It is always interesting to go back in time and read the actual quotes and sentiments of the people involved as events were happening. A few days after the 1986 anti-trust suit judgement between the NFL and USFL resulted in the $1 ($3) verdict, Sports Illustrated talked with many of the USFL personnel in an article. It includes quotes from Herschel Walker, Doug Flutie, and Jim Kelly: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065134/1/index.htm

Of interest are Jim Kelly’s quotes about not wanting to play in Buffalo and how he wanted his top 3 receivers from the Houston Gamblers to join him in Buffalo if he had to play there. He even wanted Mouse Davis as offensive coordinator!

If you like collecting USFL merchandise and memorabilia then be sure to click the links below to find some fun items from those mentioned in this post.

Here is a Los Angeles Times article about Doug Flutie being drafted by the New Jersey Generals in 1985:  http://articles.latimes.com/1985-01-04/sports/sp-6646_1_nfl-draft

What was not covered, however, was the fact that the Portland Breakers could have been entitled to Doug Flutie’s rights.  Due to an oversight on the USFL’s part (depending to whom you listen), the Breakers had Flutie’s rights stemming from the 1983 Boston Breakers.  Here is why:

The USFL constructed a “territorial” draft process whereby teams would have “protected” colleges from whom they could draft.  It was designed that way to keep geographic interest in the franchise.  Boston College, where Flutie went to school, was under the “territorial” protection of the 1983 Boston Breakers.  When the team ultimately ended up in Portland in 1985, the colleges to whom the Breakers had territorial rights in the draft had not yet changed.

Even though a Northeast college would have no geographic impact on the Portland franchise, the Breakers believed that they still had exclusive rights to Doug Flutie.  How this was resolved is not widely known, and there are conflicting stories about the resolution.   If any of you have official documentation about the resolution then post a comment and/or send the information to the e-mail address you find on the contact page.

Here is a recent post which has a link to an interview with former USFL Houston Gamblers quarterback Jim Kelly:   http://www.nfldraftbible.com/All-Access-Football/jim_kelly_declares_the_USFL_is_back.html

In it he talks about what the USFL meant to his career and the careers of many of USFL/NFL stars.

Yes, it is true! For one game in his professional career, Steve Young was a running back. He did this for his final game in the USFL with the Los Angeles Express. It took place on the last day of the season in 1985.

Since the LA Express were a “ward” of the USFL League office for the majority of 1985, the team did not have much money after losing their owner (J. William Oldenburg) who owned the Express in 1984. In order to entice a possible new ownership group, the final game in LA Express history – in which Young was the running back – was moved to Pierce College. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Express) the game only drew 8200 fans; and it did not help attract new ownership for the upcoming 1986 fall season.

Of interest, the LA Express also pursued signing Eric Dickerson and Dan Marino out of the class of 1983. Their involvement may be discussed in detail in a future post.

If you want to find Steve Young or Los Angeles Express merchandise then click the images below to start your search: