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USFL Philadelphia Stars

A Brief History of the Philadelphia Stars

by Paul Reeths
December 8, 2021 - United States Football League (USFL)
Philadelphia Stars


Original Philadelphia Stars logo
Original Philadelphia Stars logo
(Philadelphia Stars)

On November 22, the FOX television network unveiled the teams which will comprise the new United States Football League when the circuit hits the field in 2022. Though FOX's USFL is a completely new entity, all its team names were initially used in the original USFL which played from 1983 to 1985.

Below is a brief history of the first Philadelphia Stars franchise.

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The USFL's dominant team, the Stars missed out on a clean sweep of league championships by only a two-point loss to the Michigan Panthers in the 1983 title game. By all accounts, the Stars had one of the best front office operations in the league. Myles Tanenbaum stuck with the league longer than any of the other original owners. General Manager Carl Peterson made sure that little talent escaped the notice of his Stars, and Coach Jim Mora guided the Stars to wins in more than three-fourths of their games and seven out of eight postseason tilts.

University of North Carolina running back Kelvin Bryant spearheaded the offense as he gained an incredible 4,055 yards rushing in three seasons. At quarterback, NFL veteran Chuck Fusina proved to be a solid leader and was great when he had to be. One of the league's top offensive lines, anchored by Bart Oates, allowed Fusina the time to get the ball downfield to receivers such as Willie Collier and Scott Fitzkee. When the Stars couldn't put the ball in the endzone, special teams shined with the tandem of accurate kicker David Trout and punter Sean Landeta, who would go on to a long NFL career.

The heart and soul of the Stars was their "Doghouse Defense." Led by (Slammin') Sam Mills, who would later earn several Pro Bowl berths in the NFL, the defense made sure the Stars were always in the game. Defensive back Mike Lush and defensive end John Walker also shone on the defensive side of the ball.

The epicenter of the World Football League's collapse a decade earlier, Philadelphia fans were very wary of the Stars in their inaugural season. The Stars averaged under 20,000 fans per game in their inaugural year, but after making it to the championship game, attendance increased by more than 10,000 per contest the following season. Philadelphia's success on the field helped as the Stars rolled to a 15-3 record in 1983 before improving to 16-2 in their sophomore campaign. The Michigan Panthers edged Philadelphia in the first title game, but the Arizona Wranglers proved little trouble in the USFL's second championship, a 23-3 Stars victory.

Several thousand Philadelphia fans gathered for a parade in the team's honor once they got back to the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia capped its season with a postseason exhibition win over the Tampa Bay Bandits at London's Wembley Stadium, the league's lone foray off American soil.

The USFL's announced move to the fall, however, immediately destroyed what it had taken two years to build, forcing Tanenbaum to relocate his team to Baltimore, recently vacated by the Colts. With Memorial Stadium unavailable until 1986, he had to settle for Byrd Stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland. The team spent the 1985 season practicing in Philadelphia, and playing in (or near) Baltimore. Some of the smallest crowds in the team's three-year history saw the team rebound from a slow start to beat the rebuilt Oakland Invaders, 28-24, in the USFL's last championship game. The Stars dreams of playing in Memorial Stadium were dashed after the league called off the 1986 season.

Their Finest Hour: With so many wins this one is tough to choose, but the honor has to go to Philadelphia's come-from-behind playoff win over the Chicago Blitz in 1983. The Stars trailed 38-17 with 12 minutes left in the game thanks largely to seven Philadelphia turnovers. The hard-hitting Chicago defense had scored following six of the errors and had forced the usually unflappable Chuck Fusina into four interceptions. Suddenly, it all turned around for Fusina and the Stars. Philadelphia's quarterback caught fire, tossing three TD passes (to Fitzkee, Jeff Rodenberger and Tom Donovan) down the stretch to knot the score as regulation time expired. In overtime, Kelvin Bryant capped a long drive when he leapt over the goal line from the one to finish the Stars' startling 44-38 win and send Philadelphia to the first USFL championship game.

Years of existence: 1983-1985
Owner: Myles Tanenbaum
Stadium: Veterans Stadium (72,204) 1983-84, Byrd Stadium (45,000) 1985
Colors: Crimson, old gold and white
Overall Regular Season Record: 41-12-1 (.769)
Overall Playoff Record: 7-1

Yearly Standings and Average Attendances
1983: 15-3 (18,650) Philadelphia
1984: 16-2 (28,668) Philadelphia
1985: 10-7-1 (14, 275) Baltimore

Adapted from USFLsite.com.

Interested in learning more about the United States Football League? Buy The United States Football League, 1982-1986.

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