1982 Training Camp Report

Shane Falco, QB, Oklahoma Outlaws

If you happen to pass by Oklahoma Outlaws coach RoyceR today, be sure to rub the top of his head for good luck.

Oklahoma rolled the dice on both first- and second-round picks and twice hit big money during the 1982 draft. With the 28th pick in the first round, wide receiver Leroy Jenkins jumped 8 points, one of the highest gains in USFL/WFL draft history. Then, just five picks later, new Outlaws quarterback Shane Falco boomed 7 points.

Oklahoma had set itself up to grab Falco, the former University of Mississippi star, by trading 69-accuracy QB Robert Brockett to Boston for the Breakers' second-round pick, which turned out to be the top pick in the second round. So, the Outlaws had the biggest booms in both the first and second rounds and Boston fans are saying this was the worst trade since the Babe Ruth deal.

Now Oklahoma has a great pitch-and-catch combination for the next 10 seasons. Prolific Outlaws QB Dale Brown has retired, but veteran Gene Nowlin can hold down the job for a season until Falco is ready to take over.

Speaking of Nowlin, the Los Angeles Express did not fare as well in trying to replace their departed veteran signal-caller. They took 70-vol QB Kenneth Hernandez with the eighth overall pick and his 12-point drop was the largest among any player in the first two rounds.

Charlotte Hornets SS Michael Abdullah (pick 1-16) dropped 11 points. The Cleveland Thunderbolts came out on the plus side (+4) with 100-vol RG Jonathan Martinez on pick 2-15.

The preseason begins Tuesday and the USFL/WFL's ninth regular season begins a week from Tuesday.

The big busts among the first-round picks:
1-8, Kenneth Hernandez, QB, Los Angeles Express (70 vol), -12
1-12, Nathan Fogle, RB, Charlotte Hornets (68 vol) -6
1-13, Timothy Hunziger, CB, Michigan Pantbhers (82 vol) -6
1-16, Michael Abdullah, SS, Charlotte Hornets (72 vol) -11
1-18, Craig Smith, CB, Tampa Bay Bandits (70 vol) -4
1-27, Thomas Franks, CB, Honolulu Hawaiians (76 vol) -6

The big booms among the first-round picks:
1-28, Leroy Jenkins, WR, Oklahoma Outlaws (76 vol) +8
1-31, William Jones, CB, Detroit Wheels (78 vol) +3

The big busts among the second-round picks:
2-2, Donald Chambers, DT, Florida Blazers (88 vol) -7
2-8, Jeremiah Wick, WLB, New Orleans VooDoo (82 vol) -6
2-16, Gary Lim, SS, Georgia Force (62 vol) -8
2-22, Jordan Frederick, WR, Jacksonville Bulls (34 vol) -4

The big booms among the second-round picks:
2-1, Shane Falco, QB, Oklahoma Outlaws (80 vol) +7
2-4, Charles Ahumada, WR, Michigan Panthers (58 vol) +5
2-5, Ezra Baumgardner, FS, San Jose SaberCats (96 vol) +6
2-15, Jonathan Martinez, LG, Cleveland Thunderbolts (100 vol) +4
2-20, Willie Howard, WR, Memphis Showboats (44 vol) +4
2-21, Brock Fink, RG, Georgia Force (68 vol) +4
2-24, Dexter Elmer, WR, Orlando Renegades (52 vol) +3
2-30, Clifford Swank, SS, Tampa Bay Bandits (78 vol) +6

1982 Draft Recap

Joseph Totten, LB, Boston Breakers

The Boston Breakers hope the third time is a charm.

Boston has owned the first overall draft pick each of the last three seasons. In 1980, they took CB Charles Bowles, who has intercepted nine passes in his two pro seasons and been nominated for Rookie of the Year and All-Pro. In 1981, they had less luck with WR Joseph Clark, whose overall rating dropped 4 points and only played in two games, catching one pass.

