World Football League (1974-1975)
Tombstone
Born: September 18, 1974 – The Houston Texans relocate to Shreveport, LA
Folded: October 22, 1975
First Game: September 25, 1974 (L 17-3 vs. Memphis Southmen)*
Last Game: October 19, 1975 (W 41-31 vs. San Antonio Wings)
*Press accounts of the previous game in Birmingham, Alabama on September 19, 1974 alternately referred to the team as “Houston” or “Shreveport” as the franchise’s midseason shift from Texas to Louisiana was argued in court. The September 25th game was the first to introduce the ‘Steamer’ name.
World Bowl Championships: None
Stadium
State Fair Stadium (50,400)
Opened: 1924
Branding
Team Colors: Green & Gold
Ownership
Owners:
- 1974 – Bill Bernard, et al.
- 1975 – John B. Atkins, et al.
Attendance
Note: 1974 includes 5 home dates after the club moved from Houston in midseason. 1975 includes seven home dates before the WFL ceased operations in midseason.
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Source: Kenn.com Attendance Project
The Steamer Store
Shreveport Steamer Logo T-Shirt
Trivia: the Steamer played parts of two seasons in Louisiana, but never a full one! The 1974 squad arrived abruptly from Houston in a midseason shift, while the 1975 team dissolved when the World Football League closed its doors partway through its regular season schedule.
This sharp Steamer logo tee is available in sizes Small through XXXL from our partners at Old School Shirts.
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Background
Major league professional football came to the unlikely outpost of Shreveport, Louisiana in September 1974. The upstart World Football League began play two months earlier, seeking to challenge the hegemony of the NFL much as the American Football League had during the 1960’s. The WFL’s Houston Texans franchise were a bust in nearby Houston, drawing fewer than 10,000 fans a night in the Astrodome. Just eleven games into the WFL’s debut season, Texans owner Steven Arnold ran out of hope and money. He handed the franchise over to the league and the club hastily fled across the border to Shreveport on September 18, 1974. The Texans clearly were in need of a new name as well. By the end of September, the former Texans were known as the Shreveport Steamer.
Midseason Move
The mid-season move was unpopular among several key Texans players and staff. Starting quarterback Mike Taliaferro, a long-time AFL veteran, retired rather than follow the team to Louisiana. Texans head coach Jim Garrett dismissed Shreveport as a “rinky dink” town and was swiftly replaced. Under new head man Marshall Taylor, the Steamer finished out the 1974 season with a 4-5 record following the move.
The Steamer’s biggest name was running back Jim Nance, who came along in the move from Houston. The bruising fullback was a star with the AFL’s Boston Patriots during the 1960’s. He won that league’s Most Valuable Player award in 1966. Nance was 31 years old when he signed with the WFL in 1974 but still had power left in his legs. He rushed for 1,240 yards and 8 touchdowns with Houston/Shreveport in 1974. In 1975, Nance returned to Shreveport and put up 767 yards on 5 yards per carry during his final pro season.
The other “name” to emerge from the Shreveport Steamer era was the team’s color commentator, Larry King. The same suspender-clad Larry King who later became an icon of the Cable news/talk industry with Larry King Live on CNN from 1985 until 2010.
Demise
The WFL lost $20 million in 1974 and nearly folded. Chris Hemmeter, owner of the league’s Hawaii franchise, led a massive re-organization and the league managed to stagger into a second campaign in July of 1975. The league quickly encountered the same problems that doomed the league’s inaugural season. The WFL’s new Chicago franchise folded just a few weeks into the season. Small crowds and missed payrolls bedeviled the other cities as they had in 1974. The Steamer had a 5-7 record through 12 weeks of play when WFL owner voted to shutter the league permanently on October 22, 1975.
In 1978, a Shreveport entry in the minor league American Football Association revived the Steamer name and logo. This second version of the Steamer played three seasons and part of a fourth between 1978 and 1981.
Shreveport Steamer Shop
The Steamer store
Shreveport Steamer Mini-Helmet
This World Football League Mini Helmet is available through Royal Retros.
15 oz. mini helmet
Style worn by the Steamer in 1974-75
Available in the classic helmet style by Schutt
Typically ships in 3-5 business days
Fulfilled by 417 Helmets
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
In Memoriam
Former Steamer lead investor John B. Atkins took his own life at age 53 on April 6, 1978.
Steamer running back Jim Nance passed on June 17, 1992 at the age of 49. New York Times obituary.
Offensive lineman Glen Holloway, who played for the Steamer in 1975, died of liver cancer on December 20, 2011 at age 63.
Downloads
9-6-1975 Shreveport Steamer Roster
9-6-1975 Shreveport Steamer Roster
9-28-1975 Shreveport Steamer Roster
1975 WFL Standard Player Contract
Links
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2 Responses
Is there any truth to the rumor Danny Thomas wanted to buy the team and move them to Cleveland?
Interesting. I haven’t heard that and can’t find any references online. Got any more info?
Drew