An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion , which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
The WFL All-Time Team is a list of the top players in the history of the World Football League chosen by fans of the WFL. [1] [2] [3] It includes a First-team, a Second-team. [2] [4] [5] Absent from the team are the high-dollar signees from the National Football League, such as Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Calvin Hill, Duane Thomas, John Gilliam, George Sauer, and others. The WFL had all-league teams chosen in 1974 by "The Sporting News" and by the players/coaches . [2] [3] The World Football League played in 1974 and 1975, although the 1975 season was ended after 12 of 18 scheduled games.
Position | First team | Hall of Fame? | Second team | Hall of Fame? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterback | Tony Adams, So. California Sun Passed for 3905 yards and 23 TDs in 1974 | No | King Corcoran, Philadelphia Bell Passed for 4071 yards and 34 TDs in two WFL seasons | No |
Running back | Tommy Reamon, Florida Blazers WFL’s all-time leading rusher with 2054 yards | No | Anthony Davis, So California Rushed for 1200 yards and 16 TDs in 1975 | No |
Running back | Jim Nance, Hou-Shreveport Second-leading rusher in WFL history with 2007 yards | No | J.J. Jennings, Memphis/Phil Rushed for 1869 yards and 12 TDs in two WFL seasons | No |
Wide receiver | Tim Delaney, Hawaiians WFL record-holder for receptions (133) and yards (1826) | No | Ed Marshall, Memphis 91 receptions, 1741 yards, and a record 28 TDs in two WFL seasons | No |
Wide receiver | Alfred Jenkins, Birmingham Americans 60 receptions 1326 yards and 12 TDs in 1974 | No | Dave Williams, So. Cal. 80 receptions 1306 yards and 20 TDs in 1974-75 | No |
Tight end | Greg Latta, Florida 39 catches 815 yards and 9 TDs in one WFL season | No | Ted Kwalick, Philadelphia 29 receptions, 400 yards and great blocker for the Bell | No |
Tackle | Ron Mikolajczyk, Memphis Southmen 2x All-WFL selection | No | Al Oliver, Hawaiians Key cog in Hawaiians passing game | No |
Tackle | Joe Carollo, So California Solid former NFLer blocked for Tony Adams in 1974 | No | Bob Wolfe, Birmingham Americans/Charlotte Hornets An All-WFL performer | No |
Guard | Buddy Brown, Birmingham Americans A two-time All-WFL choice | No | Rick Anthony, Florida Blazers Key blocker for Tomym Reamon and WFl champs in 1974 | No |
Guard | John Wilbur, Hawaiians Two-year starter and player/coach in 1975 | No | Dave Bradley, Chicago Fire An All-WFL performer | No |
Center | Bob Kuziel, New York Stars/Charlotte Hornets An All-WFL performer | No | John Matlock, Birmingham Vulcans Unofficial All-WFL in 1975 | No |
Position | First team | Hall of Fame? | Second team | Hall of Fame? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Defensive end | Gerry Philbin, New York/Charlotte Stars All-WFL, 10 sacks in 1974 | No | Len Burnham, Hawaiians Top young pass rusher | No |
Defensive end | Karl Lorch, Hawaiians Starter and 9 sacks in 1974, 10 in 1975. | No | Ike Lassiter, Jacksonville Sharks Former NFL vet with 8 sacks in 1974 | No |
Defensive tackle | Dave Roller, Southern California Sun Two-time All-WFL 9 sacks in 1974 and 17 in 1975. | No | Charles DeJurnett, So. California Unofficial All-WFL in 1975 11 sacks in 1975. | No |
Defensive tackle | Mike McBath, Florida Blazers All-WFL in 1974, 7 sacks. | No | John Elliott, New York/Charlotte Stars 8 sacks and an All-WFL performer in 1974 | No |
Linebacker | Ross Brupbacher, Birmingham Americans Led team in tackles and All-WFL | No | Warren Capone, Birmingham Americans All-WFL performer | No |
Linebacker | Rudy Kuechenberg, Chicago Fire 1974 All-WFL performer | No | Garland Boyette, Houston Texans NFL-vet, two-year leader of Texans defense | No |
Linebacker | John Villapiano, Houston Texans/Shreveport All-WFL in 1974 | No | Tim Rossovich, Portland Thunder Former NFL player, led Thunder in tackles 1975 | No |
Defensive back | Miller Farr, Florida Blazers All-WFL in 1974, 6 INTs | No | Leon Jenkins, Shreveport Steamer 6 ints and 196 return yards. | No |
Defensive back | Billy Hayes, Fla-San Antonio Two-year total of 12 interceptions for 220 yards. All-WFL | No | Gene Howard, So Cal Solid starter for Sun in 1974 | No |
Defensive back | Larry Shears, Charlotte Hornets An All-WFL performer, two-year total of 12 ints for 226 yards and a TD | No | Paul Gibbs, Hue-Shreveport All-WFL in 1975, intercepted 8 passes | No |
Defensive back | Dave Thomas, Memphis WFL all-time leader in interceptions with. All-WFL | No | Jeff Woodcock, NY-Char Intercepted 9 passes in 2 WFL seasons, an All-WFL choice. | No |
Position | First team | Hall of Fame? | Second team | Hall of Fame? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kicker | Grant Guthrie, Jac-Birmingham Kicked 18 FGs, All-WFL in 1974 | No | Charlie Durkee, Hou-Shr-Jac Tied for most WFL field goals (18) | No |
Punter | Danny White, Memphis All-WFL choice in 1975. All-time leading punter in WFL | No | Ken Clark, Portland Storm Duane Carroll, Jacksonville Sharks Rusty Jackson, Birmingham Vulcans | No |
Kick Returner | Willie Beamer, Memphis Southmen All-WFL in 1974 | No | Ike Thomas NY-Charlotte Hornets Top returner in WFL for 2 seasons. | No |
Punt Returner | Joe Wylie, Portland Returned 3 punts for TDs in two WFL seasons. 11.9 career average. | No | Willie Smith, Birmingham Returned 2 punts for TDs in 2 seasons. | No |
Position | First team | Hall of Fame? | Second team | Hall of Fame? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Coach | Jack Pardee, Florida 1974 Coach of the Year | No | John McVay, Memphis | No |
The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 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 league folded midway through its second season, in 1975. A new minor football league began play as the World Football League in 2008 after acquiring the rights to its trademarks and intellectual property; it folded in 2011.
