1987 Arena Football League season
1987 Arena Football League season | |
---|---|
League | Gary Mullen, DEN |
The 1987 Arena Football League season was the first season, also known as the "demonstration season", of the Arena Football League (AFL). The league champions were the Denver Dynamite, who defeated the Pittsburgh Gladiators in ArenaBowl I.
Events
The Arena Football League played its inaugural season in 1987 with four teams to introduce the sport to the American public. The
A fifth arena football team, the Miami Vise, played one exhibition game in 1987, later dubbed the "Showcase Game." The Vise defeated the Bruisers, 33–30, on February 26 but did not carry over to the regular season that summer. The AFL formally kicked off on Friday, June 19, 1987, when the host Pittsburgh Gladiators hosted the Washington Commandos at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh before 12,177 fans.
AFL football officially began at 7:37 pm EDT that night when Washington's
The head coaches of the four AFL teams in 1987 were former CFL great Ray Jauch (Chicago), future longtime AFL coach Tim Marcum (Denver),[1] Joe Haering (Pittsburgh) and Bob Harrison (Washington).
Some of the notable performers for Chicago in 1987 included QB
The Denver Dynamite would also featured a backup QB that would go on to an NFL head coaching career:
Continuing the theme of quarterbacks who would go on to future coaching opportunities was Gladiators QB Mike Hohensee, who yielded the starting role with Pittsburgh early in the season to Brendan Folmar. Hohensee would return to the ArenaBowl nineteen years later in July 2006 by capturing ArenaBowl XX as head coach of the Chicago Rush.
Gladiators WR Russell Hairston had a 67 catches in 1987, good for 1,126 yards and 18 touchdowns (in just 6 games) and would go on to win AFL MVP honors. Also notable on the Pittsburgh roster was DB Mike Stoops who went on to coach the University of Arizona in 2005.
The Washington Commandos featured a high-scoring unit that had WR Dwayne Dixon (68 catches, 11 TDs) and QB Rich Ingold, who led the AFL with 29 TD passes and 1,726 yards.
ArenaBowl I that year featured the Gladiators hosting the Dynamite at Civic Arena; the Pittsburgh fans, however, went home disappointed as the Dynamite walked away with a 45–16 victory,[3] a win that was the first of seven ArenaBowl titles for Denver coach Tim Marcum.
Standings
Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | PF (Avg.) | PA (Avg.) | STK | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-Pittsburgh Gladiators | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | 268 | 199 | 44.6 | 33.1 | L 2 | ||
x-Denver Dynamite | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | 261 | 252 | 43.5 | 42 | W 2 | ||
Washington Commandos | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 288 | 273 | 48 | 45.5 | W 1 | ||
Chicago Bruisers | 2 | 4 | 0 | .333 | 217 | 310 | 36.1 | 51.6 | L 1 |
y – clinched regular-season title
x – clinched playoff spot
Playoffs
ArenaBowl I | ||||
1 | Pittsburgh | 16 | ||
2 | Denver | 45 |
Awards and honors
Regular season awards
Award | Winner | Position | Team |
---|---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player |
Russell Hairston | Wide Receiver/Defensive Back | Pittsburgh Gladiators |
Ironman of the Year | Billy Stone | Fullback/Linebacker | Chicago Bruisers |
Coach of the Year | Tim Marcum | Head coach | Denver Dynamite |
All-Arena team
Position | First team | Second team |
---|---|---|
Quarterback | Rich Ingold, Washington | Whit Taylor, Denver |
Fullback/Linebacker
|
Chris Brewer, Denver
|
Durell Taylor, Denver Walter Holman, Washington |
Wide receiver/Defensive back | Gary Mullen, Denver Russell Hairston, Pittsburgh Dwayne Dixon, Washington |
Mike Stoops, Pittsburgh Reggie Smith, Chicago Lenny Taylor, Washington |
Defensive lineman
|
Brent Johnson, Chicago Craig Walls, Pittsburgh Jon Roehlk, Washington |
Michael Witteck, Washington
|
Kicker | Nick Mike-Mayer, Chicago | Dale Castro, Washington |
Team movement
# of Teams | Expansion Teams | Folded Teams | Suspended Teams | Returning Teams | Relocated Teams | Name Changes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 |
References
- ^ a b c Joey Bunch (October 22, 2012). "Denver Dynamite exploded in Arena League's first season, then fizzled out". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
- ^ "And Now, Your Chicago Bruisers". Chicago Tribune. June 16, 1987. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
- ^ "Arena Football League Championship : Taylor Leads Dynamite, 45–16". Los Angeles Times. August 2, 1987. Retrieved February 19, 2013.