This time around, the Breakers took MLB Joseph Totten from Clemson. He has an 83 default ceiling and only 14 volatility, so Totten was certainly a pretty safe pick. With 99 run defense and 93 tackle ability, there will be fewer yards available up the gut for Boston's opponents.

The Florida Blazers, with the second overall pick, selected WLB James Barger. He can excel at all three LB positions plus FS and SS and has great coverage numbers (97 and 88), so Barger is likely to anchor the Blazers defense for many seasons to come.

The third pick went to San Jose. The SaberCats chose LT Brian Woodbury, another low-risk, high-reward selection (87 OVR, 14 VOL) who could be a 12-year starter.

Four teams had two first-round picks:

• Tampa Bay (CB Greg Smith, RDE Eric Rodriquez)
• Charlotte (RB Nathan Fogle, SS Michael Abdullah)
• Denver (FS William Willingham, SLB Julian Dejesus)
• Southern California (WR James Wise, WLB Roderick Vanbrunt)

The Los Angeles Express took a big risk at No. 8 with 70-vol QB Kenneth Hernandez. Charlotte's Fogle was a 68 vol at No. 12 and Michigan went with 82-vol CB Timothy Hunziker at No. 13. The highest-vol pick in the first round was Tampa Bay's Rodriquez (98) at No. 32.

The draft concludes Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Two rounds of late free agency are followed by training camp and the preseason games.

1982 Offseason Roundup

William Hill, QB, Portland/Shreveport

The USFL/WFL all-time passing leader and all-time receiving leader were among the big names who changed teams during 1982 free agency.

QB William Hill turned his back on Portland's 6-year, $14.45-million offer to sign for two years, $3.9 million with the Shreveport Steamer. Hill was apparently upset at not being re-signed after eight seasons with the Storm during which he passed for 5,918 yards and 326 TDs. He has a 20-percent chance of retiring, so the Steamer may give him two more seasons with which to increase those totals. Portland replaced Hill by trading for Southern California Sun QB Oscar Willis.

Dusty Heckman, OKL/SJS

WR Dusty Heckman will spend (probably) his last season with San Jose after spurning Oklahoma's one-year offer. Heckman's career 12,721 receiving yards and 93 TDs lead all USFL/WFL players in both categories.

The most expensive acquisition turned out to be former Arizona CB Albert Welsh and former Orlando CB John Borkowski. Portland gave both six years and $102.8 million, Both are in their 12th year and have a 40-percent chance of retiring.

LG Kenneth Kurtz fielded offers from 15 teams before leaving Orlando to sign with the Arizona Wranglers for six years, $78.4 million. Last year's All-Pro QB, Jerry Montalvo, re-signed with the Wranglers for 4 years, $72.3 million.

CB David Peralta looked at 15 offers before leaving Detroit to join the Houston Gamblers. The Gamblers also signed former Wheels QB Mario Valencia and former Wheels WR John Risinger to 1-year pacts for $17.7 million each.

The Outlaws gave 14th-year former LAX signal caller Gene Nowlin a five-year contract to replace the retired Dale Brown under center. Former league defensive MVP Oscar Rodriguez signed a one-year deal with Jacksonville.

Here are the 10 signings in which the total amount exceeded $30 million:

• CB Albert Welsh, ARZ/POR: 6 years, $102.8 million
• CB John Borkowski, ORL.POR: 6 years, $102.8 million
• LG Kenneth Kurtz, ORL/ARZ: 6 years, $78.4 million
• FS Jeff Melton, CHI/POR: 6 years, $72.9 million
• QB Jerry Montalvo, ARZ/ARZ: 4 years, $72.3 million
• LDE Darryl Barney, JAX/LAX: 6 years, $68.6 million
• QB Robert Burns, HOU/LAX: 6 years, $62.1 million
• CB David Peralta, DET/HOU: 3 years, $45.9 million
• WR Samuel Rutherford, SJS/CHI: 6 years, $41.9 million
• WLB Roy Edelman, BOS/POR: 6 years, $34.4 million

Retirements

The offseason decisions to hang up the spikes by some of the league's brightest stars certainly will promise a more robust Hall of Fame ballot in 1982.

