Portland Breakers
Encyclopedia
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 Breakers.
Breakers, owned by Boston businessman George Matthews and former New England Patriots
wide receiver Randy Vataha
. They had originally hoped to play at Harvard Stadium
, but Harvard University
rejected them almost out of hand. Their next choice was Sullivan Stadium
, the home of the Patriots, but high rent and the stadium's location (30 miles southwest of Boston) made this unrealistic. They finally settled on Nickerson Field
on the campus of Boston University
, a rather antiquated facility that seated only 21,000.
Coach Dick Coury
put together a fairly competitive team led by 36-year-old former World Football League
QB Johnnie Walton
and Canadian Football League
Veteran HB Richard Crump
. The Breakers finished 11-7, narrowly missing the playoffs. Walton, who had retired from pro football years earlier and had spent the previous three years coaching college football, was the league's 7th ranked passer. Coury was named coach of the year.
Ultimately the stadium issue forced the Breakers out of town. Despite fielding a fairly solid team, the Breakers rarely sold out. Nickerson Field was so small that the Breakers lost money even when they sold out; visiting teams got a portion of the gate proceeds. This was an untenable situation for a team aspiring to be part of a major sports league. Boston and Washington were the only USFL teams to draw less than 14,000 per game in 1983. The other 10 teams drew over 18,000 per game. When no suitable solution to the venue problem could be found in the Boston area, Matthews sold his interest to New Orleans real estate developer Joe Canizaro.
, also home to the NFL's New Orleans Saints
. They started out the season 5-0, and all signs pointed to them running away with the Southern Division. However, they only won three more games to finish 8-10. This included a 35-0 thrashing by the Philadelphia Stars and losses in their last six games. In spite of adding NFL star TE Dan Ross
and rookie HBs Buford Jordan
and Marcus Dupree
, the team struggled. Walton was inconsistent and ultimately retired after the season.
On the positive side, New Orleans supported the team well, averaging 30,557 per game, Jordan ran for 1,276 yards (4th in the league), and Ross and WR Frank Lockett
had strong years.
Seeing a large open market with an adequate stadium (32,500 seat Civic Stadium
) in Portland, Oregon
, Canizaro moved the team there. The team drew an average of 19,919 per game in Portland.
On the field the team struggled as the strain of playing in three cities in three years finally caught up with them. The team opted to go with former Jacksonville
starter Matt Robinson
as Walton's replacement, rather than seeking a more proven USFL QB without a home, like Craig Penrose
, Alan Risher, or Mike Hohensee
, or trading for someone like Oakland
's Fred Besana
, or even signing an NFL vet. Robinson ultimately proved to not be an adequate replacement for Walton, finishing with a 62.6 QB rating. HB Jordan did have another strong year with over 800 yards as did Lockett.
The Breakers were one of nine teams slated to play in the USFL's first fall season, and were slated to be one of only two teams west of the Mississippi River
. However, while the USFL's antitrust suit against the NFL was underway, Canizaro folded the franchise, citing over $17 million in losses over three years. (Canizaro was the only league owner who moved his team twice and both moves were tremendous distances.) The entire league suspended operations not long afterward after it was awarded only $3 in damages.
Unlike many other USFL teams, the Breakers never changed their name, logo or colors when they relocated.
of OU, QB Johnnie Walton
, K Tim Mazzetti
, QB Matt Robinson
, HB Buford Jordan
, P Jeff Gossett
, and TE Dan Ross
.
who would later take Portland State University to two national championship games. The Offensive coordinator
during the 1983 season was College Football Hall of Fame
r and former NFL Most Valuable Player
Roman Gabriel
. In 1985, the offensive coordinator was former Edmonton Eskimos
head coach Pete Kettela
. Allen would hire former Breaker executive Steven "Dream" Weaver as his marketing director and whose publicity stunts raised his Portland State teams to a national acclaim. The team president for the Portland Breakers was the legendary John Ralston, who was also a founder of the USFL. Other executives included Jack Galmiche, John Brunelle and Brian Feldman. Feldman was the only executive who worked in all three cities.
| colspan="6" align="center" | Boston Breakers
|-
|1983 || 11 || 7 || 0 || 2nd Atlantic || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | New Orleans Breakers
|-
|1984 || 8 || 10 || 0 || 3rd EC Southern || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Portland Breakers
|-
|1985 || 6 || 12 || 0 || 5th WC || --
|-
!Totals || 25 || 29 || 0
|colspan="2"|
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. Before moving to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, the franchise was previously in Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
as the Boston Breakers and New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
as the New Orleans Breakers.
Boston Breakers
The team started out in 1983 as the BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
Breakers, owned by Boston businessman George Matthews and former New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
wide receiver Randy Vataha
Randy Vataha
Randel Edward "Randy" Vataha, , was a wide receiver who played seven seasons in the NFL.-College career:Vataha, a wide receiver, was one of Jim Plunkett's favorite receiving targets at Stanford...
. They had originally hoped to play at Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, the stadium seats 30,323. The stadium seated up to 57,166 in the past, as permanent steel stands were installed in the north end of the stadium in 1929...
