The Jacksonville Jaguars

[duvaldude08]

Hey guess what? The Jacksonville Bulls lead the USFL in attendance! And Jacksonville doesnt support their team 

Yearly Standings and Average Home Attendances
1984: 6-12 (46,730)
1985: 9-9 (44,325)

The Bulls are perhaps the best example of what the USFL meant to a community. Without the support shown the Bulls in 1984 and 1985, there would be no such thing as the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bulls led the league in attendance in their inaugural season and were again one of the leaders in 1985. Their crowd of 73,227 on March 4, 1984, against the New Jersey Generals was the best in league history.

Coach Lindy Infante also kept the Bulls competitive in most games despite a lack of name talent. The 1984 squad was led by Robbie Mahfouz and Matt Robinson who split the year at QB, while Gary Clark paced the team with 56 catches for 760 yards. The Bulls struggled mightily on defense, giving up 455 points. Don Bessillieu picked off six passes, but the Bulls had trouble pressuring the quarterback.

An improved defense and the addition of Mike Rozier at runningback helped the Bulls post a .500 record in 1985. The addition of Keith Millard, who later would become an NFL defensive player of the year, and the emergence of linebacker Vaughan Johnson were two big causes of Jacksonville's defensive turnaround. Rozier finished second in the USFL with 1,361 yards on the ground and added 12 touchdowns. Receiver Alton Alexis made 83 grabs for 1,118 yards, and Perry Kemp caught 53 balls for 915 yards. Kicker Brian Franco nailed 24 of his 29 field goal attempts and all 45 of his extra point attempts to finish as the league's fifth leading scorer. Ed Luther played most of the year at quarterback after Brian Sipe was injured in the opening game and again immediately upon his return to duty. The Bulls also had two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin at runningback, giving them two Heisman winners in the same backfield.

Their Finest Hour: In 1984, the Bulls had come within a hair of beating the New Jersey Generals in front of a raucus crowd of 73,227 at the Gator Bowl, but Danny Miller's last second field goal attempt sailed just wide in a 28-26 loss. In week 11 of the 1985 season, the Bulls got another crack at the Generals, and this time the Jacksonville faithful left happy. New Jersey jumped on top 10-0 on a Roger Ruzek field goal and a Doug Flutie to Sam Bowers TD pass. Rozier scampered into the endzone from the 23, and Franco kicked three field goals to give the Bulls a 16-13 lead headed into the fourth. The Generals retook the lead when Maurice Carthon scored from 10 yards out, but Jacksonville would not be denied. Norris Brown raced 82 yards with the ensuing kickoff and scored the go-ahead touchdown. Rozier clinched it with a late one-yard TD run, giving Jacksonville a 30-20 victory. Quarterback Ed Luther connected on 20 of 31 passes for 200 yards.

I wonder why we didnt try to reuse that name? I like the Jaguars instead of the Bulls anyways. I watched some video on youtube and the Gator Bowl was SLAMMED PACKED. The USFL showed that market size has nothing to do with team support. Jacksonville was a MUCH smaller city back then and drew in some pretty decent crowds. Despite what people think, Jacksonville loves some football. We just got discouraged the past few years.

And the Jacksonville Sharks from the World Football League? I wonder if anyone really knows how many teams we have had. We have had a team in every league EXCEPT the AFL.

1974 WFL Team Pages



Jacksonville Sharks

Owner   Francis Monaco
General Manager   Lewis Engelberg
Head Coach   Bud Asher/Charlie Tate
Stadium   Gator Bowl (72,000)
Colors   Black, Silver
The Jacksonville Sharks joined the WFL when owner Francis Monaco decided to enter professional sports and purchase a franchise for the city of Jacksonville, Florida.. Monaco had made a small fortune running a chain of successful medical laboratories and was also close to some of the NFL elite. Monaco also co-owned a restaurant with former NFL great Dick Butkus. Monaco bought the WFL's Miami franchise from Chuck Rohe and relocated the ream in Jacksonville. Jacksonville, located on the northern Atlantic coast of Florida was a football hotbed. College football games drew enormous crowds of fans and Monaco, a seasoned businessman was ready to cash in.

The team dropped a public relations bomb when they introduced the teams' nickname as the "Sharks". The tourist board of Florida petitioned the club to change the name, claiming it would be bad for tourism. The board even suggested the team be called the "Stingrays" or the "Suns". Francis Monaco refused and the W.F.L. welcomed the Jacksonville Sharks. Monaco hired Bud Asher to coach the team. Asher, who had been out of coaching for some time, quickly went to scout area talent for the club. Jacksonville signed running back Tommy Durrance, a local college star at Florida, and Greg Townsend a standout defensive back for Notre Dame.

