Creation of the franchise

United States Football League founder Donald Dixon was a strong proponent of a USFL franchise in Washington, D.C.,^[1] and insisted on one despite the dominance of the National Football League′s Washington Redskins in the Washington market.^[1] Real estate magnate Marvin Warner originally was slated to own the Federals, but when the USFL announced it was fielding a team in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama – the team which became the Birmingham Stallions – Warner opted to take that franchise instead. The USFL then turned to prominent Washington attorney Berl Bernhard. He stood atop a murky ownership structure. The franchise was held by a limited partnership, Washington Football Partners, which was organized in the District of Columbia on August 20, 1982, with Bernhard's Capital City Sports Management as general partner. In turn, Washington Football Partners was owned by a joint venture that was operated by three corporations.^[2][1]

Financial projections submitted to potential investors in Washington Football Partners foresaw the Federals losing $1.12 million during the 1983 season, with anticipated revenues of $4.13 million – including $2.6 million in ticket sales – and expenses of just over $5.25 million. The Federals' efforts were severely hobbled when the Redskins won Super Bowl XVII on January 30, 1983 – their first NFL championship since 1942 – only 36 days before the Federals′ first game. The Federals' already sluggish ticket sales dried up almost completely.^[1]

The Federals played in Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. However, under pressure from the Redskins, the city refused to grant the Federals full access to its facilities. They were forced to practice on a small practice field across the street from a prison.^[2]

1983 season

The team lured Ray Jauch to be its head coach; he had previously guided the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers to success in the Canadian Football League. At the time he was the fourth-winningest coach in CFL history. The Federals initially made a splash by signing running back Craig James, one half of the famous "Pony Express" backfield at SMU.

More than any other team in the league, the Federals seemed dogged by inconsistency, bad timing, and terrible luck. A week before the season even began, their player personnel expert bolted to the NFL's New York Jets. The team changed quarterbacks almost weekly, with in-game quarterback changes in a number of games. Jauch's biggest mistake was probably giving the opening day starter, NFL veteran Kim McQuilken, the quick hook for rookie quarterback Mike Hohensee. From there the team never seemed to settle in with a quarterback for more than a few games in a row, and when McQuilken did play, he often pressed, forcing his throws into coverage. The team alternated between McQuilken and Hohensee, with occasional appearances by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback "Jefferson Street" Joe Gilliam, who was far past his prime; he had last played a meaningful professional down in 1975, and he only threw for 673 yards. The only other quarterback on the team was rookie Mike Forslund, who never played.

Injuries also dogged the team. James was sidelined for five games with a fractured vertebra. Hohensee only played in nine games all season. At one point, all of the Federals′ receivers had leg injuries. The Federals had good linebackers in Joe Harris, Dan Lloyd, and Jeff McIntyre, who was Washington's best outside linebacker and could cover receivers downfield and stop the run. McIntyre lead the team in tackles and sacks until an ankle injury sidelined him for the final six games.

The first game in franchise history was a portent of things to come; the Federals were drilled at RFK Stadium 28–7 by the Chicago Blitz, the preseason title favorites coached by former Washington Redskins coach George Allen. The game was played on March 6, 1983. The Blitz, led by former Detroit Lions and Baltimore Colts quarterback Greg Landry, raced out to a 28–0 lead. The Blitz held Washington to only one first down and a mere 24 yards total offense in the first half; Chicago led 21–0 before the Federals even recorded a second first down. By that time, Landry had hit 15 of his first 17 pass attempts, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Trumaine Johnson. McQuilken had a horrible debut as the Federals quarterback, and was replaced by back-up Hohensee; Hohensee accounted for the Federals only score, a 19-yard pass to Walker Lee. (The only positive was the attendance of 38,007; unfortunately, this was more than double what the Feds would draw in any of their 17 other games played in Washington.)

The next week went even worse for Washington, as quarterback Hohensee, James, and wide receiver Reggie Smith all were injured. McQuilken could only muster three points of offense, while throwing two more interceptions.

In Week 3, the Federals led the Boston Breakers 16–9 with less than five minutes to go in regulation. However, two bad snaps on special teams led to a 19–16 loss.

Playing at home in Week 4, the Federals finally got a victory. They managed to defeat the Michigan Panthers, one of the better teams in the USFL and the eventual 1983 league champions. The Panthers were led by future NFL quarterback Bobby Hebert, and wide receiver Anthony Carter, one of the fastest players in the league. Federals quarterback Kim McQuilken had one of his better games, completing 24 of 48 passes and throwing for 324 yards. He threw three touchdown passes and gave up only one interception, by Panthers linebacker Robert Pennywell; it led to a game-tying score on a pass from Hebert to Derek Holloway. The game went into overtime, during which Washington won on a 22-yard pass from McQuilken to Joey Walters.

In Week 6, the Federals led the Arizona Wranglers 21–16, only to have a potential game-sealing drive stall on the Wranglers′ 2-yard-line. The Wranglers' first play from scrimmage after that was a 98-yard touchdown pass – the longest in USFL history.

The Federals saved their best game for last in the 1983 season, playing at home against the Philadelphia Stars. The Stars, who entered the game with a record of 15–2, were a dominant team who had crushed Washington 34–3 earlier in the season. At first, it seemed like it was going to be another blow-out loss for the Federals, who entered the game with a record of 3–14. The Stars, led by all-league quarterback Chuck Fusina, built a 14–0 lead in the first half, but McQuilken hit Stan Rome with a 19-yard touchdown pass to cut Philadelphia's lead to 14–6 at halftime. In the second half, Federals rookie linebacker Mike Corvino helped stop two late Stars drives with a sack and an interception. Former New York Giants running back Billy Taylor got in on the scoring for Washington with a six-yard run in the third quarter, and the Federals added two points on the conversation. McQuilken scored his first touchdown as a pro with a one-yard run for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. Lane had his best day ever as a professional, catching 17 passes for 170 yards, and the Federals shocked the league by defeating the Stars 21–14.

