive offense and contended in the Eastern Conference. Randle, in combination with flanker Bobby Joe Conrad, continued to excel and the offensive backfield was deep enough to withstand injuries. Wally Lemm had been grabbed away from the AFL’s Houston Oilers in ’62 to become the head coach, with encouraging results.

However, the Cardinals failed to break through to the postseason. The team would not do so until 1974, under offensive-minded Head Coach Don Coryell, but he left after five years and two non-winning postseason appearances, frustrated by the team’s continued organizational failings under Bill Bidwill.

Ultimately, the relocation to St. Louis that began with such promise of success soured badly. Bidwill chose to be his own general manager, too often with unfortunate results. Along with some notable highly-drafted busts such as QB Steve Pisarkiewicz, WR Clyde Duncan, and kicker Steve Little, there were plenty of talented players along the way. In addition to those named previously, notable among them on offense were quarterbacks Jim Hart and Neil Lomax, running backs Terry Metcalf and Ottis Anderson, wide receivers Mel Gray, Pat Tilley, Roy Green, and J.T. Smith, linemen Dan Dierdorf, Conrad Dobler, Bob DeMarco, and Tom Banks and, on defense, linebackers Dale Meinert, Larry Stallings, and E.J. Junior and backs Pat Fischer and Roger Wehrli. Jim Bakken was a standout placekicker for many years and Vai Sikahema a notable kick returner. But the team underachieved far too often, and attendance fell until the franchise shifted again, this time moving to Phoenix in 1988. The overall record over the course of 28 years in the Gateway City was 187-202-13 and 0-3 in the postseason.

1984: Turnovers Help Generals Edge Stars

The United States Football League’s Atlantic Division matchup between the New Jersey Generals and Philadelphia Stars on March 11, 1984 featured two teams that had thus far been carried by their defenses in achieving 2-0 records.

The Generals, coached by Walt Michaels, were benefiting from an influx of veteran talent on defense that included linebackers Bobby Leopold, Jim LeClair, and Willie Harper, CB Kerry Justin, and FS Gary Barbaro. The offense, which had relied most heavily on RB Herschel Walker in 1983, added ex-Browns QB Brian Sipe, but he had gone down with an injury in the first week and backup Gene Bradley was behind center.

Philadelphia, which barely lost the USFL Championship game the previous year, continued to rely on a ball control attack led by QB Chuck Fusina and featuring RB Kelvin Bryant. But the offense had scored just 17 points in each of the first two games and it was the blitz-heavy defense keeping opponents in check.

There were 46,716 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands for the Generals’ home-opening game. The contest was played in near-freezing temperatures with wind gusts of nearly 35 miles per hour. Fans occasionally tossed snowballs onto the field despite the dire warnings coming over the public address system and, as a result, 14 were arrested and 57 ejected during the course of the afternoon.

The Generals got the first break of the game when, forced to punt after their first series, the ball bounced into CB Jonathan Sutton and New Jersey recovered at the Philadelphia 29, but they were unable to move afterward. The Stars had a drive that was helped along by a fake punt that converted a fourth down, but David Trout’s 52-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright and was unsuccessful.

In a 10-play, 65-yard series that extended into the second quarter, the Generals, who ran the ball effectively, were helped along the way when a pass by Gene Bradley was overthrown in the end zone but SS Antonio Gibson was penalized for defensive holding. FB Maurice Carthon scored a touchdown on a one-yard dive into the end zone two plays later and Roger Ruzek added the extra point.

The Stars responded by driving 74 yards in 16 plays that culminated in a scrambling Chuck Fusina firing a pass to WR Willie Collier, who made a diving catch in the end zone for a seven-yard TD on third-and-goal. Trout tied the game at 7-7 with the successful conversion.

That was the score at halftime. With 53 seconds left in the period, FS Mike Lush intercepted a Bradley pass to give the Stars the ball at the New Jersey 43. However, they came up empty when Trout again hit the right upright on a 45-yard field goal try.

