Story of the USFL

Below is a loose (very loose) chronology of the headline stories from the USFL: Herschel Walker signs on When football was F-U-N Young signs with Express The Class of '84 Marcus Dupree: The phenom Blitz 'em in Chi ... uh, Buffalo Only the sky was their limit The cradle of NFL coaching? Perpetual motion (The pursuit of) USFL trivia The Donald (Trump, of course) The $3.76 lawsuit Stick with the plan Landeta and Flutie -- Greg Garber

You will not find his name among the USFL's leading rushers of 1984; Marcus Dupree was not one of the 10 men who rushed for 1,000 yards that season. He managed a modest 681 yards and nine touchdowns for the New Orleans Breakers as a 19-year-old rookie while his teammate Buford Jordan ran for 1,276 yards.

It turned out to be Dupree's most productive professional season. The anticipation, the humongous hype was something else altogether.

"I was supposed to be the next big thing," Dupree said from his home in Shreveport, La. "No, it didn't shake out that way."

At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Dupree was the prototypical running back, a dazzling combination of strength and power and speed -- in high school. He carved up defenses for 5,284 yards at Philadelphia (Miss.) High School from 1978-81, then gained 955 yards as a freshman for Barry Switzer at the University of Oklahoma. He was the Fiesta Bowl MVP after running for 239 yards -- despite missing nearly half of the game with a sore hamstring. All of this inspired novelist Willie Morris to write a book, "The Courtship of Marcus Dupree", which came out in 1983, the same year he transferred to Southern Mississippi after a rift with Switzer. He never played a down for the Golden Eagles.

Walker's signing as an underclassman a year earlier had created havoc within collegiate athletics. The USFL was moved to say it would stay away from players with college eligibility remaining. But when a U.S. District judge ruled that the league's rule constituted a boycott in violation of the law, Dupree -- who had been ruled ineligible by the NCAA -- became fair game.

His rights belonged to the N.J. Generals, who held his territorial rights, but when the Breakers gave up a first-round draft choice, he was theirs. In March, 1984 he signed a $6 million, five-year contract. While only the $1.1 million signing bonus was guaranteed, it was more money than the 19-year-old had ever seen -- or imagined.

"I had a great time in New Orleans," Dupree said, his voice breaking into a high cackle. "You're 19 years old and you've got all your high school buddies with you. It was the best time of my life.

"I didn't even think about (the money). You're playing ball, having fun. I met a lot of great people. Sooner or later, I knew I'd get hurt."

	“	I had a great time in New Orleans. You're 19 years old and you've got all your high school buddies with you. It was the best time of my life. ”
		— Marcus Dupree on starting his career with the New Orleans Breakers

There was a knee surgery in 1985 and another in 1986. By the time, he was ready to run again, the league had folded. In 1990, former Breakers head coach Dick Coury, by now an assistant for the Los Angeles Rams, convinced the NFL team to sign his old running back. Dupree, who had lost a step or two, played in 15 games over two seasons. One of the greatest high school running backs ever, scored exactly one touchdown in the NFL.

Today, Dupree is the general manager of the Bossier City Battle Wings, an entry in arenafootball2 (af2), the AFL's minor league. There are teams like the Charleston Swamp Foxes and the Hawaii Islanders and the Cape Fear Wildcats. Dupree is only 38. There are a host of menial jobs to be done for the Battle Wings, but, surprisingly, Dupree -- who is several dozen pounds above his playing weight -- has no complaints.

"Not everybody can be Marcus Allen and have that long career, you know," Dupree said, without a trace of bitterness. "I couldn't have -- wouldn't have -- done it any different."

Next: Blitzing them in Chi-uh, Buffalo

Greg Garber is a senior writer at ESPN.com.