USFL Teams: Denver Gold

By Wikipedia

The Denver Gold was a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second major professional football league, playing a springtime season.

At a glance... Franchise Facts Established 1982 Located Denver, Colorado Owners Ron Blanding (1982-84) Douglas Spedding (1985) Records   W L T % 1983  7 11 0 .388 1984  9 9 0 .500 1985  11 7 0 .611 Postseason/Titles 1985 Lost to Memphis 48-7 Nicknames Denver Gold Stadium Mile High Stadium (75,123)

The Gold played their home games at Mile High Stadium. The Gold drew fans fairly well compared to some of the other USFL teams, and competed in all three of the USFL seasons actually contested (1983-1985).

See also: 1983 Gold, 1984 Gold, 1985 Gold

The Gold attempted to utilize some of the goodwill established by the rival NFL's Denver Broncos by involving former Broncos players and coaches in the Gold organization. The Gold were coached by former Denver Broncos coach Red Miller, and ex-Broncos quarterback Craig Morton. The were also coached by Mouse Davis in 1985. Davis was one of the authors of the Run and Shoot offense and had set NCAA records with it at Portland State.

It was announced that for the proposed 1986 fall season, the Gold would be merged with the Jacksonville Bulls, but instead they, and the USFL as a whole, were doomed by the ill-advised attempt to move the playing season to the fall in direct competition with the more established league, and the league's high-stakes anti-trust suit against the NFL, in which it was awarded only $3 and forced to fold afterwards.

Single Season Leaders

Rushing Yards: 1261 (1985), Bill Johnson
Receiving Yards: 1432 (1985), Leonard Harris
Passing Yards: 2695 (1985), Bob Gagliano

USFL Bibliography
Books:
The $1 League: The Rise and Fall of the USFL by Jim Byrne
The Sporting News Official USFL Guide and Register, 1984
The Sporting News Official USFL Guide and Register, 1985
USFL Media Guides (each team published one each year)

Magazines:
Kickoff Magazine (published by league; 9 issues per year + playoffs; sold at games)
The Sporting News (regular coverage + special "preview" inserts)

These and many other USFL items can be found at eBay - check our links on the far right of this page!