1976 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh

Record-setting quarterback Mario Valencia of the Detroit Wheels was named offensive MVP, Portland sack machine Norman Paulk defensive MVP and Tampa Bay's Mcarovil won the tightest voting race ever for coach of the year as the USFL/WFL released its 1976 All-Pro team Wednesday.

Pittsburgh running back Cliff Thomas became the first three-time All-Pro selection in league history. Birmingham's offensive linemen Ben Arnold and Earl Murtagh, both 1974 selections, were both picked by the league's coaches after having missed out in 1975.

Other repeat selections from past years were Boston OL Charles Bukowski, San Antonio LB Jonathan Neal, Washington LB Travis Curcio and Denver DB Donald Lopez.

Mcarovil, Tampa Bay

Valencia and Paulk were both runaway MVP picks. Birmingham WR Lee Rice was named offensive Rookie of the Year. New York Stars WR Allen Howard finished just behind Rice in that balloting, but made the All-Pro team as a kick returner. Georgia Force DT Brandon Kidney and Houston Gamblers SS Cory Vargas tied for defensive Rookie of the Year. Vargas also made the All-Pro team on defense.

Mcarovil, who led Tampa Bay to a 15-1 regular season, was one of nine coaches who received at least one vote. Cleveland's jabillups85 and mwd65 of the Los Angeles Express both finished one vote behind.

Let's post the summary first, then get to the breakdown of others receiving votes.

1976 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team
(*-1974 selection; **-1975 selection; ***-1974 and '75 selection)
Offense: Mario Valencia, QB, Detroit; Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh***; Adam Velasco, RB, Cleveland; Dusty Heckman, WR, Oklahoma; Cory Robinzine, WR, Arizona; Robert Diaz, TE, Pittsburgh; Charles Bukowski, OL, Boston*; Ben Arnold, OL, Birmingham*; Frank Boyles, OL, Baltimore; Earl Murtagh, OL, Birmingham*;  Adam Bolding, OL, Portland.

Special Teams: Lester Reed, K, Oakland; Dan Carr, P, Cleveland; Allen Howard, KR, NY Stars.

Defense: Norman Paulk, DL, Portland**; Juan Frigo, DL, Detroit; Elton Engler, DL, Chicago; Anthony Kent, DL, Shreveport; Jonathan Neal, LB, San Antonio**; James Kelley, LB, Southern California; Martin Wildermuth, LB, Tampa Bay; Travis Curcio, LB, Washington*; David Peralta, DB, Detroit; Cory Vargas, DB, Houston; Marcus Town, DB, Shreveport; Donald Lopez, DB, Denver*.

Offensive MVP: Mario Valencia, QB, Detroit
Defensive MVP: Norman Paulk, LDE, Portland
Coach of the Year: Mcarovil, Tampa Bay
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Lee Rice, WR, Birmingham
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brandon Kidney, DT, Georgia and Cory Vargas, SS, Houston

Others Receiving Votes

(In order of votes received)
QB: Tyrone Harvell, Tampa Bay. Dale Brown, Oklahoma
RB: Kenneth Boyd, New Orleans; Herschel Walker, New Jersey; Karl Moore, Honolulu
WR: Santiago Smith, Los Angeles; Marshall Gibson, San Antonio; Michael Popa, Tampa Bay
TE: Scott Maddux, Shreveport; Gerald Montoya, Oklahoma; William Malone, Georgia.
OL: James Smith, San Jose; Michael Warren, San Jose; Thomas Nedd, Birmingham; Richard Mosley, San Jose; Raymond Andres, San Antonio; Samuel Hines, Orlando; Lee Ward, Oklahoma
KR: Christopher Curtis, Oakland; Adam Velasco, Cleveland
DL: Kevin Staten, Charlotte; Frank Wakefield, San Jose; Paul Funchess, Pittsburgh; Albert Cruz, Oklahoma; Laverne Ashlock, Philadelphia
LB: Martin Wolf, New York; Daniel Fenner, Boston; William Bennett, Jacksonville; Ivan Alexander, Birmingham; Jesse Amos, Georgia; John Cintron, Shreveport
DB: Bradley Mondragon, Detroit; Christopher Chen, Michigan; Jeffrey Keeley, Houston; Earl Bueno, Baltimore; Albert Welsh, Arizona; Larry Ackman, New Orleans; Leon Crisman, San Antonio; Carlos Turner, Los Angeles; Edward Alston, Oakland
Offensive MVP: Cory Robinzine, Arizona; Tyrone Harvell, Tampa Bay; Dusty Heckman, Oklahoma
Defensive MVP: Jonathan Neal, San Antonio; Christopher Chen, Michigan; James Kelley, Southern California
Coach of the Year: jabillups85, Cleveland; mwd65, Los Angeles; wolveraider, Oakland; pernbronze, Portland; smirt211, Arizona; tribewriter, New York; setherick, Orlando; greyghost1225, New Orleans
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Allen Howard, New York
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Oliver Serrano, Cleveland

All-Pro History

1975 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

(*-Repeat selection)

Offense: Les Lacy, QB, Oakland; Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh*; John Murray, RB, Pittsburgh; Donnie Baker, WR, San Antonio*; Randy Christmas, WR, Baltimore; Ivory Villaneuva, TE, Portland; Kenneth Addison, OL, Portland; Thomas Nedd, OL, Birmingham; Kevin Peck, OL, Cleveland; James Smith, OL, San Jose; Dale Jarrett, OL, Chicago.

Special Teams: Anthony Schaefer, K, Arizona; Jeff Castle, P, New York; Glenn Williamson, KR, Georgia.

Defense: Nathan Branch, DL, Memphis; Oscar Rodriguez, DL, Shreveport; Norman Paulk, DL, Portland; Frank Wakefield, DL, San Jose; Richard Hartnett, LB, Oakland; Jonathan Neal, LB, San Antonio; Bernard Washington, LB, Florida; Carlos Johnson, LB, Tampa Bay; Edward Alston, DB, Oakland*; Mike Williams, DB, New Jersey; James Jones, DB, Memphis.

Offensive MVP: Les Lacy, QB, Oakland
Defensive MVP: Oscar Rodriguez, RDE, Shreveport
Coach of the Year: Wolverraider, Oakland

1974 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

Offense: Daniel McKee, QB, Chicago; Bruce Fine, RB, Chicago; Cliff Thomas, RB, Pittsburgh; Thomas Canale, WR, New Orleans; Donnie Baker, WR, San Antonio; Kenneth Boyd, TE, New Orleans; Ben Arnold, OL, Birmingham; Earl Murtagh, OL, Birmingham; Donald Lopez, OL, Boston; Sidney Woosley, OL, Pittsburgh; Charles Bukowski, OL, Boston.

Special Teams: Dean Long, P, Oklahoma; Timothy Riley, K, Boston; Thomas Dayton, KR, Southern California.

Defense: John Lawrence, DL, New Orleans; Ryan Moore, DL, Georgia; Chris McDuffie, DL, Orlando; Kenneth Back, DL, Portland; John Cintron, LB, Shreveport; Jesse Amos, LB, Georgia; Jim LeClair, LB, New Jersey; Travis Curcio, LB, Washington; Allen Herrera, DB, Oklahoma; Leon Crisman, DB, San Antonio; Edward Alston, DB, Oakland; Donald Lopez, DB, Denver.

Offensive MVP: Agustin Cook, QB, Denver, and Daniel McKee, QB, Chicago
Defensive MVP: John Cintron, MLB, Shreveport