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Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars

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This article is about the first edition of the USFL. For the present day USFL, see Philadelphia Stars (2022).

The Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League (USFL) in the mid-1980s. Owned by real-estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum, they were the short-lived league's dominant team, playing in all three championship games and winning the latter two. They played their first two seasons in Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Stars before relocating to Baltimore, where they played as the Baltimore Stars for the USFL's final season. Coached by Jim Mora, the Stars won a league-best 41 regular season games and 7 playoff games.

Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars
Established 1982
Folded 1986
Played in Byrd Stadium
in College Park, Maryland
League/conference affiliations
United States Football League (1983–1985)
  • Eastern Conference (1984–1985)
    • Atlantic Division (1983–1984)
Current uniform
Team colorsCrimson, Old Gold, White
     
Personnel
Owner(s)Myles Tanenbaum
Head coach1983 Jim Mora 48–13–1 (.782)
Team history
  • Philadelphia Stars (1983–1984)
  • Baltimore Stars (1985)
Championships
League championships (2)
1984, 1985
Conference championships (2)
1984, 1985
Division championships (2)
1983, 1984
Playoff appearances (3)
1983, 1984, 1985
Home stadium(s)

Founding

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On May 11, 1982, the announcement of the USFL was officially made by league owner and antique dealer, David Dixon.[1] The league's Philadelphia team would be owned by real estate developer Myles H. Tanenbaum. He had originally wanted to name the team the Stallions in honor of Rocky Balboa, who was nicknamed "The Italian Stallion." However, when the Birmingham entry snapped up the Stallions name, Tanenbaum settled on "Stars."[2]

George Perles was originally named as the team's head coach in July 1982. Perles, previously an assistant coach for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, never coached a game for the Stars, opting to take the head coach position for Michigan State instead. On January 15, 1983, the Stars hired Jim Mora to be their head coach.[3]

1983 season

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Main article: 1983 Philadelphia Stars Season

The Stars began in Philadelphia in the USFL's inaugural 1983 season and played their home games at Veterans Stadium (the "Vet"). They compiled the league's best regular season record of 15–3 (.833), and advanced to the 1983 USFL championship game. Their "Doghouse Defense" allowed only 204 points in an 18-game season—the least in the history of the league. The Stars were led by fourth-year quarterback Chuck Fusina (1978 Heisman Trophy runner-up), fifth-year wide receiver Scott Fitzkee, rookie halfback Kelvin Bryant of North Carolina, rookie offensive tackle Irv Eatman of UCLA, rookie linebacker Sam Mills, and second-year safety Scott Woerner. The team also featured Towson's all-star rookie punter Sean Landeta. At the conclusion of the regular season, Bryant was named the USFL's Player of the Year by the Associated Press.[4]

The Stars entered the playoffs as the top-seeded team. In the Semi-Finals, the Stars defeated the preseason favorites to win the 1983 title—George Allen's Chicago Blitz—by withstanding seven turnovers and erasing a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win 44–38 in overtime.[5][6] In the league title game at Denver's Mile High Stadium on July 17, the Stars lost to Jim Stanley's Michigan Panthers, 24–22.[7] Just as they had against the Blitz, the Stars opened the game sluggishly, but finished with a flourish, after allowing the Panthers to carry a 17–3 lead into the fourth quarter.[8][9] Many observers of the time believed that the Stars, Panthers and Blitz were almost NFL-quality units.