If experience counted the Sharks could have ordered their World Bowl rings during training camp. The Sharks had over 40 players on the roster with pro football experience. The offense centered on quarterback Kay Stephenson, a veteran of the NFL with San Diego and Buffalo, and backup Kim Hammond. The running game was handed to Florida star Tommy Durrance, Edgar Scott and Wayne Jones. The receiver corps was led by Drew Buie and tight end Dennis Hughes. The Shark offensive line consisted of veteran guards O.Z. White, Richard Cheek, and rookie Eddie Foster. The tackle position saw Brian Galloway, Willie Blackmon, Steve Schaap and Darrell Vaughn competing for a starting position.

Defensively the Sharks have three veterans up front; Frank Cornish, ex-NFL Buffalo Bill Bob Taterak and Willie Crittenden. The linebackers consist of Glen Gaspard, Lonnie Coleman and Gary Potempa. The secondary was solid with veterans Alvin Wyatt, Solomon Brennan and All-American rookie Greg Townsend from Notre Dame. Jacksonville also planned for the future, signing Miami Dolphin star linebacker Nick Buoniconti to a contract for the 1976 season.

As the Sharks worked through the summer Florida heat, Coach Asher and his assistants quickly settled the teams' playbook and prepared for their opening game against New York. The Sharks played the New York Stars before a nationally televised audience, and 59,112 screaming fans at the Gator Bowl. Inside the games' inaugural program Monaco wrote; "In a few short months the Sharks have gone from a dream to a reality and it has been at times a tedious transition... Our goal this first season is to achieve the championship plateau only one team can finally attain." After the first half, which saw both teams struggle to find consistency with their offense, the game had a 20-minute blackout when a generator fire broke out and knocked out the stadiums' lights. Standing in the dark, Shark coach Bud Asher wondered if the blackout was an omen. It wasn't. When play resumed, Sharks defensive back Alvin Wyatt returned a punt for a touchdown, and guard O.Z. White recovered a fumbled in the end zone for another score to lead the Sharks to a 14-7 victory and take the first step towards making Monaco's "dream" a reality. After the game, the Jacksonville press flooded the Sharks dressing room with questions for their hometown heroes had dealt the Stars, featuring ex-NFL greats John Elliott, Garry Philbin and George Sauer, their first WFL loss. WFL commissioner Gary Davidson, in attendance, was in awe of the turnout and talked about the potential success of the franchise and the league.

[duvaldude08]

And then they folded in the middle of the season. What in the hell?

The World Football League didn't want to lose the Jacksonville franchise. The weather in Jacksonville was good, the stadium was great for football and the Sharks were second in league attendance- around 32,000. Sharks' officials so poorly managed the clubs' finances that the team had no cash for its survival. Many owners endorsed the idea of the Florida Blazers and Jacksonville merging, but Blazer officials, namely Rommie Loudd, were against the idea. The Sharks "savior" William Pease had fallen from grace and with his departing Fran Monaco filed for bankruptcy protection, claiming over $1.8 million in debts. The IRS filed a lien against the Sharks in Name Volusia Type County for $105,551 for social security and payroll with holding taxes from July, August and September. Despite the fact that the Sharks were defunct, the lien was filed because the team is still a member of the WFL and league officials are trying to secure investors for the club.

On Tuesday, October 8, 1974, the WFL finally closed the book on the Jacksonville Sharks. League officials sent notice that the team would "suspend operations effective immediately". The news reached the Sharks players through head coach Charlie Tate in a team meeting. In the locker room, some 50-odd players cursed, threw bitter accusations at the WFL and packed up their equipment. The scene was like a funeral, and the Sharks black jerseys fit in perfectly. Coach Charlie Tate held hope that the team could be saved at the last minute, but his hopes were fading with each player walking out the door. "The league doesn't want to dissolve us," claimed Tate. "I firmly believe that. We've got to sit tight. Hopefully, something good will happen... we have a chance."

The Sharks players had plenty to say about the situation and the WFL. Kicking specialist Grant Guthrie said in anger, "We want something to happen but right now I don't give a damn. As far as I'm concerned, the WFL commissioner (Gary Davidson) told bald-faced lies to me and about 20 other players "

"It's really a shabby situation," said back-up quarterback Kim Hammond, a practicing attorney in Daytona Beach. "The league owes us $250,000 in back pay. We've had one payday in the last 1 ½ months. We've been assured of getting paid before every game, but nothing has come. It's all been very difficult on the players and they've had to go through some hardships. Now they've reached the limit and I attribute it as the fault of the WFL. Gary Davidson and his group of merry men know they have an obligation to the players and they have the chance now to get the players sold and get this whole thing over with." Hammond also received word that the league had vetoed several potential investors in the club, including Miami contractor Matson O'Neal.

