1984 Michigan Panthers: A Season of Adjustment

The 1984 season saw the Michigan Panthers follow up their historic undefeated 1983 season with a 10-8 record. After losing the 1983 Championship to the Chicago Blitz, they finished two games behind the Blitz to miss the playoffs. The rivalry between the two teams is quickly becoming one of the best in the young league. Look forward to many more classic battles between the Panthers and Blitz.

The Panthers started strong, getting out to a 7-2 record. They hit a rough patch, losing 5 in a row before bouncing back for 3 wins and ending the season on a sour note against the hated Chicago Blitz. The Panthers hope to avoid those mid season slumps in 1985 and beyond.

Quarterback Bobby Hebert performed admirably during the 1984 season, throwing for over 4000 yards. New running back J. L. Williams ran for over a thousand and Derek Holloway added 1000 yards receiving. On the defensive side, the Panthers boasted two players with oover 100 tackles and two others with only slightly less.

The pieces are all there for success going forward. The Panthers just need to work on more consistency, avoiding those mid season slumps, and finding a way to beat their division rival.

1984 Michigan Panthers Roster

Offense

QB: Bobby Heber, Whit Taylor
RB: J.L. Wiliams, Ken Lacy, Linnie Patrick, Cleo Miller, Al Bentley
WR: Derek Holloway, Walter Broughton, Anthony Allen, Anthony Carter, Don Echols (also TE), Frank McClain
TE: Mike Cobb, Ken O’Neal
OL: Wayne Radloff, Thom Dornbrook, Tyrone McGriff, Walt Graham, Ray Pinney, Chris Godfrey, Craig Lamb, Jerome Campbell

Defense

DL: Larry Bethea, Ron Paggett, Allen Hughes, Carlton Rose, John Banaszak, Reggie Singletary
LB: John Corker, Ray Bentley, Kyle Borland, Will Cokeley, Jay Doakes
DB: John Arnaud, Tom Moriarty, Ron Osborne, David Greenwood, Bobby Futrell, Clarence Chapman, Vito McKeever, Oliver Davis

Special Teams

Kicker: Novo Bojovic
Punter: Kyle Johnston