Arena, the USFL, CFL and other leagues have been the path to the NFL for some players.
Many players have spent time in other leagues before going on to success in the NFL.
CFL Brandon Browner
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Brandon Browner signed with the Denver Broncos in 2005 as a free agent but broke his forearm in the preseason and missed the rest of the year. In 2006, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders. In 2008, he helped Calgary win the Grey Cup. In his five seasons with the Stampeders, he was a three-time CFL All-Star and recorded eight interceptions. In 2011, Browner signed with the Seattle Seahawks and was immediately named the starter. He also played with New Orleans and New England before returning to Seattle.
‘The Greatest Game No One Saw’ between USFL stars Steve Young and Jim Kelly turns 35
The USFL gave people all sorts of memories. The owner of the New Jersey Generals went on to become President of the United States, Donald Trump. There were big names like Herschel Walker, Steve Young and Doug Flutie who played for the upstart league.
And it provided one of the best games in football history. Only, no one saw it on television.
The Houston Gamblers and Jim Kelly faced the Los Angeles Express and Steve Young on Feb. 24, 1985. One would have thought that matchup would have been natural for ABC, which had the league’s TV rights. However, ABC decided to show the New Jersey Generals’ game because Flutie was making his USFL debut. The game was the opener for the Gamblers and Express that season.
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Only cameramen that worked for both teams were on hand to record the game that turned out to be epic. The Express led 33-13 with just under 10 minutes left in the game. Kelly led the Gamblers on a comeback that would see them pull off a 34-33 win before a crowd of 18,828 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. In the end, Kelly, the USFL’s most valuable player as a rookie in 1984, threw for 574 yards.
LA appeared to put the game away in the fourth quarter when safety Troy West intercepted a Kelly pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown, making the score 33-13. However, two plays from scrimmage later Houston narrowed the gap as Kelly threw to WR Richard Johnson for a 52-yard touchdown.
The Gamblers got the ball back at the LA 43 with the clock down to 4:05. This time Kelly connected with WR Vince Courville from 20 yards. With the successful extra point it was 33-27.
Following another punt, the Gamblers needed 40 seconds to cover 84 yards and cap their furious comeback as Kelly found Ricky Sanders open over the middle, beating West. Toni Fritsch kicked his fourth extra point of the game to provide a one-point margin.
“I’ve been in some comebacks before, but never anything like that,” Kelly said after the game. “Pulling out that win was the best feeling I ever had in my life.”
Kelly completed 35-of-54 as his passing yardage topped the former USFL mark of 444 yards by Bobby Hebert of Michigan. It was also 20 yards more than the NFL mark established by Norm Van Brocklin in 1951, but was 12 yards shy of the pro football record of 586 by Sam Etchenverry with Montreal of the Canadian Football League in 1954.
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Three Houston receivers gained over 100 yards, led by Johnson with 174 on 11 catches, including one score, and followed by Sanders with nine receptions for 108 yards and three TDs and RB Sam Harrell’s 105 on six catches.
I wasn't around in 1951 but did cover the American professional football record for single-game passing yards in the SAME L.A. Coliseum. 1985. Jim Kelly. USFL. 574 yards vs. L.A. Express. #USFL@jeffpearlman
For the Express, Steve Young was successful on 13 of 27 passes for 255 yards with a TD and an interception and was the leading rusher with 27 yards on five carries.
Here's Steve Young and Jim Kelly asking each other if their USFL checks bounced…then later complimenting each other on their sharp NFL uniforms. pic.twitter.com/Arf44mSAOm