"I was willing to put $100,000 a week into the club," confirmed O'Neal, a friend of Coach Charlie Tate, "We would have taken over the obligation of the club, but I wanted to be reimbursed if I decided not to buy the club. After all, I'm a businessman first and a sports fan second".

[tufsu1]

hey duvaldude...we have had a team in the AFL, also named the Sharks, for 2 years.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Duvaldude, by AFL do you mean the arena league or the old American Football League?  I think Jacksonville actually hosted the American Football League's all-star game at least once.

Although the WFL Sharks folded in the middle of the season (they were far from the only WFL team to fold or relocate mid-season, incidentally), interest in football was strong enough to inspire the startup of a second Jacksonville franchise for the WFL's second season, the Express.  Last time I was on eBay there were some Express programs and paraphernalia for sale.  I think Ock posted a picture of one of their programs on here once, with the Main St. Bridge and the then-new Independent Life Building prominently featured.

[Tacachale]

^Presumably the American Football League (the fourth one)?

Duvaldude, Jacksonville has a truly storied football history. The state's first ever college football game was played here in 1901 between Florida Agricultural College (a precursor to the University of Florida) and Stetson. In the early years our Times-Union recorded and judged the "state championship" (between all four of Florida's college teams!) and awarded the Championship Cup to the winner. The Florida-Georgia game was first played in Jacksonville in 1915, and has been played almost exclusively here since 1933. The Gator Bowl has been played here every single year since 1946, and has often ranked among the best attended off all bowl games, generally beating out even BCS bowls.

Our first stab at pro football was in 1926 when Stanford star Ernie Nevers tried to expand the Sun Belt's pro football prospects with the Jacksonville All-Stars. They played two exhibition games against NFL teams before folding. Unfortunately we never had a team in the big NFL-competitiors such as the All-America Football Conference or the early versions of the AFL.

In the 1960s we didn't land an AFL franchise, but it was certainly in the works - after the success of the Dolphins, we hosted the league's All-Star Game in 1967 and 1968 - the only city without a team to do so. The AFL-NFL merger after the following season curbed the plans. But we did get the WFL Sharks in 1974, which is a tale to be told. Despite an awful record, terrible management, and some out-and-out fraud, Sharks games were among the best attended in the league. Unfortunately the bad management caught up with them and the team folded mid-season. Still, as Wacca says, the market was strong enough for the league to establish a new franchise the next year, but the league collapsed shortly thereafter. Then there were the Bulls - one of our finest moments. Unfortunately the USFL folded under the weight of the NFL's sheer monopoly over the game, which a jury effectively decided to promote.

And this is besides the minor league teams, amateur teams, and high school and local college teams who add even more layers to the story. For instance our American Football Association franchise of 1979, which was named - seriously - the Jaguars, and which nearly signed Steve Spurrier as a player-coach. Or the Jacksonville Tomcats AF2 team, who played on a field (court?) in the old Coliseum that was too small even for developmental arena football, because the league wanted to be in our market so bad. This laid the way for the Arena Football champion Sharks, one of the most successful arena teams both on and off the field.

I don't know, we might be something of a "football town".

[downtownjag]

^Presumably the American Football League (the fourth one)?

Duvaldude, Jacksonville has a truly storied football history. The state's first ever college football game was played here in 1901 between Florida Agricultural College (a precursor to the University of Florida) and Stetson. In the early years our Times-Union recorded and judged the "state championship" (between all four of Florida's college teams!) and awarded the Championship Cup to the winner. The Florida-Georgia game was first played in Jacksonville in 1915, and has been played almost exclusively here since 1933. The Gator Bowl has been played here every single year since 1946, and has often ranked among the best attended off all bowl games, generally beating out even BCS bowls.

Our first stab at pro football was in 1926 when Stanford star Ernie Nevers tried to expand the Sun Belt's pro football prospects with the Jacksonville All-Stars. They played two exhibition games against NFL teams before folding. Unfortunately we never had a team in the big NFL-competitiors such as the All-America Football Conference or the early versions of the AFL.