The Generals forced a turnover on the first play from scrimmage of the third quarter, with Bobby Leopold causing Kelvin Bryant to fumble at his own 42. New Jersey made the most of it, driving to another Carthon one-yard scoring carry that was set up by a 20-yard run by Walker. Ruzek’s PAT gave the home team a 14-7 lead.

Once again the Stars followed a New Jersey TD with one of their own, driving methodically down the field and ending with Fusina tossing a four-yard scoring pass to TE Steve Folsom. Trout tied the score at 14-14 with the PAT.

The Generals had to punt on their next series, but on the last play of the third quarter, a fumble by Bryant at the Philadelphia 40 was recovered by New Jersey’s Jim LeClair. It set up a 38-yard field goal by Ruzek six plays later that put the home team in front once more with over ten minutes left to play.

The teams traded punts, and the Stars appeared to be on their way to a score with time running down, converting a fourth down and moving into Generals territory. However, LeClair recovered a fumble by WR Willie Collier, who lost the handle on the ball after making a catch at the New Jersey 21 with 1:23 left in the contest. Philadelphia got one last shot with the clock down to ten seconds, but Fusina’s long pass was intercepted by Leopold to seal the 17-14 win for the Generals.

The Stars won the statistical battle, leading in total yards (245 to 164) and first downs (18 to 10). However, they also turned the ball over five times, to one suffered by New Jersey, and had the two close misses on field goal attempts.

Maurice Carthon led the Generals with 71 yards on 18 carries that included the two short touchdowns and Herschel Walker, who was generally well defensed by Philadelphia, added 56 yards on 17 attempts. Gene Bradley completed just 5 of 13 passes for 37 yards and had one intercepted. WR Tom McConnaughey led the receivers with two catches for 23 yards. On defense, Bobby Leopold (pictured below) forced both of Bryant’s fumbles and made the game-clinching interception while Jim LeClair had two key fumble recoveries.

For the Stars, Kelvin Bryant ran for 87 yards on 24 attempts had four catches for 34 more yards, but also fumbled the ball away twice. Chuck Fusina was successful on 19 of 30 throws for 125 yards and two TDs along with the late interception. Steve Folsom caught 6 passes for 43 yards and a score.

“I was hit from the blind side on both fumbles,” explained Kelvin Bryant. “That’s the way it goes. We made some mistakes, that’s why we lost.”

“The frustrating thing was the fumbles and the penalties,” added Coach Jim Mora of the Stars. “The turnovers, that’s what did it.”

The Stars recovered to win all of their remaining games – with the exception of the last-week rematch with New Jersey – to finish atop the Atlantic Division once again at 16-2. The Generals lost the following week but ended up with a 14-4 record to place second in the division. In the First Round playoff game, the clubs met for a third time and it was Philadelphia winning by a decisive 28-7 score, on the way to attaining the USFL Championship.

Rookie of the Year: Buddy Curry, 1980

Linebacker, Atlanta Falcons

Age: 22

College: North Carolina

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 221

Prelude:

An All-ACC selection, Curry was a second-round draft choice by the Falcons for 1980, one of four linebackers they took. Starting on the inside, he combined with fellow rookie Al Richardson (who he ended up sharing AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors with), veteran Fulton Kuykendall, and second-year OLB Joel Williams to create an outstanding corps of linebackers.

1980 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – N/A

Interceptions – 3

Most interceptions, game – 1 at New England 9/14, vs. Washington 11/30, at Philadelphia 12/7

Int. return yards – 13

Most int. return yards, game – 9 (on 1 int.) at New England 9/14

Int. TDs – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Fumble rec. TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Divisional playoff vs. Dallas)

Interceptions – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP (co-winner), PFWA

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Falcons went 12-4 to finish first in the NFC West with the best record in the conference. Lost NFC Divisional playoff to Dallas Cowboys (30-27).  