One of the few blemishes on the Stars' first season was the box office. They only attracted 18,650 fans per game. In addition to bad weather, there were lingering memories of a massive gate-papering scandal involving the World Football League's Philadelphia Bell in 1974. The Bell had claimed that a total of over 120,000 fans had attended their first two games, but it subsequently emerged that all but 19,000 of the tickets had been given away for free or for significantly reduced prices.[2]

1983 Philadelphia Stars schedule

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Week Day Date Opponent Result Record TV Venue Attendance
Regular season
1 Sunday March 6 at Denver Gold W 13–7 1–0 ABC Mile High Stadium 45,102
2 Sunday March 13 New Jersey Generals W 25–0 2–0 ABC Veterans Stadium 38,205
3 Monday March 21 at Birmingham Stallions W 17–10 3–0 ESPN Legion Field 12,850
4 Sunday March 27 Tampa Bay Bandits L 22–27 3–1 ABC Veterans Stadium 18,718
5 Sunday April 3 Washington Federals W 34–3 4–1 ABC Veterans Stadium 14,576
6 Sunday April 10 at Los Angeles Express W 17–3 5–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 18,671
7 Saturday April 16 at Oakland Invaders W 17–7 6–1 ESPN Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 34,901
8 Sunday April 24 Boston Breakers W 23–16 7–1 ABC Veterans Stadium 10,257
9 Saturday April 30 at Tampa Bay Bandits W 24–10 8–1 ESPN Tampa Stadium 41,559
10 Sunday May 8 Denver Gold W 6–3 9–1 ABC Veterans Stadium 14,306
11 Sunday May 15 Chicago Blitz W 31–24 10–1 ABC Veterans Stadium 25,251
12 Sunday May 22 at Arizona Wranglers W 24–7 11–1 Sun Devil Stadium 18,151
13 Sunday May 29 at Boston Breakers L 17–21 11–2 ABC Nickerson Field 15,668
14 Sunday June 5 Michigan Panthers W 29–20 12–2 ABC Veterans Stadium 19,727
15 Sunday June 12 at New Jersey Generals W 23–9 13–2 Giants Stadium 32,521
16 Monday June 20 Oakland Invaders W 12–6 14–2 ESPN Veterans Stadium 16,933
17 Sunday June 26 Birmingham Stallions W 31–10 15–2 Veterans Stadium 17,973
18 Sunday July 3 at Washington Federals L 14–21 15–3 RFK Stadium 11,039
Playoffs
Divisional
Playoff 		Saturday July 9 Chicago Blitz W 44–38 (OT) — ABC Veterans Stadium 15,686
USFL
Championship 		Sunday July 17 vs. Michigan Panthers L 22–24 — ABC Mile High Stadium 50,906

Sources[10][11][12]

1984 season

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The Stars remained in Philadelphia for the 1984 season but were forced to relocate their post-season home games to Franklin Field due to a conflict with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Stars roared through the regular season with the league best 16–2 (.889) record, and routed George Allen's Arizona Wranglers, 23–3 for the league title in Florida at Tampa Stadium on July 15.[13][14] It was the last traditional professional football championship for the city of Philadelphia until the Eagles' Super Bowl LII victory at the end of the 2017 season, and its first since the 1960 NFL championship. The Stars were also becoming increasingly popular among fans, as average home attendance jumped from approximately 18,000 in 1983 to 28,000 in 1984.[15]

After the league championship game, the Stars played a rare post-season exhibition game with Tampa Bay in England on July 21, and defeated the Bandits 24–21 at Wembley Stadium in London.