Gregory Shea, Memphis

Gregory Shea of the Memphis Showboats was All-Pro twice, as a kick returner (1977) and running back (1978). Shea is the league's all-time leader in kickoff return TDs (17), including a record three in one game vs. the Detroit Wheels in 1977. Shea averaged 48 yards on his 25 kickoff returns that season. He averaged 36 yards per kickoff return and 6.7 yards per punt return for his eight-year career and also rushed for 8.674 yards and 34 TDs and caught 316 passes for 3,249 yards and 24 more TDs.

MLB John Cintron was the league's defensive MVP with Shreveport in 1974 (121 tackles, 7 sacks, 18 hurries, 3 INT). He averaged 84 tackles and 1,174 plays from scrimmage during his seven seasons with the Steamer.

Other former All-Pro selections who waved goodbye included DT Frank Wakefield (San Jose, 1975), DB Allen Herrera (Oklahoma, 1974), WLB Ramon Boldt (New Orleans,1980) and RG Sidney Woosley (Pittsburgh, 1974).

A list of notable retirees between 1981 and 1982:

• SS Joseph Daughtry, HON
• DT Frank Wakefield, SJS
• RB Seth Wynn FLA/LAX/SJS (1 season)
• MLB John Cintron, SHR/POR (1 season)
• RB Gregory Shea, MEM
• WR Gerard Hall, MEM
• QB Dale Brown, OKL
• CB Allen Herrera, OKL
• MLB Victor Lincoln, OKL
• RDE Cesar Collins, CHI
• CB Monte Cherry, CLE
• RB Robert Costello, DET
• WR Rigoberto Gonzales, DET
• WLB Ramon Boldt, NOV
• WR Matt Ellis, WAS
• RG Sidney Woosley, PIT

1981 World Bowl VIII Review

James Lockette, New Jersey

They say "you win with defense," but that was never more true than in World Bowl VIII.

New Jersey's James Lockette sacked Detroit QB Mario Valencia in the end zone for a safety to end the game and give his team a 26-24 overtime victory. The Generals claimed their first league championship after several near-misses, including a 3-point loss to the Memphis Showboats in World Bowl VI.

You don't even actually see what happened on the game-ending play, just a scrum of players in the end zone. But, we'll take MFN's word for it. New Jersey punted to the Detroit 8. A holding penalty, a recovered fumble, and an incomplete pass preceded the game-ending play.

Valencia had an outstanding game prior to its last play. He completed 31 of 42 passes for 366 yards and three TDs, a 123.71 QBR. His 30-yard TD pass to Robert Costello with 1:40 remaining forced overtime.

Detroit SS Michael Reagan and Generals CB Bruce Dickinson both made 12 tackles. Lockette, a two-time All-Pro and the league's defensive MVP in 1977, recorded two of New Jersey's three sacks.

Detroit TE Zachary Powell caught eight passes for 139 yards. New Jersey RB Rudi Johnson had nine catches for 122 yards.

New Jersey was 13-3 during the regular season and won the East Division championship. Detroit (10-6) had qualified as the wild-card team. The Generals' triumph snapped a string of six consecutive victories by American Conference teams.

1981 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

John Broussard, DL, Washngton

Sack machine John Broussard of the Washington Federals earned his second consecutive defensive MVP award and Arizona's all-around threat, Quincy White, was named offensive MVP as the USFL/WFL announced its 1981 All-Pro team.

Broussard tied for the league lead with 31 sacks and led the league with 27 hurries while making 59 tackles. He was named All-Pro for the third time in three seasons. White led the league with 2,857 total yards. He ran for 1,116 yards (5.1 average) and 6 TD and caught 70 passes for, 1,465 yards and 9 TD.

