The USFL and Its Impact on the NFL

The United States Football League operated from 1983 to 1987.  While the league did not last long, it did spur the careers of some notable players including some from my favorite team, the Bills:

Jim Kelly

Kent Hull

Scott Norwood

Ray Bentley

Doug Flutie

Marv Levy

Other notable players included Steve Young, Reggie White, Doug Williams, Bart Oates and Gary Zimmerman among others.  What is of note is that a lot of these players made significant contributions to their respective NFL teams over the course of their careers.  Without them, it is probably safe to say that their teams would not have been as successful as they were.  Kelly, Hull, and Levy were major parts of the Bills success in the late 80s and early 90s and the main reason they went to four Super Bowls. Without them, the Bills may still have been a moribund franchise that might not even had stayed in Buffalo.  Flutie was a part of a Bills revitalization in the post-Kelly years as he led the Bills to the playoffs in 1998 and part of the reason the team was able to stay in Buffalo.

Reggie White is one of the all-time sack leaders who had success with the Eagles and Packers and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1997.  Steve Young led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl win in the post-Montana era in 1995.  Doug Williams was the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.  Bart Oates was part of a Giants and 49ers offensive line that won three Super Bowls. Gary Zimmerman was a seven-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro who played for both the Vikings and Bronco and won a Super Bowl with Denver in 1997.

What if the USFL never folded or never existed and the players still were in the league or never played in the NFL?  I think it is quite obvious that their respective teams would not have been as successful without them.  Kelly’s time in particular in the USFL actually benefitted him as he was able to gain valuable experience that helped him in his Bills career.  While the USFL did not last, the players mentioned above and others used that short period of time to find long-term success.