, but Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
rejected them almost out of hand. Their next choice was Sullivan Stadium
Foxboro Stadium
Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts...
, the home of the Patriots, but high rent and the stadium's location (30 miles southwest of Boston) made this unrealistic. They finally settled on Nickerson Field
Nickerson Field
Nickerson Field is a stadium on the site of Braves Field, in Boston, Massachusetts, the former home of the National League Boston Braves baseball team which is now located in Atlanta...
on the campus of Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, a rather antiquated facility that seated only 21,000.
Coach Dick Coury
Dick Coury
Dick Coury is a former American football coach who served as head coach of the Boston/New Orleans/Portland Breakers of the United States Football League from 1983 to 1985. He was named as the USFL coach of the year in 1983....
put together a fairly competitive team led by 36-year-old former 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...
QB Johnnie Walton
Johnnie Walton
John B. Walton is a former professional American football quarterback. Walton played college football at Elizabeth City State University. From there, he joined the Indianapolis Capitols of the Continental Football League for the 1969 season...
and Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Veteran HB Richard Crump
Richard Crump
Richard Crump is a former Canadian Football League running back who played for three different teams from 1975 through 1981. For his career, Crump finished with 3,854 yards rushing and 200 pass receptions. Crump played in the USFL from 1983 through 1985 with the Boston Breakers, New Orleans...
. The Breakers finished 11-7, narrowly missing the playoffs. Walton, who had retired from pro football years earlier and had spent the previous three years coaching college football, was the league's 7th ranked passer. Coury was named coach of the year.
Ultimately the stadium issue forced the Breakers out of town. Despite fielding a fairly solid team, the Breakers rarely sold out. Nickerson Field was so small that the Breakers lost money even when they sold out; visiting teams got a portion of the gate proceeds. This was an untenable situation for a team aspiring to be part of a major sports league. Boston and Washington were the only USFL teams to draw less than 14,000 per game in 1983. The other 10 teams drew over 18,000 per game. When no suitable solution to the venue problem could be found in the Boston area, Matthews sold his interest to New Orleans real estate developer Joe Canizaro.
New Orleans Breakers
Canizaro moved the team to New Orleans for the 1984 season as the New Orleans Breakers. The team played in the spacious Louisiana SuperdomeLouisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, also home to the NFL's New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. They started out the season 5-0, and all signs pointed to them running away with the Southern Division. However, they only won three more games to finish 8-10. This included a 35-0 thrashing by the Philadelphia Stars and losses in their last six games. In spite of adding NFL star TE Dan Ross
Dan Ross (American football)
Daniel R. Ross was a professional American football tight end who played for the Cincinnati Bengals , the Seattle Seahawks , and the Green Bay Packers . He also played for the New Orleans/Portland Breakers of the USFL in 1984-1985.-College football:Before his NFL career, Ross played football at...
and rookie HBs Buford Jordan
Buford Jordan
Paul Buford Jordan is a former professional American football running back in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints....
and Marcus Dupree
Marcus Dupree
Marcus L. Dupree is a former American football player. He was one of the most highly recruited high school football players ever. He graduated with the first class in Philadelphia that was desegregated for the entire 12 years he went to school...
, the team struggled. Walton was inconsistent and ultimately retired after the season.
On the positive side, New Orleans supported the team well, averaging 30,557 per game, Jordan ran for 1,276 yards (4th in the league), and Ross and WR Frank Lockett
Frank Lockett
Frank Lockett is a former wide receiver in the National Football League. Lockett was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the tenth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He later played with the Miami Dolphins during the 1985 NFL season...
had strong years.
Portland Breakers
After the season, the league owners decided to go for broke and move to the fall starting in 1986. This put teams like New Orleans, Michigan, and Philadelphia in an awkward situation. Canizaro knew that the Breakers could not hope to compete with the Saints, and opted to move before the 1985 season rather than play a lame duck season in New Orleans.Seeing a large open market with an adequate stadium (32,500 seat Civic Stadium
PGE Park
Jeld-Wen Field is an outdoor sports stadium located in Portland, Oregon, United States that is used primarily for soccer and American football...
) in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Canizaro moved the team there. The team drew an average of 19,919 per game in Portland.
On the field the team struggled as the strain of playing in three cities in three years finally caught up with them. The team opted to go with former Jacksonville
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...
starter Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson (American football)
Matthew Paul Robinson is a former professional American football player. He played quarterback for the University of Georgia. Robinson played in the National Football League from 1977-1982 for the New York Jets, the Denver Broncos, and the Buffalo Bills...
as Walton's replacement, rather than seeking a more proven USFL QB without a home, like Craig Penrose
Craig Penrose
Craig R. Penrose is a former professional American football quarterback. He spent five seasons in the National Football League with the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets and 2 seasons with the United States Football League's Denver Gold. His family origin is Cornish American.-External links:**...
