Arizona Outlaws
Encyclopedia
The Arizona Outlaws were a professional American football
team that played in the United States Football League
in the mid 1980s. They were owned by Fresno
banker and real estate agent William Tatham, Sr., who had briefly owned the Portland Thunder of the World Football League
.
. However, under pressure from baseball's Padres
, the NFL
's Chargers
and the NASL
's Sockers, the city refused to grant Tatham a lease for Jack Murphy Stadium.
Scrambling for a home, Tatham seriously considered playing in Honolulu for its inaugural 1984 season, but settled on Tulsa, Oklahoma
--even though the city had not even been included in a list of possible expansion sites for the USFL. However, Tatham had roots in Oklahoma (his father had moved to California during the Great Depression
), and felt that putting his team there would give something back to the state. He christened his team the Oklahoma Outlaws. The club was the second major-league sports team to play in the state, after the North American Soccer League
's Tulsa Roughnecks
, and played at Skelly Stadium
.
On July 7, 1983, at the same time the USFL announced the expansion team, Tatham introduced Hall of Fame member Sid Gillman
, who came out of retirement at age 71 to serve as the Director of Operations. Gillman signed a roster of players, including former Tampa Bay Buccaneers
starting QB Doug Williams, but Gillman was fired by Tatham in December in a dispute over finances.
Along with Williams, the Outlaws roster included rookie Oklahoma State star RB Earnest Anderson. Former Pittsburgh Steelers
defensive coordinator Woody Widenhofer
coached the team. Williams had been one of the biggest NFL stars to bolt to the USFL. He left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
after they offered him a contract that would have still made him among the lowest-paid starters in the league, even though it would have been triple his previous salary. Williams was not a very refined, efficient, or consistent passer at that point in addition to being a little rusty, but had a big arm and a knack for making plays.
The team only drew 15,937 to their first game, a home opener versus the expansion Pittsburgh Maulers on a rainy and cold spring day. (Home openers in the USFL for most teams were the highest attendance games of the season.) Two weeks into the season, Tatham's son, Bill, Jr.--who was serving as general manager despite being fresh out of law school—announced that Skelly Stadium was inadequate for the Outlaws' needs and that they would be playing elsewhere in 1985.
The Outlaws were competitive for much of the first half of the season, starting out 6-2 off the strength of Williams' arm. Unfortunately, the team could not consistently run the ball. (The Outlaws finished with a league worst total of 1537 total rushing yards --- almost 200 yards less than the 17th ranked team.) Two blowout losses sent the team into a downward spiral. They did not win another game that season, dropping 10 straight to finish 6-12.
In spite of those factors, the Outlaws averaged 21,038 fans (in a 40,000-seat stadium), 14th in the league. It might have been even higher if not for brutally cold and wet early-season weather and what amounted to season-long lame duck status. While Tulsa as a USFL host city had a number of legitimate problems, fan turnout was surprisingly respectable, especially compared to the crippling attendance numbers seen by USFL teams in Chicago (7,455), Washington (7,694) and Los Angeles (15,361). They were also one of eight teams whose average attendance was 45 percent or more of listed capacity. The Outlaws would draw decent crowds of 25,403, 21,625, 22,017 and 29,324 later in the season.
During the team's season in Tulsa, all six of their wins came during inclement weather, 4 at home. Wins against Pittsburgh, Michigan, Houston, at Washington, and San Antonio came in rainy conditions, and a win against Chicago came in a Chicago snow storm.
. However, the deal collapsed at the last minute because Invaders owner Tad Taube was unwilling to give control of the team to the younger Tatham, who had by this time acquired a reputation as the enfant terrible of the league. This left the team homeless and looking at their options.
