Week 1 - 1983: New Jersey Generals vs Los Angeles Express

1983 Week 1 - Sunday, March 6, 1983
Attendance: 34,002,
TV: ABC
The high-priced running back who left the University of Georgia a year early for a $5 million, three-year contract, did score the game's first touchdown. But he gained only 65 yards on 16 carries and by the second quarter, was largely forgotten by the crowd of 34,002 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Instead, all eyes were on Tom Ramsey and Tony Boddie as the Los Angeles Express beat the Generals 20-15 in a season-opening United States Football League game, one of five played that Sunday.
Ramsey, who played his college ball in the same stadium last year when he was the nation's college passing percentage leader, turned things around when he replaced former National Football player Mike Rae with the Express trailing 9-6.
Boddie, a 12th-round draft choice out of Montana State, rushed for 77 yards on 13 carries and caught five passes for 49 yards.
Meanwhile, Walker was generally ineffective. Usually a prime pass receiver as well as a runner, the Heisman Trophy winner caught only one pass for three yards.
Source: www.oursportsce...

[@DRUMJOCK]

Many of my old teammates and coaches friends college pro etc🎉❤ amazing

[@nicholasleach352]

This game reminds me of the TV show "The A-Team" in the episode called "Quarterback Sneak" where Germany wore the white uniforms with the red helmets and Texas wore the navy blue uniforms but on the helmets it didn't have LA, it had TA as in the Texas Angels!

[@hi-railhardin]

I remember anxiously waiting for this game, because I was a huge Herschel Walker fan and was so looking forward to seeing him play pro ball!

[@USFLForever]

Me to.

[@oldguysrock2170]

I was at this game. I still have the programs. I loved the league and the ESPN coverage.

[@johnliberty3647]

The first USFL game I ever saw, it was so cool to see that the Football Season really hadn't ended

[@elgrande3934]

I was 12 years old when I attended this game. Still remember it quite vividly.

[@USFLForever]

First USFL game I ever watched on TV.

[@tonyarceneaux286]

@@USFLForever A rare coast and coast game.

[@misterpibb42]

The USFL's addition meant we had to do without pro football only a few weeks out of the entire year (counting preseason games). That was all right by me. The USFL offered a quality product.

[@georgewright1189]

I loved this league. I was a die-hard fan of the Arizona Wranglers and I was very disappointed when it all fell apart.

[@FlipTrojan]

Me, my brother, and my dad were part of that inaugural 34,002 that day.

[@tpryce6243]

I wish there were a clean version of this theme music to be had

[@jdscovers356]

Keith Jackson could call a flag football game and making it exciting. Wow I miss this guy broadcasting college games on Saturday's. No one will ever fill his shoes

[@bradlafferty6076]

The Express QB was losing his hair in 1983, it’s long gone today. God Bless us all.

[@billcornwell3619]

I took my dad to this game. We had a good time. Had hope for the USFL, but Trump got involved, and that led to the end of a good league

[@USFLForever]

+Bill Cornwell I miss this league.

[@billcornwell3619]

I like your avatar

[@chrissnyder3430]

Oh Lord. Do you suffer from TDS???

[@mickstan24]

I read the book "$1 League" in 1988. I loved the Panthers and couldn't believe Trump dragged a few dumb owners into a head-to-head confrontation with the NFL. I had no political reason to think so then, but I remember thinking "What a lonely dumb person". Never forgot my first impression of him. He's just a bad human

[@chrissnyder3430]

@@mickstan24 I understand. It was Trump thinking with his ego rather than his brain on that one. And I'm gunna leave it there. 😃

[@danielmatthews638]

hershel walker belongs in the pro football hall of fame.....fine nfl career plus the numbers he put up in the usfl

[@gmcneoplan84]

I think some of the biggest reasons why the HOF ain't letting him in is because he only had two 1,000 yard seasons in 12 seasons of play. He was never a dominant running back in those 12 years. He never made All-Pro. By the time he got to the NFL in '86, his body had been banged up with over 1,143 carries of work in the USFL for three years. To get in the HOF as a running back you have to be dominant in your prime years, a generational star, you have to help carry your team(s) that you play on consistently, and etc. Herschel had one big year (1988) where he gained 1,514 yards which was the best year of his career in the NFL. That year the Cowboys didn't have no other veteran to carry them on offense but Herschel and that '88 Dallas team was shitty (3-13). Michael Irvin was a rookie that year and he wasn't even Michael Irvin yet.

[@jeffreyevans7297]

He wasted his time in the USFL

[@patrickols]

Actually watched that game live back in 1983.

[@MarkEgan-l4q]

I had season tickets to phila stars . Sam mills Kelvin Bryant Shawn landed ta. All played later in the nfl.

[@anthonycrenshaw3229]

Just found out the USFL will return 2022 so excited

[@USFLForever]

We are ALL excited as well!

