Birmingham Americans
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox American football team
The Birmingham Americans were a professional American football team located in Birmingham, Alabama. They were members of the four-team Central Division of the World Football League (WFL). The Americans, founded in late December 1973, played in the upstart league's inaugural season in 1974. The team was owned by William "Bill" Putnam, doing business as Alabama Football, Inc.
The club played all of their home games at Legion Field. The most successful of the World Football League franchises, the Americans led the league in attendance and won all 13 of their home games. They developed a reputation for come-from-behind victories and winning by narrow margins. The Americans finished the 1974 regular season at 15–5 and won the 1974 World Bowl by one point over the Florida Blazers.
Financially unstable due to investor reluctance and lavish signing bonuses paid to lure National Football League (NFL) players to the new league, the team folded after only one season. Most of the team's assets were seized to pay back taxes; failed lawsuits to recover the signing bonus money kept the team in the headlines long after the WFL was itself defunct. The Americans were replaced as the Birmingham WFL franchise for the 1975 season by a new team called the Birmingham Vulcans.
Franchise historyEdit
Atlanta businessman William R. "Bill" Putnam was awarded an expansion franchise for Birmingham in the upstart World Football League and secured a lease to play at Legion Field.<ref name="adn750327"/><ref name="espn091203"/> The five original investors in Alabama Football, Inc., all Atlanta businessmen, were majority owner Bill Putnam, Cecil Day, Lon Day, Jay Donnelly, and Erv Plesko.<ref name="740619K"/> Between them they had already invested over US$1.5 million in the franchise and hoped to find ten investors in Birmingham to buy in for an additional $150,000 each.<ref name="740619K"/> Unable to find local investors for the team, Putnam threatened to move the Americans from Birmingham before the start of the 1974 season.<ref name="pp741119"/> However, with more than 10,000 season tickets sold before the first game, the team's position in Birmingham was secured for the year.<ref name="tn740709"/>
Vince Costello, an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bengals, was chosen as head coach/general manager. A few days after the announcement, he turned down the job to become an assistant with the Miami Dolphins. Jack Gotta, head coach of the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League (CFL), was hired.<ref name="oc741205"/> Gotta put together a solid squad, including veteran quarterback George Mira, rookie passer Matthew Reed, wide receiver Dennis Homan, running back Charley Harraway of the Redskins, and former St. Louis Cardinals and Auburn standout safety Larry Willingham.<ref name="tn740709"/><ref name="db740330"/> Johnny Musso, a former Alabama fullback with the CFL's BC Lions, was the Americans' first round pick in the WFL's "pro draft" in March 1974.<ref name="cm740319"/><ref name=ergppdrf>Template:Cite news</ref> Birmingham selected 42-year-old retired professional basketball player and former Atlanta Hawks head coach Richie Guerin in the fortieth and last round of that draft,<ref name=ergppdrf/> drawing laughter from the audience.<ref name="td740319"/> Radio play-by-play duties were handled by Larry Matson with color commentary provided by a series of guest commentators.<ref name="gt740718"/>
1974 seasonEdit
Birmingham competed in the Central Division, along with the Chicago Fire, Memphis Southmen, and Detroit Wheels.<ref name="spt741004"/> The team began training camp on June 3 at the Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama, and broke camp during the first week in July.<ref name="tn740528"/> The Americans played a 20-game regular season with no pre-season games. (The team did however play one "controlled scrimmage" against the Jacksonville Sharks on Saturday, June 29, 1974.)<ref name="db740630"/> Most games were played on Wednesday nights with nationally televised games on Thursday nights.<ref name="sj740523"/><ref name="ll740728C"/> The Americans won their first ten games, finishing the regular season 15–5, in second place in the Central Division behind Memphis.<ref name="rn740912"/> Midway through the season, the World Football League Players Association was formed and Americans fullback Charley Harraway was selected to serve as its first president.<ref name="nyt740920A"/> Alfred Jenkins was named the team's Most Valuable Player for the 1974 season.<ref name="ajc930727"/>
First halfEdit