Baltimore head coach Duval was recognized by his peers as Coach of the Year after the Stars bounced back from a 2-14 season in 1980 to go 14-2 and win their first Atlantic Division title.

Honolulu RB Ronald Boatman, who set a league record with 139 receptions, was named offensive rookie of the year. The defensive rookie of the year was Tampa Bay's Jim Grisby, who was credited with 105 tackles and four sacks.

Cleveland punter Dan Carr, like Broussard, was named All-Pro for a third time. Repeat selections from 1980 include Chicago RB Max Howard, Oklahoma DL Albert Cruz, and Broussard.

1981 USFL/WFL All-Pro Team

(Previous selections in parentheses)
Offense: Jerry Montalvo, QB, Arizona; Edward Fields, RB, Jacksonville; Max Howard, RB, Chicago ('80); Jerome Wheeler, WR, Memphis; Quincy White, WR, Arizona; David Albrecht, TE, Tampa Bay; Andre Adkins, OL, Pittsburgh; Michael Warren, OL, San Jose; Thomas Bellanger, OL, Portland; Anthony Hicks, OL, San Antonio; Jeffrey Sharp, OL, Honolulu.

Special Teams: Samuel Hoye, K, Honolulu; Dan Carr, P, Cleveland ('76, '79); Aaron Paul, KR, New Jersey.

Defense: John Broussard, DL, Washington ('79, '80); Luis Torres, DL, Houston; Albert Cruz, DL, Oklahoma ('80); Alton Pastor, DL, Michigan; Phillip Williamson, LB, Jacksonville; Douglas Oneal, LB, Honolulu; Jim Grisby, LB, Tampa Bay; Eric Geiser, LB, Detroit; Kerry Justin, DB, New Jersey ('78); Rick Edwards, DB, New Orleans; Rodney Preston, DB, NY Stars; Robbie Hammock, DB, Detroit.

Offensive MVP: Quincy White, WR, Arizona
Defensive MVP: John Broussard, DL, Washington
Coach of the Year: Duval, Baltimore
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ronald Boatman, RB, Honolulu
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jim Grisby, LB, Tampa Bay

Others Receiving Votes

(In order of votes received)
QB: David McBroom, Honolulu; Dustin Nichols, Denver; Mario Valencia, Detroit; William Hill, Portland; Joe Richardson, Washington.
RB: Enrique Pacheco, Detroit; Patrick Hiebert, Oklahoma; Ernest Lynch, NY Stars; Michael Leonard, Portland; Rudi Johnson, New Jersey; Ronald Boatman, Honolulu.
WR: Mark Moody, Honolulu; Joseph Garner, Denver; Richard Glasscock, Portland; Gary Munch, Portland; Corey True, Denver. 
TE: Danny Keating, Houston; Chuck Mayfield, Oklahoma; Zachary Powell, Detroit; Jacob Scully, Portland; Kurt Taylor, Denver.
OL: Anthony Clubb, Arizona; Don "Donkey" Kong, New Jersey; Aaron Dutton, Chicago; Jimmy Hoffa, New Jersey; Joel Lossett, Washington.
KR: Jonathan Carlyle, Georgia; Arthur Strickland, Florida; Allen Howard, NY Stars.
DL: Ron Gonzalez, San Antonio; Jim Zarate, Cleveland; Nickolas Taylor, San Jose; Theodore Zheng, Portland; Christopher Taylor, Oakland; Morris Burbach, Florida.
LB: Victor Lincoln, Oklahoma; Edward Standley, Southern California; Curtis Bernard, Philadelphia; Joseph Graham, Arizona; William McMartin, San Jose.
DB: Allen Herrera, Oklahoma; Anthony Edwards, Baltimore; Larry Ackman, New Orleans; Thomas Koenig, Southern California; Duane Dupree, Birmingham; David Feng, Chicago; Mike Williams, New Jersey; Randall Simmons, Arizona; Ralph Johnson, Georgia; Galen Cummins, Shreveport.
Offensive MVP: Jerry Montalvo, QB, Arizona; Jerome Wheeler, WR, Memphis; Enrique Pacheco, RB, Detroit; Edward Fields, RB, Jacksonville; Mario Valencia, QB, Detroit; David McBroom, QB, Honolulu; Thomas Bellanger, OL, Portland.
Defensive MVP: Kerry Justin, DB, New Jersey; Luis Torres, DL, Houston; Rick Edwards, DB, New Orleans; Douglas Oneal, LB, Honolulu; Phillip Williamson, LB, Jacksonville; Alton Pastor, DL, Michigan; Jim Zarate, DL, Cleveland; Eric Geiser, LB, Detroit; Marshall Forbes, DB, Baltimore; Victor Lincoln, LB, Oklahoma.
Coach of the Year: RoyceR, Oklahoma; CrimsonWolfZ, Chicago; trslick, Honolulu; Jaybo911, Philadelphia; AlexanDragon, Denver; raidergreg69, New Jersey; Smirt911, Arizona.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Thomas Bellanger, OL, Portland; Ernest Lynch, RB, NY Stars.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brian Davis, LB, Memphis; Bob Marley, DB, New Jersey; Joseph Gerald, DL, Birmingham.

