San Antonio Gunslingers

The San Antonio Gunslingers were a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas that played in the USFL in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel was the team's quarterback and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium. The team was owned by oil magnate Clinton Manges and team colors were kelly green, royal blue, silver and white.

History

The USFL decided it had to expand to 18 teams for the 1984 season to get more capital. However, efforts to award teams to Minneapolis-St. Paul and Seattle fell through. A study of possible new cities concluded that San Antonio could not support a USFL team. A heavy sales pitch by Manges, plus the desire to give the Houston Gamblers a rival, persuaded the owners to give a franchise to San Antonio

Despite his oil fortune, Manges didn't make an initial capital investment (as is standard for most major league sports franchises). Rather, he appeared to pay team expenses out-of-pocket as they arose. As a result, the Gunslingers were badly underfinanced. Until the league ordered them to move, team offices were located in a double-wide trailer in the Alamo Stadium parking lot.

Still, coach/general manager Gil Steinke managed to rally the team to a 7-7 finish after an 0-4 start, keeping them in playoff contention until the last few weeks of the season. Notably, they forced 13 more turnovers than they gave up. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates' "Bounty Hunter" unit was one of the stingiest in the league, giving up only 18 points a game. Bates was rewarded with a promotion to head coach in 1985.

The Gunslingers' financial questions caught up with them in 1985. Manges' oil fortune collapsed, resulting in bounced checks for the players and coaches. When the "San Antonio Express-News" broke the story, Manges reacted by revoking the paper's press credentials. However, as it turned out, the situation got so dire at one point that several players traded tickets for food and stayed with sympathetic fans because they couldn't afford to pay the rent for their apartments. [ [http://www.oursportscentral.com/usfl/gsren.htm San Antonio Gunslingers Reunion June 4-7, 1998 ] ] On one occasion, an arbitrator threatened to release 30 players from their contracts if Manges didn't make good on their bounced checks. [cite news |title=Sports People: Gunslingers are Paid |work=New York Times |publisher= |date=1985-05-24 |accessdate=2007-06-09 ] On another, several players threatened to sit out a June 9 game against the Los Angeles Express unless they were paid. [cite news |title=Sports People: Gunslingers are Paid |work=New York Times |publisher= |date=1985-06-09 |accessdate=2007-06-09 ] After several missed paydays, Bates threatened to quit unless the players were paid by the team's contest against the Oakland Invaders. The money never arrived, and Bates walked out, forcing Steinke to take over for the last six games of the season.

In June, Manges simply stopped paying the franchise's bills. [http://www.usfl.info/manges.html] The players went unpaid for the last three games of the season; at least some of them still hadn't been paid for those games at the time of a 1998 reunion and it is not known whether they ever were paid. Not surprisingly, the Gunslingers barely survived the season, finishing with the second-worst record in the league.

A month after the season, Commissioner Harry Usher had seen enough, and gave Manges an ultimatum--make restitution for the team's debts in 15 days or lose the franchise. When this didn't occur, the USFL canceled the franchise.

Average home attendance

*1984: (15,444)
*1985: (11,721)

1984 San Antonio Gunslingers game results

*Sun. Feb. 26 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 10 vs. NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS 13 (Att. 18,233)
*Mon. Mar. 5 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 7 vs. HOUSTON GAMBLERS 35 (Att. 10,023)
*Sun. Mar. 11 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 7 @ Oklahoma Outlaws (Att. 24,311)
*Sat. Mar. 17 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 12 vs. LOS ANGELES EXPRESS 13 (Att. 9,821)
*Sat. Mar. 24 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 14 vs. OAKLAND INVADERS 10 (Att. 11,012)
*Sun. Apr. 1 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 10 @ Michigan Panthers 26 (Att. 42,692)
*Sat. Apr. 7 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 10 @ Chicago Blitz 16 (Att. 9,412)
*Sat. Apr. 14 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 20 @ Jacksonville Bulls 0 (Att. 34,084)
*Sun. Apr. 22 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 14 vs. PHILADELPHIA STARS 20 (Att. 16,590)
*Sat. Apr. 28 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 24 @ Arizona Wranglers 23 (Att. 12,259)
*Sun. May. 6 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 30 vs. CHICAGO BLITZ 21 (Att. 15,231)
*Fri. May. 11 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 14 @ Memphis Showboats 38 (Att. 32,406)
*Sun. May. 20 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 30 @ Washington Federals 14 (Att. 6,159)
*Fri. May. 25 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 20 vs. DENVER GOLD 27 (Att. 20,077)
*Fri. Jun. 1 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 17 vs. MICHIGAN PANTHERS 23 (Att. 16,384)
*Mon. Jun. 11 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 21 @ Pittsburgh Maulers 3 (Att. 17,148)
*Mon. Jun. 18 - (L) GUNSLINGERS 26 @ Houston Gamblers 29 (Att. 30,184)
*Sun. Jun. 24 - (W) GUNSLINGERS 23 vs. OKLAHOMA OUTLAWS 0 (Att. 21,625)

