The USFL [United States Football League] was only around for three years [1983-85], but in its short existence, it put out a lot of quality talent, particularly quarterbacks, that would move onto the NFL and have amazing careers.
USA Football chairman Carl Peterson (general manager and president of the Philadelphia Stars, who played in all three USFL titles games and won the last two) joined Talk of Fame Network's Rick Gosselin on his podcast this week, and was asked to give his all-time USFL team.
Peterson came up with six names for his team, and they were all quarterbacks: Chuck Fusina, Bobby Hebert, Jim Kelly, John Reaves, Steve Young, and last, but certainly not least, Doug Williams.
Gosselin is all about putting a good poll together, so it's only fitting that he asked this question in regards to these six men: "Who was the best QB in the USFL?"
Here's what he wrote on Williams:
"A former first-round NFL draft pick of Tampa Bay, Williams bolted to the USFL in a contract dispute with the Buccaneers in 1984. He played one season with the Oklahoma Outlaws and a second with the Arizona Wranglers. He passed for 6,752 yards with 36 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. But those two seasons kept him active and laid the groundwork for his move to the Washington Redskins, where he became a Super Bowl MVP in 1988."
And to think, Williams was nearly traded from the Redskins to the Oakland Raiders before the start of the 1987 season.
Head coach Joe Gibbs had a change of heart at the last minute, and the rest was history.
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