The 1984 season for the Memphis Showboats was an uphill battle from start to finish. The team stumbled out of the gate, dropping their first four games in increasingly painful fashion. They opened at home with a competitive 27–34 loss to the Philadelphia Stars, but momentum quickly unraveled in a trio of blowouts, including a demoralizing 24–63 defeat at Birmingham. By Week 5, however, the Showboats finally broke through with a 22–10 win over the Denver Gold, followed by another victory against the Jacksonville Bulls. Those back-to-back wins offered a glimmer of hope, pushing their record to 2–4.
Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived. Memphis entered a brutal midseason stretch that saw them lose six straight games. Inconsistent quarterback play, turnovers, and a defense that bent and frequently broke left the team unable to keep pace with higher-scoring opponents. Despite flashes of offensive talent, particularly from Gary Shirk (84 catches, 862 yards, 10 TDs) and return ace Derek Crawford (1,713 kickoff return yards and a TD), the team struggled to finish drives and control games. Walter Lewis and Mike Kelly both showed promise at quarterback, with Kelly in particular shining in limited duty (15 TDs, 125.0 passer rating), but Lewis’s 19 interceptions and ball security issues limited offensive stability.
The defense, though hardworking, was overworked. Standouts like linebacker Ricky Minor (113 tackles) and defensive back Jeff Dameron (125 tackles, 2 INTs) were constantly asked to do too much. Reggie White and Calvin Clark provided some pass-rushing spark (11 combined sacks), and the secondary came up with 14 interceptions on the year, including two pick-sixes. However, blown coverages and missed assignments in key moments often swung close games in the wrong direction. Memphis allowed 30+ points nine times, including in both matchups against Birmingham and Jacksonville, underscoring their season-long struggle to get stops.
Despite a late-season rally—winning three straight in Weeks 11–13, including a 27–10 upset at Oakland and a thrilling 20–17 home victory over Tampa Bay—the Showboats couldn’t build lasting momentum. Losses in the final two weeks, including a lopsided 24–43 finale against Houston, dropped them to a disappointing 3–15. Special teams was one of the few bright spots: Alan Duncan was outstanding, hitting 97.6% of extra points and converting 29 of 36 field goals (80.6%), and punter Rick Partridge averaged a solid 41.6 yards per punt. The 1984 campaign was certainly frustrating for Memphis, but with a more stable quarterback situation and continued development from their young playmakers, the groundwork was laid for a much-improved 1985.
1984 Memphis Showboats Roster
uarterbacks
- Lewis – QB
- Kelly, M – QB
- Johnson – QB
Running Backs
- Reid – RB/KR
- Quarles – RB
- Ford – RB/KR
- Peneranda – RB
- Fitzgerald – RB
- Pittman – RB/KR
- White, B – RB
- Williams, L – RB
Wide Receivers
- Crawford – WR/RET
- Carney – WR/KR
- Sandilands – WR/PR
- Jordan – WR
Tight Ends
- Shirk – TE
- Heflin – TE
Offensive Line
- Huffman – G
- Kuehn – G
- Norfleet – G
- McGriff – C-G
- Rubens – C
- Dalatri – T
- Pfohl – T
- Roberts, G – T
- Stevenson – T
Defensive Line
- White, R – DE
- Clark – DE
- Gunn – DL
- Williams – DL
- Walker – DL
Linebackers
- Minor – LB
- Jeffers – LB
- Howard – LB
- Shoate – LB
- Beardon – LB
- Grant – LB
- Harper – LB
Defensive Backs
- Thomas – CB
- Bussey – CB
- Dameron – WR/CB/PR
- Love – S
- Major – S
- Potter – DB
- Williams, M – DB
Special Teams
- Partridge – P
- Duncan – K