Michigan Panthers

The Michigan Panthers were named as a charter member of the United States Football League (USFL) on May 11, 1982.

A. Alfred Taubman, one of the nation's leading real estate developers, headed the ownership group that included Judge Peter B. Spivak and Max M. Fisher.

The Panthers named former CFL executive, Jim Spavital as their General Manager on August 26, 1982. Michigan then hired Jim Stanley as their Head Coach on November 18, 1982 after George Perles decided to coach at Michigan State. Stanley was head coach at Oklahoma State University. Stanley would be the club's only head coach.

The Pontiac Silverdome (Cap. 80,638) was the home of the Panthers.

The USFL's first collegiate draft was held on January 4, 1983. The Panthers selected Wisconsin SS David Greenwood with their first round (10th overall) selection.

They also tabbed Michigan WR Anthony Carter in the USFL Territorial Draft – a process whereby USFL teams could protect up to 25 graduating seniors from a series of local universities. The Panthers had territorial rights to the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Northern Michigan.

Michigan made a splash in signing some of the top young NCAA prospects in 1983 in Michigan WR Anthony Carter, Tulsa RB Ken Lacy, Wisconsin SS David Greenwood, QB Bobby Hebert of Northwestern State (La.)and LB John Corker of Oklahoma State.

Michigan held their first training camp at City Island Stadium in Daytona Beach, FL sifting through over 75 players.

On Monday, March 7, 1983; they opened the season with a 9-7 win over the Birmingham Stallions at Legion Field in Birmingham, AL. This was the first professional football game ever broadcast on ESPN. Serbian kicker (via Central Michigan) Novo Bojovic kicked the winning field goal from 48 yards out in the waning moments to preserve the win.

The Panthers then dropped their next four contests, losing on Sat. Mar. 12 to the Tampa Bay Bandits (7-19); Sat. Mar. 19 at home to the Oakland Invaders (27-33); Sun. Mar. 27 at the Washington Federals (16-22 OT) and Mon. Apr. 4 at home to the Denver Gold (21-29). Their slow start was attributed mostly due to a very porous offensive line that struggled to create holes or time for their offensive stars. Management addressed the issue by signing a bevy of experienced offensive linemen in OT Ray Pinney (Pittsburgh Steelers), OG Tyrone McGriff (NY Giants) and OG Thom Dornbrook (NY Giants). Dornbrook and McGriff would both make USFL all-league teams in 1983.

After making those additions, the Panthers then won 11 of their next 13 contests and captured the Central Division Championship with a 12-6 record.

In the playoffs, the Panthers hosted the Western Division Champion Oakland Invaders before a then USFL-record crowd of 60,237. The Panthers' decisive 37-21 victory vaulted them to the inaugural USFL Championship Game in Denver, CO.

On July 17, 1983, the Panthers captured the USFL's first championship with a 24-22 win over the Atlantic Division Champion Philadelphia Stars. QB Bobby Hebert hit WR Anthony Carter on a 48-yard touchdown strike with 11:59 left in the fourth quarter for what proved to be the deciding score. Hebert was named MVP of the game, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns.

The Panthers wound up spending $6 million during the season--three times what USFL founder David Dixon recommended that a team spend in a single season. Nonetheless, some observers suggested that they could have been a fairly competitive NFL team.

The Panthers were expected to romp to another Central Division title in 1984. They were in a division with three expansion teams and a Chicago Blitz team that had swapped nearly all of its players with the last-place Arizona Wranglers. They initially didn't disappoint, sweeping their first six games. However, in the sixth game, a win over the expansion San Antonio Gunslingers, star receiver Anthony Carter broke his arm and was lost for the season. Without their chief offensive weapon the Panthers promptly went into a tailspin, losing eight of their next ten games (the Panthers' only wins in this stretch both came in overtime) to sink to a 8-8 record. Needing to win their last two games against Oklahoma and Chicago just to make the playoffs, Michigan did just that, finishing 10-8.

The first-round playoff game against the Los Angeles Express (in a less-than-tenth-filled Los Angeles Coliseum) turned out to be longest professional football game in history. The Panthers took a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter, only to have future Hall of Famer Steve Young throw a touchdown pass, then personally score the two-point conversion to knot the game at 21 with 52 seconds remaining. The Panthers had chances to win the game in both of the first two overtimes, but normally reliable kicker Nojo Bojovic missed field goals each time. Finally, in the third overtime, rookie Mel Gray (who ironically would later play for the Detroit Lions) ran 24 yards to give LA a 27-21 victory,, ending pro football's longest day after 93 minutes and 33 seconds of play time. (Gray's touchdown would prove to be painful for the young star -- the force of the tackle at the end of the play broke his arm.)

It turned out to be the Panthers' last game. After the 1984 season was over USFL owners, largely under the influence of New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump and Chicago franchise owner Eddie Einhorn began talking seriously about moving to a fall schedule in 1986. Although the Panthers had developed a loyal following, Taubman was a strong believer in the original spring football concept. He also had no desire to compete with the Detroit Lions, who were owned by his longtime friend William Clay Ford.

Taubman felt like the move was a foregone conclusion. As a result, after the merger between the Oakland Invaders and the Oklahoma Outlaws collapsed, Taubman quietly approached Invaders owner Tad Taube about a possible merger with his Panthers. When the league owners met to vote on moving to the fall, Taubman sent his son with a message for the commissioner --- if the teams voted to move to the fall, the Panthers would merge with the Invaders, with the Invaders as the surviving team. When the vote to play in the fall passed, the Panthers and Invaders announced their merger, with Taubman as part-owner of the Invaders.

After the USFL received only $3 in its antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, on which it had staked its survival, the league folded. The league's abandonment of the Detroit market was a major factor behind the adverse jury award.