With stagnant salaries creating player unrest in the NFL, Gary L. Davidson, a driving force behind the formation of American Basketball Association and World Hockey Association, seized upon the opportunity to create a league to compete with the NFL, calling it the World Football League (WFL). Knowing that NFL players might be willing to join the fledgling league if it could prove its viability, the WFL made a bold move that brought instant notoriety and struck a devastating blow to the NFL, announced the signing of three Miami Dolphins players, fullback Larry Csonka, halfback Jim Kiick, and wide receiver Paul Warfield, to what was then the richest 3-player deal in sports, an astounding 3.5 million dollars to start in 1975. The pact wasn’t a football contract per se, but a guaranteed personal services contract, so the three would be paid even if the WFL did not survive its first season.
In July of 1975 Sports Illustrated ran the story with a cover that featured the three former Dolphins, sporting their new Memphis Southmen uniforms, with the title "New Life in the WFL". Adding insult to injury, the pose of Csonka sitting on his helmet and Kiick leaning against the goalpost is identical to an August 1972 cover, then wearing Dolphins uniforms and being touted as "Miami's Dynamic Duo", a prelude to Miami's perfect season. Panic ensued as disgruntled NFL stars began to jump leagues; The Oakland Raiders lost both of their quarterbacks, Ken Stabler, to the Birmingham Americans and Daryle Lamonica to the Southern California Sun. The Dallas Cowboys lost running back Calvin Hill and quarterback Craig Morton. By June 1974, the WFL claimed they had some 60 NFL stars and regulars under contract. As strong as the WFL was with a loaded arsenal of NFL star talent, poor organization and widespread claims of financial hardship lead the cash strapped league to fold operations midway through the 1975 season.
Presented is a significant piece of football history, and a truly one of a kind item! This is the 1975 Memphis Showman game-used and autographed WFL jersey of Larry Csonka, as seen on the July 1975 cover of Sports Illustrated. This beautiful orange and brown “Sports Belle” jersey features tackle twill stitched brown and white identifiers, including individual letters “CSONKA” on the reverse, with a bold black sharpie signature of Csonka on the back left shoulder. No repairs are evident (the home field Liberty Bowl had one of the softest grass surfaces of the era) but displays great game use with numerous dings and crinkling of the numerals and letters. LOA from Lou Lampson, PSA/DNA, Mile High Card Co.
***ADDENDUM*** Although the LOA from Lou Lampson mentions a letter from the wife of the owner of Liberty Sporting Goods, the aforementioned letter is not included.