Tombstone
Formed: May 11, 1982
Disbanded: August 1986
First Game: March 6, 1983
Last Game: July 14, 1985
Seasons: 3
States: 17 including the District of Columbia
(AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX)
Leadership
Commissioner
- June 1982 – January 1985: Chet Simmons
- January 1985 – August 1986: Harry Usher
Trophy Case
Our Favorite Gear
USFL Logo T-Shirt
This United States Football League logo tee harkens back to the iconic spring football experiment of the mid-1980s. The USFL challenged the NFL for the best collegiate talent of the era and created a form of de facto free agency for NFL stars, helping to launch or revitalize the careers of stars such as Jim Kelly, Steve Young, Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, Doug Williams and Sam Mills.
The classic-era logo was later revived with minimal alteration for the Made-For-Television USFL re-boot of 2022 and 2023.
This USFL design is available in a variety of colors and in sizes Small through 5XL from Royal Retros today!
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!
Timeline
Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mike Rozier (University of Nebraska), the USFL’s #1 overall draft pick, signs a three-year, $3.1 million contract with the expansion Pittsburgh Maulers. He is the second straight Heisman winner to sign with the USFL, following Herschel Walker a year earlier.
Herschel Walker of the New Jersey Generals runs for 162 yards on 28 carries against the Jacksonville Bulls on a Monday night in the Meadowlands. With 2,129 yards on the season, Walker surges past Eric Dickerson’s single season pro football rushing record of 2,105 yards. Dickerson, who established the record…
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The Baltimore Stars (formerly known as Philadelphia, where its players continued to live and practice during the week in 1985) reach their third straight USFL Championship Game. The Stars defeat the Oakland Invaders 28-24 in the final USFL game before a crowd of 49,623 at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
On January 1, 2006, punter Sean Landeta and quarterback Doug Flutie appear in their final NFL games on the same day. They are the last two active USFL veterans to play in the NFL. On the final play of his career, Doug Flutie converts a drop kick extra point for the New England Patriots,…
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United States Football League Franchise List
| Franchise | Years Active | USFL Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Outlaws | 1985 | None |
| Arizona Wranglers | 1983-1984 | None |
| Baltimore Stars | 1985 | 1985 |
| Birmingham Stallions | 1983-1985 | None |
| Boston Breakers | 1983 | None |
| Chicago Blitz | 1983-1984 | None |
| Denver Gold | 1983-1985 | None |
| Houston Gamblers | 1984-1985 | None |
| Jacksonville Bulls | 1984-1985 | None |
| Los Angeles Express | 1983-1985 | None |
| Memphis Showboats | 1984-1985 | None |
| Michigan Panthers | 1983-1984 | 1983 |
| New Jersey Generals | 1983-1985 | None |
| New Orleans Breakers | 1984 | None |
| Oakland Invaders | 1983-1985 | None |
| Oklahoma Outlaws | 1984 | None |
| Orlando Renegades | 1985 | None |
| Philadelphia Stars | 1983-1984 | 1984 |
| Pittsburgh Maulers | 1984 | None |
| Portland Breakers | 1985 | None |
| San Antonio Gunslingers | 1984 | None |
| Tampa Bay Bandits | 1983-1985 | None |
| Washington Federals | 1983-1984 | None |
USFL Shop
Editor's Pick
Football For A Buck
The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL
By Jeff Pearlman
The United States Football League—known fondly to millions of sports fans as the USFL—did not merely challenge the NFL, but cause its owners and executives to collectively shudder. In its three seasons from 1983-85, it secured multiple television deals, drew millions of fans and launched the careers of legends such as Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, and Reggie White. But then it died beneath the weight of a particularly egotistical and bombastic team owner—a New York businessman named Donald J. Trump.
In Football for a Buck, Jeff Pearlman draws on more than four hundred interviews to unearth all the salty, untold stories of one of the craziest sports entities to have ever captivated America. From 1980s drug excess to airplane brawls and player-coach punch outs, to backroom business deals and some of the most enthralling and revolutionary football ever seen, Pearlman transports readers back in time to this crazy, boozy, audacious, unforgettable era of the game. He shows how fortunes were made and lost on the backs of professional athletes and how, forty years ago, Trump was already a scoundrel and a spoiler.
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!
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2 Responses
Michael Cochran worked First monday night game in USFL 4 playoff Games 1 league USFL champ. then CFK<AFL<NFL 504 games
I was a free agent selection in 1986 for the Orlando Renegades. Are there any records of that roster?