1984 Philadelphia Stars schedule

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Week Day Date Opponent Result Record TV Venue Attendance
Preseason
1 Bye
2
3 Saturday February 11 vs. New Jersey Generals L 20–28 0–1 Deland, Florida
4 Saturday February 18 vs. Tampa Bay Bandits L 17–22 0–2 Orlando, Florida
Regular season
1 Sunday February 26 at Memphis Showboats W 17–9 1–0 Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 28,098
2 Sunday March 4 at Washington Federals W 17–6 2–0 RFK Stadium 12,067
3 Sunday March 11 at New Jersey Generals L 14–17 2–1 ABC Giants Stadium 46,716
4 Sunday March 18 Oakland Invaders W 28–7 3–1 Veterans Stadium 30,284
5 Saturday March 24 at Pittsburgh Maulers W 25–10 4–1 ESPN Three Rivers Stadium 24,341
6 Sunday April 1 Tampa Bay Bandits W 38–24 5–1 ABC Veterans Stadium 30,270
7 Sunday April 8 at Arizona Wranglers W 22–21 6–1 ABC Sun Devil Stadium 30,252
8 Sunday April 15 Chicago Blitz W 41–7 7–1 Veterans Stadium 17,417
9 Sunday April 22 at San Antonio Gunslingers W 24–10 8–1 ABC Alamo Stadium 16,590
10 Friday April 27 New Orleans Breakers W 35–0 9–1 Veterans Stadium 34,011
11 Sunday May 6 at Birmingham Stallions W 43–11 10–1 ABC Legion Field 49,500
12 Sunday May 13 Los Angeles Express W 18–14 11–1 ABC Veterans Stadium 22,391
13 Saturday May 19 Jacksonville Bulls W 45–12 12–1 ESPN Veterans Stadium 33,194
14 Sunday May 27 at Michigan Panthers W 31–13 13–1 ABC Pontiac Silverdome 20,387
15 Monday June 4 Pittsburgh Maulers W 23–17 14–1 ESPN Veterans Stadium 30,102
16 Friday June 8 at Denver Gold W 21–19 15–1 Mile High Stadium 30,755
17 Friday June 15 Washington Federals W 31–8 16–1 Veterans Stadium 22,582
18 Sunday June 24 New Jersey Generals L 10–16 16–2 ABC Veterans Stadium 37,758
Playoffs
Divisional
Playoff 		Saturday June 30 New Jersey Generals W 28–7 — ABC Franklin Field 19,038
Conference
Championship 		Sunday July 8 Birmingham Stallions W 20–10 — ABC Franklin Field 26,616
USFL
Championship 		Sunday July 15 vs. Arizona Wranglers W 23–3 — ABC Tampa Stadium 52,662
Postseason Exhibition
Exhibition Saturday July 21 vs. Tampa Bay Bandits W 24–21 — ESPN Wembley Stadium,
London, England 		21,000

Sources[16][17][18]

Relocation to Baltimore

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The league's owners, led by Donald Trump of the New Jersey Generals, voted to move play to the fall following the 1985 season. This put the Stars in a difficult position. Tanenbaum said that the Stars would have had to start the 1986 season on an extended road trip due to the Phillies sharing Veterans Stadium as well. Had the Phillies advanced to the World Series, the Stars would not be able to play a home game until November at the earliest.[2] Moving full-time to Franklin Field was quickly ruled out due to the Penn Quakers football team playing there on Saturdays when the USFL had planned to play in the fall. The only other football venue in Philadelphia was John F. Kennedy Stadium, next door to the Vet. However, the 60-year-old stadium was in a poor state of repair after not being well maintained in several years; it would be condemned only four years later. In any case, it seated over 100,000 people, meaning even a decent-sized USFL crowd would have been swallowed up in the environment.

At the time, the Philadelphia Eagles were in visible distress only five years after making it to the Super Bowl due to Eagles owner Leonard Tose's gambling and other debts. The Stars were one of the few USFL teams that had a realistic possibility of forcing their NFL counterparts out of town. At one point, Tose unsuccessfully tried to trade the Eagles for the equally distressed Buffalo Bills and/or relocate to Arizona. However, officials with the city of Philadelphia had shown clear favoritism to the Eagles despite their financial struggles, scuttling Tose's efforts and securing an agreement to keep the Eagles in Philadelphia.[19]

With no venue in the Delaware Valley suitable even for temporary use, Tanenbaum moved the team to Baltimore, which was still smarting from the loss of the NFL Colts three years earlier. Indeed, even as Tanenbaum prepared to move the Stars, the city of Baltimore was attempting to strip the Colts from owner Robert Irsay via eminent domain.[2][20]

It initially appeared that the Stars would be bolstered by a merger with the Pittsburgh Maulers. Owner Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. had folded the Maulers after just one season because knew he could not even begin to compete with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He agreed to join Tanenbaum as a minority partner, but decided to get out altogether soon afterward.[2]