Aftermath:

Curry had another solid season in 1981, despite the team’s overall decline, and scored his only NFL touchdown on an interception return. He led the Falcons in tackles in the strike-shortened ’82 season (something he regularly did throughout his career), but a knee injury prevented him from appearing in the playoff game afterward. Moved to the outside in 1983, Curry recorded a career-high four sacks, but was shifted to the middle as the team went to a 4-3 defense in ’84. After appearing in 105 straight games through 1986, Curry was limited to four games due to injury in ’87 and retired in the offseason. Overall, he played eight years with the Falcons and led the team in tackles in each of the first seven.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

MVP Profile: Troy Polamalu, 2010

Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age: 29

8^th season in pro football & with Steelers

College: Southern California

Height: 5’10” Weight: 207

Prelude:

Highly regarded coming out of college due to his speed and hard-hitting style, Polamalu was chosen by the Steelers in the first round (16^th overall) of the 2003 NFL draft. He had difficulty adjusting to the pro game as a rookie, but moved into the starting lineup at strong safety in ’04 and came on strong, intercepting five passes and gaining selection to the Pro Bowl. It was the first of five consecutive Pro Bowl seasons for Polamalu, and after receiving second-team All-NFL honors from the Associated Press in 2004, he was a consensus first-team All-NFL choice in 2005. Polamalu was utilized in a variety of ways, both in coverage as well as like an extra linebacker, in order to take advantage of his disruptive playmaking ability. However, his style of play began to take a physical toll. He missed five games in 2007, came back to intercept 7 passes as his coverage skills improved in ’08, but then appeared in only five contests in 2009 due to a knee injury.

2010 Season Summary

Appeared in 14 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 1

Interceptions – 7 [2, tied with Devin McCourty & Asante Samuel]

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Cincinnati 12/12

Int. return yards – 101 [9, tied with Joe Haden & Bryan McCann]

Most int. return yards, game – 57 (on 2 int.) vs. Cincinnati 12/12

Int. TDs – 1

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumbles – 1

Tackles – 49

Assists – 15

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 3 G

Interceptions – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: Pro Football Focus

Pro Bowl

Steelers went 12-4 to finish first in the AFC North while leading the NFL in sacks (48), fewest rushing yards allowed (1004), and fewest points allowed (232). Won AFC Divisional playoff over Baltimore Ravens (31-24) and AFC Championship over New York Jets (24-19). Lost Super Bowl to Green Bay Packers (31-25).

Aftermath:

Polamalu followed up in 2011 by playing in every game and once more achieving consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl honors. However, durability again became an issue in 2012 as he missed nine games with a calf injury and there were questions regarding his future in Pittsburgh. He bounced back in 2013, playing in all 16 games and returning to the Pro Bowl. Overall through 2013, Polamalu has been a consensus first-team All-NFL selection four times, garnered second-team honors twice, and been chosen to the Pro Bowl after eight seasons. He has intercepted 32 passes, three of which were returned for TDs, and been credited with 12 sacks and 539 solo tackles.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

1983: Bandits Pull Out Win Over Breakers in USFL Debut

March 6, 1983 marked the debut of the United States Football League with the first game starting in Tampa between the Tampa Bay Bandits and Boston Breakers, just ahead of four other Sunday afternoon contests.

The Bandits were owned by John Bassett, a Canadian businessman who had once operated the Memphis Southmen in the World Football League. The head coach was Steve Spurrier, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at the University of Florida who played in the NFL with the 49ers and Buccaneers and had most recently been offensive coordinator at Duke. 33-year-old John Reaves (pictured above) was the starting quarterback and, like his coach, had also starred at Florida but had little success as a pro and had been dogged by drug and alcohol problems off the field. Reaves had last played for Houston in 1981 and was selling real estate in that city when the opportunity to play in the new league came along.

Boston also had a veteran quarterback in John Walton, a 35-year-old who had last played as a backup with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1979 before becoming head coach at Elizabeth City State for three years. Walton was also a veteran of the Continental and World Football Leagues along the way and had demonstrated a strong passing arm. Head Coach Dick Coury was an experienced NFL assistant who had also been head coach with the WFL’s Portland Storm.

