The USFL ran for three seasons and might've had a fair few more if it hadn't tried to compete with the NFL head on. Many future NFL stars started out there before making the leap and some team owners were determined to make a splash by drafting Heisman Trophy winners such as Georgia's Herschel Walker (above) and Boston College's Doug Flutie with the New Jersey Generals, and Nebraska's Mike Rozier with the Pittsburgh Maulers. Many NFL fans also don't realise that the second pro football game to be played in the UK was Philadelphia Stars v Tampa Bay Bandits in July 1994 at Wembley Stadium.
#6 Sam Mills, Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars
After a career as a walk-on at tiny Montclair State, Sam Mills went undrafted. He tried out with the Browns and then Toronto in the CFL. Both teams said he wasn't good enough, or at least wasn't tall enough. He found himself out of football until the USFL came around. He tried out with the Philadelphia Stars. Under coach Jim Mora he became one of the most dominant players in the league and with one of the best teams in the USFL. The Stars won two of the three USFL championships, with back-to-back titles in 1984 and 1985 despite relocating to Baltimore for the final season. When the USFL closed Mora went to coach in New Orleans – and took Mills with him. The three-time USFL all-star was the key piece of the Saints' feared Dome Patrol linebacking corps. After nine seasons as a Saints hero, he joined the Carolina Panthers. Following retirement he joined the Carolina coaching staff (during which time the franchise won its first NFC title), and became the first and only player in team history to have his number retired. He was in this job until his untimely death in 2005 at the age of just 45.
#5 Herschel Walker, New Jersey Generals
The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner signed with the USFL amid controversy. Both the NFL and USFL banned underclassmen from signing but the Generals, and the fledgling league, knew they need a marquee player. Walker was it. His total of 2,411 rushing yards in the 1985 USFL season is still a pro football record, but was over an 18-game regular season. For all his star power the Generals never won a division title or a playoff game. When the league closed he became a Dallas Cowboy and his subsequent trade to the Minnesota Vikings set in motion the Dallas dynasty of the '90s – one of the many draft picks the Cowboys acquired was used to draft Florida's Emmitt Smith. He later played for the Eagles and Giants before ending his career back in Dallas. Despite his undeniable talent, in his 12-year NFL career Herschel Walker played on just one winning team.
#4 Gary Zimmerman, Los Angeles Express
One of just four USFL players to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Zimmerman was taken in the USFL draft's second round after spurning the New York Giants. His job was to protect LA's star player, Steve Young but even Zimmerman's talent wasn't enough to bring much success to the Express. After the USFL he became an All-Pro with the Vikings, earning second team honours on the NFL's official team of the 1980s. He was voted to the first team the following decade and won a pair of Super Bowl rings with Denver. The Broncos offensive line was one of the game's best in the mid 90s and Zimmerman was its leader.
#3 Jim Kelly, Houston Gamblers
It's odd to think now that Jim Kelly once refused to play for the Bills. The University of Miami QB was drafted by Buffalo in 1983 but he snubbed them in favour of the upstart USFL. He threw an amazing 83 TD passes in his two Houston seasons, with a record 5,219 yards in 1984. The Gamblers were one of the most explosive teams in pro football history, with Kelly executing offensive coordinator Mouse Davis's run-and-shoot scheme to perfection. Despite this, the Gamblers only lasted two seasons and never won a playoff game. When the team folded Kelly joined the New Jersey Generals but the closure of the league itself meant he never took a snap for the team. He finally became a Bill in 1986; he would win four AFC titles and be the only player in franchise history to have his number retired.
#2 Steve Young, Los Angeles Express
One of the NFL's greatest ever quarterbacks played for one of the USFL's most dysfunctional franchises. The LA Express were a financial blackhole and folded under the weight of huge player contracts (Young's deal means he is reportedly still paid $1m a year, and will be until 2026, for his two seasons). The team was so unpopular that one playoff game failed to draw 8,000 fans. But at least the former BYU star was a class act, even helping to pay the team's bus driver so the Express didn't miss a game. When the USFL closed he joined the Bucs, where he was a flop. He was traded to the 49ers, where he became a Hall of Fame legend.
#1 Reggie White, Memphis Showboats
After an outstanding college career at Tennessee, White stayed in-state to sign with the USFL's Memphis Showboats rather than join the NFL in 1984. Despite the team struggling defensively that first season White showed a lot of promise. In 1985 Memphis was much tougher, and boasted one of the best defenses in the USFL; White was selected as an all-star by the league itself and The Sporting News. The team was even one step away from the USFL championship game. When the USFL ceased operations, White joined the Eagles where he was an instant success. After seven seasons he became one of the greatest free agent signings of all time when he joined Green Bay. Although he was a better player in Philly he enjoyed more success as a Packer – he earned two NFC championships and got a Super Bowl ring. He ended his career with a single season as a Carolina Panther. He is considered not just one of the best pass rushers of all time but one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. He died at the ago of just 43, in 2004.
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