The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field. They competed in all three USFL seasons, 1983–1985. During their run, they were one of the USFL's more popular teams and seemed to have a realistic chance of being a viable venture had the USFL been better run.
The owner was Cincinnati financier and Birmingham native Marvin Warner. The team's coach was Rollie Dotsch, who was previously the offensive line coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers during its Super Bowl years and ended up with the second most wins in USFL history. The Stallions starting quarterback for their final two seasons was Cliff Stoudt, a long-time backup to Terry Bradshaw with the Steelers. Stoudt had finally taken over for the injured Bradshaw in 1983 and had played very well for the first half of the season, but his game fell apart in the second half of the season, leading Steeler fans to harshly turn on him. After the season, Stoudt quickly decided it was not worth staying in Pittsburgh and signed with the Stallions. (Amusingly, the expansion Pittsburgh Maulers' lone sellout was the game where Cliff Stoudt returned to Pittsburgh. Steeler fans pelted the hated Stoudt with snowballs throughout the game, but Stoudt and Birmingham won, 30–18.)
In Birmingham, Stoudt proved to be an excellent QB, finishing in the league's top 5 in 1984 and 1985, among such peers as Jim Kelly and Chuck Fusina and leading the team to two divisional titles. The Stallions also added Bills star HB Joe Cribbs in 1984. Cribbs led the league in rushing in 1984 and finished 6th in 1985. Former Steeler WR Jim Smith was another of the team's stars. Many other Stallions players would play in the NFL once the USFL went out of existence.
1983 season Warner was initially slated to be the owner of the USFL's Washington franchise–what became the Washington Federals. However, when he learned that the USFL was putting a franchise in his hometown, he jumped at it. Without Warner's wealth behind them, the Federals were forced to abandon the capital after two seasons and move to Orlando as the Renegades.
The Stallions scrambled to put a roster together after training camp and signed or claimed approximately 20 players via trades or waivers in the week prior to their first game. However, Dotsch managed to mold them into a fairly competitive team that finished 9-9.
Although the team made a splash in signing their first-round draft pick, quarterback Reggie Collier out of Southern Mississippi, the remainder of the Stallions consisted of mostly unsung former NFL reserves and college free agents.
One of the few pro veterans signed was center Tom Banks (a Birmingham native), who spent ten seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. Banks played 116 NFL games (starting 63) while with the Cardinals and was brought in by coach Rollie Dotsch to serve as a mentor to a very young club. Banks eventually retired after the 1984 Stallions' season and became an assistant coach on the Birmingham staff in 1985.
Other NFL veterans who signed with the Stallions included former Kansas City Chief RB Earl Gant (2 years, 20 games with the Chiefs), RB Ken Talton (1 year, 2 games with the Lions), WR/KR Kevin Miller (3 years, 20 games with the Vikings), TE Steve Stephens (1 year, 16 games with the Jets), OT Robert Woods (8 years, 99 games with the Jets and Saints), OG Buddy Aydelette (1 year, 9 games with the Packers), DE Mike Raines (7 years, 104 games with the CFL Ottawa Rough Riders), DE Reggie P. Lewis (2 years, 22 games with the Buccaneers), LB Dallas Hickman (6 years, 91 games with the Redskins), CB Mike Thomas (6 years, 77 games with the Redskins and Chargers) and SS Billy Cesare (5 years, 46 games with the Buccaneers, Dolphins and Lions),
The Stallions had some success in signing several of their 1983 draft picks to go along with Collier. Guard Pat Saindon (8th round, Vanderbilt), nose tackle Charles Martin (15th round, Livingston College) and reserve guard Mike Turner (16th round, Louisiana State). Martin would go on to play for the Green Bay Packers and was involved in an infamous bodyslam tackle of Chicago Bears QB Jim McMahon in 1986 at Soldier Field. They also signed two key territorial draft selections in defensive end Jackie Cline from Alabama and offensive tackle Pat Phenix from Ole' Miss.
The Stallions also signed a rookie free agent named Scott Norwood who would later be infamous as the Buffalo Bills kicker who missed a field goal in the dying minutes of the Super Bowl in 1990.
After dropping their opening game on a Monday night (9-7, at home to the Michigan Panthers) the Stallions rebounded on the road the following week with a 20–14 overtime victory in Oakland against the Invaders to record their first franchise win.