1981 World Bowl VIII Preview

Enrique Pacheco, RB, Detroit

The Detroit Wheels may have gotten there the hard way, but here they are again.

Detroit, which had to win its final four regular-season games just to get into the playoffs, will try to claim its third league championship when the Wheels face the New Jersey Generals in Monday's World Bowl VIII.

The Wheels dominated Midwest Division foe Chicago in the American Conference championship game, beating the Blitz, 24-10, while outgaining them 427yards to 168. Detroit QB Mario Valencia was 33-for-36 passing for 397 yards and a 29-yard TD pass to John Risinger. John Ayala's 108-yard kickoff return was the only TD for Chicago.

After 12 weeks of the regular season, Detroit was sitting at 6-6. The Wheels finished up with two victories over Cleveland and one each over Denver and Arizona. In the postseason, they have dispatched Denver, Oklahoma, and Chicago.

The Generals ended Baltimore's almost-worst-to-first season with a 30-13 triumph in the National Conference championship game. The Stars led for a few seconds, 7-3, before Aaron Paul's 102-yard kickoff return TD gave New Jersey a lead it would never relinquish. The Generals defense sacked Baltimore QB Fred Murphy four times and intercepted him twice.

This won't be the first rodeo for either team.

The Generals played in World Bowl VI, falling 34-31 to the Memphis Southmen in the final 2 minutes. The Wheels, meanwhile, won World Bowl III and IV, joining Memphis as the only teams to claim back-to-back championships.

The Wheels have won both of the previous meetings of these clubs,34-31 in OT in 1980 and 37-0 in 1976 behind Valencia's four TD passes.

The Florida Blazers of the National Conference won World Bowl I, but the American Conference representative has won the last six championship games.

1981 Conference Championships Preview

Les Lynch, Baltimore Stars (54)

The Baltimore Stars stand on the verge of an (almost) worst-to-first finish.

The Stars, 2-14 last season, will host the New Jersey Generals in the National Conference championship game. Baltimore DT Les Lynch picked up Philadelphia QB Roy Rhyne's fumble and ran the ball into the end zone with 6:24 to play, giving his team a 12-7 win over the Bell in the divisional round.

The Generals avenged last year's playoff loss to Shreveport when Dustin Henry kicked a 52-yard field goal on the final play of the game to beat the Steamer, 9-6. One play earlier, TE Johnny Fever had taken a pass from Doug Fluty, wriggled away from a defender, and scampered 52 yards to set up Henry's game-winner.

Baltimore is 0-4 all-time against New Jersey. The last meeting came in the final game of the 1980 regular season, a 44-27 triumph by the Generals. New Jersey will be looking for its second championship game appearance, having fallen to the Memphis Showboats in World Bowl VI. MFN makes the Generals a 3-point favorite.

