1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players
General information
Date(s)June 5, 1984
LocationNew York City
Overview
84 total selections in 3 rounds
LeagueNFL
First selectionSteve Young, QB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Most selections (6)Cleveland Browns
Fewest selections (0)Chicago Bears
← 1983
1985 →

The 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL players was a one-time draft of United States Football League and Canadian Football League players, held in the spring of 1984.[1][2][3][4]

Reason for the draft[]

In New York City on Tuesday, June 5, 1984, the National Football League held a draft for college seniors who had already signed with either the USFL or the CFL in an attempt to head off a bidding war in its own ranks for USFL and CFL players. The 28 NFL teams chose 84 players from 224 available during the three-round selection meeting. The draft was for players who would have been eligible for the regular 1984 NFL Draft in early May, but had already signed a contract with a USFL or CFL team.

The draft was implemented primarily with the fledgling USFL in mind. The owners did not want to risk potentially "wasting" picks in the regular draft on players who were already signed by another league, but also wanted to ensure there would not be a large influx of free agent talent in case the new league suddenly collapsed. The CFL, being a much more established circuit with strict limits on the number of American players on each team, was not as much of a concern, but was included to shield the NFL from potential antitrust litigation that might have arisen had the league targeted a specific rival with a supplemental draft. Of the 84 players selected, only eight were from the CFL, with 76 from the USFL.

The Los Angeles Express were something less than a juggernaut in 1984, with only a 8–7 record at the time of this draft.[5] They finished 10–8 in the regular season and lost in the second round (semifinals) of the eight-team playoffs. But their talent-laden roster, including future Hall of Famers Steve Young and Gary Zimmerman, proved popular as twenty Express players were picked, including four of the first six selections and eleven in the opening round.[2][3] (The eventual '84 USFL champs from Philadelphia were second with nine picks; no CFL team had more than two.)

Only one trade involving supplemental draft picks was consummated, as the Cleveland Browns acquired all three of the Chicago Bears' supplemental picks in exchange for the Browns' selections in the final four rounds of the regular 1984 draft. As a result, Cleveland made six selections in this draft (including Pro Bowlers Kevin Mack and Gerald McNeil, both with picks that originally belonged to Chicago) while the Bears made none. The other 26 teams made three selections each.

= Pro Bowler [6] = Hall of Famer

First round[]

Pick # NFL Team Player Position Pro Team College
1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Steve Young QB Los Angeles Express BYU
2 Houston Oilers Mike Rozier RB Pittsburgh Maulers Nebraska
3 New York Giants Gary Zimmerman G Los Angeles Express Oregon
4 Philadelphia Eagles Reggie White DE Memphis Showboats Tennessee
5 Kansas City Chiefs Mark Adickes OT Los Angeles Express Baylor
6 San Diego Chargers Lee Williams DE Los Angeles Express Bethune–Cookman
7 Cincinnati Bengals Wayne Peace QB Tampa Bay Bandits Florida
8 Indianapolis Colts Paul Bergmann TE Jacksonville Bulls UCLA
9 Atlanta Falcons Joey Jones WR Birmingham Stallions Alabama
10 New York Jets Ken Hobart QB Denver Gold Idaho
11 Cleveland Browns(from Chicago Bears) Kevin Mack FB Los Angeles Express Clemson
12 Green Bay Packers Buford Jordan RB New Orleans Breakers McNeese State
13 Minnesota Vikings Allanda Smith CB Los Angeles Express TCU
14 Buffalo Bills Dwight Drane S Los Angeles Express Oklahoma
15 New Orleans Saints Vaughan Johnson LB Jacksonville Bulls North Carolina State
16 New England Patriots Ricky Sanders WR Houston Gamblers Southwest Texas State
17 St. Louis Cardinals Mike Ruether C Los Angeles Express Texas
18 Cleveland Browns Mike Johnson LB Philadelphia Stars Virginia Tech
19 Denver Broncos Freddie Gilbert DE New Jersey Generals Georgia
20 Detroit Lions Alphonso Williams WR Oklahoma Outlaws Nevada-Reno
21 Los Angeles Rams William Fuller DE Philadelphia Stars North Carolina
22 Seattle Seahawks Gordon Hudson TE Los Angeles Express BYU
23 Pittsburgh Steelers WR Los Angeles Express Indiana
24 San Francisco 49ers Derrick Crawford WR Memphis Showboats Memphis State
25 Dallas Cowboys Todd Fowler TE-RB Houston Gamblers Stephen F. Austin
26 Miami Dolphins WR New Jersey Generals Mississippi State
27 Washington Redskins Tony Zendejas K Los Angeles Express Nevada-Reno
28 Los Angeles Raiders Christopher Woods WR Edmonton Eskimos CFL Auburn

Second round[]

