San Antonio Gunslingers
Encyclopedia
The San Antonio Gunslingers were a professional American football
team based in San Antonio, Texas
that played in the USFL
in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel
was the team's quarterback
and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium
. The team was owned by oil magnate Clinton Manges
and team colors were kelly green, royal blue, silver and white.
a rival, persuaded the owners to give a franchise to San Antonio.
Despite his oil fortune, Manges didn't make an initial capital investment (as is standard for most major league sports franchises). Rather, he appeared to pay team expenses out-of-pocket as they arose. Until the league ordered them to move, team offices were located in a double-wide trailer in the Alamo Stadium parking lot.
Manges hired local coaching legend Gil Steinke
to run the team. In 23 years at nearby Texas A&I, Steinke had a record of 195-63-5, including a 6-1 record in NAIA
Championship games. In a league with freespending owners, Steinke's Gunslingers rarely had the edge in talent but most games were very disciplined on the field, allowing them to remain competitive on a shoestring budget.
played solidly for the team, nickel and dimeing the team up and down the field, and the intense "Bounty Hunter" defense led by players like Jeff McIntyre, John Barfield
, Peter Raeford and Putt Choate
kept the Gunslingers within striking distance almost every week. Notably, the team was +13 in turnovers---a sign of a well coached team.
Coach/general manager Steinke managed to rally the modestly talented team to a 7-7 finish after an 0-4 start, keeping them in playoff contention until the last few weeks of the season. However, the Gunslingers' most enduring memory of that first season was when the lights at Alamo Stadium went out during their second game--and didn't come back on for an hour.
, the Chicago Blitz
' leading rusher.
broke the story, Manges reacted by revoking the paper's press credentials. The situation got so dire at one point that several players traded tickets for food and stayed with sympathetic fans because they couldn't afford to pay the rent for their apartments. Years later, Neuheisel told ESPN
that the players raced each other to the bank to cash their checks, knowing that half (if not more) of them would bounce.
On one occasion, an arbitrator threatened to release 30 players from their contracts if Manges didn't make good on their bounced checks. On another, several players threatened to sit out a June 9 game against the Los Angeles Express unless they were paid. After several missed paydays, Bates threatened to quit unless the players were paid by the team's contest against the Oakland Invaders
. The money never arrived, and Bates walked out, forcing Steinke to take over for the last six games of the season.
In June, Manges simply stopped paying the franchise's bills. http://www.usfl.info/manges.html The players and coaches played the last stretch of the season (depending on the source, as few as three games and as many as six) without being paid. Not surprisingly, the Gunslingers barely survived the season, finishing with the second-worst record in the league.
had seen enough, and gave Manges an ultimatum--make restitution for the team's debts in 15 days or lose the franchise. When this didn't occur, the Gunslingers became the only USFL franchise to be revoked.
The Gunslingers' holding company, South Texas Sports, was auctioned off to pay more than $650,000 of debts to former players. The players also sued Manges to recover back pay, but that suit collapsed when Manges filed for bankruptcy. At least some of the players still hadn't been paid at the time of a 1998 reunion, and it is not known if they ever were paid at the time of Manges' death in 2010.
|1984 || 7 || 11 || 0 || 3rd WC Central ||--
|-
|1985 || 5 || 13 || 0 || 6th WC || --
|-
!Totals || 12 || 24 || 0
|colspan="2"|
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 based in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
that played in the USFL
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...
in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
was the team's quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium
Alamo Stadium
Alamo Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in San Antonio, Texas. Nicknamed "the rock pile" due to its primarily limestone construction it was completed in September 1940 as a Works Progress Administration project. The stadium is currently owned and operated by the San Antonio Independent...
. The team was owned by oil magnate Clinton Manges
Clinton Manges
Clinton Manges was a controversial oil tycoon in Texas in the 1970s and 1980s.Manges was born in Cement, Oklahoma, but began amassing his fortune in South Texas in the early 1970s when he befriended political boss George Parr, the "Duke of Duval." In 1971 he bought a ranch in the county...
and team colors were kelly green, royal blue, silver and white.
History
The USFL decided it had to expand to 18 teams for the 1984 season to get more capital. However, efforts to award teams to Minneapolis-St. Paul and Seattle fell through. A series of studies of possible new cities concluded that San Antonio could not support a USFL team. Although San Antonio had surged to become the 10th-largest city in the United States, it has always been a medium-sized market because the surrounding area isn't much larger than the city proper. However, a heavy sales pitch by oilman Manges, plus the desire to give the Houston GamblersHouston Gamblers
The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons...
a rival, persuaded the owners to give a franchise to San Antonio.