The Americans' first game was played on July 10, 1974, against the Southern California Sun in front of a crowd of 53,231 at Legion Field.<ref name="osb740711">Template:Cite news</ref> (The announced attendance of 53,231 was inflated. The actual attendance figure was 43,031 for the opening game, of which 41,799 had paid.)<ref name="SI">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="sj740819"/> Held scoreless by the Sun for the first three quarters and trailing by a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter, the Americans came back to win 11–7.<ref name="gt740711"/> In their first road game, the Americans overcame a 26-point deficit at halftime to win 32–29 over the New York Stars in front of 17,943 at Downing Stadium on July 17, 1974.<ref name="rn740718"/> The second home game, a 58–33 win over the Memphis Southmen on July 24, drew an announced attendance of 61,319 fans (actual attendance was 54,413 with 40,367 paying).<ref name="SI"/><ref name="sj740819"/><ref name="hj740809"/><ref name="nyt740725"/>
In the first of back-to-back games against the Detroit Wheels, Birmingham quarterback Matthew Reed scored the game-winning touchdown with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter to secure a 21–18 victory. The July 31, 1974, road win was witnessed by 14,614 fans in Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan.<ref name="tn740801"/> Reed led a four-play touchdown drive in the last 26 seconds of the Americans' third home game to give Birmingham another win, 28–22 over Detroit.<ref name="hj740808"/> An announced 56,453 (33,993 paying) fans sat through rain and foul weather to see the victory on August 7.<ref name="sj740819"/><ref name="hj740809"/> Weather was also a factor in the Americans' fourth home game as driving rain delayed the start of the August 14 game against The Hawaiians and reduced attendance to 43,297.<ref name="rn740815"/> Fans at Legion Field saw a halftime show featuring grass skirt-clad hula dancers with music provided by the Tuscaloosa High School marching band in addition to the 39–0 victory by Birmingham.<ref name="rn740815"/><ref name="ct740815"/>
The Americans travelled to Florida to face the Jacksonville Sharks, 27,140 Jacksonville fans, and the Sharks' new coach, Charlie Tate.<ref name="spt740822"/> Birmingham managed a 15–14 win with a touchdown by Charley Harraway and action point by quarterback Matthew Reed with 19 seconds remaining in the August 21 game.<ref name="spt740822"/> The Americans then went north to face the Chicago Fire on Thursday, August 29, 1974, in their first nationally televised game.<ref name="mj740830"/> Birmingham won that match-up 22–8 with 44,732 fans in attendance at Soldier Field.<ref name="mj740830"/>
A quick turnaround found the Americans back home for a Labor Day game against the Eastern Division-leading Florida Blazers on Monday, September 2, 1974, with 36,529 fans in the stadium.<ref name="osb740902"/><ref name="tn740903"/> A fourth quarter scoring drive kept Birmingham's winning streak intact with a narrow 8–7 win over Florida.<ref name="osb740903"/> Another short week found the Americans in action on Saturday, September 7, 1974, at home against the Chicago Fire.<ref name="bb740909"/> Weather was again a factor as Hurricane Carmen pushed "torrential rains" into the Birmingham area, drenching the field, the players, and the 54,872 fans in attendance.<ref name="hj740909D"/><ref name="nyt740908"/> A 34-yard field goal by Earl Sark with less than one minute to go in the game was the difference in Birmingham's 41–40 victory over Chicago.<ref name="bb740909"/>
Second halfEdit
Four games in just two weeks proved too much for the Americans as their ten-game winning streak came to an end on September 11 with a loss to the Memphis Southmen.<ref name="tn740919"/> After rallying for seven fourth-quarter comebacks in their first ten games, Birmingham lost 46–7 in front of a 30,675-strong crowd at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.<ref name="tn740912"/>
The Americans' nationally televised September 19 home game against the Houston Texans proved to be the last WFL game for Houston as the following week the Texans were taken over by the league and relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana.<ref name="tn740919"/><ref name="cm740919"/> Just 33,619 fans at Legion Field saw the 42–14 win for Birmingham, the beginning of a slow, downward trend in attendance figures that coincided with the start of college football season.<ref name="sr740920"/> The Americans who, in the words of UPI sportswriter Joe Carnicelli, "made the last-minute score almost their trademark", were upset 26–21 by the Portland Storm with 14,273 in the stands at Portland's Civic Stadium.<ref name="tn740926"/> The Storm scored the game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds left in the September 25 road contest.<ref name="bc740926"/>
