Category: World League of American Football

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

Barcelona Dragons

March 14, 2014

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

August 30, 2013

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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1992 Birmingham Fire Media Guide from the World League of American Football

Birmingham Fire

May 23, 2013

The Birmingham Fire were a two-season entry in the World League of American Football (WLAF), the NFL’s abortive early 90’s effort to create a springtime developmental league.

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Orlando Thunder

March 10, 2013

If you recall the World League of American Football of the early 1990’s at all, chances are it’s for one of two things: the USA Network’s “Helmet Cam”, which put viewers into the heads of quarterbacks about to be bulldozed by 300-lb. linemen, or the blinding fluorescent green uniforms of the Orlando Thunder franchise.

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1991 Montreal Machine Pocket Schedule from the World League of American Football

Montreal Machine

August 1, 2012

The Montreal Machine were a popular pro football franchise in the NFL-sponsored World League of American Football in 1991 and 1992.  The WLAF was a springtime league that included three European teams, the Machine, and six U.S.-based clubs. Lackluster on the field both years, the team was relatively popular at the box office by WLAF standard. The Machine’s home debut on April 1st, 1991 against the Barcelona Dragons pulled a league record crowd of 53,238 at Olympic Stadium.

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