Despite his oil fortune, Manges didn't make an initial capital investment (as is standard for most major league sports franchises). Rather, he appeared to pay team expenses out-of-pocket as they arose. Until the league ordered them to move, team offices were located in a double-wide trailer in the Alamo Stadium parking lot.
Manges hired local coaching legend Gil Steinke
Gil Steinke
Gilbert Erwin Steinke was a head coach of the Texas A&I University football team after having played at Texas A&I then professionally in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles.-Playing and coaching career:...
to run the team. In 23 years at nearby Texas A&I, Steinke had a record of 195-63-5, including a 6-1 record in NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Championship games. In a league with freespending owners, Steinke's Gunslingers rarely had the edge in talent but most games were very disciplined on the field, allowing them to remain competitive on a shoestring budget.
1984 Season
The Gunslingers showed moments of offensive competence most games, but lacked the game breakers that other teams had. The team was populated with football players, not athletes. If they were going to score, it would be a long drawn out drive. The Gunslingers were an average rushing team, in spite of having no true feature back. QB Rick NeuheiselRick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
played solidly for the team, nickel and dimeing the team up and down the field, and the intense "Bounty Hunter" defense led by players like Jeff McIntyre, John Barfield
John Barfield
John David Barfield is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during three seasons at the Major League level for the Texas Rangers. He was drafted by the Rangers in the 11th round of the 1986 amateur draft...
, Peter Raeford and Putt Choate
Putt Choate
-Biography:Choate was born Mark Putnam Choate on December 11, 1956 in Big Spring, Texas.. Choate attended Coachoma, TX H.S. before attending Southern Methodist University.-Career:Choate was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in May 1979...
kept the Gunslingers within striking distance almost every week. Notably, the team was +13 in turnovers---a sign of a well coached team.
Coach/general manager Steinke managed to rally the modestly talented team to a 7-7 finish after an 0-4 start, keeping them in playoff contention until the last few weeks of the season. However, the Gunslingers' most enduring memory of that first season was when the lights at Alamo Stadium went out during their second game--and didn't come back on for an hour.
Offseason
Defensive coordinator Jim Bates was rewarded with a promotion to head coach in 1985. Steinke remained general manager. They also acquired Larry CanadaLarry Canada
Larry Canada is a former running back in the National Football League. He played three seasons with the Denver Broncos.-References:...
, the Chicago Blitz
Chicago Blitz
The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :...
' leading rusher.
1985 Season
Despite their strong finish, the Gunslingers were known to be badly undercapitalized, unlike most of their USFL brethren. It quickly caught up with them in 1985. Manges' oil fortune collapsed, though he'd been in financial trouble since at least 1980. The 1985 season saw a myriad of bounced checks for the players and coaches. QB Rick Neuheisel and LB Jeff McIntyre where the only two players with a personal services contract. When the San Antonio Express-NewsSan Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
broke the story, Manges reacted by revoking the paper's press credentials. The situation got so dire at one point that several players traded tickets for food and stayed with sympathetic fans because they couldn't afford to pay the rent for their apartments. Years later, Neuheisel told ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
that the players raced each other to the bank to cash their checks, knowing that half (if not more) of them would bounce.
On one occasion, an arbitrator threatened to release 30 players from their contracts if Manges didn't make good on their bounced checks. On another, several players threatened to sit out a June 9 game against the Los Angeles Express unless they were paid. After several missed paydays, Bates threatened to quit unless the players were paid by the team's contest against the Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
. The money never arrived, and Bates walked out, forcing Steinke to take over for the last six games of the season.
In June, Manges simply stopped paying the franchise's bills. http://www.usfl.info/manges.html The players and coaches played the last stretch of the season (depending on the source, as few as three games and as many as six) without being paid. Not surprisingly, the Gunslingers barely survived the season, finishing with the second-worst record in the league.
Aftermath
A month after the season, Commissioner Harry UsherHarry Usher
Harry Lester Usher was an American attorney who was the second and last commissioner of the United States Football League . He was also the executive vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee , which oversaw the business operations of the 1984 Summer Olympics...
had seen enough, and gave Manges an ultimatum--make restitution for the team's debts in 15 days or lose the franchise. When this didn't occur, the Gunslingers became the only USFL franchise to be revoked.