The long flight across the Pacific Ocean did not help Birmingham for their October 2 game in Honolulu. The Americans lost 14–8 to The Hawaiians in front of 12,039 fans at Honolulu Stadium (demolished in 1976).<ref name="spt741004"/> Birmingham trailed after the first quarter but rallied to defeat the Portland Storm 30–8 in front of a below-average 25,621 hometown fans at Legion Field on October 9.<ref name="tn741010"/> The following week, on October 16, the Americans lost their third game in four weeks, falling 29–25 to the Southern California Sun before a crowd of 25,247 in Anaheim.<ref name="tn741017"/>
In mid-October, Americans team president Carol Stallworth announced that the team's remaining home games would start at 7 p.m. to "make it easier for our early-rising fans" than the original 8 p.m. kickoffs.<ref name="tn741017B"/> Also, the Americans' game schedule was adjusted to accommodate the league's shifting and struggling franchises. The October 23 game against the Shreveport Steamer scheduled for Birmingham would be played on the road in Shreveport instead and, in return, their November 13 match-up was relocated from Shreveport's State Fair Stadium to Birmingham's Legion Field.<ref name="tn741017B"/> On the road unexpectedly, the Americans suffered their only shutout of the season, falling to the Steamer 31–0 in front of 24,617 fans.<ref name="adn741024"/><ref name="tn741024E"/>
The October 30 game with the Florida Blazers was moved from Orlando to Birmingham, giving the Americans 11 home games in their 20-game regular season.<ref name="tn741017B"/> This was one of two home games relocated out of Orlando as part of a legal settlement between the WFL and Blazers ownership to sell the financially troubled team, pay off debts, and get checks to players who had not been paid since mid-September.<ref name="hj741019"/><ref name="td741130"/> Not included in the Americans' season ticket package, this extra home game tallied the lowest home attendance to date for the Americans with 21,872 present at Legion Field.<ref name="lat741031"/> In that game, quarterback George Mira injured his shoulder in the second quarter and rookie Matthew Reed came off the bench to lead the Americans to a 26–18 victory.<ref name="cm741031"/>
Birmingham scored all of their points in the first half of their November 6 home game against the Philadelphia Bell then fought off a second-half comeback attempt by Philadelphia to win 26–23 before 22,963 at Legion Field.<ref name="cm741107"/><ref name="td741110"/> With this victory, the team clinched a spot in the WFL playoffs but the Birmingham franchise's increasing financial woes put the playing of the final regular season game in doubt.<ref name="td741110"/> A deal with tax officials was worked out and the Americans wrapped up the regular season on November 13 with a 40–7 win over the Shreveport Steamer, marking three consecutive home game victories.<ref name="td741114F"/> With doubts as to whether this game would be played persisting until the day of the contest, ticket sales were poor; only 14,794 fans saw the final regular season game the Americans would play.<ref name="td741114F"/> Although they slumped to a .500 record in the second half, it was enough to finish second, behind Central Division-winning Memphis, at 15–5 and take the wild card slot in the six-team playoff series and earn a bye in the first round.<ref name="ll112184"/>
Post-seasonEdit
After receiving a bye from the quarterfinal playoff games, Birmingham beat the Western Division-winning The Hawaiians in the semifinals, 22–19, in front of a sparse 15,379 at Legion Field. The Americans advanced to host the World Bowl, the WFL's championship game, on Thursday, December 5.<ref name="ms741128"/> Unpaid since early October, the Americans players staged a walkout on the Monday before the title game demanding back pay.<ref name="oc741202"/><ref name="spt741205M"/> The players returned when team ownership promised to buy each player a championship ring.<ref name="espn091203"/> The game went forward and Birmingham beat the Florida Blazers by a point, 22–21.<ref name="oc741205"/><ref name="nyt741206"/> This game was played with 32,376 fans in the stands, over 20,000 fewer than had witnessed the Americans' first game just five months before.<ref name="oc741205"/><ref name="osb740711"/> This was the only championship game ever held by the WFL, as it folded 12 games into the 1975 regular season.<ref name="espn091203"/><ref name="usa040628"/>
Schedule and resultsEdit
| Key: | Win | Loss | Bye |
Regular seasonEdit
| Week | Day | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wednesday | July 10, 1974 | Southern California Sun | W 11–7 | 53,231 43,031/41,799 Template:Efn |