The Federals finished with a record of 4–14, in last place in the USFL's Atlantic Division and tied with the Arizona Wranglers – against whom they finished 1–1–0 for the year – for the worst record in the league. The only USFL all-star on the team was reserve running back Eric Robinson, whose kickoff return for touchdown vs. the Tampa Bay Bandits at RFK Stadium was the only kickoff return for a touchdown in the USFL in 1983.

Despite initial fears at the season's start that they had little going for them other than James^[2] – who rushed for 823 yards during the season^[1] – the Federals were far more competitive in 1983 than their 4–14 record indicated. Eight of their losses were by a touchdown or less. They had a fair amount of offensive talent and skill players with comparatively good depth, and they finished the season third in the league in passing attempts.^[1] The Federals had pulled off an upset win over the Atlantic Division champion Philadelphia Stars to complete the season and had defeated both teams – Philadelphia and Michigan – who played in the 1983 USFL championship game. In spite of a tremendous number of on-field mistakes, the Federals might have been almost a .500 team – and perhaps even a 12–6 team – with just a few lucky breaks. The Federals had started the season 1–13, but they had a strong finish going 3–1 in the last four games, and it appeared that the Federals had finally learned how to turn a close game into a win. The franchise had grounds for optimism as it considered its prospects for its second season in 1984.

The Federals' marketing efforts were crippled by the Redskins' Super Bowl victory only 36 days before the Federals′ first game.^[1] Washington-area fans largely viewed the Federals with indifference, and the Federals averaged only 13,800 fans per game in 1983 in a 56,000-seat stadium. Revenue from ticket sales amounted to no more than a third of the $2.6 million projected before the season.^[1] Even after taking on several investors who had initially tried to get a USFL franchise for Cleveland,^[3] the Federals were still starved for capital. Years later, Bernhard said that he had seriously underestimated the expenses associated with pro football.^[2]

1984 season

Despite losing millions of dollars in 1983, Bernhard was committed to another season in Washington. The Federals had a lot of reasons for optimism in 1984. The 1983 team had played with heart under Jauch, taking better teams down to the wire even at the end of the season. The USFL added six new teams for the 1984 season, and with the league-wide talent pool expected to be diluted by expansion, the 1984 schedule seemed likely to include a number of very winnable games. With McQuilken's post-season retirement, the team had an undisputed and seemingly capable starter at quarterback in Hohensee. The Birmingham Stallions' acquisition of Cliff Stoudt made their 1983 quarterback Reggie Collier available, and the Federals added him for depth in 1984 alongside Hohensee and rookie Lou Pagley. Star running back Craig James had recovered from his 1983 injury and was healthy for 1984. It seemed like the pitfalls that Jauch had fallen into in the first season might be missed this time around. Player familiarity with the system and their teammates and having a proven winner like Jauch as a coach suggested the Federals were bound to deliver better results in 1984.

Unfortunately, the 1984 season unraveled in a hurry. The league scheduled the Federals to open against the expansion Jacksonville Bulls, probably in an effort to help the get the Federals off to a good start with an easy win. Unfortunately, that plan backfired; hours before the game, the Federals hobbled their defense by cutting all three of their starting linebackers, and the Bulls crushed the Federals 53–14. "We played like a group of untrained gerbils," Bernhard said after the game.^[1] In an effort to save face, Bernhard fired Jauch three days after the game and replaced him with his offensive coordinator, former Maryland Terrapins and Dallas Cowboys running back Dick Bielski.

In Week 2 James suffered a season-ending injury. His frequent injuries had disappointed the Federals. For his part, James wanted to play before larger crowds than the Federals could draw. A little over a month into the season, the Federals granted James his release to allow him to sign with the NFL's New England Patriots.

Although the defense was awful throughout the season, the offense was respectable in the last 12 games or so. Hohensee played fairly well for a second-year starter and finished the season with a very respectable – by USFL standards – passer rating of 72.2. Halfback Curtis Bledsoe replaced James as the team's featured running back, rushing for a respectable 1,080 yards and seven touchdowns in 1984. Wide receiver Joey Walters caught 98 passes for 1,410 yards and seven touchdowns and made The Sporting News 1984 USFL All-Star Team, becoming the Federals' main star.

Despite the successes of Hohensee, Bledsoe, and Walters, Washington opened the season with eight straight losses and suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of all six expansion teams;^[1] among their season lowlights were two losses to the expansion Pittsburgh Maulers, who won only three games all season.^[1] The Federals finished with a record 3–15, tied with the Maulers for both last place in the USFL's Atlantic Division^[1] and the worst record in the league.^[1]

Fan support dwindled further; the Federals only averaged 7,700 fans per game in 1984, well below 1983's disappointing average. The home opener drew almost 26,000 fewer fans than the 1983 opener;^[1] it nonetheless was the biggest home crowd of the season. On April 14 the Federals offered free T-shirts to the first 10,000 fans through the turnstiles for a game against the Oklahoma Outlaws, but only 6,075 showed up,^[1] and the crowd of 4,432 who came to RFK Stadium to watch the Federals play the Memphis Showboats on May 6 during a day-long rainstorm was the smallest crowd in USFL history at the time.^[1][7]

1985 Orlando Renegades schedule and results

Sources^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

1985 Orlando Renegades opening day roster

1985 Orlando Renegades final roster