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." 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.[2]
| 1983 Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Myles Tanenbaum |
| General manager | Carl Peterson |
| Head coach | Jim Mora |
| Home field | Veterans Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 15–3 |
| Division place | 1st Atlantic Division |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Blitz) 44-38 (OT) Lost USFL Championship (vs. Panthers) 22-24 |
| Uniform | |
 | |
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.[3]
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.[4][5] 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.[6] 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.[7][8] 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 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.
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Roster
Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
|
Rookies in italics |
USFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Irv Eatman | Offensive Tackle | UCLA |
| 2 | 17 | Bart Oates | Center | BYU |
| 3 | 32 | Greg Hill | Defensive Back | Oklahoma State |
| 4 | 41 | Antonio Gibson | Defensive Back | Cincinnati |
| 5 | 56 | Allen Harvin | Running Back | Cincinnati |
| 6 | 65 | Tony Caldwell | Linebacker | Washington |
| 7 | 80 | Jimmy Turner | Defensive Back | UCLA |
| 8 | 89 | Richard Dent | Defensive End | Tennessee State |
| 8 | 93 | Rich Kraynak | Linebacker | Pittsburgh |
| 9 | 104 | James Caver | Wide Receiver | Missouri |
| 10 | 113 | Don Dow | Offensive Tackle | Washington |
| 11 | 128 | Gary Worthy | Running Back | Wilmington |
| 12 | 137 | Allama Matthews | Tight End | Vanderbilt |
| 13 | 152 | John Walker | DefensiveTackle | Nebraska-Omaha |
| 14 | 161 | Sean Landeta | Punter | Towson |
Schedule
| Week | Day | Date | TV | Opponent | Results | Location | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||||
| 1 | Sunday | March 6 | ABC | at Denver Gold | 13-7 | 1–0 | Mile High Stadium | 45,102 |
| 2 | Sunday | March 13 | ABC | New Jersey Generals | 25-0 | 2–0 | Veterans Stadium | 38,205 |
| 3 | Monday | March 21 | ESPN | at Birmingham Stallions | 17-10 | 3–0 | Legion Field | 12,850 |
| 4 | Sunday | March 27 | ABC | Tampa Bay Bandits | 22-27 | 3-1 | Veterans Stadium | 18,718 |
| 5 | Sunday | April 3 | ABC | Washington Federals | 34-3 | 4-1 | Veterans Stadium | 14,576 |
| 6 | Sunday | April 10 | at Los Angeles Express | 17-3 | 5-1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 18,671 | |
| 7 | Saturday | April 16 | ESPN | at Oakland Invaders | 17-7 | 6-1 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 34,901 |
| 8 | Sunday | April 24 | ABC | Boston Breakers | 23-16 | 7-1 | Veterans Stadium | 10,257 |
| 9 | Saturday | April 30 | ESPN | at Tampa Bay Bandits | 24-10 | 8-1 | Tampa Stadium | 41,559 |
| 10 | Sunday | May 8 | ABC | Denver Gold | 6-3 | 9-1 | Veterans Stadium | 14,306 |
| 11 | Sunday | May 15 | ABC | Chicago Blitz | 31-24 | 10-1 | Veterans Stadium | 25,251 |
| 12 | Sunday | May 22 | at Arizona Wranglers | 24-7 | 11-1 | Sun Devil Stadium | 18,151 | |
| 13 | Sunday | May 29 | ABC | at Boston Breakers | 17-21 | 11-2 | Nickerson Field | 15,668 |
| 14 | Sunday | June 5 | ABC | Michigan Panthers | 29-20 | 12-2 | Veterans Stadium | 19,727 |
| 15 | Sunday | June 12 | at New Jersey Generals | 23-9 | 13-2 | Giants Stadium | 32,521 | |
| 16 | Monday | June 20 | ESPN | Oakland Invaders | 12-6 | 14-2 | Veterans Stadium | 16,933 |
| 17 | Sunday | June 26 | Birmingham Stallions | 31-10 | 15-2 | Veterans Stadium | 17,973 | |
| 18 | Sunday | July 3 | at Washington Federals | 14-21 | 15-3 | RFK Stadium | 11,039 | |
Playoff Schedule
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional Playoffs | July 9 | Chicago Blitz | W 44-38 (OT) | 1–0 | Veterans Stadium |
| USFL Championship | July 17 | Michigan Panthers | L 22-24 | 1-1 | Mile High Stadium |
Rewards
| Award | Winner | Position |
|---|---|---|
| All-USFL Team | Irv Eatman | OT |
| All-USFL Team | Kelvin Bryant | RB |
| All-USFL Team | Sam Mills | LB |
| All-USFL Team | Scott Woerner | S |
| AP USFL Most Valuable Player | Kelvin Bryant | RB |
| Leading Scorer Award | David Trout | K |
| USFL Executive of the Year (TSN) | Carl Peterson | GM |
Final Statistics
Offense
| Stars Passing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT | Yds | TD | INT | |
| Chuck Fusina | 238/421 | 2718 | 15 | 10 |
| Jim Krohn | 19/36 | 249 | 1 | 0 |
| Steve Pisarkiewicz | 6/15 | 69 | 0 | 0 |
| Allen Harvin | 1/3 | 44 | 0 | 0 |
| Stars Rushing | ||||