Ultimately, the Tathams would turn to the 1984 Western Conference Champion Arizona Wranglers
. Despite representing the Western Conference in the 1984 championship game, the Wranglers did not draw enough fans to cover expenses, and owner Dr. Ted Diethrich wanted out. They had fielded a much more competitive team, but the Wranglers' 1984 attendance figures --- although respectable --- were actually slightly below those of the 1983 Wranglers team. Dietrich had anticipated much higher attendance and had again lost millions for the second year in a row. He sold the assets of the Wranglers to Tatham, and Tatham relocated the Outlaws to Arizona for the 1985 season as the Arizona Outlaws. Since the assets included all of the Wranglers' player contracts, this deal was reported by some outlets as a merger. As a result, Arizona received what amounted to its third USFL team in as many seasons. (The original Wranglers of the 1983 season had effectively swapped rosters with the 1983 Chicago Blitz during the 1983-1984 offseason.)
's Sun Devil Stadium
. They retained many of the better players off both rosters, but not all of them. Rather than retaining the majority of the 1984 Western Conference Champion Wranglers and simply replacing the retiring QB Greg Landry
with Williams, for the second year in a row little effort was made to retain players in which Arizona fans felt a vested interest. Tatham did, however, name former Sun Devils coach Frank Kush
as head coach. Kush was a hard-nosed, run-oriented coach who had shown little talent in dealing with professional QBs in his time in the NFL as coach of the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
. Although very much an icon in the region due to his successful 21-year tenure at ASU, he was a surprising choice to team with Doug Williams.
In the instance of mergers, the league ran allocation drafts to send players to other teams. The Tathams allowed several of the better players on the Wranglers to be dispersed. In this way Wrangler star HB Tim Spencer, for example, ended up starting for Memphis in 1985. Other key Wranglers joined Landry in retirement or defected to other leagues (ex. CB Frank Minnifield
who left in the 1984 season). Wrangler lead receiver Trumaine Johnson
actually held out for the full season.
The 1985 season was very much a replay of 1984, with the Outlaws struggling after a quick start. The team jumped out to a 4-2 start, including a 31-13 pounding of the Herschel Walker
/Doug Flutie
-led New Jersey Generals
. However, they proceeded to drop six in a row, and seven out of eight. They rebounded to win three straight, but did not get enough help to make the playoffs, and finished 8-10.
The Outlaws were a much better rushing team in 1985 totalling 2019 yards in support of Williams and the passing game.
Area fans did not warm up to the Outlaws. For the second year in a row, attendance dropped --- from the 25,568 George Allen's Wranglers' drew the year before, to 17,881. The Outlaws actually drew 4,000 fewer fans than they did in Tulsa, even though Sun Devil Stadium was almost double the size of Skelly Stadium. Despite this, the Tathams hoped to stick it out once the league won their lawsuit against the NFL.
The Outlaws were one of eight teams slated to play in 1986. After the Portland Breakers
folded while the antitrust trial was still underway, the Outlaws were the only team west of the Mississippi River
left in the league. By this time, the Tathams had become some of the louder voices among the owners hoping to force a merger with the NFL (in which case their investment would more than double). However, the league won the suit but only received a $3 award. The Outlaws, and the rest of the league, had been counting on the lawsuit money to bail out their unsustainable spending. As the league had essentially staked its future on winning a hefty award in court, if suspended operations never to return.
Professional football in the Valley of the Sun would not be gone for long: the St. Louis Cardinals
moved into Sun Devil Stadium for the 1988 NFL season
.
Head Coach: Woody Widenhofer
Offensive Coordinator/QBs - Ed Chlebek; Offensive Line - Charlie Butler; Running Backs - Frank Novak; Receivers/Spec. Teams - Wright Anderson; Defensive Coordinator/Secondary - Jim Johnson; Tim Mills Defensive Line - Ralph Staub; Linebackers - Jim McKinley
; Strength & Conditioning - Bert Jacobson; Trainer - Keith Jones, Equipment Mgr. - Bud Turk
Receiving Yards: 1087 (1984), Alphonso Williams
Passing Yards: 3645 (1985), Doug Williams
| colspan="6" align="center" | Oklahoma Outlaws
|-
|1984 || 6 || 12 || 0 || 4th WC Central || -
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Arizona Outlaws
|-
|1985 || 8 || 10 || 0 || 4th WC || -
|-
!Totals || 14 || 22 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
s Create-A-Team Feature. They are also featured in Blitz: The League
, the Arizona Outlaws are a Division 3 team and are the first opponents against the player's created team.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team that played in the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
in the mid 1980s. They were owned by Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
banker and real estate agent William Tatham, Sr., who had briefly owned the Portland Thunder of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
.
