Return of the Birmingham Americans
Reunion set for Magic City's only pro football champs
By SCOTT ADAMSON
BIRMINGHAM POST-HERALD
A crowd 58,000 strong screamed in unison as members of the
World Football League's Birmingham Americans were introduced one-by-one by the
public address announcer.
George Mira of the University of Miami.
Art Cantrelle of LSU.
Steve Williams of the University of Alabama.
Larry Willingham of Auburn University.
None of those introductions were heard, however — nor would they be heard at
13 home games played that season. Pro football had come to the Magic City, and
the Magic City showed its appreciation by being loud and proud each time the
"Ams" stepped onto the astroturf tucked inside Legion Field.
For today's generation, that team and those players mean nothing.
To many fortysomethings and older football fans, however, the scene from July
10, 1974, conjures up bittersweet memories of a gridiron Camelot.
"The Americans came along at the right time," said Greg Allred, who is
spearheading a team reunion set for next month. "I think a lot of it has to do
with the rich history of football in Alabama, when you think about Alabama and
Auburn.
"The Americans just fell in lock step with that tradition. What was so
special is that it was pro football in Birmingham, and it was one of the first
times Alabama and Auburn fans could sit together and cheer for the same team.
They didn't have to divide their loyalties with the Americans."
The World Football League came on the scene 30 years ago, and Birmingham was
one of the organization's 12 flagship franchises. Starting play in early July —
at a time when the National Football League was facing the possibility of an
extended strike — it promised to be big-time football for the long hair and
leisure suit set.
Featuring off-the-wall nicknames (the Philadelphia Bell, Portland Storm,
Chicago Fire and Memphis Southmen) and wild uniforms (the Southern California
Sun sported magenta jerseys and orange pants) it was a league with attitude to
spare.
It just ran out of money.
Fast.
"I'm in my early 40s, and guys like me were kids back in 1974," Allred said.
"We weren't thinking about owners or salaries or anything like that, we just
knew we had a pro football team and the first time I saw the Americans play I
became hooked.
"This was my team, and as far as I was concerned the WFL was better than the
NFL."
The new league certainly made every effort to differentiate itself from the
NFL. In 1974 pro football still featured goalposts on the goal line and kickoffs
were attempted from the 40-yard line.
The WFL moved the posts to the back of the end zone, closed in the hashmarks
to create more play in the center of the field, and decided the ball would be
kicked off from the 30.
Its biggest rule innovations were seven-point touchdowns, along with an
"action point." Instead of kicking a PAT, a team had to run or pass from the
two-and-a half yard line for the extra point.
Receivers needed just one foot in bounds on receptions; fair catches were
illegal on punt returns; and games that were tied at the end of regulation went
into two, seven and-a-half minute overtimes.
"A lot of those rules really caught people's attention, including mine,"
Allred said. "I never forgot the seven-point touchdowns or the action points. I
still think they're great rule innovations."
There isn't much Allred has forgotten about the Americans, even though he
attended only a handful of games. Even after the WFL went under in October of
1975, Allred continued to pine for the days when Birmingham got its first real
taste of pro football.
Over the years he began collecting memorabilia, and now oversees a website
that pays tribute to the Americans and the city's 1975 franchise, the Vulcans.
More than 50,000 people have logged onto the site (wfl1974.com), which Allred
admits is a work in progress.
"Probably a third of it is functioning right now," Allred said. "I'm hoping
to get it to the point where it has a lot of photos, videos and research
information. I have an audio from the Americans first game against Southern
California, and I keep searching around for more stuff."
Several years ago on the ESPN Classic series Lost Treasures of the NFL, a
segment on the WFL was featured. When officials at NFL Films started looking for
information about the league, Allred was their man.
"It was neat to have a small part in that program." Allred said. "But as I
got more involved with the Americans and the WFL in general, I learned that
there were a whole bunch of people out there who remembered their favorite teams
from the WFL and had there own memories and collectibles.
"I've gotten to know several of them over the years and it really keeps our
interest in the league up."
Due to his bond with the WFL Allred has made contact with former players and
coaches throughout the years. It was a conversation with former Birmingham
standouts Dennis Homan and Jim Bishop that led to the reunion plans.
"We had met up over the winter and started talking about how the 30-year
anniversary of the WFL was coming up," Allred said. "The more we talked, the
more Dennis Homan got excited. He said I should try to get the guys together for
some kind of a reunion. He said he thought most of the guys would be in favor of
it.
"I really didn't know where to begin to try to get in touch with these folks.
But three guys with a lot of interest in the WFL — Gene Crowley, Tony Walls and
Richie Franklin — all jumped in and started helping, and before you knew it we'd
gotten in touch with most of the players and coaches."
Matthew Reed, who spilt quarterbacking duties with Mira as an American and
had the job to himself as a Vulcan, has committed to the reunion. So have Mira,
Cantrelle, Willingham, John Matlock, Warren Capone, Paul Robinson and several
others.
"Just about all the stars have said they'd come," Allred said. "Johnny Musso,
who played for the Vulcans, said he'd try to make it, and there are still a few
guys we haven't gotten in touch with yet."
Jack Gotta was the coach of the Americans, and when he moved up to general
manager of the Birmingham franchise in 1975, Marvin Bass took the reins of the
team.
"Coach Gotta wants to come, but he lives in Calgary now and isn't sure if he
can," Allred said. "And Coach Bass is in his 80s and doesn't travel much
anymore, so he probably won't be here. But I'm just amazed at how many guys have
already committed.
"When you think this was 30 years ago and the league didn't even last two
years, it's great to know how meaningful it is to the guys involved."
The Americans opened the 1974 season with an 11-7 victory over Southern
California, thanks primarily to an interception return for a touchdown by
Williams.
The next week Birmingham traveled to Randall's Island to take on the New York
Stars, and despite trailing 29-3 at the half Gotta's club rallied for a 32-29
conquest.
Week three marked a return to Legion Field, where a league record 63,000 were
on hand to watch the Ams whip Memphis, 58-33. When the season ended Birmingham
was unbeaten at the Gray Lady, finishing with a 17-5 record overall and claiming
the first and only World Bowl championship with a 22-21 win over the Florida
Blazers.
Unfortunately for fans of the Americans — and the WFL as a whole — it was
obvious the league was in trouble long before the inaugural campaign ended.
After the Ams won the league title at Legion Field, sheriff's deputies
entered the locker rooms at half-time to confiscate the team's equipment. The
helmets, pads and jerseys were later sold to help pay off the team's debts.
In 1975 the league resurfaced under new management, but made it only halfway
through the schedule before it was shut down.
The final WFL contest was played Oct. 19. 1975, with the Vulcans defeating
the Southmen, 21-0 at Legion Field.
"That was sad when it ended," Allred said. "For those of us in Alabama who
had never had an NFL team to call our own, this was the big leagues. The
Americans and Vulcans were our teams, and you never considered the fact that
they wouldn't be around forever.
"And they didn't last forever, but a lot of us still remember. That's why I
wanted to get this reunion going. I'm just excited to have a chance to relive a
little bit of those glory days again."
The reunion is tentatively slated for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and
events surrounding it will take place July 9 and July 10.
Published Monday June 7, 2004
This Article posted with permission of the
Birmingham Post Herald
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