Former Wranglers preach patience, stability for new USFL
July 30, 2021
Before Rick Neuheisel coached the Arizona Hotshots at Sun Devil Stadium, he played quarterback for the San Antonio Gunslingers, a team in the USFL that also had a franchise based at the Tempe stadium. The USFL is returning in 2022. (Photo by Christian Petersen/AAF/Getty Images)
PHOENIX – The United States Football League of the mid-1980s brought sports fans a three-season whirlwind of front-office intrigue, roster turnover and eventually litigation, occasionally interrupted by some decent spring football.
Before imploding in spectacular fashion in 1986 amid a failed move to the fall, the league, broadcast on a fledgling ESPN, introduced future stars like Steve Young and Herschel Walker to fans nationwide.
This Ad will close in 3
Gossett was right. Gerald The Ice Cube McNeil was embraced by the city of Cleveland even though he was only with the Browns for four seasons. His tenure, though, was packed full of fun moments that were even more remarkable given McNeil s incredibly small size.
He was never bigger than the average high school football player, yet he still found ways to make game-changing plays as a kick and punt returner. He had two touchdowns his rookie season one was a punt return touchdown, the other was a kick return touchdown and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1987.