Jim Speros
Encyclopedia
Jim Speros is an American businessman and former American football
player and coach from Great Falls, Virginia
, best known for his ownership of teams in the Canadian Football League
and United Football League.
. He later served as an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins
(serving on the staff of the championship 1982 Washington Redskins season
) and Buffalo Bills
. When Speros accepted the job to serve on Joe Gibbs
's staff, it made him the youngest full-time assistant coach in NFL history.
, the best team from the CFL USA
expansion of the Canadian Football League
. The Stallions' success was due in large part to Speros' involvement. He managed to build a successful franchise in Baltimore, selling out every single game at Memorial Stadium
in each of his two seasons with the team. During his time with the Stallions, Speros also served as vice commissioner of the league under commissioner Larry Smith.
However, Speros' ambitious ownership of the Stallions would not last long. During the Grey Cup playoffs, the Cleveland Browns
announced plans to move to Baltimore
. The resulting dispute ultimately resulted in the Browns' franchise being suspended for four years, while the Browns' players and personnel moved to Baltimore as the Baltimore Ravens
. Knowing that the Stallions could not possibly compete with an NFL team, Speros moved the team to Montreal
to become the current incarnation of the Alouettes
. Speros kept the team for one more year before selling the team to Robert C. Wetenhall
in early 1997, handing over the title of team president to Smith.
on June 21, 2010. Once the UFL announced that an expansion franchise was indeed coming to Norfolk
, Speros named former Washington Redskins
quarterback Doug Williams as the team's general manager. However, in late August 2010, Speros backed out of negotiations due to multiple flaws in the contracts presented to him as well as the league structure. He remains open to purchasing the team if terms change and continues to support the league's efforts in the region. Ironically, in January 2011, the league cancelled the Virginia expansion franchise and moved the Tuskers to Virginia instead.
area called Velocity Five. The first restaurant of the five, located in Merrifield, Virginia
, opened in 2008. The most recent Velocity Five opened in May 2011 in Lansdowne, Virginia
.
He and his wife, Ellen, have three children. Their son, Jimmy, plays football for the University of Richmond
.
Speros' father, Leo, played running back
at the University of Maryland
from 1951-1954. His brothers, Pete and George, also played college football. Pete, an All-American at Penn State, was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks
in the 1983 NFL Draft
. George played linebacker
at Temple
. Speros' nephew, Chris, plays alongside Jimmy at the University of Richmond
.
Speros graduated from St. John's College High School
in Washington, D.C.
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach from Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,427 at the 2010 census.Although primarily a bedroom community for Washington, D.C., one major attraction is Great Falls Park which overlooks the Great Falls of the Potomac River, for which...
, best known for his ownership of teams in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and United Football League.
Early career
Speros is an alumnus of Clemson UniversityClemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
. He later served as an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(serving on the staff of the championship 1982 Washington Redskins season
1982 Washington Redskins season
The 1982 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8-8 record from 1981. The 1982 NFL season was shortened from 16 games per team to 9 games because of a players' strike. The NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament; eight teams from each conference were seeded...
) and Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. When Speros accepted the job to serve on Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
's staff, it made him the youngest full-time assistant coach in NFL history.
Baltimore Stallions ownership
He is best known for his ownership of, and presidency over, the Baltimore StallionsBaltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
, the best team from the CFL USA
CFL USA
The term CFL USA refers to the abortive expansion of the Canadian Football League into the United States in the early-to-mid 1990s. The 1993 CFL season saw the addition of the first American team to the league, the Sacramento Gold Miners...
expansion of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. The Stallions' success was due in large part to Speros' involvement. He managed to build a successful franchise in Baltimore, selling out every single game at Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium may refer to:In Canada:* Memorial Stadium , St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; former home of the St. John's Maple LeafsIn the United Kingdom:...
in each of his two seasons with the team. During his time with the Stallions, Speros also served as vice commissioner of the league under commissioner Larry Smith.
However, Speros' ambitious ownership of the Stallions would not last long. During the Grey Cup playoffs, the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
announced plans to move to Baltimore
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...
. The resulting dispute ultimately resulted in the Browns' franchise being suspended for four years, while the Browns' players and personnel moved to Baltimore as the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. Knowing that the Stallions could not possibly compete with an NFL team, Speros moved the team to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
to become the current incarnation of the Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
. Speros kept the team for one more year before selling the team to Robert C. Wetenhall
Robert C. Wetenhall
Robert C. Wetenhall, Sr. is the owner of the Montreal Alouettes Football Club of the Canadian Football League since 1997.- References :...
in early 1997, handing over the title of team president to Smith.
United Football League involvement
In May 2010, Speros rejected an overture to buy the Florida Tuskers; shortly thereafter, he was named as the owner of the United Football League's Virginia Destroyers, an expansion team that is set to begin play in 2011. The announcement of the Virginia team was made by league commissioner Michael HuyghueMichael Huyghue
Michael L. Huyghue is a sports lawyer and businessman who is the current commissioner of the new United Football League, having served in that capacity since the league's founding in 2007. He was previously a member of the legal department of the NFL Players Association before joining the NFL...
on June 21, 2010. Once the UFL announced that an expansion franchise was indeed coming to Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, Speros named former Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
quarterback Doug Williams as the team's general manager. However, in late August 2010, Speros backed out of negotiations due to multiple flaws in the contracts presented to him as well as the league structure. He remains open to purchasing the team if terms change and continues to support the league's efforts in the region. Ironically, in January 2011, the league cancelled the Virginia expansion franchise and moved the Tuskers to Virginia instead.
Personal life
Speros, who grew up in the restaurant business, is the founder and owner of five upscale sports restaurants in the Northern VirginiaNorthern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
area called Velocity Five. The first restaurant of the five, located in Merrifield, Virginia
Merrifield, Virginia
Merrifield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 11,170 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Merrifield is located at...
, opened in 2008. The most recent Velocity Five opened in May 2011 in Lansdowne, Virginia
Lansdowne, Virginia
Lansdowne is a census-designated place and planned community located near Leesburg, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 11,253....
.
He and his wife, Ellen, have three children. Their son, Jimmy, plays football for the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
.
Speros' father, Leo, played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
from 1951-1954. His brothers, Pete and George, also played college football. Pete, an All-American at Penn State, was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
. George played linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
at Temple
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...
. Speros' nephew, Chris, plays alongside Jimmy at the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
.
Speros graduated from St. John's College High School
St. John's College High School
St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., established in 1851, is the second oldest Catholic Christian Brother's school in the United States, and the oldest JROTC school. It was founded by Brother John of Mary, F.S.C., and two other Christian Brothers in St. Matthew's parish, 15th and G...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.