1984 Oklahoma Outlaws
The Outlaws were originally slated to play in San DiegoSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. However, under pressure from baseball's Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
's Sockers, the city refused to grant Tatham a lease for Jack Murphy Stadium.
Scrambling for a home, Tatham seriously considered playing in Honolulu for its inaugural 1984 season, but settled on Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
--even though the city had not even been included in a list of possible expansion sites for the USFL. However, Tatham had roots in Oklahoma (his father had moved to California during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
), and felt that putting his team there would give something back to the state. He christened his team the Oklahoma Outlaws. The club was the second major-league sports team to play in the state, after the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
's Tulsa Roughnecks
Tulsa Roughnecks
-NASL:The Tulsa Roughnecks were a North American Soccer League team from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa. The Roughnecks were a regular in the NASL playoffs, and won the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1983, defeating the Toronto Blizzard at B.C. Place...
, and played at Skelly Stadium
Skelly Stadium
Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium...
.
On July 7, 1983, at the same time the USFL announced the expansion team, Tatham introduced Hall of Fame member Sid Gillman
Sid Gillman
Sidney "Sid" Gillman was an American football player, coach, executive, and innovator. Gillman's insistence on stretching the football field by throwing deep downfield passes, instead of short passes to running backs or wide receivers at the sides of the line of scrimmage, was instrumental in...
, who came out of retirement at age 71 to serve as the Director of Operations. Gillman signed a roster of players, including former Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
starting QB Doug Williams, but Gillman was fired by Tatham in December in a dispute over finances.
Along with Williams, the Outlaws roster included rookie Oklahoma State star RB Earnest Anderson. Former Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
defensive coordinator Woody Widenhofer
Woody Widenhofer
-External links:* *...
coached the team. Williams had been one of the biggest NFL stars to bolt to the USFL. He left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
after they offered him a contract that would have still made him among the lowest-paid starters in the league, even though it would have been triple his previous salary. Williams was not a very refined, efficient, or consistent passer at that point in addition to being a little rusty, but had a big arm and a knack for making plays.
The team only drew 15,937 to their first game, a home opener versus the expansion Pittsburgh Maulers on a rainy and cold spring day. (Home openers in the USFL for most teams were the highest attendance games of the season.) Two weeks into the season, Tatham's son, Bill, Jr.--who was serving as general manager despite being fresh out of law school—announced that Skelly Stadium was inadequate for the Outlaws' needs and that they would be playing elsewhere in 1985.
The Outlaws were competitive for much of the first half of the season, starting out 6-2 off the strength of Williams' arm. Unfortunately, the team could not consistently run the ball. (The Outlaws finished with a league worst total of 1537 total rushing yards --- almost 200 yards less than the 17th ranked team.) Two blowout losses sent the team into a downward spiral. They did not win another game that season, dropping 10 straight to finish 6-12.
In spite of those factors, the Outlaws averaged 21,038 fans (in a 40,000-seat stadium), 14th in the league. It might have been even higher if not for brutally cold and wet early-season weather and what amounted to season-long lame duck status. While Tulsa as a USFL host city had a number of legitimate problems, fan turnout was surprisingly respectable, especially compared to the crippling attendance numbers seen by USFL teams in Chicago (7,455), Washington (7,694) and Los Angeles (15,361). They were also one of eight teams whose average attendance was 45 percent or more of listed capacity. The Outlaws would draw decent crowds of 25,403, 21,625, 22,017 and 29,324 later in the season.