Baltimore welcomed the Stars with open arms. Tanenbaum quickly signed a broadcasting deal with Baltimore's most powerful radio station, WBAL, and built a good relationship with then-mayor William Donald Schaefer. However, he ran into a problem when he discovered that the Stars could not play at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium until 1986 due to objections from the Baltimore Orioles. Reportedly, Orioles general manager Hank Peters and manager Joe Altobelli were concerned about the Stars tearing up the turf, and persuaded owner Edward Bennett Williams to lock out the Stars.[2] With no other stadium in the immediate Baltimore area suitable for temporary use, Tanenbaum was forced to play at the University of Maryland's Byrd Stadium in College Park, 29 miles (47 km) southwest of Baltimore and a Washington suburb (coincidentally, the Washington USFL franchise, the Federals, moved to Orlando as the Orlando Renegades the same season). This was all compounded by the Washington Redskins' success during these years which included playing in the Super Bowl in January 1983 and 1984. Further complicating matters, the team kept its operations in Philadelphia and commuted to College Park for games—effectively consigning the Stars to 18 road games for the league's lame-duck spring season.[21]

1985 season

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At least in part due to all the moving, the Stars initially struggled in 1985, but won nine of their last 13 games to secure a wild-card berth. They did so in front of a mostly empty Byrd Stadium, however. While Baltimore-area fans were happy to see the return of pro football after a two-year absence, they balked at making the 35-minute drive down Interstate 95 to see the Stars play in College Park. Most were waiting for the team to begin play in the city's venerable Memorial Stadium a year later.

As a result, attendance sagged to the point that the Stars might have lost home-field advantage for the playoffs even with a winning record. ABC Sports, embarrassed at the dwindling attendance from around the league, told Usher it did not want to televise playoff games in near-empty stadiums. Since ABC had disproportionate influence on league affairs due to the structure of its contract with the USFL, Usher had little choice but to agree. However, the Stars managed to upend the favored New Jersey Generals and Birmingham Stallions in successive weeks to reach the title game at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Once there, the Stars won the USFL title beating the Bobby Hebert-led Oakland Invaders, 28–24.[22][23] Soon afterward, Tanenbaum sold controlling interest to fellow real estate magnate Stephen Ross.[2]

As it turned out, this was the final USFL game ever played. On July 29, 1986, a federal grand jury found in favor of the USFL in its antitrust suit against the NFL. However, the USFL was only awarded $1 in damages, tripled to $3 under antitrust law.[24][25] The league's abandonment of Philadelphia was a factor in the adverse jury award. The jury foreman explained that while they agreed the NFL was a monopoly, they could not agree on the size of the award. As a result, the jury misinterpreted the law and decided on the $1 award, feeling it would be changed by the presiding judge. However, the judge was not able to increase the amount once it was stipulated by the jury. As a result, the league suspended operations a day later, never to return.

Number 19 was never issued to any player in that lone season out of respect to the Colts' great Johnny Unitas.

