The Shreveport Steamer were a professional American football team in the World Football League. The franchise began the 1974 season in Houston, Texas, as the Houston Texans (no connection to the current NFL team of the same name), playing their home games at the Houston Astrodome. Toward the end of the season, the team relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, and became the Shreveport Steamer. They played at the 30,000-seat State Fair Stadium, now named Independence Stadium. Larry King, of future CNN fame, was one of their broadcasters.
The Steamer showcased a number of veterans and a few rookies. Among them were ambidextrous quarterback and former University of Houston star D. C. Nobles and several American Football League veterans: quarterbacks Mike Taliaferro and Don Trull, fullback Jim Nance, wide receivers Don Maynard and Rick Eber, tight end Willie Frazier, former Houston Oiler and All-AFL tackle Glen Ray Hines, linebacker Garland Boyette, defensive end Al Dotson, defensive backs Daryl Johnson, Richmond Flowers Jr., John Mallory, and Art McMahon, and rookie linebacker John Villapiano, brother of Oakland Raiders defender Phil Villapiano.
History
1974 season The Texans played in Houston for 11 games, going 3–7–1. The team relocated to Shreveport on September 18, 1974. On September 23, 1974, they were rechristened the Shreveport Steamer. The franchise, according to the WFL, was operated on a "play now, pay later" basis. The team was coached by Marshall Taylor, a former star player at Tennessee Tech. The Steamer made their home debut on September 25 against the Memphis Southmen. They played in front of just over 21,000 fans, and lost 17–3. They had a 4–5 record after the move, finishing 7–12–1 overall in 1974.
In 1974, under federal court order, Sheriff James M. Goslin seized equipment of the Charlotte Hornets, who were in Shreveport playing at Independence Stadium for the WFL against the Shreveport Steamer. Goslin was complying with a suit seeking more than $26,000 in accumulated debts that had been filed against the Hornets by plaintiffs in New York, where the team had been domiciled during the first half of 1974. However, Goslin allowed the Hornets to play the Steamer before the impounding of the equipment.
1975 season The Steamer returned for the 1975 WFL season with a different coaching staff. Right from the start, both the "Boats" and the resurrected league struggled. (The second Chicago franchise, the Chicago Winds, unrelated except by venue to the previous year's Chicago team, the Chicago Fire, ceased operations on September 2, after five games.) After a mediocre 5–7 record and with the franchise almost out of money, the Steamer and the WFL sank permanently on October 22, 1975. The second WFL ceased operations little more than halfway through the planned 1975 season.
An unrelated "Shreveport Steamer", also known as the plural "Steamers", played in the American Football Association from 1979 to 1981. (All copyrights and trademarks for the WFL's teams were allowed to lapse after the league's shutdown.) This team renamed itself the "Steamers-Americans" after merging with the Orlando Americans in 1982. Billy Kilmer served as the team's coach in its first season.
Schedule and results Key: Win Loss Bye
1974 regular season Source: Week Day Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Source1WednesdayJuly 10, 1974at Chicago FireL 0–17Soldier Field42,000 2WednesdayJuly 17, 1974Philadelphia BellW 11–0Houston Astrodome26,227 3WednesdayJuly 24, 1974at Florida BlazersL 3–15Florida Citrus Bowl15,729 4WednesdayJuly 31, 1974Florida BlazersW 7–6Houston Astrodome16,268 5WednesdayAugust 7, 1974at Portland StormT 15–15Civic Stadium15,686 6ThursdayAugust 15, 1974Southern California SunL 7–18Houston Astrodome31,227 7WednesdayAugust 21, 1974at New York StarsL 10–43Downing Stadium12,042 8WednesdayAugust 28, 1974New York StarsW 14–11Houston Astrodome10,126 9SundaySeptember 1, 1974at HawaiiansL 15–33Honolulu Stadium10,248 10SaturdaySeptember 7, 1974at Memphis SouthmenL 0–45Memphis Memorial Stadium15,291 11WednesdaySeptember 11, 1974HawaiiansL 17–24Houston Astrodome9,061 12ThursdaySeptember 19, 1974†at Birmingham AmericansL 14–42Legion Field33,619 13WednesdaySeptember 25, 1974‡Memphis SouthmenL 3–17State Fair Stadium21,357 14WednesdayOctober 2, 1974Detroit WheelsW 14–11State Fair Stadium22,012 15ThursdayOctober 10, 1974at Southern California SunL 23–25Anaheim Stadium24,22316WednesdayOctober 16, 1974at Philadelphia BellW 30–25John F. Kennedy Stadium75017WednesdayOctober 23, 1974Birmingham AmericansW 31–0State Fair Stadium24,61718ThursdayOctober 31, 1974Portland StormL 0–14State Fair Stadium20,40219WednesdayNovember 6, 1974Charlotte HornetsW 19–14State Fair Stadium10,697 20WednesdayNovember 13, 1974at Birmingham AmericansL 7–40Legion Field14,794 † first game after announcing move to Shreveport ‡ first home game in Shreveport
1975 regular season Source: Week Day Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Source1SundayAugust 2, 1975at San Antonio WingsL 3–19Alamo Stadium10,411 2SundayAugust 9, 1975Chicago WindsW 38–18State Fair Stadium10,6113SundayAugust 16, 1975Philadelphia BellW 10–3State Fair Stadium12,0164SundayAugust 23, 1975at Portland ThunderL 24–33Civic Stadium6,5765SundayAugust 30, 1975at Birmingham VulcansL 8–21Legion Field18,700 6SaturdaySeptember 6, 1975Jacksonville ExpressL 15–22State Fair Stadium13,6387SundaySeptember 14, 1975at Memphis GrizzliesL 23–34Memphis Memorial Stadium18,0038SaturdaySeptember 20, 1975Southern California SunW 38–29State Fair Stadium18,7779SundaySeptember 28, 1975HawaiiansW 32–25State Fair Stadium21,34910SundayOctober 5, 1975Charlotte HornetsL 14–39State Fair Stadium20,40711SundayOctober 12, 1975at Southern California SunL 30–39Anaheim Stadium10,50512SundayOctober 19, 1975San Antonio WingsW 41–31State Fair Stadium8,500
See also 1974 World Football League season 1975 World Football League season
Sources Houston Texans 1974 WFL Media Guide Shreveport Steamer 1975 WFL Media Guide
References