The Chicago Blitz will host the Detroit Wheels in the American Conference title game. Detroit swept the regular-season series between these Midwest Division foes, winning 34-6 in Week 1 and 20-13 in Week 5.

Detroit got here via a 44-31 defeat of the top-seeded Oklahoma Outlaws. Mario Valencia passed for 392 yards and four TDs for the Wheels, who led, 37-9, entering the fourth quarter. Chicago knocked off the Honolulu Hawaiians, 28-6, behind a defense that limited Hawaiians QB David McBroom to 175 yards passing and intercepted him three times.

The Wheels lead the regular-season series, 13-3, and are a 3-point favorite according to MFN. Detroit won, 13-10, in the 1975 playoffs. The Blitz last played for a title in World Bowl  I, falling to the Florida Blazers. Detroit won back-to-back World Bowls III and IV.

1981 Divisional Round Preview

Mario Valencia, QB, Detroit

We are down to the final eight teams. Seven have never won a World Bowl. Detroit has won two, but will face a tough test this week in the No. 1 seed Oklahoma Outlaws. Here is a look at Wednesday's four divisional round games.

Detroit Wheels (10-6) at Oklahoma Outlaws (14-2): MFN makes Oklahoma a 4-point favorite. The teams did not meet this season, but the Wheels stomped the Outlaws, 43-6, in 1980 and lead the regular-season series 4-1. Detroit is coming off a 33-3 wild-card thrashing of Denver in which the Gold managed only 119 yards total offense after averaging 365 during the season. Mario Valencia was 27-for-29 and threw four TD passes for Detroit. The bye week helps Oklahoma field an entirely healthy roster for this game. The Wheels will be without two defensive starters due to injuries.

Chicago Blitz (12-4) at Honolulu Hawaiians (14-2): MFN gives the Hawaiians a 3-point edge. The Hawaiians are riding a seven-game win streak. Chicago outlasted the Arizona Wranglers, 30-21, in the wild-card round behind a solid performance from backup QB Eric Pierce. He started instead of veteran Daniel McKee and was 27-for-34 for 279 yards and two TDs. The Chicago defense limited Arizona to 211 total yards as SS David Feng made nine tackles and intercepted a pass. Honolulu has lost both of its previous playoff games. Hawaiians SS Joseph Daughtry is questionable. Blitz LG Aaron Dutton is out with a concussion. The regular-season series is tied 1-1. Honolulu won the most recent meeting, 37-20, in 1979.

Philadelphia Bell (9-7) at Baltimore Stars (14-2): MFN calls this a tossup. Baltimore won its first-ever Atlantic Division title and set a franchise record for victories, but suffered losses to Chicago and Pittsburgh during the final five weeks. Philadelphia won the first playoff game in club history when it dispatched Jacksonville, 13-7, in the wild-card round. Bells LDE Laverne Ashlock recorded three sacks, two on back-to-back plays after the Bulls had driven to the Philadelphia 12-yard line with 2 minutes to play. The Stars lead the regular-season series, 3-1, but the Bell won, 19-7, in 1980. Philadelphia C Michael DeFrancisco (ankle) and RDE Wilbert Sierra (ankle) are questionable. Baltimore RT Jonathan Nash (knee) is doubtful.

Shreveport Steamer (11-5) at New Jersey Generals (13-3): MFN gives New Jersey a 3-point edge. Shreveport is coming off a 10-6 wild-card round win over the New York Stars in which Edgar Jones passed to Ernest Seal for the game's only TD. New York did not run an offensive play on the Shreveport half of the field during the entire fourth quarter. Five Steamer players are either doubtful or questionable, while the Generals are healthy. The Steamer lead the regular-season series, 2-1, including a 13-7 Week 8 victory this season, and beat New Jersey is last year's playoffs, 35-34.

1981 Season Wrapup

A look at all things statistical from the USFL/WFL's 1981 season.

