Category: World League of American Football

Quarterback Jim Miller on the cover of a 1995 Frankfurt Galaxy program from the World League

Frankfurt Galaxy

The Frankfurt Galaxy were the only team to compete in all 15 season of the World League of American Football / NFL Europe, the NFL’s on-again/off-again spring developmental league. The Galaxy also won more World Bowl championships – four – than any other team in the league’s history. Quarterback Jake Delhomme (Galaxy ’99) went on to start Super Bowl XXXVIII for the Carolina Panthers in 2005.

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Sean LaChapelle on the cover of a 1996 Scottish Claymores program from the World League of American Football

Scottish Claymores

World League of American Football (1995-1997) NFL Europe (1998-2004) Born: July 27, 1994 – WLAF expansion franchise Folded: October 21, 2004 First Game: Last Game: World Bowl

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New York-New Jersey Knights football helmet on a 1991 Pro Set trading card

New York/New Jersey Knights

The New York/New Jersey Knights were a short-lived franchise in the NFL’s early 1990’s developmental league, the World League of American Football. Run & Shoot innovator Mouse Davis was the Knights’ head coach for both seasons of play. But Davis’ offense – helmed variously by Jeff Graham, Doug Pederson and Reggie Slack – never put up the kind of pinball machine numbers that his famed Houston Gamblers and Denver Gold offenses did in the United States Football League.

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1992 Barcelona Dragons Media Guide from the World League of American Football

Barcelona Dragons

The Barcelona Dragons were a founding franchise in the NFL-backed World League of American Football in 1991. The WLAF sought to serve as both a developmental league for the NFL and a marketing mechanism to extend the NFL brand into European markets. In both 1991 and 1992, the Dragons played both European and American teams in a truly global league. After a two-year hiatus in 1993-1994, the Dragons and the WLAF returned as a Europe-only in 1995. During their 11 seasons of play, the Dragons would appear in four World Bowl title games and help to jumpstart the career of long-time NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.

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1992 Sacramento Surge Media Guide from the World League of American Football

Sacramento Surge

The Sacramento Surge were a minor league football team in the NFL-sponsored World League of American Football for two spring seasons in 1991 and 1992. The Surge won the second and final World Bowl championship of the original WLAF in 1992. After the NFL shuttered the World League in late 1992, team owner Fred Anderson successfully applied to become the first American-based franchise in the Canadian Football League in 1993. Many former Surge players and coaches stuck with Sacramento for the move to the CFL, where the club was known as the Sacramento Gold Miners. Surge players that moved on to greener pastures included defensive end Michael Sinclair who became a Pro Bowl pass rusher for the Seattle Seahawks and defensive tackle Bill Goldberg who achieved superstardom as pro wrestler Goldberg.

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