Tampa Bay Bandits – Bandit Ball! Stealing Wins and Lighting Up the Scoreboard!
Vital Info
Founded: 1983
Stadium: Tampa Stadium
Head Coach: Steve Spurrier
Divsion: South
1986 Season
Record: 0 – 0
Next Game: at Oklahoma Outlaws (1986 Kickoff Weekend)
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Roster Highlights
Franchise History
Tampa Bay Bandits – A History of High-Flying Offenses & Near-Misses (1983-1985)
“From Growing Pains to Glory—The Bandits’ Rise Under Spurrier”
1983: A Rough Debut (6-12) – “The Year the Bandits Were Robbed”
- Injury Woes: The Bandits’ inaugural season was derailed early when their starting QB went down, forcing Spurrier to scramble at quarterback.
- Spurrier’s Learning Curve: The “Fun ‘n’ Gun” offense showed flashes but lacked consistency, and the defense struggled in shootouts.
- Silver Lining: Despite the losing record, the Bandits were fun to watch, laying the foundation for future success.
1984: Breakout Year (13-5) – “The Two-Headed Monster Arrives”
- Dual 1,000-Yard Rushers: Gary Anderson (elusive scatback) and Greg Boone (power runner) became the first Bandits teammates to both rush for 1,000+ yards in a season.
- Reaves Finds His Groove: With a healthy QB and a dominant run game, Spurrier’s play-action passing attack torched defenses.
- Playoff Heartbreak: Lost a thriller to Birmingham in the playoff –Not yet ready.
1985: Championship-Caliber (14-4) – “So Close, Yet So Far”
Anderson Shines Again: Rushed for another 1,000+ yards, but Boone’s role diminished (
Reaves’ Veteran Leadership: The old gunslinger thrived in Spurrier’s system, throwing for 3,500+ yards and 30+ TDs.
USFL Championship Loss: Fell to the Chicago Blitz in a high-stakes showdown—blown out when it mattered most.