<ref name="osb740711"/><ref name="SI"/><ref name="sj740819"/><ref name="gt740711"/><ref name="lat740711"/> |
| 2 | Wednesday | July 17, 1974 | at New York Stars | W 32–29 | 17,943 | <ref name="rn740718"/> |
| 3 | Wednesday | July 24, 1974 | Memphis Southmen | W 58–33 | 61,319 54,413/40,367 Template:Efn |
<ref name="SI"/><ref name="sj740819"/><ref name="sp740726"/><ref name="ll740730"/> |
| 4 | Wednesday | July 31, 1974 | at Detroit Wheels | W 21–18 | 14,614 | <ref name="tn740801"/> |
| 5 | Wednesday | August 7, 1974 | Detroit Wheels | W 28–22 | 56,453 –/33,993 Template:Efn |
<ref name="sj740819"/><ref name="hj740808"/> |
| 6 | Wednesday | August 14, 1974 | The Hawaiians | W 39–0 | 43,297 | <ref name="rn740815"/><ref name="ct740815"/> |
| 7 | Wednesday | August 21, 1974 | at Jacksonville Sharks | W 15–14 | 27,140 | <ref name="spt740822"/> |
| 8 | Thursday | August 29, 1974 | at Chicago Fire | W 22–8 | 44,732 | <ref name="mj740830"/> |
| 9 | Monday | September 2, 1974 | Florida Blazers | W 8–7 | 36,529 | <ref name="osb740902"/><ref name="osb740903"/><ref name="ll740903"/> |
| 10 | Saturday | September 7, 1974 | Chicago Fire | W 41–40 | 54,872 | <ref name="bb740909"/><ref name="hj740909D"/> |
| 11 | Wednesday | September 11, 1974 | at Memphis Southmen | L 7–46 | 30,675 | <ref name="tn740919"/><ref name="tn740912"/> |
| 12 | Thursday | September 19, 1974 | Houston Texans | W 42–14 | 33,619 | <ref name="tn740919"/><ref name="sr740920"/><ref name="nyt740920"/> |
| 13 | Wednesday | September 25, 1974 | at Portland Storm | L 21–26 | 14,273 | <ref name="tn740926"/><ref name="bc740926"/> |
| 14 | Wednesday | October 2, 1974 | at The Hawaiians | L 8–14 | 12,039 | <ref name="spt741004"/> |
| 15 | Wednesday | October 9, 1974 | Portland Storm | W 30–8 | 25,621 | <ref name="tn741010"/><ref name="tch741010"/> |
| 16 | Wednesday | October 16, 1974 | at Southern California Sun | L 25–29 | 25,247 | <ref name="tn741017"/> |
| 17 | Wednesday | October 23, 1974 | at Shreveport Steamer | L 0–31 | 24,617 | <ref name="adn741024"/> |
| 18 | Wednesday | October 30, 1974 | Florida Blazers | W 26–18 | 21,872 | <ref name="lat741031"/><ref name="cm741031"/> |
| 19 | Wednesday | November 6, 1974 | Philadelphia Bell | W 26–23 | 22,963 | <ref name="cm741107"/><ref name="td741110"/> |
| 20 | Wednesday | November 13, 1974 | Shreveport Steamer | W 40–7 | 14,794 | <ref name="td741114F"/> |
PlayoffsEdit
| Game | Day | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-finals | BYE | <ref name="ll112184"/> | ||||
| Semi-finals | Wednesday | November 27, 1974 | The Hawaiians | W 22–19 | 15,379 | <ref name="ms741128"/><ref name="nyt741128"/> |
| World Bowl 1 | Thursday | December 5, 1974 | Florida Blazers | W 22–21 | 32,376 | <ref name="oc741205"/><ref name="nyt741206"/> |
Financial falloutEdit
In early November 1974, Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley filed suit in Jefferson County Circuit Court for a tax lien against the team's property. The suit sought to recover the $30,000 in state income withholding taxes and more than $57,000 in sales taxes for August and September 1974 (plus a then-undetermined amount due for October 1974) due to the state of Alabama. The judge ordered Jefferson County's sheriff to "attach the property, real, personal and mixed, of the defendant, wherever it may be in Jefferson County."<ref name="rh741111"/> The team also admitted it owed roughly US$14,000 in back sales taxes to both Jefferson County and to the city of Birmingham.<ref name="pp741115"/>
The Birmingham motel where the coaching staff had its offices evicted the team for non-payment on November 14.<ref name="pp741115"/> At that time, the Americans had not paid their players for five weeks, nor their staff and coaches for two weeks.<ref name="pp741115"/> On November 18, 1974, the Internal Revenue Service filed its own tax liens of about $237,000 against the Americans and $160,000 against team owner Bill Putnam.<ref name="gt741120"/>
Putnam announced at a press conference that he was trying to raise the funds to pay the team's debts. He reported that the team had taken in about $2.3 million in gate receipts to that point, which left him "only $300,000 short of operating the club", but revealed that the team had also "paid out over $1.2 million in bonuses to future players." He asserted that the team would not be in such dire financial straits if that bonus money had not been paid.<ref name="gt741120"/> Putnam said that he would need to raise $750,000 by November 28 so the team could pay back taxes due to the state, county, and city as well as the salaries of players who had not been paid in four weeks. He said "If the money comes from Birmingham, we'll stay here but if the money comes from people in Timbuktu who want the team in Timbuktu, them we'll move there." Putnam said a group from New York was interested in purchasing the Americans.<ref name="pp741119"/> Putnam speculated that one reason he had been unable to secure "local money" to invest in the franchise was that local interests were still hoping to bring an NFL franchise to the city.<ref name="gt741120"/>