Season Records

John Broussard (50)

• Portland Storm QB William Hill completed 633 passes, breaking the record of 580 he set last season.
• Shreveport Steamer QB Edgar Jones completed 84 percent of his pass attempts this season (399-for-474). Pretty much every QB in the league broke the previous record of 69 percent, set by New Jersey's Stephan Labelle in 1979.
• Chicago QB Daniel McKee still holds the QBR record he set in 1974 (137.60).
• Honolulu Hawaiians RB Ronald Boatman set a record with 139 receptions. Orlando WR Robert Zapata caught 135 passes in 1978.
• Oakland's Lester Reed averaged 74.1 yards per kickoff, tying the league's single-season record set by Boston's Timothy Riley in 1977.
• Houston's Luis Torres, Washington's John Broussard, and Oklahoma's Albert Cruz all recorded 31 sacks, two shy of the record set last year by Broussard.

Game Records

• Detroit's John Risinger joined an exclusive club of six players who have returned a punt for a TD, an 85-yarder during a wild 51-42 victory over the Washington Federals.
• Portland's William Hill set a record by completing 55 passes (55-for-64) against Tampa Bay.
• Cleveland's Chester Dougherty was a perfect 27-for-27  passing against Denver.
• New Jersey's Rudi Johnson tied a league record by rushing for four TDs against the New York Stars.
• Honolulu' RB Ronald Boatman caught a record 21 passes against SoCal.
• Orlando's Richard Griffin tied a league record when he pinned Jacksonville inside the 20 eight times. Jeff Johnson of New Orleans set the record against Denver last season.
• New Orleans MLB Anthony Munoz tied a league record with three interceptions against San Antonio. Many players have intercepted three passes in a game, but never four.

Career records

• Arizona's Cory Robinzine (91) is attempting to catch Oklahoma's Dusty Heckman (93) as the league's career leader in TD receptions.Robinzine leads all players with 101 total career TDs.
• Memphis RB Gregory Shea has become the league's career leader in total yardage (18,517 in eight seasons).

1981 Season Notes

• The Boston Breakers defeated the Orlando Renegades, 12-9 in overtime, in Week 16. That snapped a 30-game losing streak for the Breakers, whose last victory came over the Charlotte Hornets in Week 2 of the 1980 season.
• The Philadelphia Bell made their first-ever playoff appearance this season. That means 28 of the 32 teams have qualified for the postseason at least once. The exceptions are Southern California, Houston, Michigan, and Charlotte.
• The Denver Gold and Baltimore Stars made the playoffs for the first time since 1974, the league's first season.The Chicago Blitz and Jacksonville Bulls made the playoffs for the first time since 1975.
• The Detroit Wheels have qualified for the playoffs eight times in eight seasons. Shreveport, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey have qualified six times.

Team vs. Team

• The Shreveport Steamer are 10-6 all-time against all three South Division opponents (New Orleans, Georgia, Birmingham). No team in the South Division has better than a 10-6 record against any other team in that division.
• The Chicago Blitz is 6-0 all-time against the San Antonio Gunslingers, the biggest margin in the league against any non-division opponent. The New York Stars are 6-1 against the Charlotte Hornets.
• The Charlotte Hornets were 0-14 against Pittsburgh before beating the Maulers twice this season. The Washington Federals were 1-13 against Pittsburgh before beating the Maulers twice this season.
• The Southern California Sun was 0-14 against Los Angeles before splitting with the Express this season.

Crook, Crisman voted into USFL/WFL Hall of Fame

Agustin Crook

A pair of players who saved their best for last, quarterback Agustin Crook and cornerback Leon Crisman, will be the first two inductees into the USFL/WFL Hall of Fame.

Crook was named the league's offensive MVP twice in his four seasons, with the Denver Gold in 1974 and the Birmingham Stallions in 1977. He passed for 6,548 yards and 46 TDs in that season, the most yards ever in game version 0.4.3. Crook averaged 4,505 yards per season and threw 159 TDs to 61 interceptions while completing 60.1 percent of his passes. He received votes from 28 of the 30 coaches who filled out their ballots.