The Gunslingers' holding company, South Texas Sports, was auctioned off to pay more than $650,000 of debts to former players. The players also sued Manges to recover back pay, but that suit collapsed when Manges filed for bankruptcy. At least some of the players still hadn't been paid at the time of a 1998 reunion, and it is not known if they ever were paid at the time of Manges' death in 2010.
1984
- Sun. Feb. 26 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 10 vs. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 13 (Att. 18,233)
- Mon. Mar. 5 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 7 vs. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 35 (Att. 10,023)
- Sun. Mar. 11 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 7 @ Oklahoma Outlaws (Att. 24,311)
- Sat. Mar. 17 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 12 vs. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 13 (Att. 9,821)
- Sat. Mar. 24 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 14 vs. OAKLAND INVADERS 10 (Att. 11,012)
- Sun. Apr. 1 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 10 @ Michigan Panthers 26 (Att. 42,692)
- Sat. Apr. 7 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 10 @ Chicago Blitz 16 (Att. 9,412)
- Sat. Apr. 14 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 20 @ Jacksonville Bulls 0 (Att. 34,084)
- Sun. Apr. 22 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 14 vs. PHILADELPHIA STARS 20 (Att. 16,590)
- Sat. Apr. 28 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 24 @ Arizona Wranglers 23 (Att. 12,259)
- Sun. May. 6 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 30 vs. CHICAGO BLITZ 21 (Att. 15,231)
- Fri. May. 11 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 14 @ Memphis Showboats 38 (Att. 32,406)
- Sun. May. 20 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 30 @ Washington Federals 14 (Att. 6,159)
- Fri. May. 25 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 20 vs. DENVER GOLD 27 (Att. 20,077)
- Fri. Jun. 1 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 17 vs. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 23 (Att. 16,384)
- Mon. Jun. 11 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 21 @ Pittsburgh Maulers 3 (Att. 17,148)
- Mon. Jun. 18 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 26 @ Houston Gamblers 29 (Att. 30,184)
- Sun. Jun. 24 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 23 vs. OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS 0 (Att. 21,625)
1985
- Mon. Feb. 26 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 3 vs. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS 20 (Att. 10,983) ESPN
- Sun. Mar. 3 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 16 vs. ARIZONA OUTLAWS 14 (Att. 11,151)
- Sun. Mar. 10 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 18 vs. TAMPA BAY BANDITS 31 (Att. 21,822)
- Sat. Mar. 16 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 7 @ Los Angeles Express 38 (Att. 10,410)
- Mon. Mar. 25 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 2 @ Denver Gold 16 (Att. 13,901)
- Mon. Apr. 1 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 33 @ Portland Breakers 0 (Att. 19,882)
- Sun. Apr. 7 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 15 vs. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS 14 (Att. 8,873)
- Fri. Apr. 12 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 17 @ Jacksonville Bulls 28 (Att. 32,097)
- Mon. Apr. 22 - (L) GUNGLINGERS 20 @ Oakland Invaders 27 (Att. 18,215) ESPN
- Sun. Apr. 28 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 29 vs. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 38 (Att. 9,723)
- Sun. May 5 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 9 vs. DENVER GOLD 35 (Att. 9,753)
- Mon. May 13 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 20 @ Orlando Renegades 21 (Att. 22,404) ESPN
- Sat. May 18 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 21 vs. OAKLAND INVADERS 24 (Att. 7,118)
- Sun. May 26 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 10 @ Baltimore Stars 28 (Att. 8,633)
- Sat. June 1 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 3 @ Arizona Outlaws 13 (Att. 11,151)
- Sun. June 9 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 31 vs. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 27 (Att. 4,863)
- Mon. June 17 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 21 @ Houston Gamblers 49 (Att. 11,780)
- Sun. June 23 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 21 vs. PORTLAND BREAKERS 13 (Att. 19,603)
Season-by-season
|-|1984 || 7 || 11 || 0 || 3rd WC Central ||--
|-
|1985 || 5 || 13 || 0 || 6th WC || --
|-
!Totals || 12 || 24 || 0
|colspan="2"|
Single season leaders
- Rushing Yards: 500 Scott Stamper (1984), 452 George Works (1985)
- Receiving Yards: 690 Jerry Gordon (1985), 650 Jerry Gordon (1984)
- Passing Yards: 3068 Rick NeuheiselRick NeuheiselRichard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
(1985), 2649 Rick Neuheisel (1984)