Loss of propertyEdit
To attempt to pay back the debt and to allow the World Bowl to be played, the teams negotiated a deal with creditors to accept a portion of the gate receipts. After paying fixed costs associated with the game, the IRS and others due money would split 30 percent of the revenue with the teams receiving the remaining 70 percent to pay long-overdue player salaries.<ref name="oc741205"/> This revenue was split by the Americans and Blazers on a 60/40 basis with the World Bowl winners receiving the larger share.<ref name="oc741205"/> Based on gate receipts, each Americans player was to be paid about US$1,400 for their World Bowl play with each Blazers player taking home about US$1,000.<ref name="dbm741207"/>
Hibbett Sporting Goods had provided uniforms and football equipment to the Americans but still had not been paid US$38,800 by the end of the season.<ref name="cm741110"/> Immediately after the championship victory, members of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department seized the team's equipment and uniforms from the locker room.<ref name="br741206"/> One week later, Hibbett Sporting Goods began selling the reclaimed gear as souvenirs and Christmas presents in their retail stores.<ref name="dr741212"/>
Loss of playersEdit
Oakland Raiders quarterback Kenny Stabler signed a contract with Birmingham in 1974. In January 1975, a circuit court judge found that the team was in arrears on payment of the remaining US$30,000 due to Stabler of the US$100,000 he was guaranteed for 1974 and so ruled that the Americans were in breach of contract and thus Stabler was released.<ref name="db750107"/> The three-year deal was to have paid Stabler US$100,000 in both 1974 and 1975 while he played out his contract option with the Raiders and US$135,000 for the 1976 season when he would have been playing for the Americans.<ref name="ed750108"/> The judge ruled Stabler released from his contract and voided any debt to him by the then-struggling Americans franchise.<ref name="ed750108"/>
While the successor to the Americans, the Vulcans were a different organization and ownership from the Americans and did not assume any of their debts or obligations, including any of the Americans' player contracts.<ref name="tn750312"/> The Internal Revenue Service seized the Americans player contracts and placed them up for auction in March 1975 to pay the team's US$236,691 in overdue taxes but a judge ruled all of these player contracts breached and of no value.<ref name="tn750312"/><ref name="cm750311"/> In any case, the auction was cancelled when a judge ruled that Birmingham Trust National Bank had a valid prior claim to the contracts.<ref name="tn750401"/>
Loss of franchiseEdit
Newly elected WFL president Chris Hemmeter was determined to impose a measure of financial sanity on the league. Among other things, he insisted that all potential owners establish a $650,000 line of credit with the league. Putnam tried to find more local investors to meet this requirement, but there were few takers.<ref name=1974story>Birmingham Americans history at WorldFootballLeague.org</ref>
In late January 1975, Hemmeter revoked the Americans' franchise due to the team's chronic financial woes. Hemmeter stated that the Americans owed a total of $2 million in bills, taxes and missed player salaries. However, the league said it had every intention of placing a new team in Birmingham.<ref name="cm750123"/> Putnam responded by suing the league, demanding to be compensated with the rights to New York City. However, the suit went nowhere.<ref name=1974story/>
On March 7, 1975, Ferd Weil, as president of the board of directors of a new WFL franchise for Birmingham, announced that the Birmingham WFL team for 1975 would be called the Birmingham Vulcans, a name previously registered by a group of Birmingham businessmen who had been trying to secure an NFL franchise for Birmingham.<ref name="gt750308"/> The Vulcans began selling shares of stock to the general public. Priced at US$10 per share and sold only in blocks of 10 shares, the team hoped to raise $1.5 million with this offering.<ref name="td750320"/> The Vulcans officially secured the Birmingham franchise in April 1975. When the WFL folded for good 12 games into the ill-fated 1975 season, the Vulcans had the best record.<ref name="ct780716"/>
Legal pursuitsEdit
