Years of existence: 1983-1985Owner: Myles Tanenbaum
Stadium: Veterans Stadium (72,204) 1983-84, Byrd Stadium (45,000) 1985
Colors: Crimson, old gold and whiteOverall Regular Season Record: 41-12-1 (.769)Overall Playoff Record: 7-1
Yearly Standings and Average Attendances
1983: 15-3 (18,650) Philadelphia
Yearly Standings and Average Attendances
1983: 15-3 (18,650) Philadelphia
1984: 16-2 (28,668) Philadelphia
1985: 10-7-1 (14, 275) Baltimore
The Stars were the most successful USFL franchise, winning 47 games and two USFL championships.
George Perles was the first official coach of the franchise, but a few months before the inaugural season was to kick-off, Perles phoned GM Carl Peterson that he needed to talkto him. “He [Perles] said, ‘Carl I would never do this to you, but the one other job I wanted my whole life, at my alma mater, Michigan State, has called me,’” says Peterson, in aMay 2006 interview from his Kansas City, Mo., home. The Spartans flew Perles in the night before and offered him the
job at Michigan State."He felt awful that he was leaving us in the lurch," says Peterson. "I told him to take the position and I would find another coach. We’ve been dear friends ever since."
Peterson was now in the hunt for a new coach just three months before the season started. Tannebaum wanted Peterson to hire Sid Gillman, the former Rams and Chargers coach that introduced the West Coast offense to football. But Carl pointed out that Sid was 70-years-old and he really wanted someone that was younger and a teacher.
In late December of 1982, Peterson targeted Penn State’s Joe Paterno. After Penn State won the national championship, Peterson and ownership met with Paterno. But Joe Pa told the Stars, “I’ve given this a lot of thought, but this is where I need to be.”
Years earlier, Paterno turned down the heading coaching job with the Eagles before Vermeil accepted the position.
After Paterno pulled his name from the mix, the Philadelphia ownership began to panic a bit says Peterson. But Carl remained cool, as he had a short list of coaches and Jim Mora was on it.
Peterson knew Mora from his days as a coach at UCLA. “I needed a teacher,” says Peterson, who was facing the team’s first crisis five months into the job. “I needed someone that could teach young and new players the game.”
Mora was the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, who were in the middle of the playoffs. Mora didn’t want his attention taken away at the task at hand, so he was hesitant to meet with Peterson until after the playoffs.
Peterson interviewed Jerry Glanville and a few other guys, but Mora was his man. As Mora was getting ready to board his flight from Philadelphia, Peterson told Mora he had 24 hours to make his decision. Mora called back the next day and told him he’d take the job. “I told Tannebaum and the other owners who we hired. They said, ‘Who the hell is Jim Mora?’” says Peterson with a laugh in his voice.
The list of players and coaches from the Stars reads like an All Star cast: C Bart Oates, T Irv Eatman, RB Kelvin Bryant, LB Sam Mills, Mike Johnson and DE William Fuller. But before they made their mark in the USFL and NFL, this group was relatively unknown.
From the coaching ranks came: Dom Capers, Vic Fangio, Joe Marciano, Vince Tobin and Carl Smith. It’s safe to say those rooms in Mobile, Ala., must have been blessed by the football gods.
The Stars marched through the first two seasons like rhinos on a daisy field. They pounded opponents with the run, as the offensive line made gaps for Bryant, and a knockout defense led by Mills, Fuller, Johnson and anchored by former NFL NT Pete Kugler, punished opposing quarterbacks.
Oates, who won a total of five championships in the USFL and NFL combined, agrees with Peterson about the talent on the Stars. “We could have beaten the Eagles by 1985 because
we were deep enough in talent by then,” he says.
In 1985, the Stars played their home games at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, because in 1984, the owners voted in favor of a fall schedule and go head-to-head
against the NFL.
The Philadelphia ownership, which was building a sound fan-base with attendance rising to close to 30,000 in ’84, voted against the fall move. But two owners in particular, led the charge for the fall schedule.
Also, the Stars had lease issues with the Vet if they moved to a fall schedule. Things got so tense in Philadelphia, that the Vet kicked the Stars out of their offices and the coaching staff was forced to take up space at the University of Penn.. “About half-way through the season [1985], the Vet kicked us out of our offices, and we had to move to the ROTC building at the University of Pennsylvania,” says Mora with a note of disdained in his voice. “All the coaches were in one classroom, in separate corners, coming up with the game plans.”
After posting a 31-5 regular-season record in the first two
seasons, the Stars dropped to 10-7-1 in the ’85 campaign.
“The moving really had an effect on us that year,” says Mora.