an Antonio Gunslingers 1984 roster

*5. Nick Mike-Mayer (K)
*7. Rick Neuheisel (QB)
*8. Alvin White (QB)
*8. Greg Pryor (P)
*9. Ken Hartley (P)
*10. Mike Ford (QB)
*11. Lloyd J. Torchio (QB)
*14. Fred Mortensen (QB)
*16. Karl Douglas (QB)
*20. Peter Raeford (CB)
*21. Marcus Bonner (RB)
*22. Jerry Gordon (WR)
*23. Mike Ulmer (FS)
*24. Larry James (SS)
*25. David Vela (WR)
*25. Greg Anderson (CB)
*25. Emmuel Thompson (CB)
*26. Hugh Jernigan (CB)
*27. Vance Bedford (CB)
*28. Jim Bob Morris (SS)
*29. Rock Richmond (CB)
*30. Scott Stamper (FB)
*31. Jafus White (SS)
*32. Robert Sparks (FS)
*34. Mike Hagen (FB)
*35. Al Penn-White (RB)
*40. George Works (RB)
*42. Maurice Tyler (CB)
*43. Don Roberts (RB)
*44. Charles Armstead (CB)
*47. Ray Waddy (FS)
*49. Mark Rush (FB)
*50. Tally Neal (LB)
*51. Rich D'Amico (LB)
*52. Reggie Oliver (LB)
*53. Juan Castillo (LB)
*54. Greg Davidson (C)
*54. Pete Speros (G)
*55. Putt Choate (LB)
*56. Jimmy Rivera (LB)
*57. Joe Silipo (C)
*58. John Barefield (LB)
*59. Glenn McCormick (C)
*60. Bill Winters (C/T0
*61. Rich Garza (G)
*62. Darryl Mueske (G)
*63. Arland Thompson (G)
*65. Paul Hanna (NT)
*66. Gary Don Johnson (DE)
*68. John Zogg (G)
*71. Ralph Williams (T)
*72. Victor White (T)
*75. Lee Spivey (T)
*76. Ken Gillen (DE)
*77. Tommy Tabor (NT)
*78. Mike St. Clair (DE)
*79. Jim Lohmann (T)
*81. Joey Hackett (TE)
*82. Larry O'Roark (WR)
*83. Rich Osborne (TE)
*84. Rodney Parker (WR)
*85. Lonell Phea (WR)
*86. Tony Armstrong (TE)
*87. Frank Case (DE)
*88. Danny Buggs (WR)
*89. Glenn Starks (WR)
*90. Ron Kirkpatrick (DE)
*92. Jim Pekar (NT)
*98. Terry Monroe (DE)
*99. Greg Fields (DE)
*--. Billy Campfield (RB)
*--. Darryl Crane (WR)
*--. Earl Gabbidon (TE)
*--. Kurt Jonker (T)
*--. Jeff McIntyre (LB)
*--. Keith Nelms (CB)
*--. Daryl Smith (FS)
*--. Doug Greene (SS)

Season-by-season

-
1984 || 7 || 11 || 0 || 3rd WC Central ||--
-
1985 || 5 || 13 || 0 || 6th WC || --
-!Totals || 12 || 24 || 0
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ingle season leaders

*Rushing Yards: 500 Scott Stamper (1984), 452 George Works (1985)
*Receiving Yards: 690 Jerry Gordon (1985), 650 Jerry Gordon (1984)
*Passing Yards: 3068 Rick Neuheisel (1985), 2649 Rick Neuheisel (1984)

References