In the 1960s we didn't land an AFL franchise, but it was certainly in the works - after the success of the Dolphins, we hosted the league's All-Star Game in 1967 and 1968 - the only city without a team to do so. The AFL-NFL merger after the following season curbed the plans. But we did get the WFL Sharks in 1974, which is a tale to be told. Despite an awful record, terrible management, and some out-and-out fraud, Sharks games were among the best attended in the league. Unfortunately the bad management caught up with them and the team folded mid-season. Still, as Wacca says, the market was strong enough for the league to establish a new franchise the next year, but the league collapsed shortly thereafter. Then there were the Bulls - one of our finest moments. Unfortunately the USFL folded under the weight of the NFL's sheer monopoly over the game, which a jury effectively decided to promote.

And this is besides the minor league teams, amateur teams, and high school and local college teams who add even more layers to the story. For instance our American Football Association franchise of 1979, which was named - seriously - the Jaguars, and which nearly signed Steve Spurrier as a player-coach. Or the Jacksonville Tomcats AF2 team, who played on a field (court?) in the old Coliseum that was too small even for developmental arena football, because the league wanted to be in our market so bad. This laid the way for the Arena Football champion Sharks, one of the most successful arena teams both on and off the field.

I don't know, we might be something of a "football town".

I didn't know most of that, thanks! 

What are the chances I could find what the AFL 1979 Jaguars logo looked like?  I would LOVE to see that.

[KenFSU]

^Presumably the American Football League (the fourth one)?

Duvaldude, Jacksonville has a truly storied football history. The state's first ever college football game was played here in 1901 between Florida Agricultural College (a precursor to the University of Florida) and Stetson. In the early years our Times-Union recorded and judged the "state championship" (between all four of Florida's college teams!) and awarded the Championship Cup to the winner. The Florida-Georgia game was first played in Jacksonville in 1915, and has been played almost exclusively here since 1933. The Gator Bowl has been played here every single year since 1946, and has often ranked among the best attended off all bowl games, generally beating out even BCS bowls.

Our first stab at pro football was in 1926 when Stanford star Ernie Nevers tried to expand the Sun Belt's pro football prospects with the Jacksonville All-Stars. They played two exhibition games against NFL teams before folding. Unfortunately we never had a team in the big NFL-competitiors such as the All-America Football Conference or the early versions of the AFL.

In the 1960s we didn't land an AFL franchise, but it was certainly in the works - after the success of the Dolphins, we hosted the league's All-Star Game in 1967 and 1968 - the only city without a team to do so. The AFL-NFL merger after the following season curbed the plans. But we did get the WFL Sharks in 1974, which is a tale to be told. Despite an awful record, terrible management, and some out-and-out fraud, Sharks games were among the best attended in the league. Unfortunately the bad management caught up with them and the team folded mid-season. Still, as Wacca says, the market was strong enough for the league to establish a new franchise the next year, but the league collapsed shortly thereafter. Then there were the Bulls - one of our finest moments. Unfortunately the USFL folded under the weight of the NFL's sheer monopoly over the game, which a jury effectively decided to promote.

And this is besides the minor league teams, amateur teams, and high school and local college teams who add even more layers to the story. For instance our American Football Association franchise of 1979, which was named - seriously - the Jaguars, and which nearly signed Steve Spurrier as a player-coach. Or the Jacksonville Tomcats AF2 team, who played on a field (court?) in the old Coliseum that was too small even for developmental arena football, because the league wanted to be in our market so bad. This laid the way for the Arena Football champion Sharks, one of the most successful arena teams both on and off the field.

I don't know, we might be something of a "football town".

Posts like this are why I love this website and forum.

Fantastic information.

[duvaldude08]

Duvaldude, by AFL do you mean the arena league or the old American Football League?  I think Jacksonville actually hosted the American Football League's all-star game at least once.

Although the WFL Sharks folded in the middle of the season (they were far from the only WFL team to fold or relocate mid-season, incidentally), interest in football was strong enough to inspire the startup of a second Jacksonville franchise for the WFL's second season, the Express.  Last time I was on eBay there were some Express programs and paraphernalia for sale.  I think Ock posted a picture of one of their programs on here once, with the Main St. Bridge and the then-new Independent Life Building prominently featured.

The American football League. I forget that could mean Arena football too. Yes I think we hosted that game until AFL and NFL merger. And I didnt hear about the Jacksonville Express! And whats crazy is, we led the league in attendance each time. Given, it was much easier to lead in attendance back then. 40,000 was consider leading in attendance.

