The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be played in the autumn/winter, directly competing against the long-established National Football League (NFL). However, the USFL ceased operations before that season was scheduled to begin.
Douglas Richard Flutie is an American former football quarterback who played professionally for 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and one season in the United States Football League (USFL). Flutie played college football for the Boston College Eagles, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1984 amid a season that saw him throw the game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds against the Miami Hurricanes. He chose to begin his professional career with the USFL's New Jersey Generals; his unavailability to NFL teams resulted in him being selected 285th overall by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round of the 1985 NFL Draft, the lowest drafting of a Heisman winner. After the USFL folded, Flutie spent his first four NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots.
Gary Wayne Zimmerman is an American former professional football player who was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL). He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos.
Gary Wayne Anderson is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), United States Football League (USFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1983 to 1995.
Miki "Junior" Ah You is a former college and professional Canadian and American football player who played primarily at the defensive end position. Ah You enjoyed most of his professional career success with the Canadian Football League (CFL) Montreal Alouettes, from 1972 to 1981, and was a former collegiate standout at Arizona State University. Ah You's jersey #77 is one of ten retired by the Alouettes, and he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Ah You is also a member of the Arizona State Sports Hall of Fame and the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, Ah You was voted to the Honour Roll of the CFL's Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.
David Mark Archer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones. Undrafted in the 1984 NFL Draft, he played in the NFL from 1984 to 1989 for the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles.
Less Browne is a former gridiron football defensive back who played in the United States Football League (USFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL), Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ottawa Rough Riders and the BC Lions.
Vaughan Monroe Johnson was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. He also was a member of the Jacksonville Bulls in the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack.
Jerry Lee Holmes is an American football coach and former cornerback. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mainly for New York Jets but also with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. He also played in the United States Football League (USFL) for the New Jersey Generals and the Pittsburgh Maulers. Holmes attended West Virginia University.
Clarence Verdin is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons. He also was a member of the Houston Gamblers in the United States Football League (USFL) and the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at the University of Southwestern Louisiana
Trent Baron Bryant is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL), the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the United States Football League (USFL). He played for the Washington Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, the Chicago Blitz, the Arizona Outlaws and the Los Angeles Express in the USFL, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL. He played college football at the University of Arkansas. He played in the first three games for the Chiefs in his final NFL season as a replacement player during the 1987 NFL Players Strike.
James Patrick Holmes is an American former professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL), American Football League (AFL), and National Football League (NFL).
James J. Spavital was an American gridiron football player, coach and executive in six different professional football leagues. He served as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1970 to 1973 and as head coach of the Chicago Fire of the World Football League (WFL) in 1974. Spavital was the general manager of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1979 to 1982 and the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1983.
Edward P. "Ed" McAleney is a former American football defensive lineman who played one season in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
William Thomas Johnson is an American former professional football player from 1984 to 1987 in both the United States Football League (USFL) and the National Football League (NFL).
Vaughn Michael Raines is a former professional and college football player.
Wesley Ed Hills is an American professional gridiron football running back for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for Delaware and Slippery Rock. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL).
Ben Holmes is an American professional gridiron football quarterback for the Vienna Vikings of the European League of Football (ELF). He played college football at Nassau Community College and Tarleton State. He played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2022. He will play for the Vienna Vikings in the European League of Football in the 2024 season.
