Oakland Invaders
Encyclopedia
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football
team that played in the United States Football League
(USFL) from 1983 through 1985.
had been without a football team after the Oakland Raiders
relocated to Los Angeles, California
before the 1982 NFL
season. The Invaders stepped in to fill the void; the similar name was no accident.
The team was originally owned by Bay Area real estate magnates Jim Joseph and Tad Taube. However, after the original owner of the USFL's Los Angeles franchise, Alex Spanos
, bought the San Diego Chargers
instead, Joseph and Taube flipped a coin to decide who would buy the Los Angeles rights. Joseph won the toss, selling his stake in the Invaders to Taube. As it turned out, Joseph was forced to move his team to Phoenix, Arizona
as the Arizona Wranglers
.
, WR Gordon Banks
, and ex-Raiders HB Arthur Whittington
and TE Raymond Chester
, the Invaders won the Pacific Conference with a 9-9 record. The Invaders gave a valiant effort in the opening round of the playoffs, but were overrun by the eventual league champion Michigan Panthers
, 37-21 in front of 60,237 rabid fans in the Pontiac Silverdome (The game was the largest turnout for any USFL game in the 1983 season).
, while remaining chairman of the board. Taube had been looking for new investors to finance the move to the fall, knowing he would be competing directly with the San Francisco 49ers
.
The new team, bolstered with key players from the Panthers, went 13-4-1 in the regular season and was able to reach the 1985 USFL championship game. The Championship game was a rematch of sorts with Chuck Fusina
's Stars, who now played in Baltimore
. The Invaders were in the midst of a potential game-winning drive when a personal-foul penalty derailed their momentum, allowing the Stars to defeat Hebert's Invaders 28-24, and claim indisputable bragging rights as the league's all-time best team.
Despite reaching the championship game, the team's attendance fell again, to a barely sustainable 17,509. Combined with massive financial losses, the Invaders announced they would suspend operations for the 1986 season. As it turned out, the championship game was the last USFL game ever played, as the league was effectively killed by an antitrust suit against the NFL in which it only won $3 in damages.
players and some who would play for the NFL later on were on this team. Among them were Ray Pinney
of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers
, Cedrick Hardman
of the 1970s San Francisco 49ers
and early 1980s Oakland Raiders
, Anthony Carter
(Minnesota Vikings
, Detroit Lions
), Arthur Whittington
(Oakland Raiders
, Buffalo Bills
), Bobby Hebert
(New Orleans Saints
, Atlanta Falcons
), Gary Plummer (San Diego Chargers
, San Francisco 49ers
), Raymond Chester
(Oakland Raiders
, Baltimore Colts
), Albert Bentley
( Indianapolis Colts
, Pittsburgh Steelers
), Dave Browning
(Oakland Raiders
, Los Angeles Raiders
, New England Patriots
), Ray Bentley
(Buffalo Bills
, Cincinnati Bengals
), Dale Markham
(Oakland Raiders
, New York Giants
, Green Bay Packers
) and Derek Holloway
(Washington Redskins
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
).
Invaders executive William Hambrecht
later emerged as a founder of the United Football League.
Receiving Yards: 1323 (1985), Anthony Carter
Passing Yards: 3980 (1983), Fred Besana
|1983 || 9 || 9 || 0 || 1st Pacific || Lost Divisional (Michigan
)
|-
|1984 || 7 || 11 || 0 || 4th WC Pacific ||
|-
|1985 || 13 || 4 || 1 || 1st WC || Won Quarterfinal (Tampa Bay
)
Won Semifinal (Memphis
)
Lost USFL Championship (Baltimore
)
|-
!Totals || 31 || 26 || 1
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
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...
team that played in the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
(USFL) from 1983 through 1985.
In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles
Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
had been without a football team after the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
relocated to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
before the 1982 NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
season. The Invaders stepped in to fill the void; the similar name was no accident.