However, the Stallions struggled out of the gate with a 2–5 record as Coach Rollie Dotsch and his staff put a patchwork, blue-collar, run-oriented club together.
Prior to the Stallions' sixth game of the season, former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Jim Smith (6 years, 73 games with the Steelers) was signed by Dotsch to add some punch to a listless receiving corps. Smith did not disappoint as his arrival helped the offense almost immediately. Dotsch was very familiar with Smith as they were members of two Super Bowl Championship clubs in the Steel City.
The turning point in the season, however, was during a home game in Week #8 (Sunday, April 24) against the Oakland Invaders when backup quarterback Bobby Lane took the reins of the Stallions offense from Collier, who struggled with injuries and inconsistency.
Lane's heroics won the game vs. Oakland and the Stallions went on to win four subsequent games that improved their record to a 7–5 mark. However, the club managed to only win two of their last six games to finish with a 9–9 mark and a fourth-place finish in the Central Division.
All four teams in the USFL Central Division in 1983 were at .500 or above (Michigan 12–6, Chicago 12-6 and Tampa Bay 11-7 all recorded strong campaigns).
The biggest game of the 1983 season for the Stallions came in Week #11 on a Saturday night (May 14, 1983) when they defeated the visiting Los Angeles Express, 35–20, in front of the largest crowd of the year at Legion Field (42,212). The crowd featured over 20,000 people from the families of local steel and Iron workers unions.
The following week, the Stallions went on the road and defeated the eventual USFL Champion Michigan Panthers, 23–20 at the Pontiac Silverdome. The game was highlighted by a disputed touchdown late in the game when a Michigan defender intercepted a ball in the end zone, spiked the ball and had it recovered by a Stallions' player before the play was blown dead.
Birmingham finished the season as the top rushing club in the USFL with 3,017 yards on 701 carries, however, the Stallions ranked 11th in the 12-team loop with 2,999 yards passing.
Late in the season, the club also announced the signing of former Buffalo Bills running back Joe Cribbs, who would join the club at the start of the 1984 season. Cribbs, who played his college ball locally for the Auburn Tigers, signed a three-year contract with the Stallions.
1983 Birmingham Stallions opening day roster
1983 Birmingham Stallions schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 Michigan Panthers L7–9 0–1 Legion Field 30,305 2 March 13 at Oakland Invaders W 20–14 1–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 47,344 3 Philadelphia Stars L 10-17 1–2 Legion Field 12,850 4 Arizona Wranglers W 16–7 2–2 Legion Field 5,000 5 at Boston Breakers L 16–27 2–3 Nickerson Field 10,976 6 April 10 at Chicago Blitz L 11–22 2–4 Soldier Field 13,859 7 April 17 Denver Gold L 7–9 2–5 Legion Field 26,250 8 April 24 Oakland Invaders W 21–9 3–5 Legion Field 18,500 9 May 1 at Washington Federals W 35–3 4–5 RFK Stadium 12,818 10 at New Jersey Generals W 22–7 5–5 Giants Stadium 38,734 11 Los Angeles Express W 35–20 6–5 Legion Field 42,212 12 at Michigan Panthers W23-20 7–5 Pontiac Silverdome 20,042 13 at Denver Gold L 19–21 7–6 Mile High Stadium 38,829 14 June 5 at Tampa Bay Bandits L 17–45 7–7 Tampa Stadium 35,623 15 June 12 Boston Breakers W 31–19 8–7 Legion Field 20,500 16 Chicago Blitz L 14–29 8–8 Legion Field 22,500 17 June 26 at Philadelphia Stars L 10–31 8–9 Veterans Stadium 17,973 18 Tampa Bay Bandits W 29–17 9–9 Legion Field 20,300 Sourcesstatscrew.com 1983 Birmingham Stallions Game-by-Game Results Retrieved January 5, 2019usflsite.com 1983 USFL Season Retrieved January 5, 2019profootballarchives.com 1983 Birmingham Stallions (USFL) Retrieved January 5, 2019