There was plenty of hoopla surrounding the opening game at Tampa Stadium with a good crowd of 42,447 fans in attendance on a sunny, 80-degree afternoon. The Bandits came out fast, running their first eight plays without a huddle, but it was Boston’s Tim Mazzetti who put the first points on the board a minute before the end of the first quarter with a 30-yard field goal.

In the second quarter, the Bandits put together a 75-yard drive in six plays that culminated in Reaves throwing to RB Ricky Williams for a five-yard touchdown with six minutes remaining in the first half. Zenon Andrusyshyn added the extra point. Boston responded with an eight-play, 80-yard series that also led to a TD on a pass from John Walton to RB Anthony Steels. Mazzetti successfully added the PAT to give the Breakers a three-point lead at 10-7.

In their first possession of the third quarter, the Bandits drove 83 yards to score again. Reaves completed all four of his passes, the last one for a six-yard touchdown to WR Eric Truvillion. Moving the ball effectively later in the period and ahead by 14-10, it seemed as though the Bandits were on the verge of taking control of the game as they faced third-and-goal at the Boston three yard line. However, Reaves fired a pass into the end zone that was tipped twice before being intercepted by CB Terry Love five yards deep in the end zone. Love proceeded to run 102 yards before being brought down at the Tampa Bay three by Truvillion. Three plays later, the Breakers re-took the lead on a one-yard carry by FB Tony Davis and Mazzetti added the point after.

The momentum had shifted and Tampa Bay’s next possession also ended with an interception, but the Breakers were unable to add points. With 10:17 left in the game, Reaves went long to WR Willie Gillespie for a 33-yard touchdown that put the Bandits back in front to stay, Andrusyshyn capping the score with his third extra point of the contest.

That was it for the scoring. Holding a four-point lead and with 1:35 left in the contest, the Bandits were in possession at their own 29 and Coach Spurrier gambled by seeking to convert a fourth-and-one situation. The Breakers stopped the ensuing running play by RB Greg Boone but were flagged for being offsides. Tampa Bay was able to run out the clock and win by a final score of 21-17. 

The Bandits easily outpaced Boston in total yards (470 to 225) and first downs (26 to 14). However, the Breakers led in time of possession (31:02 to 28:58) and Tampa Bay turned the ball over twice, to one turnover suffered by the visitors.

John Reaves had a fine performance, completing 28 of 39 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns, along with two interceptions. Ricky Williams, who played collegiately at Florida State, got the starting nod at running back due to a foot injury suffered by RB George Ragsdale on the opening kickoff and rushed for 97 yards on 25 carries and also had 6 catches for 49 more yards that included a TD (his only production of the season, as he went down with a knee injury the following week). WR Danny Buggs led the club with 7 pass receptions for 112 yards and Eric Truvillion contributed 6 catches for 88 yards and a score.

For the Breakers, John Walton was successful on 17 of 28 throws for 163 yards and a TD along with one interception. Tony Davis rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts while RB Anthony Steels gained 23 yards on 6 carries and added 4 receptions for 35 yards. Veteran WR Charlie Smith, a former teammate of Walton’s in Philadelphia, gained a team-leading 48 yards on his two catches.

“I was very much pleased with what I saw,” said former Steelers RB Rocky Bleier, who was on hand to cover the game for a Pittsburgh television station. “It was wide open, there was a good selection of plays and there wasn’t the kind of sloppy play you might expect for a game like this.”

The opening-week win was the first of four straight for the Bandits, but they stumbled during the second half of the season and the resulting 11-7 record left them third in the Central Division and just short of the playoffs. The loss of John Reaves with a broken wrist was a factor, although backup Jimmy Jordan performed well until also going down with an injury.

Boston recovered to go 11-7 as well, good enough for second in the Atlantic Division although also on the outside looking in for the postseason.

1984: Stallions Defeat Express with Strong Running Game

The upgraded Birmingham Stallions were 0-1 as they traveled to Los Angeles to take on the equally winless Express in a United States Football League game on March 4, 1984. Head Coach Rollie Dotsch’s team was coming off a 9-9 inaugural season, but had added NFL veterans to the roster in the offseason, most notably QB Cliff Stoudt, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and ex-Bills RB Joe Cribbs. WR Jim Smith also came from the Steelers to bolster the receiving corps. Still, Birmingham lost to the New Jersey Generals in Week 1 by a score of 17-6 at home.