Kenny Stabler was not the only NFL player that the Americans signed to contracts but who never played for the WFL team. Detroit Lions wide receiver Ron Jessie was paid a $45,000 signing bonus in early 1974, to begin playing for the Americans in the 1975 season after completing his option year with the Lions.<ref name="sr780921"/> Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Jethro Pugh and offensive tackle Rayfield Wright each received a $75,000 signing bonus, with Pugh set to start playing for the Americans in 1976 and Wright in 1977.<ref name="ll740731"/><ref name="os791030"/> Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end L. C. Greenwood received a $50,000 signing bonus to play from 1975.<ref name="lc780530"/><ref name="pp750311"/><ref name="seton09"/> However, when the team folded both the WFL commissioner and a federal judge ruled that the player contracts had all been voided.<ref name="tn750312"/> These players remained in the NFL, playing neither for the Americans nor the successor Birmingham Vulcans team. Bill Putnam and his Alabama Football, Inc., still the legal owners of what little remained of the Americans' assets, made headlines through the late 1970s when he sued these NFL players claiming "breach of contract" to recover the signing bonus money.<ref name="sh791110"/> The players were ultimately able to keep the money after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in their favor.<ref name="sh791110"/><ref name="5th791109"/>
LegacyEdit
Financially devastated, former Americans team president Carol Stallworth became a bartender in a downtown Birmingham sports bar in early 1975.<ref name="adn750327"/><ref name="nyt750325"/> Most of the former Americans players signed on with the Birmingham Vulcans for the 1975 WFL season.<ref name="tn750709"/> Notable exceptions included star players Charley Harraway, Alfred Jenkins, Paul Robinson, and veteran quarterback George Mira.<ref name="tn750709"/> The Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association held "Jack Gotta Night" on December 26, 1976, in honor of the former Americans head coach.<ref name="tn761224"/>
By July 1976, Americans owner Bill Putnam was working to buy a World Hockey Association franchise and relocate it to Hollywood, Florida, as the "Florida Breakers".<ref name="td760727"/> The team was planned to start play in October 1976 with the Hollywood Sportatorium as its home ice.<ref name="td760727"/> In August 1976, Putnam announced that his plan had "collapsed" but he would continue his attempts to bring a hockey franchise to south Florida.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Fans of the team organized a reunion celebration held July 9–10, 2004, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Americans' first game played on July 10, 1974, against the Southern California Sun. One reason for the festivities was to help pay for the promised World Bowl championship rings that many players did not receive from the financial failing franchise.<ref name="espn091203"/> Dayton Daily News sportswriter Chick Ludwig discovered the omission while doing research for a book. He used his investigative skills to find that Jonsil Manufacturing in El Paso, Texas, made the original rings and could create replacement rings for $809 each.<ref name="usa040628"/><ref name="dd040710"/> The story received national attention which prompted Nestlé and the AF2 Birmingham Steeldogs to help sponsor the reunion at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham.<ref name="usa040628"/><ref name="dd040710"/>
Template:As of, three former Birmingham Americans players have been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Muscle Shoals native Dennis Homan, who also played in Super Bowl V for the Dallas Cowboys, was inducted in the Class of 1999.<ref name="ashof-dh"/> Oxford native Terry Henley, who also played pro football for the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, and New England Patriots, was inducted in the Class of 2000.<ref name="ashof-th"/> Cullman native Larry Willingham, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and retired for medical reasons in 1973 but made a comeback in 1974 with the Americans, was inducted in the Class of 2003.<ref name="ashof-lw"/><ref name="ala030318"/> Willingham and Henley were also elected to the Auburn Tigers football "1970s Team of the Decade".<ref name="ashof-th"/><ref name="ashof-lw"/>
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- 1974 Birmingham Americans stats & results at ultimate70s.com
- WFL1974 – a Birmingham Americans & Vulcans history site
- BirminghamProSports.com
- WFL Radio Network tribute site – includes audio clip from July 10, 1974, inaugural game
Template:WFL Template:Birmingham Alabama Pro Football Template:Good article