The team was originally owned by Bay Area real estate magnates Jim Joseph and Tad Taube. However, after the original owner of the USFL's Los Angeles franchise, Alex Spanos
Alex Spanos
Alexander Gus Spanos is an American real estate developer and self-made billionaire of Greek origin who founded the A. G. Spanos Companies and owns the San Diego Chargers.-Early life:...
, bought the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
instead, Joseph and Taube flipped a coin to decide who would buy the Los Angeles rights. Joseph won the toss, selling his stake in the Invaders to Taube. As it turned out, Joseph was forced to move his team to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
as the Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
.
1983 season
Led by the league's 2nd ranked passer QB Fred BesanaFred Besana
Fred Besana is a former American football quarterback for the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League as well as the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 1977 NFL Draft...
, WR Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin and ahead of Dino Zoff ....
, and ex-Raiders HB Arthur Whittington
Arthur Whittington
Arthur Lee Whittington is a former professional American football player who played running back for five seasons for the Oakland Raiders and the Buffalo Bills....
and TE Raymond Chester
Raymond Chester
Raymond Tucker Chester was an American football tight end.Chester was drafted in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played twelve years in the NFL for the Raiders and Colts, and made four Pro Bowl squads...
, the Invaders won the Pacific Conference with a 9-9 record. The Invaders gave a valiant effort in the opening round of the playoffs, but were overrun by the eventual league champion Michigan Panthers
Michigan Panthers
The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982....
, 37-21 in front of 60,237 rabid fans in the Pontiac Silverdome (The game was the largest turnout for any USFL game in the 1983 season).
1984 season
The Invaders were picked by most to again challenge for a playoff spot in 1984, but their powerful offense fell apart in the first half of the season, scoring only 82 points. The team was unable to run the ball and lost 9 straight to open the season. With the emergence of RB Eric Jordan, the Invaders running attack rebounded and the team won 7 of its last 9 games. The defense was strong throughout the season finishing 7th in points allowed. Attendance also tumbled as well, to 23,644 per game--nearly 8,000 fewer than in 1983.1985 Season
The Michigan Panthers merged with the Invaders before the 1985 season in response to the league's plan to move to the fall. While the Invaders were the surviving team, Taube sold controlling interest Panthers owner A. Alfred TaubmanA. Alfred Taubman
Adolph Alfred Taubman is an American real estate developer and philanthropist from Michigan. He pioneered the modern shopping mall concept and was described by CBS News as a "legend in retailing" who became wealthy developing upscale shopping malls. He built shopping mall developer Taubman Centers...
, while remaining chairman of the board. Taube had been looking for new investors to finance the move to the fall, knowing he would be competing directly with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.
The new team, bolstered with key players from the Panthers, went 13-4-1 in the regular season and was able to reach the 1985 USFL championship game. The Championship game was a rematch of sorts with Chuck Fusina
Chuck Fusina
Charles Anthony Fusina is a former professional American football quarterback. He played in both the National Football League and United States Football League and was an All-American and Maxwell Award winner at Penn State University in 1978.-Professional football:At 6'1" 195-lb., Fusina was a...
's Stars, who now played in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. The Invaders were in the midst of a potential game-winning drive when a personal-foul penalty derailed their momentum, allowing the Stars to defeat Hebert's Invaders 28-24, and claim indisputable bragging rights as the league's all-time best team.
Despite reaching the championship game, the team's attendance fell again, to a barely sustainable 17,509. Combined with massive financial losses, the Invaders announced they would suspend operations for the 1986 season. As it turned out, the championship game was the last USFL game ever played, as the league was effectively killed by an antitrust suit against the NFL in which it only won $3 in damages.