| Car | Yds | TD | LG | |
| Kelvin Bryant | 318 | 1442 | 16 | 45 |
| Allen Harvin | 139 | 681 | 7 | 49 |
| Chuck Fusina | 63 | 291 | 3 | 18 |
| Booker Russell | 46 | 225 | 0 | 23 |
| David Riley | 31 | 139 | 0 | 19 |
| Anthony Anderson | 9 | 41 | 0 | 12 |
| Jeff Rodenberger | 12 | 40 | 1 | 10 |
| Jim Krohn | 6 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Steve Pisarkiewicz | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chuck Commiskey | 1 | –3 | 0 | –3 |
| Sean Landeta | 1 | –5 | 0 | –5 |
| Stars Receiving | ||||
| Rec | Yds | TD | LG | |
| Scott Fitzkee | 55 | 731 | 3 | 44 |
| Kelvin Bryant | 53 | 410 | 1 | 50 |
| Willie Collier | 41 | 771 | 4 | 52 |
| Steve Folsom | 26 | 286 | 1 | 45 |
| Booker Russell | 17 | 163 | 2 | 39 |
| Tom Donovan | 15 | 219 | 3 | 21 |
| Rodney Parker | 13 | 203 | 0 | 29 |
| Allen Harvin | 13 | 144 | 1 | 23 |
| Dave Riley | 10 | 61 | 0 | 15 |
| Ken Dunek | 8 | 74 | 0 | 23 |
| Al Kimichik | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Jeff Rodenberger | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Anthony Anderson | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Defense
| Stars Sacks | |
|---|---|
| Sacks | |
| Don Fielder | 8.5 |
| Willie Rosborough | 5.0 |
| Sam Mills | 3.5 |
| John Bunting | 2.5 |
| Scott Woerner | 2.0 |
| Dave Opfar | 2.0 |
| Brad Anae | 2.0 |
| Jon Brooks | 2.0 |
| Buddy Moor | 1.5 |
| Frank Case | 1.5 |
| Glenn Howard | 1.0 |
| Antonio Gibson | 1.0 |
| George Cooper | 0.5 |
| Jon Sutton | 0.5 |
| Jeff Gabrielson | 0.5 |
| Stars Interceptions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Int | Yds | TD | LG | PD | |
| Scott Woerner | 8 | 50 | 0 | 22 | |
| Mike Lush | 6 | 52 | 0 | 33 | |
| Jon Sutton | 4 | 53 | 0 | 31 | |
| Sam Mills | 3 | 13 | 0 | 10 | |
| Antonio Gibson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jon Brooks | 2 | 15 | 0 | 15 | |
| Roger Jackson | 2 | 9 | 0 | 9 | |
| Glenn Howard | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vince DeMarinis | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 | |
| Willie Rosborough | 1 | 11 | 0 | 11 | |
| John Bunting | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Stars Fumbles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | TD | |
| Chuck Fusina | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jim Krohn | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kelvin Bryant | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dave Riley | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Scott Woerner | 3 | 6 | 16 | 0 | |
| Allen Harvin | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steve Pisarkiewicz | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sean Landeta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steve Folsom | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rodney Parker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cleo Montgomery | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Booker Russell | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jon Sutton | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
Special Teams
| Stars Kicking | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FGM–FGA | XPM–XPA | ||||||
| David Trout | 28-42 | 37-40 | |||||
| Stars Punting | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnt | Yds | Lng | Blck | |
| Sean Landeta | 86 | 3601 | 72 | 1 |
| Stars Kick Returns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | |
| Allen Harvin | 31 | 723 | 0 | 67 |
| Booker Russell | 5 | 63 | 0 | 22 |
| Jeff Rodenberger | 3 | 42 | 0 | 16 |
| Dave Riley | 2 | 36 | 0 | 19 |
| Mark McCants | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| Ken Dunek | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Jon Sutton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stars Punt Returns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ret | Yds | TD | Lng | |
| Scott Woerner | 43 | 360 | 0 | 20 |
Standings
| Atlantic Division | |||||||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Stadium | 1983 Capacity | Avg. Att. | Avg. % filled | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Philadelphia Stars | 15 | 3 | 0 | .833 | 379 | 204 | Veterans Stadium | 72,204 | 18,650 | 26% | Jim Mora |
| Boston Breakers | 11 | 7 | 0 | .611 | 399 | 334 | Nickerson Field | 21,000 | 12,817 | 61% | Dick Coury |
| New Jersey Generals | 6 | 12 | 0 | .333 | 314 | 437 | Giants Stadium | 76,891 | 35,004 | 46% | Chuck Fairbanks |
| Washington Federals | 4 | 14 | 0 | .222 | 297 | 422 | RFK Stadium | 54,794 | 13,850 | 25% | Ray Jauch |
References
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