Americans WFL Team Reunion


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PostPosted: Thu May 12, 2011 10:12 am
Players will get title rings 30 years after WFL victory

By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY

The Birmingham Americans won the ill-fated World Football League's only championship in 1974 amid chaos.
Even as they were defeating the Florida Blazers 22-21 in early December at Legion Field, the sheriff's department prepared to raid the locker room to confiscate uniforms and equipment from the financially troubled franchise. The team reconstituted the next season as the Vulcans, but several of the Americans who had left town after the title game never received their World Bowl rings.

Expect much flashing of jewelry July 9-10 when the Americans hold a 30th reunion in Birmingham. Players without rings have been able to order replacements for $800, thanks to detective work by Dayton (Ohio) Daily News sports writer Chick Ludwig. Reunion organizers hope to find sponsors to defray the costs.
"I'm elated these guys will finally get rings," former Americans receiver Dennis Homan says.

Ludwig, researching a book on the Cincinnati Bengals, learned of the lost rings from Paul Robinson, the Bengals' first 1,000-yard rusher and later a teammate of Homan's. Robinson, Ludwig says, told him the only thing he wanted was "the Birmingham Americans ring that I never got."

Ludwig began phoning the major ring companies across the country but came up empty. Then he tried calling some of the Americans. When he reached Homan in Florence, Ala., Homan went to his safe-deposit box and fetched his ring. He gave Ludwig the name of the maker, Jonsil Manufacturing in El Paso. Jonsil rep Carmen Gutierrez found the mold and began taking orders.

The WFL folded halfway through its second season, and its bold innovations — seven-point touchdowns, an "action point" instead of the kicked conversion, no fair catches on punts — were lost, as were the rings for Robinson, quarterback George Mira, fullback Charley Harraway and others.

"Some weeks we would get paid, and some weeks we wouldn't. The WFL was underfinanced," says Homan, 58, who played five seasons in the NFL after the Dallas Cowboys chose him No. 1 in 1968. "But we had a ball in Birmingham. ... I'm looking forward to seeing all of those guys."

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