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"The USFL's dominant team, the Stars missed
out on a clean sweep of league championships by
only a two-point loss to the Michigan Panthers in
the 1983 title game. By all accounts, the Stars
had one of the best operations in the league.
Myles Tanenbaum stuck with the league longer than
any of the other original owners. General Manager
Carl Peterson made sure that little talent
escaped the notice of his Stars. Coach Jim Mora
guided the Stars to wins in more than
three-fourths of their games and seven out of
eight postseason tilts.-
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"University of North Carolina runningback
Kelvin Bryant was the focus of the offense. He
gained an incredible 4,055 yards rushing in three
seasons. At quarterback, Chuck Fusina wasn't
spectacular but was always solid and great when
he had to be. One of the league's top offensive
lines, anchored by Brad Oates, allowed Fusina the
time to get the ball downfield to receivers like
Willie Collier and Scott Fitzkee. When the Stars
couldn't put the ball in the endzone, David Trout
was a very accurate kicker and Sean Landeta was
one of the circuit's best punters.
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"But the heart and soul of the Stars was
their Doghouse Defense. Led by (Slammin') Sam
Mills, who would later earn several Pro Bowl
berths in the NFL, the defense made sure the
Stars were always in the game. Defensive back
Mike Lush and defensive end John Walker also
shone on the defensive side of the ball.
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Plus the Stars were blessed with the presence of
countless Nittany Lions on their roster, such as Fusina, Fitzkee, Kugler and Donovan.
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"The fans in Philadelphia were very wary of
the Stars in their inaugural season. The Stars
averaged under 20,000 fans per game in their
inaugural year, but after making it to the
championship game, attendance increased by more
than 10,000 per contest the following season. The
Stars were even more successful on the field,
going 16-2 and dispatching the Arizona Wranglers
in the championship, 23-3. Several thousand
Philadelphia fans gathered for a parade in the
team's honor once they got back to the City of
Brotherly Love.
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1983
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1984
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