April 16th, 2022: Birmingham Stallions 28, New Jersey Generals 24

The summary below is from Bryan DeArdo's article for CBS Sports. 

I do not know who to credit for the images. The first of J'Mar Smith, was the "cover" image for the highlights package and the offensive line picture was shared by the USFL Twitter account uncredited.  

The USFL's first game had just about everything, including a game-winning touchdown in the final minute. The score, courtesy of Stallions quarterback J'Mar Smith, gave the Birmingham Stallions a 28-24, come-from-behind win over the New Jersey Generals. 

The two teams combined to score 24 points in the fourth quarter, with Smith's score coming on a 2-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left. Smith's touchdown came moments after the Generals took the lead on Nick Rose's 47-yard field goal with 1:54 left. Smith then led the Stallions on a game-winning, 59-yard drive while recording the first win of the USFL's 2022 season. The Generals lost despite gaining a jaw-dropping 222 rushing yards that included 98 yards and a score from quarterback De'Andre Johnson. 

Saturday's game started with a bang, with Generals quarterback Luis Perez hitting Randy Satterfield for a 48-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. The drive ended with Satterfield catching a 3-yard touchdown despite taking a nasty lick from a Stallions defender.  

The Stallions responded with a big play of their own, a 35-yard touchdown pass from Alex McGough to Osirus Mitchell less than four minutes into the game. New Jersey re-gained the lead by taking advantage of safety Shalom Luani's interception at the start of the second quarter. Facing a third-and-7 from the Stallions' 13-yard-line, Perez rolled to his right before hitting tight end Braedon Bowman in the end zone for the go-ahead score. 

With the score tied through three quarters, both teams scored touchdowns to start the fourth quarter. Johnson gave the Generals the lead on a 10-yard run, only to have the Stallions respond less than four minutes later when Smith found tight end Cary Angeline for a 28-yard score. Rose then gave the Generals a 24-21 lead before Smith executed a game-winning two-minute drill. 

Birmingham's offense scored touchdowns on its last three possessions. Most of the damage was done by Smith, who started in the second half in place of McGough, who was sidelined with an injury. After going 0 of 4 in the first half, Smith completed 11 of 17 passes for 156 yards in the second half. The Stallions also received a big game from Mitchell, who finished the game with 96 yards on five receptions.  

Birmingham's defense also came up with a few timely stops. The Generals were threatening to add to their lead before halftime when linebacker Scooby Wright forced a fumble of Perez that was scooped up by safety Nate Holley. With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, the Stallions' defense forced the Generals to settle for a field goal after JoJo Tillery tackled Johnson two yards shy of the first down on third-and-10. Birmingham's defense then forced three incomplete passes on the game's final three plays. 

I'll add to this if I come across additional coverage. 

As fun as that game was, relief was probably the more prominent emotion after the game. It looked like it was on its way to getting sloppy real fast after the teams traded touchdowns in their first drives. I was concerned that their performances would turn into a clown show and that people would dismiss the league on the basis of one bad half of football, similarly to what happened with the original incarnation of the XFL. I'm very glad that a good first impression was made.

"Birmingham Iron coach Tim Lewis embarks on a new chapter of his career"

For some reason, I've had a devil of a time locating an article specific to the hiring of Tim Lewis as head coach of the Birmingham Iron. It baffles me that it can be easier to find news stories from the 1974 Americans more easily than I can from two or three ago ago. 

I've found the one below from the Alabama News Center, written by Solomon Crenshaw Jr., and copied parts of it in case the link goes dead at some point. In the meantime, the full version can be found here.

Cut Day is a painful day on a pro football team, and Tim Lewis knows that as well as anybody.

The 57-year-old has been on the staffs of football teams – either as an assistant or as a coordinator – for 30 seasons. Twenty-two of those seasons were in the pro ranks, where men’s hopes of living the dream of a professional football player were dashed when they were called into an office and told their days with the team were over.

This year was tougher for Lewis than any before. As the head coach of the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football, he was the one who delivered the bad news to the men who didn’t make the 52-player roster.

“There were a couple of moments where I got choked up and had a difficult time saying goodbye to certain people,” Lewis said. “It is a difficult time. It’s a difficult thing. I’ve never had to do that."

Birmingham Iron Head Coach Tim Lewis prepares his team for its first game against the Memphis Express. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr./Alabama NewsCenter)

Lewis is experiencing a new part of the game as he prepares to lead the Birmingham Iron into its first game in the AAF, taking on the Memphis Express at 3 p.m. Sunday at Legion Field...

Iron running back Trent Richardson said it’s about time for Lewis to step into the top role.

“Really, I don’t see why he wasn’t a head coach in the beginning,” the former Alabama Crimson Tide runner said. “He should have been a head coach a long time ago because of the values that he has, and what he brings to the table is really bringing this team together.”

Lewis teaches his players like he does his three kids, Richardson said, and he cares about all his players.

“He’s a player’s coach and he really listens to the players,” Richardson said. “He actually played the game, so you look at stuff the way he has done stuff, growing up and the great players he has played with and coached … he’s one of the smartest guys out there.”

Lewis relishes the AAF’s nickname as the league of opportunity.

“(That’s) what they’ve been touting and that’s what I believe that they’ve given me, a wonderful opportunity to showcase, to do what I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he said. “I’m extremely grateful for that opportunity and I plan on making the most of it."

Lewis’ football life took off as a college player at the University of Pittsburgh and continued when he was drafted in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, taken 11th overall by the Green Bay Packers.