1985 Baltimore Stars schedule

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Week Day Date Opponent Result Record TV Venue Attendance
Preseason
1 Saturday February 2 vs. Orlando Renegades L 10–16 0–1 Spec Martin Stadium, Deland, Florida 300
2 Saturday February 9 vs. Memphis Showboats W 14–9 1–1 Winter Haven, Florida
3 Saturday February 16 vs. Tampa Bay Bandits L 26–28 1–2 WTOG Charlotte, North Carolina 20,000
Regular season
1 Sunday February 24 at Jacksonville Bulls L 14–22 0–1 Gator Bowl Stadium 51,045
2 Sunday March 3 at Oakland Invaders T 17–17 (OT) 0–1–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 20,495
3 Saturday March 9 at Memphis Showboats L 19–21 0–2–1 ESPN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium 37,466
4 Sunday March 17 New Jersey Generals W 29–9 1–2–1 ABC Byrd Stadium 31,026
5 Sunday March 24 Birmingham Stallions L 3–7 1–3–1 Byrd Stadium 14,529
6 Sunday March 31 at Houston Gamblers W 27–14 2–3–1 ABC Houston Astrodome 24,166
7 Sunday April 7 at Los Angeles Express W 17–6 3–3–1 ABC Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 5,637
8 Sunday April 14 Memphis Showboats L 10–13 3–4–1 ABC Byrd Stadium 15,728
9 Sunday April 21 Portland Breakers W 26–17 4–4–1 Byrd Stadium 14,832
10 Sunday April 28 at Tampa Bay Bandits L 14–29 4–5–1 Tampa Stadium 41,226
11 Sunday May 5 Arizona Outlaws W 24–19 5–5–1 Byrd Stadium 14,432
12 Sunday May 12 at New Jersey Generals L 3–10 5–6–1 ABC Giants Stadium 34,446
13 Friday May 17 at Orlando Renegades W 34–21 6–6–1 ESPN Florida Citrus Bowl 23,121
14 Sunday May 26 San Antonio Gunslingers W 28–10 7–6–1 Byrd Stadium 8,633
15 Sunday June 2 Jacksonville Bulls W 17–12 8–6–1 ABC Byrd Stadium 9,663
16 Saturday June 8 at Birmingham Stallions L 7–14 8–7–1 ESPN Legion Field 24,300
17 Saturday June 15 Orlando Renegades W 41–10 9–7–1 Byrd Stadium 6,988
18 Sunday June 23 Tampa Bay Bandits W 38–10 10–7–1 Byrd Stadium 12,647
Postseason
Quarterfinals Monday July 1 at New Jersey Generals W 20–17 — Giants Stadium 26,982
Semifinals Sunday July 7 at Birmingham Stallions W 28–14 — ABC Legion Field 23,250
USFL
Championship 		Sunday July 14 vs. Oakland Invaders W 28–24 — ABC Giants Stadium 49,263

Sources[26][27][28][29][30]

Legacy

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The Stars are widely acknowledged to have been the best team to see the field in USFL history.

The Stars won 41 of 54 regular-season games and were 7–1 in the postseason. For the team's entire run, they were coached by Jim Mora (Sr), who later became a head coach in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. Mora was actually the Stars' second choice; Tannenbaum originally hired Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator George Perles, but Perles opted instead to take the open job at his alma mater, Michigan State.

Carl Peterson, who later became the president/general manager/chief executive officer of the Kansas City Chiefs, served as the team's General Manager for all three seasons.

Sean Landeta and Sam Mills both also had successful careers in the NFL. Landeta was one of the top punters in the NFL for two decades, and was the last former USFL player still active in the NFL at the time of his retirement in 2006. Mills had a sterling career with the Saints (alongside Mora) and the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers retired Mills' No. 51 jersey after his death from cancer in 2005.

Landeta and Bart Oates were also teammates with the New York Giants. Oates signed with the Giants in 1985. Both Oates and Landeta went on to win a combined five Super Bowl rings throughout their NFL careers. Both won two rings apiece with the Giants in 1986 and 1990, while Oates earned an additional ring with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. Oates was selected to five Pro Bowls during his career and to the UPI All-NFC team three times. He was extremely durable, starting 125 consecutive games during his Giants career.