During the team's season in Tulsa, all six of their wins came during inclement weather, 4 at home. Wins against Pittsburgh, Michigan, Houston, at Washington, and San Antonio came in rainy conditions, and a win against Chicago came in a Chicago snow storm.
1984 Oklahoma Outlaws opening day roster
| Oklahoma Outlaws 1984 Opening Day Roster (at 26-Feb-84) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Developmental Squad
|
Injured Reserve
Rookies in italics 40 Active, 13 Developmental |
||||
1984 Oklahoma Outlaws Game Results
| Week | Day | Date | Opponent | Game Site | Attendance | Final Score | W/L | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunday | February 26, 1984 | Pittsburgh Maulers Pittsburgh Maulers The Pittsburgh Maulers competed in the 1984 season of the United States Football League. Their most prominent player was first pick overall in the 1984 USFL draft, running back Mike Rozier of Nebraska, who won the Heisman Trophy, collegiate football's most prestigious individual award.They were... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
15,973 | 7-3 | W | 1-0 |
| 2 | Saturday | March 3, 1984 | Denver Gold Denver Gold The Denver Gold was a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second major professional football league in the United States, playing a springtime season, from 1983 to 1985... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
25,403 | 14-17 OT | L | 1-1 |
| 3 | Sunday | March 11, 1984 | San Antonio Gunslingers San Antonio Gunslingers The San Antonio Gunslingers were a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas that played in the USFL in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel was the team's quarterback and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
14-7 | W | 2-1 | |
| 4 | Saturday | March 17, 1984 | at Chicago Blitz Chicago Blitz The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :... |
Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
6,206 | 17-14 | W | 3-1 |
| 5 | Saturday | March 24, 1984 | at Arizona Wranglers Arizona Wranglers The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:... |
Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass... |
29,434 | 7-49 | L | 3-2 |
| 6 | Saturday | March 31, 1984 | Houston Gamblers Houston Gamblers The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
17,266 | 31-28 OT | W | 4-2 |
| 7 | Saturday | April 7, 1984 | Michigan Panthers Michigan Panthers The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982.... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
20-17 | W | 5-2 | |
| 8 | Saturday | April 14, 1984 | at Washington Federals | RFK Stadium | 6,075 | 20-16 | W | 6-2 |
| 9 | Saturday | April 21, 1984 | at Birmingham Stallions Birmingham Stallions The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field... |
Legion Field Legion Field Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak... |
41,653 | 17-41 | L | 6-3 |
| 10 | Friday | April 27, 1984 | Jacksonville Bulls Jacksonville Bulls The Jacksonville Bulls were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League during its final two seasons, 1984 and 1985... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
29,324 | 6-34 | L | 6-4 |
| 11 | Sunday | May 6, 1984 | at New Jersey Generals New Jersey Generals The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition... |
Giants Stadium Giants Stadium Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to... |
34,917 | 17-49 | L | 6-5 |
| 12 | Monday | May 14, 1984 | at Tampa Bay Bandits Tampa Bay Bandits The Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League . They were a charter member of the USFL and folded along with the league after the 1985 season.... |
Tampa Stadium | 45,116 | 21-48 | L | 6-6 |
| 13 | Sunday | May 20, 1984 | at Houston Gamblers Houston Gamblers The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons... |
Houston Astrodome | 31,142 | 12-31 | L | 6-7 |
| 14 | Saturday | May 26, 1984 | Oakland Invaders Oakland Invaders Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
16,378 | 14-17 | L | 6-8 |
| 15 | Saturday | June 2, 1984 | Chicago Blitz Chicago Blitz The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
17,195 | 0-14 | L | 6-9 |
| 16 | Sunday | June 10, 1984 | Los Angeles Express Los Angeles Express The Los Angeles Express was a team in the United States Football League based in Los Angeles, California. Playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Express competed in all three of the USFL seasons played, 1983-1985.-Pre-history:... |