[@anthonycrenshaw3229]

@@USFLForever I just hope the LA EXPRESS is one of the teams that will return. The new CEO said they still have the rights to all the original team names

[@USFLForever]

@@anthonycrenshaw3229 Yes I hope so to but I also hope they have a small stadium they could play in and NOT that monster LA Coliseum.

[@anthonycrenshaw3229]

@@USFLForever there's the bank of California Stadium on the same block. I just hope they don't play at the home Stadium of the LA GALAXY because there's no way you can get there via public transportation

[@USFLForever]

@@anthonycrenshaw3229 Well as long as the other stadium is not so big like the Coliseum it could work.

[@USFLForever]

Join us at our USFL Forever Facebook Page below. facebook.com/TheUSFLForever

[@wingmover]

BRILLIANT !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@elgrande3934]

I was at this game as a 12 year old kid.

[@FamilySwan]

Hopefully they bring the LA Express back in the new USFL.

[@USFLForever]

Yes me to.

[@corneliusthorn9498]

I agree the usfl should return like yesterday, the spring is so boring without football, I love baseball but for some people it's too slow so bring usfl football back so we all can be happy, and keep the donald out of the league.

[@celticwarrior5185]

Eddie "Meat Cleaver" Weaver NG of the LA Express had the heart of a lion, dispite his 5'11 size.

[@speediemac9142]

Sweet!!!!! Ty 4 This 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@bullwinkle2380]

Is it true that Steve Young signed a 40-year contract worth $39 million with the LA Express??? I take it that contract is null and void!!!

[@USFLForever]

Yes a $40 million dollar contract that was an annuity. In the end he had to buy out his contract with the Express for $2 million dollars in order to jump to the NFL. Here is the link on our USFL Forever FB page explaining the details of the story. fb.watch/bCW7KJF03G/

[@bradlafferty6076]

Look at all those fans

[@johnwise8433]

I wonder if this the largest attendance for any l.a. express game

[@Mike-aka747]

Yes it was. The next best figure was 32,000 for the 1984 opener at home. They say only about 14,000 actually paid. The rest was for the Wayne Newton concert after the game.

[@kitescuriosities7717]

2:11:27 ..... 3rd and 3, and you have Herschel Walker on the sidelines, calling a pass play.😐Why, Coach Fairbanks? That’s not the play calling you did when you guided Oklahoma to three Big-8 titles!

[@johnellizz]

The NFL is fake like pro-wrestling.

[@gikaradi8793]

is it me or the hits are more vicious and harder than the ones in the NFL ???

[@USFLForever]

+Gi Karadi Back then, concussions weren't an issue. The NFL had just as many vicious hits.

[@losangelesrams3472]

No, football was tougher back then. Referees didn't throw flags for just about anything as they do today.

[@anthonycrenshaw3229]

Football in general was tougher back then. If you notice all the players are wearing giant shoulder pads regardless of position

[@bradlafferty6076]

No Steve Young or Doug Flutie

[@bullwinkle2380]

By the way, whatever happened to the Oakland Invaders??? Ooops, they moved to Vegas!!!

[@corneliusthorn9498]

The USFL was a good league, but the Donald got involved and that was all she wrote.

[@rockvilleraven]

John Bassett was the best owner in the league, after he got cancer, Trump took over.

[@celticwarrior5185]

@@rockvilleraven Of the Tampa Bay Bandits..

[@gmaqwert]

Trump won his lawsuit against the NFL, if the jury would have done their job he would have been a genius.

[@ThunderPants13]

Whoa Nellie!!!

[@USFLForever]

[@losangelesrams3472]

Sorry, but three years is NOT forever.

[@muchacho0821]

Si es forever you bobonzon

[@wendellrhem8034]

what a shame!! it was a good football and developing their own stars.and listening the 'applehead Trump' they perished....

[@billcornwell3619]

Entertaining celebrations after scores and wins were fun to see. If only they woulda blew off Donald Trump...

[@paolo-n2000]

NFL sunk the USFL

[@daawedge9324]

uh,....who is donald?........that keeps getting involved?......

[@paulsonj72]

To be fair Trump didn’t own the Generals at the time. He bought the team in the 1983 offseason and thus 1984 was his first season as the owner of the Generals.

[@blacquesjacques7239]

Lets hope Donald Trump does better for the country than he dud for the USFL .

[@rockvilleraven]

Trump also had filed for bankruptcy 6 times too bad nobody picked up on that and I'm scared he can get reelected in 2020 because he runs an unconventional campaign.

[@johnliberty3647]

so far so good, I expected him to be a dud as president.

[@muchacho0821]

Thay character is a super piece of porkery.

[@timdyson5036]

Go Generals!!! My team! Love the usfl! Hope the ufl brings back the GENERALS, they have been my team since the 80s!

[@boring247boring5]

Soccer est rugby les usa needs to welcome in des women est children by the millions