WFL Fast Facts

- Gary L. Davidson initiated discussions on a proposed professional football league on August 2, 1973 that would eventually encompass the entire world.

- It was reported on October 2, 1973 that the World Football League was in operation and would start play in July, 1974.

- Jim Seymour was the first WFL player signed. He was offered a contract with the Chicago Fire.

- The World Football League held the first league meeting in Los Angeles with representatives from the following areas: Birmingham, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Florida, Honolulu, Memphis, New York, Philadelphia, Southern California, Toronto, and Washington D.C.

- The World Football League held their first collegiate draft on January 22, 1974 and QB David Jaynes of Kansas was selected by Memphis (later Houston).

- The World Football League held their first professional player draft on March 18, 1974 with the Washington Ambassadors (later Florida Blazers) selecting RB Charlie Evans from the New York Giants.

- On April 4, 1974 the World Football League and the TVS Network sign a contract that guarantees the WFL a nationally televised Game of the Week.

- The WFL signed a contract with the World Sports Broadcast Network to form the World Football League Radio Network. In 1974 the network started with just 29 stations, but expanded to 118 by season’s end. The announcers were Frank Buetel on play by play, and Paul Flatley was the color commentator. During the 1975 season the network again had Frank Buetel and Jim Peterson as the color commentator. The World Football League Radio Network carried a Game of the Week both seasons. The network was carried by 125 stations in 1975.

- The logos of each WFL team were created or coordinated by Ray Engle Associates of Los Angeles to project a corporate image. The team uniforms, coaches attire and officials uniform were designed by the Sand Knit company of Wisconsin.

- Did you know that the bill, designed to keep the WFL out of Canada, specifically Toronto, was table by health minister, Marc Lalonde? The bill, designed specifically to stop the Toronto Northmen entitled the “Canadian Football Act,” was tabled on April 10, 1974 and passed in principle by April 26, 1974.

- Did you know that it was a New York system analyst who invented the “Action Point?” That man was Bill Finneran. He would also propose to the WFL in 1975 the color coded pants.

- Did you know that the WFL used a device to make yard measurements easier? In 1974, the WFL introduced a device called a “Dicker Rod,” a device which was three yards in length. One end would be placed on a five yard line and a movable marker would then be moved to the position of the first down, thus only one official need run out onto the field for a measurement.

- Did you know that when the Detroit Wheels folded, its players were selected by other teams in a four round, special selection process conducted by the league? This draft is known as a dispersal draft.

- Did you know the WFL had its own player association? Formed in late September of 1974, the WFLPA had the following officers: Charlie Harraway of the Birmingham Americans as President. John Huarte of the Memphis Southmen was named first Vice-President and Ike Lassiter of the Jacksonville Sharks was second Vice-President. Jon Henderson of the Detroit Wheels was the Secretary and Joe Robb of the Shreveport Steamer was the Treasurer. The WFLPA appointed Alan R. Miller as its legal counsel. Some of the player reps were Bob Davis, Florida, Virgil Carter, Chicago, Dave Williams, Southern California, Sam Silas, Portland, John Elliott, New York, and Claude Watts of Philadelphia.

- When the financially troubled Portland Storm headed to Honolulu to play the Hawaiians, the team was fed with $2500.00 of meal money collected by local Portland citizens. A much moved Portland coach Dick Coury said, “It’s beautiful for the people of Portland to do something like that. It’s amazing.” During the game, however, the Storm players didn’t stay around for the final gun. When Honolulu scored a late touchdown to make to make it 23-0, the Portland players stalked off the field and headed for the showers with two seconds to go in the game.

- At a league summit on November 22, 1974 in Memphis to discuss the next season of the WFL, dubbed “WFL 75,” several new cities were mentioned as having investors ready to begin play in 1975. San Antonio, Louisville, Tulsa, Akron, Connecticut, Syracuse, Phoenix, Montreal and Toronto were named. Paul Hornung, former Green Bay Packers star was reportedly interested in a franchise in Louisville, KY. Chris Hemmeter assumed the role of Commissioner at this meeting.

- During the “WFL 75” meeting, Bob Wussler - CBS Vice President in charge of sports told WFL officials in Memphis that his network would carry WFL games beginning in 1976 if the new league can prove credibility during the 1975 season.

- Everyone knows the Chicago Fire forfeited their final game against Philadelphia. In Fire owner Tom Origer’s words, he called the game “meaningless.”

- Larry King of CNN was an announcer for the Shreveport Steamer radio broadcast in 1974.

- Did you know the original 1974 WFL playoff format was supposed to have as many as eight teams? The format was revised three times during two days before the playoffs started (November 21). It started at four teams, then went to the aforementioned eight, then went to as low as three teams (division teams), then to four (division winners plus wild card), then finally at six.

- Did you know the WFL tried to sign New York Jets QB Joe Namath in 1975? He was offered a three-year, $5 million deal to play for the Chicago Winds. The Winds color scheme was green and white as were the Jets. They also hired Babe Parilli as Head Coach. Parilli had been Namath’s backup during the Jets Super Bowl III victory.

- A “controlled scrimmage” game in July of 1975 between the Birmingham Vulcans and Memphis Southmen drew 35,000 fans with adults paying $3, and children under twelve years of age paying $1.

- Did you know that former Green Bay Packer All-Pro safety Willie Wood became the first black head coach in Pro football’s modern history? He replaced Ron Waller as head coach of the Philadelphia Bell prior to the season opener.

- The Charlotte Hornets were going to be showcased on NBC’s Grandstand show on October 26, 1975 as they were the only team in pro sports to have their entire roster paid on a percentage of revenues. Unfortunately, the WFL shut down operations on October 22, 1975 as NBC camera crews were rolling into Charlotte to start setting up for interviews.

- When the WFL officially folded on October 22, 1975, there was a proposal put forth of Birmingham, Memphis and Southern California immediately playing two games, one playoff and then World Bowl II, but that proposal was voted down.

- Did you know that the WFL had an all-star game planned? If the league saw the 1976 season, the game would have been held in Honolulu.

- Memphis Grizzlies and Birmingham Vulcans applied for NFL expansion for the 1976 season after the WFL folded. Both were denied in December of 1975 by the NFL Expansion Committee, but the Memphis Grizzlies asked to take it to the NFL owners meeting for a vote in March of 1976 where they were turned down 25-3.

- The music video “Money” by Pink Floyd has a brief clip of WFL footage. It is the Southern California Sun against the Houston Texans. This game was televised on the TVS Network on August 15, 1974. The TV show Hawaii 5-0 also had some WFL footage in their show. In season nine the show opens with color footage of the Philadelphia Bell playing the Hawaiians in the new Aloha stadium. The name of this episode is “Blood Money is Hard to Wash.”

- John McVay, Jack Pardee, Marty Schottenheimer, Lindy Infante, Kay Stephenson, and Jim Fassel were all head coaches in the NFL, but got there start in the WFL as either a player or a coach.

- Tom Fears, Willie Wood, Don Maynard, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Herb Adderly, Leroy Kelly and Ron Mix are inductees of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and spent time in the World Football League as either a player or a coach.

NOTE: WFL Fast Facts were compiled by Richie Franklin and Robert Phillips.