, Alan Risher, or Mike Hohensee
Mike Hohensee
Michael Louis Hohensee is an American Arena Football League coach who is regarded as one of the best coaches in the history of the AFL. He was hired to guide the Soul's resumption of play after a two-year hiatus starting in 2011. He resigned on July 27, 2011...
, or trading for someone like Oakland
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:...
's Fred Besana
Fred Besana
Fred Besana is a former American football quarterback for the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League as well as the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 1977 NFL Draft...
, or even signing an NFL vet. Robinson ultimately proved to not be an adequate replacement for Walton, finishing with a 62.6 QB rating. HB Jordan did have another strong year with over 800 yards as did Lockett.
The Breakers were one of nine teams slated to play in the USFL's first fall season, and were slated to be one of only two teams 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...
. However, while the USFL's antitrust suit against the NFL was underway, Canizaro folded the franchise, citing over $17 million in losses over three years. (Canizaro was the only league owner who moved his team twice and both moves were tremendous distances.) The entire league suspended operations not long afterward after it was awarded only $3 in damages.
Unlike many other USFL teams, the Breakers never changed their name, logo or colors when they relocated.
Top "name" players
Among the top "name" players that the Breakers had were LB Marcus Marek, HB Marcus DupreeMarcus Dupree
Marcus L. Dupree is a former American football player. He was one of the most highly recruited high school football players ever. He graduated with the first class in Philadelphia that was desegregated for the entire 12 years he went to school...
of OU, QB Johnnie Walton
Johnnie Walton
John B. Walton is a former professional American football quarterback. Walton played college football at Elizabeth City State University. From there, he joined the Indianapolis Capitols of the Continental Football League for the 1969 season...
, K Tim Mazzetti
Tim Mazzetti
Timothy Alan Mazzetti is a former National Football League placekicker from 1978-1980) for the Atlanta Falcons. He later played with the Boston/New Orleans/Portland Breakers of the United States Football League....
, QB Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson (American football)
Matthew Paul Robinson is a former professional American football player. He played quarterback for the University of Georgia. Robinson played in the National Football League from 1977-1982 for the New York Jets, the Denver Broncos, and the Buffalo Bills...
, HB Buford Jordan
Buford Jordan
Paul Buford Jordan is a former professional American football running back in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints....
, P Jeff Gossett
Jeff Gossett
Jeffrey Alan Gossett is a former American football punter who played in the National Football League and the United States Football League . He was the starting punter for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders from 1988 through 1996. During the 1996 season, at age 39, Jeff was the NFL's oldest punter...
, and TE Dan Ross
Dan Ross (American football)
Daniel R. Ross was a professional American football tight end who played for the Cincinnati Bengals , the Seattle Seahawks , and the Green Bay Packers . He also played for the New Orleans/Portland Breakers of the USFL in 1984-1985.-College football:Before his NFL career, Ross played football at...
.
Coaches and executives
Coury was the team's coach for all three seasons. Defensive coordinator was the late Pokey AllenPokey Allen
Ernest Duncan "Pokey" Allen, Jr. was a football player and coach in the United States and Canada. He served as the head football coach at Portland State University from 1986 to 1992 and at Boise State University from 1993 to 1996, compiling a career college football record of 87–41–2...
who would later take Portland State University to two national championship games. The Offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
during the 1983 season was College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
r and former NFL Most Valuable Player
NFL Most Valuable Player Award
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP...
Roman Gabriel
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
. In 1985, the offensive coordinator was former Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
head coach Pete Kettela
Pete Kettela
Peter P. "Pete" Kettela is an American football executive and coach who served the head coach of the UC Riverside Highlanders and the Edmonton Eskimos.-Athletic career:Kettela played football, baseball, and basketball at UC Riverside from 1959-1961...
. Allen would hire former Breaker executive Steven "Dream" Weaver as his marketing director and whose publicity stunts raised his Portland State teams to a national acclaim. The team president for the Portland Breakers was the legendary John Ralston, who was also a founder of the USFL. Other executives included Jack Galmiche, John Brunelle and Brian Feldman. Feldman was the only executive who worked in all three cities.
Single-season leaders
- Rushing Yards: 1,296 (1984), Buford JordanBuford JordanPaul Buford Jordan is a former professional American football running back in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints....
- Receiving Yards: 1,189 (1984), Frank LockettFrank LockettFrank Lockett is a former wide receiver in the National Football League. Lockett was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the tenth round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He later played with the Miami Dolphins during the 1985 NFL season...
- Passing Yards: 3,772 (1983), Johnnie WaltonJohnnie WaltonJohn B. Walton is a former professional American football quarterback. Walton played college football at Elizabeth City State University. From there, he joined the Indianapolis Capitols of the Continental Football League for the 1969 season...
Season-by-season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Boston Breakers
|-
|1983 || 11 || 7 || 0 || 2nd Atlantic || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | New Orleans Breakers
|-
|1984 || 8 || 10 || 0 || 3rd EC Southern || --
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Portland Breakers
|-
|1985 || 6 || 12 || 0 || 5th WC || --
|-
!Totals || 25 || 29 || 0
|colspan="2"|