1983 New Jersey Generals season

From the beginning, USFL founder David Dixon placed a premium on putting a team in the New York area. Initially, Donald Trump was tapped to own the team. However, he backed out after paying an initial installment on the franchise fee, hoping instead to buy the struggling Baltimore Colts of the NFL. Needing a credible owner with the means to front a team in the nation's biggest market, Dixon persuaded Oklahoma oil magnate J. Walter Duncan to step in. Duncan had originally been slated to own the USFL's Chicago franchise, as he'd grown up in Chicago. However, he readily agreed to shift to New York.[1]

1983 New Jersey Generals season
OwnerJ. Walter Duncan
General managerChuck Fairbanks
Head coachChuck Fairbanks
Home fieldGiants Stadium
Results
Record6-12
Division place3rd Atlantic Division
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Uniform

Duncan took on former New England Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks as a minority partner; Duncan knew Fairbanks from his days as head coach at the University of Oklahoma. Fairbanks also served as general manager and head coach. They initially had an uphill battle to get a lease at Giants Stadium, but were able to obtain one on condition that they brand their team as "New Jersey" rather than "New York." They named the team the "Generals" after the large number of generals based in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War.[1]

The team made a big splash by signing Heisman Trophy-winning underclassman Herschel Walker, a running back from the University of Georgia. While the USFL had followed the NFL's lead in banning underclassmen from playing, league officials were certain that this rule would never withstand a court challenge. In an even more ominous development, Walker did not sign a standard player contract. Rather, he agreed to a three-year personal-services contract with Duncan. The contract was valued at $4.2 million—more than double the USFL's salary cap of $1.8 million. Nonetheless, the other owners knew having the incumbent Heisman winner in their fold would lend the USFL instant credibility, and allowed the contract to stand.

Despite the signing of Walker, who rushed for 1,812 yards and 17 touchdowns, the Generals finished their inaugural season with a 6–12 record. This was largely due to a porous defense which gave up the third-most points in the league (437) and a feeble passing attack led by ex-New Orleans Saints career backup Bobby Scott.

1983 schedule and results
Week Date Opponent Result Record TV Venue Attendance
Regular season
1 March 6 at Los Angeles Express L 15–20 0–1 ABC Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 34,002
2 March 13 at Philadelphia Stars L 0–25 0–2 ABC Veterans Stadium 38,205
3 March 20 Tampa Bay Bandits L 9–32 0–3 Giants Stadium 53,307
4 March 27 Boston Breakers L 21–31 0–4 Giants Stadium 41,218
5 April 3 at Arizona Wranglers W 35–21 1–4 Sun Devil Stadium 31,382
6 April 10 Michigan Panthers L 6–21 1–5 ESPN Giants Stadium 17,648
7 April 17 Washington Federals W 23–22 2–5 ABC Giants Stadium 35,381
8 April 25 at Chicago Blitz L 14–17 (OT) 2–6 ESPN Soldier Field 32,182
9 May 1 at Denver Gold W 34–29 3–6 ABC Mile High Stadium 47,940
10 May 9 Birmingham Stallions L 7–22 3–7 ESPN Giants Stadium 38,734
11 May 16 at Michigan Panthers L 24–31 3–8 ESPN Pontiac Silverdome 32,862
12 May 22 Chicago Blitz L 13–19 (OT) 3–9 ABC Giants Stadium 33,812
13 May 29 at Washington Federals W 32–29 4–9 RFK Stadium 11,264
14 June 4 at Oakland Invaders L 21–34 4–10 ESPN Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 32,908
15 June 12 Philadelphia Stars L 9–23 4–11 Giants Stadium 32,521
16 June 17 Los Angeles Express W 20–12 5–11 ABC Giants Stadium 31,807
17 June 25 Arizona Wranglers W 21–14 6–11 ESPN Giants Stadium 30,612
18 July 3 at Boston Breakers L 10–34 6–12 Nickerson Field 15,798

Sources[2][3][4]

References
  1. Reeths, Paul (2017). The United States Football League, 1982-1986. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1476667447.
  2. statscrew.com 1983 New Jersey Generals Game-by-Game Results Retrieved December 30, 2018
  3. usflsite.com 1983 USFL Season Retrieved December 30, 2018
  4. profootballarchives.com 1983 New Jersey Generals (USFL) Retrieved December 30, 2018
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