The Express, coached by ex-pro quarterback John Hadl, had problems on offense, most notably at quarterback where Tom Ramsey was the starter. Still, WR JoJo Townsell was a promising player out of UCLA and the offensive line featured well-regarded rookie linemen in OT Mark Adickes and G Gary Zimmerman. LA lost to Denver by a 27-10 score in the opening week.

There was a typically sparse crowd of 14,789 in attendance at the cavernous Memorial Coliseum. They witnessed a scoreless first quarter. In the early part of the second quarter, and following a shanked punt by the Express deep in their own territory, Birmingham went 38 yards in four plays that ended with FB Leon Perry (pictured above) running for a 29-yard touchdown and Scott Norwood added the extra point. With just under six minutes remaining in the half, LA tied the score. Tom Ramsey connected with TE David Hersey for a 42-yard TD and Tony Zendejas was successful with the PAT.

Birmingham came out strong with the first possession of the third quarter. Cliff Stoudt completed a six-play, 87-yard drive with a one-yard run that put the Stallions back in front, with Norwood adding the point after. Along the way, Stoudt had a 13-yard carry and a pass completion to Joe Cribbs that picked up 26 yards.

Birmingham utilized a strong ground game along with Stoudt’s judicious passing to take control in the second half. Thirteen seconds into the fourth quarter, the Stallions got what would prove to be the clinching TD when Cribbs ran for a touchdown from 18 yards out and Norwood booted his third extra point.

Late in the third quarter, Coach Hadl replaced Ramsey with backup QB Frank Seurer, who provided some excitement.  The Express scored on a two-yard carry by RB Kevin Nelson, but a pass to WR Malcolm Moore that reached the Birmingham five was wiped out by a penalty and the home team never again threatened. The Stallions held on to win by a final score of 21-14.

The Stallions outgained Los Angeles by 330 yards to 305, with 225 of that total coming on the ground. They also had a 17 to 16 edge in first downs. Each team suffered one turnover.

Leon Perry rushed for 93 yards on 13 carries that included a touchdown and Joe Cribbs contributed 81 yards, also on 13 attempts. Cliff Stoudt completed 9 of 17 passes for 142 yards and ran the ball 7 times for 33 yards with one TD. WR Jim Smith was the team’s top receiver with four catches for 64 yards.

For the Express, Tom Ramsey was successful on 11 of 25 throws for 126 yards and a TD with one interception before being lifted for Frank Seurer, who was 7 of 17 for 123 yards. Kevin Nelson ran for 50 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and TE Mike Sherrod was the top receiver with 5 receptions for 51 yards. JoJo Townsell added 48 yards on four catches and WR Anthony Allen gained 52 yards on his two receptions.

“It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win and we’re thankful to be leaving here with a ‘W’,” said a relieved Coach Rollie Dotsch.

To make matters worse for Los Angeles, Mark Adickes went down with torn knee ligaments, costing him the remainder of the season. Furthermore, Tom Ramsey expressed annoyance at being relieved and Coach Hadl indicated that Seurer might start the next week (which he did), but any quarterback controversy was resolved once rookie Steve Young joined the team a few weeks later.

The win ignited the Stallions, who put together a nine-game winning streak before losing to the Philadelphia Stars on May 9. The offense continued to perform well – even when Joe Cribbs left the team due to a contract dispute – and the defense was outstanding against the run. Birmingham was the USFL’s top ground-gaining team (3313 yards) and finished atop the Southern Division with a 14-4 record but, after handily defeating Tampa Bay in the opening playoff round, again fell to the Stars in the Eastern Conference Championship Game.

Los Angeles also reached the postseason, performing better on offense once Young took over at quarterback. In the mediocre Pacific Division, the Express placed first with a 10-8 record and unseated the defending-champion Michigan Panthers in an epic overtime win before losing to Arizona in the Western Conference title contest.