Skelly Stadium Skelly Stadium Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is primarily the home of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team. The stadium currently seats 30,000.-History:Skelly Field was built in 1930 as a 14,500-seat stadium... |
22,017 | 10-17 | L | 6-10 |
| 17 | Monday | June 16, 1984 | at Michigan Panthers Michigan Panthers The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982.... |
Pontiac Silverdome Pontiac Silverdome The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C... |
15,838 | 24-34 | L | 6-11 |
| 18 | Sunday | June 24, 1984 | at San Antonio Gunslingers San Antonio Gunslingers The San Antonio Gunslingers were a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas that played in the USFL in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel was the team's quarterback and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium... |
Alamo Stadium Alamo Stadium Alamo Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in San Antonio, Texas. Nicknamed "the rock pile" due to its primarily limestone construction it was completed in September 1940 as a Works Progress Administration project. The stadium is currently owned and operated by the San Antonio Independent... |
21,625 | 0-23 | L | 6-12 |
1984 Oklahoma Outlaws End of Season roster
| Oklahoma Outlaws 1984 End of Season Roster (at 24-Jun-84) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Developmental Squad
|
Injured Reserve
Rookies in italics 43 Active, 7 Developmental * Denotes Starter |
||||
1984 Oklahoma Outlaws Player Roster (all Players)
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Age | College | Hometown | GP/GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Mike Loyd | QB | 6.02 | 216 | 28 | Missouri Southern | Joplin, MO | 3/0 |
| 12 | Doug Williams | QB | 6.04 | 220 | 28 | Grambling State | Zachary, LA | 15/15 |
| 15 | Rick Johnson | QB | 6.02 | 200 | 23 | Southern Illinois | Wheaton, IL | 18/3 |
| 31 | Darryl James | RB | 5.11 | 175 | 23 | Yankton | 4/4 |
Leaving Oklahoma
The Tathams were looking for a larger market with an acceptable stadium. The Tathams nearly had a deal to merge the Outlaws with the Oakland InvadersOakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
. However, the deal collapsed at the last minute because Invaders owner Tad Taube was unwilling to give control of the team to the younger Tatham, who had by this time acquired a reputation as the enfant terrible of the league. This left the team homeless and looking at their options.
Ultimately, the Tathams would turn to the 1984 Western Conference Champion Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
. Despite representing the Western Conference in the 1984 championship game, the Wranglers did not draw enough fans to cover expenses, and owner Dr. Ted Diethrich wanted out. They had fielded a much more competitive team, but the Wranglers' 1984 attendance figures --- although respectable --- were actually slightly below those of the 1983 Wranglers team. Dietrich had anticipated much higher attendance and had again lost millions for the second year in a row. He sold the assets of the Wranglers to Tatham, and Tatham relocated the Outlaws to Arizona for the 1985 season as the Arizona Outlaws. Since the assets included all of the Wranglers' player contracts, this deal was reported by some outlets as a merger. As a result, Arizona received what amounted to its third USFL team in as many seasons. (The original Wranglers of the 1983 season had effectively swapped rosters with the 1983 Chicago Blitz during the 1983-1984 offseason.)
Arizona Outlaws
The Outlaws played at Arizona State UniversityArizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
's Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
. They retained many of the better players off both rosters, but not all of them. Rather than retaining the majority of the 1984 Western Conference Champion Wranglers and simply replacing the retiring QB Greg Landry
Greg Landry
Gregory Paul Landry is a former American football player and coach who played quarterback in the National Football League from 1968 to 1981 and again in 1984...
with Williams, for the second year in a row little effort was made to retain players in which Arizona fans felt a vested interest. Tatham did, however, name former Sun Devils coach Frank Kush
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1...
as head coach. Kush was a hard-nosed, run-oriented coach who had shown little talent in dealing with professional QBs in his time in the NFL as coach of the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. Although very much an icon in the region due to his successful 21-year tenure at ASU, he was a surprising choice to team with Doug Williams.
