The United States Football League holds a special place in the hearts of fans of the 1980s. Although the USFL didn’t last long, it made an enormous impact during its three seasons, out-bidding the NFL for star players, putting a good product on the field and even helping Donald Trump become a household name.
Now the USFL is getting some recognition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with an exhibit slated to open later this summer that will show off the USFL’s championship trophy, along with other memorabilia from the league, which played three seasons from 1983 to 1985.
The USFL championship trophy was, like the Stanley Cup in the NHL, given to each championship team to hold onto for one year. The Michigan Panthers won the first USFL championship, followed by the Philadelphia Stars in 1984. That team moved to Baltimore for the USFL’s final season, and the Baltimore Stars repeated as champions in 1985 before the league went out of business. Longtime pro football executive Carl Peterson served as G.M. of the Stars and was the last owner of the trophy, which he has donated to the Hall of Fame.
Four players who began their careers in the USFL later became Hall of Famers: Jim Kelly of the Houston Gamblers, Reggie White of the Memphis Showboats, and Steve Young and Gary Zimmerman of the Los Angeles Express. Additionally two future Hall of Fame coaches, George Allen and Marv Levy, coached in the USFL, future Hall of Fame G.M. Bill Polian was a player personnel director in the USFL, and Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman worked as a consultant for USFL teams.
Donald Trump owned the New Jersey Generals and has been blamed by many USFL fans for the business decisions that put the league out of business.
