Independent (1964)
Pro Football League of America (1965-1968)
Continental Football League (1968-1969)
Texas Football League (1970)
Midwest Football League (1971-1972)
Independent??? (1974-1975)
Tombstone
Born: 1964
Folded: 1975-ish
First Game:
Last Game:
Pro Football League of American Champions: 1966
Continental Football League Championships: None
Stadium
Rosenblatt Stadium (13,000)
Opened: 1948
Demolished: 2012-2013
Marketing
Team Colors: Red, White & Blue
Ownership
Owners: Robert E. Adwers (chairman)
Our Favorite Stuff
Continental Football League
Logo T-Shirt
Variously described as everything from “semi-pro” football to the “third Major League” behind the NFL and AFL during the late 1960’s, the Continental Football briefly established a sprawling network of pro football clubs that stretched from Florida to Mexico City to British Columbia. The Continental League helped launch the careers of Hall-of-Famers Bill Walsh and Ken Stabler and other NFL stars of the 1970’s including Otis Sistrunk, Bob Kuechenberg and Coy Bacon.
Our friends at Old School Shirts make the only Continental League shirt we’ve found and like all of their retro Americana tees, it’s soft and fits great!
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
The Omaha Mustangs were a minor league football outfit that played at Rosenblatt Stadium, the longtime home of baseball’s College World Series, from 1964 into the mid-1970’s. The Mustangs debuted as an independent team in 1964 with no league affiliation and later cycled through several minor football leagues. At their peak, the Mustangs competed in the Continental Football League in 1968 and 1969, a loop that had a nationwide footprint and could claim to be the third-best pro football league in the United States, behind the NFL and its rival, the American Football League.
In 1966, the Mustangs won the championship of the Pro Football League of America, defeating the Des Moines Warriors 27-7 in the league title game. Ken Berry, a rookie quarterback out of San Jose State, led the Mustangs to the title with a league-leading 17 touchdown passes and won league MVP honors. Berry’s brother Bob Berry played quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons from 1965-1976.
Tragedy struck the Mustangs in September 1968. Linebacker Glenn Hepburn, who also worked in the team’s front office, suffered a brain hemorrhage during a Continental Football League game against the Michigan Arrows in Detroit. Hepburn died later that night in a Michigan hospital.
The Continental League folded in early 1970. The Mustangs subsequently joined a handful of Southwestern-based clubs in the reformed Texas Football League for the 1970 season. Some Nebraska media continued to use the Continental League name in press accounts during 1970 even though the league had folded. The Mustangs still used the CoFL logo on their game programs that autumn. The Mustangs finished 5-4 in 1970.
Later Years
In 1971 and 1972, the Mustangs competed in the obscure Midwest Football League, playing teams from Iowa and Illinois.
In 1973, newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers of the University of Nebraska told 600 spectators at a Johnny Rodgers Day luncheon that he wanted to buy the Mustangs. But nothing came of Rodgers’ boast and the team did not operate at all in 1973.
The Omaha Mustangs re-surfaced to play some semi-pro games, likely as a non-league independent club, in the summer of 1974 and 1975, under the management of long-time owner Bob Adwers. But the club seems to have vanished for good sometime after the summer of 1975.
Omaha Mustangs Shop
Downloads
9-19-1970 Mustangs @ San Antonio Toros Roster
9-19-1970 Omaha Mustangs @ San Antonio Toros Roster
Links
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4 Responses
I played for the Omaha Mustangs in 1974-1975 and little was said that in those two years we lost one game and Steve Runty was our QB. I started at right guard and wore #64. Playing for the Mustangs was all about being part of a team and giving guys the chance to extend their playing football. I would not trade my time with the Mustangs for anything. That was a special time and a special group of guys
Jerry you were a great team mate.
Jerry, I do not know why the Bushnell Neo XS Rangefinder came up for a topic. However, I wanted to let you know of the facebook page regarding the Omaha Mustangs.
When I was a kid my Dad took me to some Mustang games at Rosenblatt. Great times.