I am counting down the top 25 players in USFL history, concluding with the announcement of the No. 1 guy on Sept. 10—the eve of the release date for Football for a Buck.
The list comes after years of writing and researching my book, as well as a lifetime of loving the long, lost spring football league.
There have been books throughout my career that were written because the moment was right. There have been books throughout my career that felt like pure labor (sorry, Roger Clemens). But Football for a Buck is pure passion. Everything about the USFL spoke to me. The colors. The uniforms. The nicknames. The stars. The scrubs. It felt real and gritty and authentic.
Hence, the book.
Hence, the list.
Also, a quick point: This has 0 to do with what the players later became. NFL accomplishments are insignificant here. It’s all about the USFL.
So, with no further ado …
No. 20: John Reaves
Quarterback
Tampa Bay Bandits (1983-85)
The USFL was the land of 10,000 amazing stories—and John Reaves’ saga was one of the absolute greatest. A star at the University of Florida, Reaves was the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-round pick in 1974 (14th overall in a draft that brought the world such luminaries as Franco Harris, Lydell Mitchell, Ahmad Rashad and Willie Buchanan). Yet alcoholism and drug abuse quickly turned him into a bust, and by 1981 he had bounced form the Eagles to the Bengals to the Vikings to the Oilers, with few pro football accomplishments to his name.
Then, the United States Football League called.
Steve Spurrier, his fellow ex-Gator quarterback, was named coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits, and he knew exactly who he wanted to run the show. Reaves was the perfect choice—he knew the offense, knew the system, still had a big arm and football smarts. Sure, he tossed far too many interceptions (in 1985, his 25 touchdowns were paired with a preposterous 29 picks). But the Bandits were a USFL force, and Reaves goes down as its third all-time leader in passing yards (10,011) and fourth in touchdowns (62).
Regrettably, the devoutly religious Reaves could never fully escape his demons. He battled off and on with substance abuse. I interviewed him for this book in 2016, about a year before he died at age 67.
From Football for a Buck …
Player No. 25: Tim Spencer
Player No. 24: Chuck Clanton
Player No. 23: Maurice Carthon
Player No. 22: Marcus Marek
Player No. 21: Jimmy Smith
Player No. 20: John Reaves