Leon Crisman

Crisman intercepted 39 passes in six seasons with the San Antonio Gunslingers, including 11 in 1979, his final year, tying for the league lead. Crisman, who was voted All-Pro twice, allowed only 43.5 passes thrown against him to be completed and averaged 91 tackles per season. He was named on 24 of 30 ballots.

Crook and Crisman were the only players to be found on 75 percent of the ballots cast. Four other players received 70 percent and will return to the 1982 ballot. They were:

• RB/WR/KR Curtis Scott, Arizona Wranglers
• OL Charles Bukowski, Boston Breakers
• WR Santiago Smith, Los Angeles Express
• MLB James Kelley, Southern California Sun

Five other players achieved the minimum 25 percent to be retained for the 1982 ballot. They were:

• DB Edward Alston, Oakland Invaders
• DL Juan Frigo, Detroit Wheels
• OL Edward Jackson, Cleveland Thunderbolts
• WR/KR Dean Williamson, Georgia Force
• DB Barry Litchford, Florida Blazers

There were 13 players who did not achieve 25 percent and will not appear on the 1982 ballot.

Complete voting results below (click to enlarge):

1981 Wild Card Preview

Eric Bigham, WLB, New York Stars

The New York Stars might be the team nobody wants to face in the playoffs.

The Stars (8-8) ended the regular season with six wins in their last seven games, including victories over the playoff-bound Philadelphia Bell and Shreveport Steamer and postseason contenders Charlotte Hornets and Georgia Force. The Stars will be at Shreveport on Monday in one of the National Conference wild card games.

The Honolulu Hawaiians (14-2) actually have the longest win streak among the postseason entrants, having won seven in a row to close the regular season. The Pacific Division champs get a first-round bye.

The 12-team field for the 1981 playoffs includes only one team—the Detroit Wheels—that has previously won a World Bowl. The Oklahoma Outlaws (14-2) and Baltimore Stars (14-2) are the top seeds in their respective conferences. Baltimore hasn't made the playoffs since the league's first season, 1974.

A look at the wild-card games:

Arizona Wranglers (9-7) at Chicago Blitz (12-4): Arizona had won six of seven before falling to Detroit in the regular-season finale. This is the second playoff appearance for the Wranglers in franchise history. Arizona beat Oakland in the 1977 first round, then fell to the Los Angeles Express. The Blitz, Midwest Division champs, won six of their last seven and are back in the playoffs after sitting out the postseason each of the last five years. They played in World Bowl I, losing to the Florida Blazers. Chicago leads the regular-season series, 4-1, including a 30-24 victory in Week 2 this season.

Detroit Wheels (10-6) at Denver Gold (11-4-1): Denver is in the playoffs for the first time since 1974 after claiming the first West Division title in franchise history. The Gold will be trying to avenge a 15-10 defeat to the Wheels three weeks ago that gave Detroit a 3-1 lead in the regular-season series. The Wheels went into a skid at midseason, losing four of five, then bounced back to beat Cleveland (twice), Denver, and Arizona in their final four games.

New York Stars (8-8) at Shreveport Steamer (11-5): Don't let the Stars' record fool you. Not only have they won six of seven, but that streak includes a 16-13 triumph over Shreveport in Week 14. The Steamer are in the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years, but are 2-5 in postseason games. Shreveport was 4-0 against New York before its recent loss.

Philadelphia Bell (9-7) at Jacksonville Bulls (8-8): The two coaches wearing big grins on the sidelines are Jaybo911, who has Philadelphia in the playoffs for the first time ever, and hectorg93, who just led Jacksonville to its first-ever division title. The Bulls defeated the Bell, 21-7, two weeks ago to extend their lead in the series to 4-0. Philadelphia lost four of five to end the regular season and Jacksonville dropped three of four.