Past and future National Football League players
Some former National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
players and some who would play for the NFL later on were on this team. Among them were Ray Pinney
Ray Pinney
Raymond Earl Pinney is a former NFL offensive tackle and guard who played seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft. Was the Steelers Starting Right Tackle in Super Bowl XIII. He played in the USFL. Won the 1983 USFL...
of the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Cedrick Hardman
Cedrick Hardman
Cedrick Ward Hardman is a former American Football defensive end who played for the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders and the United States Football League's Oakland Invaders...
of the 1970s San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and early 1980s Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Anthony Carter
Anthony Carter (football)
Anthony Carter is a former American football wide receiver. He finished his college career as the University of Michigan's all-time leading receiver, and played professionally for thirteen years in the United States Football League and the National Football League...
(Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
), Arthur Whittington
Arthur Whittington
Arthur Lee Whittington is a former professional American football player who played running back for five seasons for the Oakland Raiders and the Buffalo Bills....
(Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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...
), Bobby Hebert
Bobby Hebert
Bobby Joseph Hebert Jr., is an American sportscaster who is best known as a retired Pro bowl American football quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. He played professionally in the USFL and NFL from 1983 to 1996 for the Michigan Panthers, Oakland Invaders, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons...
(New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
), Gary Plummer (San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
), Raymond Chester
Raymond Chester
Raymond Tucker Chester was an American football tight end.Chester was drafted in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He played twelve years in the NFL for the Raiders and Colts, and made four Pro Bowl squads...
(Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
), Albert Bentley
Albert Bentley
Albert Timothy Bentley is a former professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers and the Oakland Invaders. He played high school football at Immokalee High...
( Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
), Dave Browning
Dave Browning
David Browning is a retired American football defensive end. He played in Super Bowl XV for the Oakland Raiders....
(Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
), Ray Bentley
Ray Bentley
Ray Russell Bentley is a former professional American football linebacker.-Playing career:...
(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...
, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
), Dale Markham
Dale Markham
Dale Markham was a player in the National Football League for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals in 1980 and 1981 as a tackle and defensive end. He played at the collegiate level at the University of North Dakota.-References:...
(Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
) and Derek Holloway
Derek Holloway
Derek Lance Holloway is a former wide receiver in the United States Football League, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, the World League of American Football and the Arena Football League.-High school career:Holloway played high school football at Palmyra High School in...
(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,...
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
).
Invaders executive William Hambrecht
William Hambrecht
Bill Hambrecht is an American investment banker and chairman of W.R. Hambrecht + Co. which he founded in 1998. He helped persuade Google to use an Internet-based auction for their initial public offering in 2004, instead of a more traditional method using banks and other financial companies to...
later emerged as a founder of the United Football League.
Single season leaders
Rushing Yards: 1045 (1983), Arthur WhittingtonArthur Whittington
Arthur Lee Whittington is a former professional American football player who played running back for five seasons for the Oakland Raiders and the Buffalo Bills....
Receiving Yards: 1323 (1985), Anthony Carter
Anthony Carter (football)
Anthony Carter is a former American football wide receiver. He finished his college career as the University of Michigan's all-time leading receiver, and played professionally for thirteen years in the United States Football League and the National Football League...
Passing Yards: 3980 (1983), Fred Besana
Fred Besana
Fred Besana is a former American football quarterback for the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League as well as the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 1977 NFL Draft...
Season-by-season
|-|1983 || 9 || 9 || 0 || 1st Pacific || Lost Divisional (Michigan
Michigan Panthers
The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s.-Team history:The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League on May 11, 1982....
)
|-
|1984 || 7 || 11 || 0 || 4th WC Pacific ||
|-
|1985 || 13 || 4 || 1 || 1st WC || Won Quarterfinal (Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Bandits
The Tampa Bay Bandits were a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League . They were a charter member of the USFL and folded along with the league after the 1985 season....
)
Won Semifinal (Memphis
Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats were a franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders...
)
Lost USFL Championship (Baltimore
Baltimore Stars
The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. They were owned by real estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum. They were the league's dominant team, playing in all three championship games and winning two of...
)
|-
!Totals || 31 || 26 || 1
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
External links
- http://www.usfl.info/invaders
- http://www.remembertheusfl.8m.com/teams/oakland.html