As a player, Lewis led or shared the lead on the team in interceptions in 1983 and 1985, finishing with a career total of 16. His 99-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 18, 1984, remains the Packers team record.

Wearing jersey No. 26, he played four NFL seasons before his playing career was cut short by a severe neck injury suffered during a Monday Night game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 22, 1986.

The Quakertown, Pennsylvania, native knew from the time he was drafted into the NFL that football would be his life. By spring 1987, the former Pittsburgh Panther was a grad assistant at Texas A&M...From there, he was:

Defensive backs coach at Southern Methodist (1989–1992) under head coach Forrest Gregg in the aftermath of the Death Penalty.

Defensive backs coach for the Pittsburgh Panthers (1993–1994) under Johnny Majors.

Defensive backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1995–1999) and defensive coordinator for the Steelers (2000–2003), each under Bill Cowher.

Defensive coordinator for the New York Giants (2004–2006) under Tom Coughlin.

Secondary coach for the Carolina Panthers (2007–2008) under John Fox.

Defensive backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks (2009) under Jim Mora.

Secondary coach for the Atlanta Falcons (2010–2014) for Mike Smith.

Defensive backs coach of the San Francisco 49ers (2015) under Jim Tomsula. He was let go once the season ended as part of a complete coaching overhaul.

With so many coaches in his past, which one has influenced him the most?

“Oh, my goodness, that’s a tough question,” Lewis said. “Bill Cowher was the one that I was with the longest, so I probably pattern myself after him the most. I like coach Jackie Sherrill; he was my college coach. He is still a mentor to me today.”

Stallions Standout Tom Banks

These pop up every now and again in the Birmingham Post-Herald of 1983 (and perhaps beyond, I'm not there yet). I suppose they were a nice little way to get fans familiarized with the players. Since offensive linemen don't tend to get quite the amount of press that the other positions do, a nod to the team's center seemed like a good one to share. 

Two days later, the Post-Herald ran a feature on Banks, copied below.

"Herbie's No Love Bug For USFL Ballcarriers"

The following article about Stallions linebacker Herbie Spencer appeared in the May 21st, 1983, Birmingham Post-Herald.

Once again, apologies for the lousy cropping but it reads straight down the left column to Herbie's image.

 

"Ams Came to town, Talked to Leonard"

This feature on Americans defensive back Cecil Leonard appeared in the August 4th, 1974, Anniston Star.

"Fire Is Team Riding High" - April 30th, Birmingham Post Herald

With this second consecutive victory, 16-12 over the San Antonio Riders, the Fire took first place in the division on tie-breaker. This drew a great amount of coverage particularly, but not surprisingly, from the Birmingham Post-Herald.

The following is a separate article headlined "Fire Secondary Cashing In" from the same newspaper.

"'Bolts Bruising Back Bulls Over Opposition" - February 19th, 2001, Birmingham Post-Herald

The XFL has some kind of announcement planned for tomorrow so their short-lived stay in Birmingham in 2001 is on my mind tonight.

While the announcement doesn't appear to be much more than a rebranding I cling to the possibility, however remote, that we'll be given hope that one day the Thunderbolts might return. I get that it's unlikely that a city could host two spring football teams, of course, but the notion of the two fighting it out for attention appeals to me.

For now, well be content with revisiting the Thunderbolts' second, and final, victory of their only season. The Post-Herald had a feature on James Bostic specifically so I include that below while the game summary is displayed on the team's page above.  

"Bouyer Finally Gets What's Coming To Him" - April 25th, 1991, Birmingham Post-Herald

Bouyer was one of my favourite players when I watched this team so upon starting to collect newspaper articles from that time, I was hoping I'd come across an article specific to him at some point. It comes as no surprise that he drew positive attention halfway through his first season.

1974, July 10th: California Sun 07 @ Birmingham Americans 11

Finally a game! Reading about the creation of the team is interesting, to be sure, but I was dying to get to some game action with this club. I don't know why it felt so long in coming compared to some of the other Birmingham-based franchises.

Coverage for this inaugural contest was pretty great across Alabama papers. The Selma Times-Journal won out mostly on the strength of the quality of that paper's scans. The first image is from the Birmingham Post-Herald. 

The following spotlight on defensive back Steve Williams came from the Montgomery Advertiser of the same day.

2001, Feb. 16th: Advertising for the Birmingham Thunderbolts vs Chicago Enforcers game

Luis Perez Signs With the New Jersey Generals

It's good to see former Birmingham Iron QB Luis Perez get picked up by the USFL's New Jersey Generals.

If you're here you're probably well aware that Perez was the quarterback for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF in 2019. I didn't know Perez from a hole in the ground when he was chosen by that team to be its QB but even if he blew hot and cold at times, he was an easy guy to like.

I look forward to seeing if he gets any playing time come the Generals/Stallions game. His presence adds a little something extra to that opening day match-up.

Luis Perez photo credit unavailable

1991, April 22nd, Birmingham Fire 31 @ Orlando Thunder 06

The Fire's win in Orlando drew huge coverage from the Birmingham Post-Herald. Where most papers (even others within the state) only dedicated a handful of paragraphs to the game, the BPH had nearly a page and a half.

It gives the sense that they were dying to have a good team to cheer for and it's too bad that the team was not able to be more dynamic that first season. Not that the Fire was terrible across the board but their offense was often difficult to watch. It didn't help to establish a fan base.