Tombstone
Formed: November 4th, 1988 & announced December 13, 198811989 Charlotte Barons Souvenir Program
Disbanded: 1990
First Game: July 29, 1989
Last Game: September 30, 1990
Seasons: 2
States: 11
(CA, CO, FL, GA, MA, MO, NC, OK, PA, VA, WA)
Leadership
Commissioner:
- December 1988 – August 1990: Roger Wehrli
- August 1990 – ?: Peter Spivak
Trophy Case
Background
The Minor League Football System was a brief effort to develop a nationwide semi-pro football league. MLFS had teams across the country from the Pacific Northwest to New England to the Deep South during the summers of 1989 and 1990. The league aspired to become a developmental feeder system for the National Football League, but no formal relationship ever developed.
MLFS teams did not pay their players. Players found jobs in the local community to make ends meet. Despite this, a handful of ex-NFL players played in the league including quarterback Rusty Hilger and defensive lineman Ben Rudolph.
During the league’s second season in 1990, MLFS employed thee former NFL and AFL head coaches. Walt Michaels (New York Jets) helmed the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre club, Darryl Rogers (Detroit Lions) ran Oklahoma City and Lou Saban (Buffalo Bills, Boston Patriots of the AFL) coached the Middle Georgia Heat Wave. None of the three remained in their job by the end of the season.
The league came apart at the seams during its second season during the summer of 1990. Teams in Colorado Springs and Tacoma folded midway through the schedule. The planned 12-week regular season was reduced to 10 weeks to prevent more defections. The Charlotte Barons defeated the Pueblo Crusaders 24-18 in the league’s championship game on September 29, 1990. The league folded quietly in the months that followed.
Vehicle for Eric Swann
The league is best remembered as a vehicle to develop defensive end Eric Swann. Swann was recruited to North Carolina State University in 1989, but never played a down of college football due to academic ineligibility. Swann joined the Bay State Titans franchise in Lynn, Massachusetts as a 19-year old in 1990. The Titans’ general manager, Dick Bell, also served as Swann’s agent and aggressively promoted him to NFL teams during the winter of 1990-91. The Phoenix Cardinals chose Swann with the #6 overall pick in the 1991 NFL draft, despite his post-high school playing experience being limited to 11 semi-pro football games against unpaid competition. Swann went on to become a two-time NFL All-Pro.
Minor League Football System Franchise List
| FRANCHISE | YEARS ACTIVE | MLFS CHAMPIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Bay State Titans | 1990 | Never |
| California Outlaws | 1990 | Never |
| Charlotte Barons | 1989-1990 | 1990 |
| Colorado Springs Spirit | 1989-1990 | Never |
| Florida Renegades | 1989-1990 | Never |
| Fresno Bandits | 1990 | Never |
| Harrisburg Patriots | 1989-1990 | Never |
| Hayward Outlaws | 1989 | Never |
| Middle Georgia Heat Wave | 1990 | Never |
| Oklahoma City Twisters | 1990 | Never |
| Ottawa Bootleggers | 1989 (Cancelled Season) | Never |
| Pocono Mountaineers | 1989 | Never |
| Pueblo Crusaders | 1989-1990 | 1989 |
| St. Louis Riverboat Gamblers | 1989 | Never |
| San Jose Bandits | 1989 | Never |
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Stallions | 1990 | Never |
| Seattle Express | 1989 | Never |
| Tacoma Express | 1990 | Never |
| Virginia Storm | 1989 | Never |
Minor League Football System Shop
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