1983 New Jersey Generals season explained
From the beginning, USFL founder David Dixon placed a premium on putting a team in the New York area. Initially, Donald Trump was tapped to own the team. However, he backed out after paying an initial installment on the franchise fee, hoping instead to buy the struggling Baltimore Colts of the NFL. Needing a credible owner with the means to front a team in the nation's biggest market, Dixon persuaded Oklahoma oil magnate J. Walter Duncan to step in. Duncan had originally been slated to own the USFL's Chicago franchise, as he'd grown up in Chicago. However, he readily agreed to shift to New York.[1]
Duncan took on former New England Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks as a minority partner; Duncan knew Fairbanks from his days as head coach at the University of Oklahoma. Fairbanks also served as general manager and head coach. They initially had an uphill battle to get a lease at Giants Stadium, but were able to obtain one on condition that they brand their team as "New Jersey" rather than "New York." They named the team the "Generals" after the large number of generals based in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War.[1]
The team made a big splash by signing Heisman Trophy-winning underclassman Herschel Walker, a running back from the University of Georgia. While the USFL had followed the NFL's lead in banning underclassmen from playing, league officials were certain that this rule would never withstand a court challenge. In an even more ominous development, Walker did not sign a standard player contract. Rather, he agreed to a three-year personal-services contract with Duncan. The contract was valued at $4.2 million—more than double the USFL's salary cap of $1.8 million. Nonetheless, the other owners knew having the incumbent Heisman winner in their fold would lend the USFL instant credibility, and allowed the contract to stand.
Despite the signing of Walker, who rushed for 1,812 yards and 17 touchdowns, the Generals finished their inaugural season with a 6–12 record. This was largely due to a porous defense which gave up the third-most points in the league (437) and a feeble passing attack led by ex-New Orleans Saints career backup Bobby Scott.
Personnel
Staff
[2]
Roster
[3]
USFL Draft
See main article: article and 1983 USFL Draft.
Schedule
Week | Day | Date | TV | Opponent | Results | Location | Attendance |
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Score | Record |
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1 | Sunday | March 6 | ABC | at Los Angeles Express | 15-20 | 0-1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 34,002 |
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2 | Sunday | March 13 | ABC | at Philadelphia Stars | 0-25 | 0-2 | Veterans Stadium | 38,205 |
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3 | Sunday | March 20 | | Tampa Bay Bandits | 9-32 | 0-3 | Giants Stadium | 53,307 |
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4 | Sunday | March 27 | | Boston Breakers | 21-31 | 0-4 | Giants Stadium | 41,218 |
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5 | Sunday | April 3 | | at Arizona Wranglers | 35-21 | 1-4 | Sun Devil Stadium | 31,382 |
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6 | Sunday | April 10 | ESPN | Michigan Panthers | 6-21 | 1-5 | Giants Stadium | 17,648 |
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7 | Sunday | April 17 | ABC | Washington Federals | 23-22 | 2-5 | Giants Stadium | 35,381 |
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8 | Monday | April 25 | ESPN | at Chicago Blitz | 14-17 (OT) | 2-6 | Soldier Field | 32,182 |
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9 | Sunday | May 1 | ABC | at Denver Gold | 34-29 | 3-6 | Mile High Stadium | 47,940 |
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10 | Monday | May 9 | ESPN | Birmingham Stallions | 7-22 | 3-7 | Giants Stadium | 38,374 |
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11 | Monday | May 16 | ESPN | at Michigan Panthers | 24-31 | 3-8 | Pontiac Silverdome | 32,862 |
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12 | Sunday | May 22 | ABC | Chicago Blitz | 13-19 (OT) | 3-9 | Giants Stadium | 33,812 |
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13 | Sunday | May 29 | | at Washington Federals | 32-29 | 4-9 | RFK Stadium | 11,264 |
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14 | Saturday | June 4 | ESPN | at Oakland Invaders | 21-34 | 4-10 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | 32,908 |
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15 | Sunday | June 12 | | Philadelphia Stars | 9-23 | 4-11 | Giants Stadium | 20,500 |
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16 | Saturday | June 17 | ABC | Los Angeles Express | 20-12 | 5-11 | Giants Stadium | 31,807 |
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17 | Sunday | June 25 | ESPN | Arizona Wranglers | 21-14 | 6-11 | Giants Stadium | 30,612 |
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18 | Sunday | July 3 | | at Boston Breakers | 10-34 | 6-12 | Nickerson Field | 15,798 |
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|
[4] [5] [6] Rewards
Award | Winner | Position |
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All-USFL Team | | RB |
USFL Outstanding Running Back | | RB |
USFL Rushing Yards Leader | | RB |
USFL Rushing Touchdown Leader | | RB | |
Final Statistics
Offense
Defense
Generals Sacks |
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| Sacks |
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Mike Weddington | 6.0 |
James Lockette | 4.5 |
Terry Daniels | 4.0 |
Rod Shoate | 4.0 |
Tom Woodland | 3.0 |
Ricky Williamson | 2.5 |
Mike McKibben | 2.0 |
Joe Cugliari | 2.0 |
Richard Murray | 1.0 |
Mel Lunsford | 1.0 |
Scott Dawson | 1.0 |
Maurice Clemmons | 1.0 |
Donnie Harris | 1.0 |
Sam Sopp | 0.5 |
Rod Skillman | 0.5 |
Steve Hammond | 0.5 | |
Special Teams
Generals Punting |
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| Pnt | Yds | Lng | Blck |
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Lance Olander | 54 | 1998 | 57 | 0 |
Dave Jacobs | 23 | 788 | 51 | 0 | |
Generals Punt Returns |
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| Ret | Yds | TD | Lng |
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Thomas Lott | 25 | 155 | 0 | 17 |
Mike Williams | 5 | 58 | 0 | 18 |
|
Standings
Notes and References
- Book: Reeths, Paul. The United States Football League, 1982-1986. McFarland & Company. 2017. 978-1476667447.
- https://www.profootballarchives.com/1983usflnj.html
- https://www.statscrew.com/football/roster/t-USFLNJG/y-1983
- https://www.statscrew.com/football/results/t-USFLNYG/y-1983 statscrew.com 1983 New Jersey Generals Game-by-Game Results
- http://www.usflsite.com/1983season.php usflsite.com 1983 USFL Season
- https://www.profootballarchives.com/1983usflbos.html profootballarchives.com 1983 New Jersey Generals (USFL)