William Earl Bergey is an American former football linebacker who played professionally for 12 seasons, most notably with the Philadelphia Eagles of National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals of the American Football League (AFL) in 1969, the year before the AFL–NFL merger was completed, and continued to play with the Bengals in the NFL until 1973. Bergey subsequently signed with the Eagles the following year, where he played seven seasons until retiring in 1981.
The Charlotte Hornets were an American football team in the short-lived professional World Football League. Despite their brief existence, the Hornets were North Carolina's first attempt at a major league football team, predating the Carolina Panthers by two decades. They were relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, from New York City in the middle of the 1974 season.
The San Antonio Wings were an American football team who played a single season in the World Football League in 1975. The team started as the Florida Blazers in 1974, then moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1975, becoming the San Antonio Wings.
The Jacksonville Express were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida which competed in the World Football League (WFL) in 1975. They were preceded in 1974 by the WFL's Jacksonville Sharks, though the two teams had separate ownership and identities. The Express folded when the league ceased operations during the 1975 season.
The Birmingham Americans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the four-team Central Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Americans, founded in late December 1973, played in the upstart league's inaugural season in 1974. The team was owned by William "Bill" Putnam, doing business as Alabama Football, Inc.
The Shreveport Steamer were a professional American football team in the World Football League. The franchise began the 1974 season in Houston, Texas, as the Houston Texans, playing their home games at the Houston Astrodome. Toward the end of the season, the team relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, and became the Shreveport Steamer. They played at the 30,000-seat State Fair Stadium, now named Independence Stadium. Larry King, of future CNN fame, was one of their broadcasters.
The Chicago Winds was the World Football League's ill-fated 1975 successor to the Chicago Fire. The team was so named because Chicago was nicknamed "The Windy City." The Winds played at Soldier Field and the team was assigned to the WFL's Western Division for 1975.
The Florida Blazers were an American football team who played in the World Football League in 1974. The team moved to San Antonio in 1975 and became the San Antonio Wings.
Anthony Davis, also known as "A.D.", is an American former professional football player who was a running back. He played in four professional leagues: the World Football League (WFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), National Football League (NFL), and United States Football League (USFL).
Jerry Lee Tagge is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL), World Football League (WFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, leading them to consecutive national championships in 1970 and 1971. Tagge played professionally with the Green Bay Packers of the NFL from 1972 to 1974, the San Antonio Wings of the WFL in 1975, and the BC Lions of the CFL from 1977 to 1979.
Peter Falconer Beathard is a former American football quarterback who played professionally in the American Football League (AFL), the National Football League (NFL), and the World Football League (WFL). He is the younger brother of former NFL executive Bobby Beathard and is current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback C. J. Beathard’s great-uncle.
Anthony Lee Adams is an American former gridiron football player, a quarterback in the World Football League (WFL), National Football League (NFL), and Canadian Football League (CFL).
Joseph Raymond O'Donnell was an American football player. He played college football as a fullback, guard and tackle for the University of Michigan from 1960 to 1963. He also played professional football as a guard and tackle for eight seasons for the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He was a part of the 1964 and 1965 AFL Championship teams. O'Donnell was an AFL Eastern Division All-Star in 1965. He also came out of retirement to play in the World Football League (WFL) in 1974 and 1975.
Warren Samuel Capone is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He also was a member of the Birmingham Americans and the Birmingham Vulcans in the World Football League (WFL). He played college football at Louisiana State University and is a member of the LSU Sports Hall of Fame.
The World Bowl, also known as World Bowl 1, was the only American football championship game of the short-lived World Football League. The Birmingham Americans defeated the Florida Blazers 22–21 on Thursday, December 5, 1974 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. George Mira, quarterback for Birmingham was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). It was televised on TVS Television Network.
Guy Boyd Murdock is a former American football player. He played at the center position for the Houston Oilers during the 1972 NFL season and was named to the NFL All-Rookie team. He also played for the Chicago Fire and Chicago Winds of the World Football League (WFL) in 1974 and 1975. He was selected as the Fire's most valuable player in 1974.
The 1974 World Football League season was the first season of the World Football League.
The 1975 World Football League season was the second and last season of the World Football League. The 1975 season was to be an 18-game season over a twenty-week schedule.
The 1974 WFL pro draft was the first professional draft of the World Football League (WFL). It supplemented its collegiate draft and included players from the NFL and CFL. It consisted of 480 selections in 40 rounds. Although it was expected that most of the NFL players drafted would have no intention of signing with the new league, the WFL still wanted to have the prominent NFL players future rights assigned, preventing WFL teams from competing in the signing for the same players.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)