- 1983
- 1984
- 1986
-
Generals Team Formation
From the beginning, USFL founder David Dixon placed a premium on putting a team in the New York area. Initially, real estate magnate and future U. S. President Donald Trump were tapped to own the team. However, he backed out after paying an initial installment on the franchise fee, hoping instead to buy the struggling Baltimore Colts of the NFL. ... -
New Owner Donald J. Trump
At 66 years old, Duncan soon tired of flying 2,000 miles from Oklahoma to New York to see his team play. He was not willing to be an absentee owner and decided to sell to a local buyer. After the 1983 season, he found one in Donald J. Trump, who had initially angled for the franchise in 1982 before backing ... -
Advocating Moving the USFL
Almost from the moment, Trump bought the Generals, he sought to use them as a vehicle to get an NFL team. To this end, he began advocating moving the USFL from a spring schedule to a fall schedule, directly opposite NFL. His long-term plans called for moving the Generals across the Hudson River to New York, which had not had ...
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League (USFL) established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983–85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0–2 in postseason competition.
Established
1983
City
New Jersey
League History
1983 – 1986 / United States Football League
Team History
1983 – 1986 / New Jersey Generals
Nickname
Generals – The primary logo was a gold five-star general wreath. The team was the second in the New York metropolitan area to be known as “Generals,” there having been a professional soccer team in the late 1960s known as the “New York Generals.”
Original USFL Team
Yes
Final USFL Team
Yes
Team’s Final Outlook
The Generals merged with the Houston Gamblers during the extended offseason, adding such stars as quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver Ricky Sanders. However, the USFL’s “Dream Team” never took the field. The 1986 season was cancelled after the USFL won a minimal verdict in an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL; the league folded soon afterward.
Championship
USFL Championship 0
Stadium
1983 – 1985 / The Meadowlands
Owner
1984 – 1985 / Donald Trump
1983 / J. Walter Duncan and Chuck Fairbanks
Coaches
1984 – 1985 / Walt Michaels (25 wins – 13 losses)
1983 / Chuck Fairbanks (6 wins -12 losses)
Accomplishments
1985 / Division Championship Game (vs Baltimore Stars 17 – 20)
Averaged 35,004 in 1983, 37,716 in 1984 and 41,268 in 1985 (80,242 seat stadium)
Herschel Walker’s record USFL 2,411 rushing yards
*Blue is this team’s history