Jacksonville Bulls

The Jacksonville Bulls competed in the final two seasons of the United States Football League, 1984 and 1985. They played their home games in the Gator Bowl Stadium.

Former Miami Dolphins stars Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick were involved in an advertising campaign for the team, and they apparently had a minor ownership interest as well. Larry Munson was hired as radio play-by-play announcer. His distinctive voice was already well-known in the Jacksonville area due to his long association with both the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons.
The nickname "Bulls" was taken from team owner Fred "Bubba" Bullard, a Jacksonville businessman, although there was a 'name the team' promotion with a write-in campaign for publicity purposes. The 'Bulls' moniker was credited as a submission from the winning entry. The team colors of garnet, orange and silver were taken from the three college football teams most popular in the area; garnet from the Florida State Seminoles, orange from the Florida Gators, and silver from the pants worn by the Georgia Bulldogs.

The helmet design was unique for a professional football team. Each side had the team's logo of a streaking bull (one side the mirror image of the other); the two logos were bridged by a series of parallel lines, and the team's name ("Bulls") were incorporated into the "bridge" as a silhouette against the parallel lines.

The Bulls made an immediate splash in their first game, in which they blew out the Washington Federals 53-14. Although they finished 6-12--last in the tough Southern Division--they were far more competitive than their record indicated. Six of their losses were by a touchdown or less, including two losses by a last-second field goal. They remained in contention for most of the season, but a six-game losing streak toward the end of the season kept them out of the playoffs.

The Bulls were an undisputed success at the gate, running away with the league's attendance title. They notched the only two crowds of 70,000 or greater in league history, including a throng of 73,227 against the powerful New Jersey Generals on March 4. In the last game, against the Pittsburgh Maulers, a huge crowd patiently waited through a late-June downpour which postponed the game for more than an hour. When play finally started the game was a 26-2 Jacksonville victory.

The offseason saw the addition of former NFL MVP QB Brian Sipe to take over as triggerman of Coach Lindy Infante's high octane passing scheme as well as former Heisman trophy winning HB Mike Rozier.

While Sipe only threw 89 passes before suffering a career ending injury, an improved defense and the addition of Rozier resulted in a 9-9 record. The Bulls finished just one win short of a playoff spot and led the league in attendance again.

The Bulls were slated to be even stronger in 1986 due to a merger with the Denver Gold. Unfortunately the league made several fatal errors, one of which was to stake their future on the outcome of an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. The league won the suit but was awarded only $3 in damages. The Bulls, along with all of the other USFL teams, ceased operations and passed into history.

Despite never posting a winning record, the Bulls were considered to be one of the stronger USFL franchise — indeed, one of the few USFL teams with the potential to be viable had the league been better run. Owner Fred Bullard was determined from the beginning to put together a strong organization on and off the field. Many experts believe that had it not been for the Bulls' success, the NFL would have never considered awarding the Jacksonville Jaguars to the city in 1995. In 1987, the Houston Oilers nearly moved to Jacksonville, at least in part due to the overwhelming support for the Bulls.