In the instance of mergers, the league ran allocation drafts to send players to other teams. The Tathams allowed several of the better players on the Wranglers to be dispersed. In this way Wrangler star HB Tim Spencer, for example, ended up starting for Memphis in 1985. Other key Wranglers joined Landry in retirement or defected to other leagues (ex. CB Frank Minnifield
Frank Minnifield
Frank Minnifield is a former American football player who played defensive back for the Cleveland Browns from 1984-92.Minnifield attended Henry Clay High School in Lexington...
who left in the 1984 season). Wrangler lead receiver Trumaine Johnson
Trumaine Johnson
Trumaine Johnson is a retired American football player who played in the National Football League and the United States Football League.-Career:...
actually held out for the full season.
The 1985 season was very much a replay of 1984, with the Outlaws struggling after a quick start. The team jumped out to a 4-2 start, including a 31-13 pounding of the Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
/Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
-led New Jersey Generals
New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
. However, they proceeded to drop six in a row, and seven out of eight. They rebounded to win three straight, but did not get enough help to make the playoffs, and finished 8-10.
The Outlaws were a much better rushing team in 1985 totalling 2019 yards in support of Williams and the passing game.
Area fans did not warm up to the Outlaws. For the second year in a row, attendance dropped --- from the 25,568 George Allen's Wranglers' drew the year before, to 17,881. The Outlaws actually drew 4,000 fewer fans than they did in Tulsa, even though Sun Devil Stadium was almost double the size of Skelly Stadium. Despite this, the Tathams hoped to stick it out once the league won their lawsuit against the NFL.
The Outlaws were one of eight teams slated to play in 1986. After the Portland Breakers
Portland Breakers
The Portland Breakers were a professional American Football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. Before moving to Portland, Oregon, the franchise was previously in Boston, Massachusetts as the Boston Breakers and New Orleans, Louisiana as the New Orleans...
folded while the antitrust trial was still underway, the Outlaws were the only team west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
left in the league. By this time, the Tathams had become some of the louder voices among the owners hoping to force a merger with the NFL (in which case their investment would more than double). However, the league won the suit but only received a $3 award. The Outlaws, and the rest of the league, had been counting on the lawsuit money to bail out their unsustainable spending. As the league had essentially staked its future on winning a hefty award in court, if suspended operations never to return.
Professional football in the Valley of the Sun would not be gone for long: the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
moved into Sun Devil Stadium for the 1988 NFL season
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
.
1984 Oklahoma Outlaws total roster
COACHING STAFF:Head Coach: Woody Widenhofer
Offensive Coordinator/QBs - Ed Chlebek; Offensive Line - Charlie Butler; Running Backs - Frank Novak; Receivers/Spec. Teams - Wright Anderson; Defensive Coordinator/Secondary - Jim Johnson; Tim Mills Defensive Line - Ralph Staub; Linebackers - Jim McKinley
James McKinley (football coach)
James "Jim" McKinley is a businessman and former American football coach and player. He coached football teams at several historically black colleges and universities, was a defensive coach for the USFL's Oklahoma Outlaws, and served as executive director of the Heritage Bowl, which he helped...
; Strength & Conditioning - Bert Jacobson; Trainer - Keith Jones, Equipment Mgr. - Bud Turk
Single season leaders
Rushing Yards: 1031 (1985), Reggie BrownReceiving Yards: 1087 (1984), Alphonso Williams
Passing Yards: 3645 (1985), Doug Williams
Season-by-season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Oklahoma Outlaws
|-
|1984 || 6 || 12 || 0 || 4th WC Central || -
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Arizona Outlaws
|-
|1985 || 8 || 10 || 0 || 4th WC || -
|-
!Totals || 14 || 22 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
Outlaws in video games
The Outlaws' logo can be found in Madden NFLMadden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
s Create-A-Team Feature. They are also featured in Blitz: The League
Blitz: The League
Blitz: The League is an American football game by Midway as an unlicensed extension of their NFL Blitz series. Released after the NFL signed an exclusive licensing deal with Electronic Arts, it was released in October 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Lawrence Taylor, who provides voice acting...
, the Arizona Outlaws are a Division 3 team and are the first opponents against the player's created team.