[Tacachale]

Ken: Thanks! I try

Downtownjag, I've never been able to find that logo (it was the "American Football Association", not AFL, btw). Info about the team is pretty limited. I believe they may have changed their name to the Jacksonville Firebirds. The Firebirds were the AFA champions in 1979 and played through 1981. The AFA was a spring semi-pro league that relied on local talent, so the Firebirds got many contemporary high school stars and coaches, as well as some Florida and FSU players, and even some former and subsequent pros.

Here's a brief blurb about them from the FTU:
http://jacksonville.com/sports/2010-06-07/story/summer-10-jacksonvilles-top-10-little-known-sports-franchises

[duvaldude08]

^Presumably the American Football League (the fourth one)?

Duvaldude, Jacksonville has a truly storied football history. The state's first ever college football game was played here in 1901 between Florida Agricultural College (a precursor to the University of Florida) and Stetson. In the early years our Times-Union recorded and judged the "state championship" (between all four of Florida's college teams!) and awarded the Championship Cup to the winner. The Florida-Georgia game was first played in Jacksonville in 1915, and has been played almost exclusively here since 1933. The Gator Bowl has been played here every single year since 1946, and has often ranked among the best attended off all bowl games, generally beating out even BCS bowls.

Our first stab at pro football was in 1926 when Stanford star Ernie Nevers tried to expand the Sun Belt's pro football prospects with the Jacksonville All-Stars. They played two exhibition games against NFL teams before folding. Unfortunately we never had a team in the big NFL-competitiors such as the All-America Football Conference or the early versions of the AFL.

In the 1960s we didn't land an AFL franchise, but it was certainly in the works - after the success of the Dolphins, we hosted the league's All-Star Game in 1967 and 1968 - the only city without a team to do so. The AFL-NFL merger after the following season curbed the plans. But we did get the WFL Sharks in 1974, which is a tale to be told. Despite an awful record, terrible management, and some out-and-out fraud, Sharks games were among the best attended in the league. Unfortunately the bad management caught up with them and the team folded mid-season. Still, as Wacca says, the market was strong enough for the league to establish a new franchise the next year, but the league collapsed shortly thereafter. Then there were the Bulls - one of our finest moments. Unfortunately the USFL folded under the weight of the NFL's sheer monopoly over the game, which a jury effectively decided to promote.

And this is besides the minor league teams, amateur teams, and high school and local college teams who add even more layers to the story. For instance our American Football Association franchise of 1979, which was named - seriously - the Jaguars, and which nearly signed Steve Spurrier as a player-coach. Or the Jacksonville Tomcats AF2 team, who played on a field (court?) in the old Coliseum that was too small even for developmental arena football, because the league wanted to be in our market so bad. This laid the way for the Arena Football champion Sharks, one of the most successful arena teams both on and off the field.

I don't know, we might be something of a "football town".

Great information! If people knew our history, they wouldnt find it such a mystery that Jacksonville was choosen for a NFL team. The NFL knew all about Jacksonville. We were not some no name city in Florida. They knew everything about us. Not to mention we made stabs a luring the Colts and even the Oilers when Tommy was mayor. I read he promised Bud Adams we would sell out every single game for atleast 10 years. That was a bit of a bold statement to say the least.

[Tacachale]

^It definitely also helped that we had had several mayors in a row who knew our strength in that area and were relentless in promoting Jacksonville as a pro football (and all sports, really) destination. Jake was out there so much that the NFL got sick of him, calling him "Mayor Jock". But he made sure we were never out of the conversation. And it payed off.

[fieldafm]

The city actually hosted the AFL all star game as well.

The Tomcats had home-grown Jackson High School and JU star... and future Jaguar Micah Ross playing on the team.

The Senior Bowl was also first played in Jacksonville before moving to Alabama.

There is also a semi-pro team in town now called the Knights, and a very successful womens semi-pro team called the Dixie Blues. 

I remember as a kid going to a few of the NFL preseason games held at the Gator Bowl over the years.  My grandmother, who I called the original scenester, first learned about 'the wave' while watching a game against Denver and Houston(if memory serves me correct on the opponents).

[Wacca Pilatka]

Thanks a lot, Tacachale - lots of info I didn't know there, that I am very happy to know now.

I think Falcons-Rams was one of the other preseason games and I am sure the Bucs were involved in another.

The Dixie Blues have been outright dominant in their league.

[duvaldude08]

I see the Jags are eyeing Joe Adams from Arkansas and was one of the players theyve talked to so far at the Senior Bowl.  We definately need that speed at WR.! Kid is super fast

[BridgeTroll]

I have an original Jacksonville Jaguars sweatshirt (never worn) with the below logo on it.  Anyone know what it might be worth?