Single-season leaders

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Rushing Yards: 1470 (1983), Kelvin Bryant, 1406 (1984), Kelvin Bryant, 1207 (1985), Kelvin Bryant

Receiving Yards: 731 (1983), Scott Fitzkee, 1895 (1984), Scott Fitzkee, 882 (1985), Scott Fitzkee

Passing Yards: 2718 (1983), Chuck Fusina, 3837 (1984), Chuck Fusina, 3496 (1985), Chuck Fusina

Interceptions: 8 (1983), Scott Woerner, 7 (1984), Mike Lush, 10 (1985) Mike Lush

Sacks: 8.5 (1983), Don Fielder, 6 (1984) George Cooper, 10 (1985) John Walker

Season-by-season results

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Season records
Season W L T Finish Playoff results
Philadelphia Stars
1983 15 3 0 1st Atlantic Division Won Divisional Playoff (Chicago)
Lost USFL Championship (Michigan)
1984 16 2 0 1st Atlantic Division Won Divisional Playoff (New Jersey)
Won Eastern Conference Championship (Birmingham)
Won USFL Championship (Arizona)
Baltimore Stars
1985 10 7 1 4th Eastern Conference Won Divisional Playoff (New Jersey)
Won Eastern Conference Championship (Birmingham)
Won USFL Championship (Oakland)
Totals 48 13 1 (including playoffs)

Radio broadcasters

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Year Station Play-by-play Color commentator
1983
1984
1985 WCBM Chuck Thompson Vince Bagli

References

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  1. ^ "USFL History - USFL (United States Football League)".
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Reeths, Paul (2017). The United States Football League, 1982-1986. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1476667447.
  3. ^ "PHI - United States Football League - Revisited". Archived from the original on 2015-04-10. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  4. ^ "Standings/Awards - United States Football League - Revisited". Archived from the original on 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  5. ^ Jauss, Bill (July 10, 1983). "Blitz has big fall off 21-point perch". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, sec. 3.
  6. ^ Zonca, Tony (July 10, 1983). "Blitz sees Stars in comeback". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). p. 73.
  7. ^ Jauss, Bill (July 18, 1983). "Michigan has magic touch in USFL title game". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  8. ^ Domowitch, Paul (July 18, 1983). "A final rally for title not in Stars". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Knight-Ridder. p. 17.
  9. ^ Lowitt, Bruce (July 18, 1983). "Panthers tops stars for crown". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. 13.
  10. ^ statscrew.com 1983 Philadelphia Stars Game-by-Game Results
  11. ^ usflsite.com 1983 USFL Season
  12. ^ profootballarchives.com 1983 Philadelphia Stars (USFL)
  13. ^ Jauss, Bill (July 16, 1984). "Stars strangle Allen's Wranglers". Chicago Tribune. p. 5, sec. 3.
  14. ^ "No denying Stars this time". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 16, 1984. p. 1B.
  15. ^ "Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars - USFL (United States Football League)".
  16. ^ statscrew.com 1984 Philadelphia Stars Game-by-Game Results
  17. ^ usflsite.com 1984 USFL Season
  18. ^ profootballarchives.com 1984 Philadelphia Stars (USFL)
  19. ^ "Tose's Decision to Stay Put Leaves Arizonans Miffed". The Seattle Times. December 17, 1984.
  20. ^ "Stars move to Baltimore". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 2, 1984. p. 3C.
  21. ^ "The Philadelphia Stars: Philadelphia's Other Pro Football Team – PhillyHistory Blog".
  22. ^ "Bryant helps Stars keep USFL title". July 15, 1985. p. 5, sec. 3.
  23. ^ "Stars win last spring USFL title". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. July 15, 1985. p. C1.
  24. ^ Smith, Sam (July 30, 1986). "A tough victory for USFL". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, sec. 4.
  25. ^ "The verdict: USFL wins, and loses". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. July 30, 1986. p. 1B.
  26. ^ statscrew.com 1985 Baltimore Stars Game-by-Game Results
  27. ^ usflsite.com 1985 USFL Season
  28. ^ profootballarchives.com 1985 Baltimore (USFL)
  29. ^ Anonymous, "Baltimore 10 at Orlando 16 (Deland, FL)," Associated Press, February 2, 1985. Retrieved December 16, 2018
  30. ^ Lorenz, Rich, "The New Jersey Generals have offered tackle...," Chicago Tribune, February 3, 1985. Retrieved December 15, 2018
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