San Antonio Wings

San Antonio Wings
Logo
General information
FoundedJanuary 1975
FoldedOctober 1975
StadiumAlamo Stadium (25,000)
HeadquarteredSan Antonio, Texas
ColoursSky Blue & Cloud Silver
   
Personnel
OwnerNorman Bevan
General managerDuncan McCauley
Head coachPerry Moss
League / conference affiliations
World Football League
Western Division

The San Antonio Wings were an American football team who played a single season in the World Football League in 1975. The team started as the Florida Blazers in 1974, then moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1975, becoming the San Antonio Wings.

History

The Florida Blazers never drew well, leading team owner Rommie Loudd to openly discuss moving the team to Atlanta in the middle of the 1974 season. The players and coaches were not paid for three months. Shortly after the Blazers' defeat in the World Bowl, Loudd was arrested on tax evasion[1] and cocaine trafficking charges.[2] He was convicted on the latter charge and served three years in prison.[3] He was also sentenced to two years in prison for possession and distribution of cocaine.[4]

The Blazers were one of two teams, the other being the Detroit Wheels, to outright fold after 1974 with no direct replacement in their markets in 1975 (not counting teams that moved midseason). Only one expansion team would be added, with Norman Bevan buying the franchise rights and establishing a team in San Antonio.[5] The Wings ended up displacing the San Antonio Toros, which had spent the previous eight years as one of the most successful minor professional football teams in the United States.[6]

The new Wings were restocked with an expansion draft but retained 16 former Blazers, including running back Jim Strong and tight end Luther Palmer.[7] Larry Grantham, a linebacker on the 1974 Blazers, retired but joined the Wings' coaching staff. The team's head coach was Perry Moss, a former head coach at Marshall and a former NFL assistant coach; Blazers coach Jack Pardee, who wanted nothing more to do with the WFL, returned to the NFL during the offseason.

Quarterback Johnnie Walton, a relic from the old Continental Football League who had spent most of the early 1970s bouncing around NFL practice squads, led the WFL in passing in 1975.[8] The Wings held their home games at Alamo Stadium, which seated 25,000. San Antonio finished with a 7–6 record (winning all seven home games and losing all six road games) before the league folded on October 22, 1975.

1975 regular season

Key: Win Loss Bye
Week[9] Day Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Source
1 Saturday July 26, 1975 Charlotte Hornets W 27–10 Alamo Stadium 12,325 [10]
2 Saturday August 2, 1975 Shreveport Steamer W 19–3 Alamo Stadium 10,411 [11]
3 Saturday August 9, 1975 Southern California Sun W 54–22 Alamo Stadium 21,000 [12]
4 Saturday August 16, 1975 at Charlotte Hornets L 20–27 American Legion Memorial Stadium 8,447 [13]
5 Saturday August 23, 1975 at Jacksonville Express L 19–26 OT Gator Bowl Stadium 16,133 [14]
6 Saturday August 30, 1975 Portland Thunder W 22–0 Alamo Stadium 12,197 [15]
7 Saturday September 6, 1975 Southern California Sun W 30–8 Alamo Stadium 10,470 [16]
8 Saturday September 13, 1975 at Birmingham Vulcans L 24–33 Legion Field 12,500 [17]
9 Sunday September 21, 1975 Hawaiians W 30–11 Alamo Stadium 10,871 [18]
10 Sunday September 28, 1975 Memphis Grizzlies W 25–17 Alamo Stadium 16,283 [19]
11 Saturday October 4, 1975 at Philadelphia Bell L 38–42 Franklin Field 2,357 [20]
12 Sunday October 12, 1975 at Portland Thunder L 25–28 OT Civic Stadium 3,818 [21]
13 Sunday October 19, 1975 at Shreveport Steamer L 31–41 State Fair Stadium 8,500 [22]

References

  1. ^ "Orlando Boss Faces Charges". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 23, 1974. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "Ex-GM in WFL charged in drug ring". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. March 11, 1975. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  3. ^ "State Drops Charges Against Jailed Loudd". St. Petersburg Times. July 20, 1976. Retrieved June 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "Loudd Gets Two Years For Cocaine Possession". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. March 9, 1976. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  5. ^ Cook, Dan (March 21, 1975). "S.A. in WFL". San Antonio News. p. 1D. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Bragg, Roy (March 28, 2016). "Toros owner would be oddity today — he cared about people". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2025. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  7. ^ "Signing task faces Wings following special draft". San Antonio Light. May 19, 1975. p. 1C. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Wings had two leaders". San Antonio Light. October 26, 1975. p. 3G. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "1975 World Football League Results". Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  10. ^ Trowbridge, John (July 27, 1975). "Wings whip Hornets in opener". San Antonio Light. p. 1E. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Wings win another". The Houston Post. August 3, 1975. p. 2D. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Sun defense shredded". The Daily Breeze. Associated Press. August 10, 1975. p. E2. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Billings, Horace (August 17, 1975). "Sherman's passes pace Hornets' comeback win". Salisbury Evening Post. p. 1D. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Jax Express clips Wings in OT, 26–19". Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal. Associated Press. August 24, 1975. p. 2B. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Trowbridge, John (August 31, 1975). "Wings dismantle Thunder, 22–0". San Antonio Light. p. 1F. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Rausch, Gary (September 8, 1975). "Wings blitz Sun". Press-Telegram. p. C1. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Reed paces Vulcans". The Shreveport Times. UPI. September 14, 1975. p. 4D. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Wings no easy mark". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. September 22, 1975. p. C1. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Hardee, Gary (September 29, 1975). "Walton hurls Wings into playoffs". San Antonio News. p. 1D. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Bell pulls upset over San Antonio". The Patriot-News. UPI. October 5, 1975. p. C6. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Robinson, Barry (October 13, 1975). "Wings lose in OT, 28–25". San Antonio Express. p. 1D. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Ostrum, Bob (October 20, 1975). "Tough drills await Wings". San Antonio Light. p. 1C. Retrieved February 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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