Pittsburgh Maulers
| Pittsburgh Maulers | |
|---|---|
 
|
|
| Founded | April 28, 1983 |
| Folded | October 26, 1984 |
| Based in | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Home field | Three Rivers Stadium |
| League | USFL |
| Division | Atlantic Division |
| Team History | Pittsburgh Maulers (1983–1984) |
| Team colors |
Purple, Renaissance Red, Gray, White |
| Head coaches |
Joe Pendry (2–8) Ellis Rainsberger (interim) (1–7) Hank Bullough (would be 1985 coach) |
| General managers | George Heddleston |
| Owner(s) | Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. |
Purple, Renaissance Red, Gray, White
The Pittsburgh Maulers were a team that competed in the 1984 season of the United States Football League. Their most prominent player was first pick overall in the 1984 USFL draft, running back Mike Rozier of Nebraska, who won the Heisman Trophy, collegiate football's most prestigious individual award.
They were owned by shopping mall magnate Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr., the father of Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr., then-owner of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League and the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. The Maulers played at Three Rivers Stadium.
No one was surprised when two groups filed for a Pittsburgh franchise in the winter of 1983. DeBartolo, Sr. was one of them—a considerable surprise, given his son's ownership of the 49ers. However, once he did apply, the other owners knew that he would lend the upstart league instant credibility and quickly approved his bid. Unusually, DeBartolo applied for the franchise in his own name rather than setting up a corporation or partnership. In fact, the NFL itself was threatening an investigation over a possible Cleveland Spiders-style conflict of interest due to the father owning a USFL team and the son owning an NFL team, an accusation both father and son insisted was not the case.
The Maulers opened their home season with a March 11, 1984 sellout crowd at Three Rivers Stadium facing the Birmingham Stallions, a team led by Cliff Stoudt, the former 1983 starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a longtime backup to Terry Bradshaw. Stoudt had his former fans pelt him with snowballs and ice during the game. It would be the team's only sellout.
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