1985 Tampa Bay Bandits Season Recap: A High-Flying Ride That Fell Just Short
by: Marcus Turner, Tampa Bay Sports Tribune
Record: 14-4 (1st in USFL Eastern Conference)
Playoffs: Lost in USFL Championship to Chicago Blitz
Regular Season Dominance
The 1985 Tampa Bay Bandits were an offensive juggernaut under Steve Spurrier, blending a lethal air attack with a punishing ground game. Quarterback John Reaves (5,216 yards, 44 TDs) orchestrated the “Fun ‘n’ Gun” to perfection, while Gary Anderson (945 rushing yards, 11 TDs; 683 receiving yards) emerged as a dual-threat superstar. The Bandits led the league in scoring (33.1 PPG) and total offense (412.3 YPG), terrorizing defenses with:
- Elite WR Trio: Eric Truvillion (1,224 yards, 13 TDs) and Larry Brodsky (1,181 yards, 10 TDs) formed the USFL’s most dangerous receiving duo, while Willie Gillespie (776 yards) stretched defenses vertically.
- Balanced Ground Game: Anderson and Greg Boone (713 yards, 4.8 YPC) kept defenses honest, though Boone’s role diminished slightly from 1984’s historic two-headed monster.
- Bend-Don’t-Break Defense: Led by LB Eric Wilson (89 tackles) and CB Alvin Bailey (8 INTs), the defense forced turnovers (27 INTs) but struggled against elite QBs (39 TD passes allowed).
Playoff Heartbreak
After rolling through the regular season, the Bandits faced the Chicago Blitz in a title-game rematch of 1984’s thriller. The game was a shootout, but key mistakes doomed Tampa:
- Reaves’ Picks: Threw 3 critical INTs, including a late red-zone turnover.
- Anderson Neutralized: Held to 22 rushing yards as Chicago stacked the box.
Final Score: Blitz 42. Bandits 21 — a bitter end to a near-perfect season.
Offense
- QB: John Reaves, Jimmy Jordan
- RB: Gary Anderson, Greg Boone, Jerome Ledbetter, Ricky Williams (KR)
- WR: Larry Brodsky, Eric Truvillion, Willie Gillespie (PR), Steve Carter (RET), Spencer Jackson, Jim Fitzpatrick
- TE: Jerry Price, Marvin Harvey
- OL: Nate Newton (G), Kevin Krieg (G), Jerrell Franklin (G), Rufus Brown (T), Dan Fike (T), Smith R. (T), Pitcock (C-G), Foote (C), Lee North (C)
Defense
- DL: Mike Butler (DE), Ron Simmons (DL), Don Thorp (DT), Fred Nordgren (DL), James Ramey (DE), Mike Clark (DE), Mike Morgan (DE), Walter Carter (DL), Toby Williams (DE), Mark Studaway (DE)
- LB: Eric Wilson (OLB), Kevin Clark (LB), Fred McAllister (LB), Alonzo Johnson (LB), James Harrell (LB), Kelly Kirchbaum (LB), Keith Biggers (ILB)
- CB: Brian Hall, Warren Hanna, Alvin Bailey (RET), Bruce Vaughan (RET)
- S: Marcus Quinn, Zac Henderson, Brett Clark, King, Beaudoin, Dwayne Anderson (KR)
Special Teams
- K/P: Zenon Andrusyshyn