1983 Birmingham Stallions numerical roster No. Name Pos Ht. Wt. College GP/GS 4 Scott Norwood K 6.00 207 James Madison 18/0 8 Skip Johnston P 6.01 175 Auburn 4/0 9 Alan Bollinger P 6.01 190 Auburn 11/0 10 Reggie Collier QB 6.03 207 Southern Mississippi 8/5 11 Melvin Williams QB 6.03 200 Mississippi Valley State 10/0 12 Bobby Lane QB 6.03 205 Louisiana State 18/13 14 Jay Venuto QB 6.01 195 Wake Forest IA/7G 21 Charles Grandjean SS 5.11 200 Kent State 18/6 23 Earl Gant RB 6.00 207 Missouri 17/14 24 Charlie Trotman SS 5.10 185 Auburn 3/0 26 David Evans CB 6.00 170 Central Arkansas 4/3 28 Frank Reed CB 5.11 193 Washington 15/14 30 Lonnie Johnson RB/KR 6.01 206 Indiana 11/0 31 John Skibinski FB 6.00 222 Purdue 17/0 32 Ken Talton FB 6.00 209 Cornell 15/11 37 David Smilo SS 6.02 190 Eastern Michigan 6/1 40 Cornelius Quarles FB 6.00 220 Howard 15/7 42 Mike Hatchett FS 5.10 176 Texas 18/0 44 Billy Cesare FS 5.11 190 Miami (Fl.) 18/18 45 Billy White RB 5.11 196 Missouri 16/4 49 Mike Thomas CB/FS 6.00 175 Tennessee State 18/17 50 Larry McPherson LB 6.00 225 Fort Valley State 16/16 51 Carl McGee LB 6.03 228 Duke 2/0 51 Freddie Smith LB 5.11 219 Auburn 9/2 52 Tim James C/LS 6.03 250 Elon College 2/0 53 Rich D'Amico LB 6.02 238 Penn State 16/16 54 Tom Banks C 6.01 255 Auburn 18/18 55 Herb Spencer LB 6.03 225 Newberry College 16/12 56 Mike Murphy LB 6.02 222 Southwest Missouri State 13/2 57 Dallas Hickman LB/DE 6.06 238 California 18/16 58 Lester Dickey LB 6.01 225 Missouri 2/2 58 Sammy Green LB 6.00 223 Alabama State IA/7G 59 Mark Battaglia G 6.02 255 Penn State 18/11 60 Melvin Land LB 6.03 242 Michigan State 7/4 63 Brett Williams DE 6.03 260 Austin Peay 5/0 64 Mike Turner G/T 6.03 254 Louisiana State 14/2 65 Joe Bock C/LS 6.04 256 Virginia 16/0 69 Bill Searcey G 6.02 270 Alabama 5/0 70 Mark Goodspeed T 6.05 270 Nebraska 1/0 71 Pat Phenix T 6.05 275 Mississippi 16/16 72 Robert Woods T 6.05 250 Tennessee State 16/15 74 Pat Saindon G 6.03 273 Vanderbilt 16/10 75 Jimmy Walker NT 6.02 250 Arkansas 18/16 76 Reggie Lewis DE 6.03 260 North Texas State 14/3 77 Drew Taylor DE 6.05 225 San Jose State 7/4 78 Buddy Aydelette G 6.04 256 Alabama 18/18 79 Mike Raines DE 6.05 260 Alabama 17/13 80 Mike Kincaid WR/KR 5.04 165 Mississippi College 10/0 81 Darryl Mason TE 6.01 220 Arkansas 18/18 82 Ron Frederick WR/PR 5.11 180 Duke 15/4 83 Greg Anderson WR 5.10 170 Alabama State 18/16 84 Sylvester Moy WR 6.00 180 Grambling State 13/2 85 Mike Hirn TE 6.03 234 Central Michigan 6/0 86 Jim Smith WR 6.02 205 Michigan 12/10 87 Kevin Miller WR/KR 5.10 180 Louisville 5/1 88 Steve Stephens TE 6.03 227 Oklahoma State 14/3 89 Johnnie Dirden WR/KR 6.00 190 Sam Houston State 8/0 90 Wendell Ray LB 6.04 233 Missouri 3/2 96 Charles Martin NT 6.04 276 Livingston College 14/2 98 Jackie Cline DE 6.04 275 Alabama 17/16 99 Moochie Allen NT 6.04 258 Southern Mississippi 7/0
1983 Birmingham Stallions end-of-season roster Birmingham Stallions 1983 End of Season Roster (at 2-Jul-83) Quarterbacks Bobby Lane Melvin Williams
Running backs Earl Gant RB Lonnie Johnson RB/KR Ken Talton FB John Skibinski FB Cornelius Quarles FB
Wide receivers Ron Frederick Jim Smith Sylvester Moy Greg Anderson