“We were 7-6-1,” says Peterson, “ but Mora got the team together and said, ‘It’s time to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We're the champions, we should start playing like champions. I expect we’re going to get back there and we’re going to start winning. It’s a road game every week, but we’ve got to deal with it and I’m not going to expect anything less.’”
The Stars won the last three regular season games and all three playoff games – including a 28-24 win over the Invaders in the USFL Championship.
The Stars were the most successful USFL franchise, winning 47 games and two USFL championships.
George Perles was the first official coach of the franchise, but a few months before the inaugural season was to kick-off, Perles phoned GM Carl Peterson that he needed to talkto him. “He [Perles] said, ‘Carl I would never do this to you, but the one other job I wanted my whole life, at my alma mater, Michigan State, has called me,’” says Peterson, in aMay 2006 interview from his Kansas City, Mo., home. The Spartans flew Perles in the night before and offered him the
job at Michigan State."He felt awful that he was leaving us in the lurch," says Peterson. "I told him to take the position and I would find another coach. We’ve been dear friends ever since."
Peterson was now in the hunt for a new coach just three months before the season started. Tannebaum wanted Peterson to hire Sid Gillman, the former Rams and Chargers coach that introduced the West Coast offense to football. But Carl pointed out that Sid was 70-years-old and he really wanted someone that was younger and a teacher.
In late December of 1982, Peterson targeted Penn State’s Joe Paterno. After Penn State won the national championship, Peterson and ownership met with Paterno. But Joe Pa told the Stars, “I’ve given this a lot of thought, but this is where I need to be.”
Years earlier, Paterno turned down the heading coaching job with the Eagles before Vermeil accepted the position.
After Paterno pulled his name from the mix, the Philadelphia ownership began to panic a bit says Peterson. But Carl remained cool, as he had a short list of coaches and Jim Mora was on it.
Peterson knew Mora from his days as a coach at UCLA. “I needed a teacher,” says Peterson, who was facing the team’s first crisis five months into the job. “I needed someone that could teach young and new players the game.”
Mora was the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, who were in the middle of the playoffs. Mora didn’t want his attention taken away at the task at hand, so he was hesitant to meet with Peterson until after the playoffs.
Peterson interviewed Jerry Glanville and a few other guys, but Mora was his man. As Mora was getting ready to board his flight from Philadelphia, Peterson told Mora he had 24 hours to make his decision. Mora called back the next day and told him he’d take the job. “I told Tannebaum and the other owners who we hired. They said, ‘Who the hell is Jim Mora?’” says Peterson with a laugh in his voice.
The list of players and coaches from the Stars reads like an All Star cast: C Bart Oates, T Irv Eatman, RB Kelvin Bryant, LB Sam Mills, Mike Johnson and DE William Fuller. But before they made their mark in the USFL and NFL, this group was relatively unknown.
From the coaching ranks came: Dom Capers, Vic Fangio, Joe Marciano, Vince Tobin and Carl Smith. It’s safe to say those rooms in Mobile, Ala., must have been blessed by the football gods.
The Stars marched through the first two seasons like rhinos on a daisy field. They pounded opponents with the run, as the offensive line made gaps for Bryant, and a knockout defense led by Mills, Fuller, Johnson and anchored by former NFL NT Pete Kugler, punished opposing quarterbacks.
Oates, who won a total of five championships in the USFL and NFL combined, agrees with Peterson about the talent on the Stars. “We could have beaten the Eagles by 1985 because
we were deep enough in talent by then,” he says.
In 1985, the Stars played their home games at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, because in 1984, the owners voted in favor of a fall schedule and go head-to-head
against the NFL.
The Philadelphia ownership, which was building a sound fan-base with attendance rising to close to 30,000 in ’84, voted against the fall move. But two owners in particular, led the charge for the fall schedule.
Also, the Stars had lease issues with the Vet if they moved to a fall schedule. Things got so tense in Philadelphia, that the Vet kicked the Stars out of their offices and the coaching staff was forced to take up space at the University of Penn.. “About half-way through the season [1985], the Vet kicked us out of our offices, and we had to move to the ROTC building at the University of Pennsylvania,” says Mora with a note of disdained in his voice. “All the coaches were in one classroom, in separate corners, coming up with the game plans.”
After posting a 31-5 regular-season record in the first two
seasons, the Stars dropped to 10-7-1 in the ’85 campaign.
“The moving really had an effect on us that year,” says Mora.
“We were 7-6-1,” says Peterson, “ but Mora got the team together and said, ‘It’s time to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We're the champions, we should start playing like champions. I expect we’re going to get back there and we’re going to start winning. It’s a road game every week, but we’ve got to deal with it and I’m not going to expect anything less.’”
The Stars won the last three regular season games and all three playoff games – including a 28-24 win over the Invaders in the USFL Championship.
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