Pick # NFL Team Player Position Pro Team College
29 Houston Oilers Don Maggs OT Pittsburgh Maulers Tulane
30 Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Los Angeles Express UCLA
31 New York Giants DT Los Angeles Express Clemson
32 Philadelphia Eagles LB Oklahoma Outlaws Arizona
33 Kansas City Chiefs Lupe Sanchez CB Arizona Wranglers UCLA
34 San Diego Chargers Steve Smith QB Montreal Concordes CFL Michigan
35 Cincinnati Bengals Bill Johnson RB Denver Gold Arkansas State
36 Indianapolis Colts Albert Bentley RB Michigan Panthers Miami, Fla
37 Atlanta Falcons DT Philadelphia Stars Arkansas-Pine Bluff
38 New York Jets Jim Sandusky WR British Columbia Lions CFL San Diego State
39 Green Bay Packers Chuck Clanton DB Birmingham Stallions Auburn
40 Minnesota Vikings Robert B. Smith DE Arizona Wranglers Grambling
41 Buffalo Bills DB Oakland Invaders Lane
42 New Orleans Saints Mel Gray RB Los Angeles Express Purdue
43 New England Patriots RB Oakland Invaders Purdue
44 Cleveland Browns(from Chicago Bears) Gerald McNeil WR Houston Gamblers Baylor
45 St. Louis Cardinals Derek Kennard G Los Angeles Express Nevada-Reno
46 Denver Broncos Rick Massie WR Calgary Stampeders CFL Kentucky
47 Detroit Lions George Jamison LB Philadelphia Stars Cincinnati
48 Los Angeles Rams Rick Johnson QB Oklahoma Outlaws Southern Illinois
49 Seattle Seahwks Alvin Powell G Oklahoma Outlaws Winston-Salem State
50 Cleveland Browns Tommy Robison OT Houston Gamblers Texas A&M
51 San Francisco 49ers Joe Conwell OT Philadelphia Stars North Carolina
52 Pittsburgh Steelers Tom Dixon C Michigan Panthers Michigan
53 Miami Dolphins DE Los Angeles Express Bethune-Cookman
54 Dallas Cowboys Malcolm Moore WR Los Angeles Express USC
55 Washington Redskins Gary Clark WR Jacksonville Bulls James Madison
56 Los Angeles Raiders Stewart Hill LB Edmonton Eskimos CFL Washington

Third round[]

Pick # NFL Team Player Position Pro Team College
57 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DB New Orleans Breakers LSU
58 Houston Oilers Lynn Madsen DT New Jersey Generals Washington
59 New York Giants RB Los Angeles Express Pacific
60 Philadelphia Eagles LB Oakland Invaders San Diego State
61 Kansas City Chiefs Garcia Lane CB Philadelphia Stars Ohio State
62 San Diego Chargers WR New Jersey Generals Illinois State
63 Atlanta Falcons Dennis Woodberry DB Birmingham Stallions Southern Arkansas
64 New York Jets Turner Gill QB Montreal Concordes CFL Nebraska
65 Cincinnati Bengals LB Chicago Blitz Temple
66 Indianapolis Colts Byron Smith DT Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL California
67 Minnesota Vikings David Howard LB Los Angeles Express Long Beach State
68 Buffalo Bills OT Pittsburgh Maulers Kentucky
69 New Orleans Saints LB Memphis Showboats Vanderbilt
70 New England Patriots Walter Lewis QB Memphis Showboats Alabama
71 Cleveland Browns (from Chicago Bears) LB Jacksonville Bulls UCLA
72 Green Bay Packers John Sullivan DB Oakland Invaders California
73 St. Louis Cardinals Tim Riordan QB Philadelphia Stars Temple
74 Detroit Lions Doug Hollie DE Pittsburgh Maulers SMU
75 Los Angeles Rams NT Philadelphia Stars Wisconsin-LaCrosse
76 Seattle Seahawks Frank Seurer QB Los Angeles Express Kansas
77 Cleveland Browns John Bond QB Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL Mississippi State
78 Denver Broncos OT Tampa Bay Bandits Kansas
79 Pittsburgh Steelers OT Birmingham Stallions Arkansas
80 San Francisco 49ers RB New Orleans Breakers Nebraska
81 Dallas Cowboys Jeff Spek TE New Jersey Generals San Diego State
82 Miami Dolphins WR Philadelphia Stars Stephen F. Austin
83 Washington Redskins Clarence Verdin WR Houston Gamblers Southwestern Louisiana
84 Los Angeles Raiders G Washington Federals Clemson

Selections by teams[]

Rank Team Players
selected 		League
1 Los Angeles Express 20 USFL
2 Philadelphia Stars 9 USFL
3 Houston Gamblers 5 USFL
3 New Jersey Generals 5 USFL
5 Birmingham Stallions 4 USFL
5 Jacksonville Bulls 4 USFL
5 Memphis Showboats 4 USFL
5 Oakland Invaders 4 USFL
5 Oklahoma Outlaws 4 USFL
5 Pittsburgh Maulers 4 USFL
11 New Orleans Breakers 3 USFL
12 Arizona Wranglers 2 USFL
12 Denver Gold 2 USFL
12 Edmonton Eskimos 2 CFL
12 Michigan Panthers 2 USFL
12 Montreal Concordes 2 CFL
12 Saskatchewan Roughriders 2 CFL
12 Tampa Bay Bandits 2 USFL
19 British Columbia Lions 1 CFL
19 Calgary Stampeders 1 CFL
19 Chicago Blitz 1 USFL
19 Washington Federals 1 USFL
23 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 0 CFL
23 Ottawa Rough Riders 0 CFL
23 San Antonio Gunslingers 0 USFL
23 Toronto Argonauts 0 CFL
23 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 0 CFL

Hall of Famers[]

  • Steve Young, quarterback from the USFL, taken first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2005
  • Gary Zimmerman, offensive tackle from the USFL, taken third overall by the New York Giants.
Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2008
  • Reggie White, defensive end from the USFL, taken fourth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2006

References[]

  1. ^ "NFL will draft 'untouchables'". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 5, 1984. p. 4B.
  2. ^ a b "NFL expresses definite interest in USFL players". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). news services. June 6, 1984. p. 42.
  3. ^ a b "Oilers take Rozier in supplemental draft". Pittsburgh Press. combined news services. June 5, 1983. p. C5.
  4. ^ "NFL Supplemental Draft". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 6, 1984. p. 24.
  5. ^ "Football: USFL standings". Pittsburgh Press. June 5, 1984. p. C6.
  6. ^ Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.
Retrieved from ""