1985 NAFL season (Jayverse)

The 1985 NAFL season was the 26th Regular Season of the North American Football League.

Major Rule Changes

 * Whenever a team time out is called after the two-minute warning of each half or overtime, it should only last a minute instead of 90 seconds.
 * A play is immediately dead anytime the quarterback performs a kneel-down (the quarterback immediately kneels down after receiving the snap) after the two-minute warning of each half, or whenever the player declares himself down by sliding feet first on the ground. The ball is then spotted at the point where the player touches the ground first.
 * Pass interference is not to be called when a pass is clearly uncatchable.
 * Both "Roughing the kicker" and "Running into the kicker" fouls are not to be called if the defensive player was blocked into the kicker.
 * The definition of a valid fair catch signal is clearly defined as one arm that is fully extended above the head and waved from side to side.
 * Goaltending (leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes through the goal posts) is illegal.
 * The officials' uniform changed slightly. Instead of wearing black stirrups with two white stripes over white sanitary hose, the officials began wearing a one-piece sock similar to those worn by players, black with two white stripes on top and solid white on the bottom.
 * Defensive backs were ruled to have an "equal right to the ball", meaning that pass interference would not be called if the defensive player was looking back attempting to intercept the ball, and that any contact with the receiver did not materially affect the receiver's ability to catch the ball.

Rookie Draft
The 1985 NAFL Draft First Pick went to British Columbia in which the Cardinals got CB Rick Ryan from Weber State) other Top Choices in the draft are as follows

Buffalo Bills draft Bruce Smith (DE - Virginia Tech)

Birmingham Vulcans draft Jerry Rice (WR - Mississippi Valley State)

New Jersey Generals draft Lee Rouson (RB - Colorado)

Los Angeles Express draft Steve Sewell (RB - Oklahoma)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Kevin Allen (T - Indiana)

Ottawa Northmen draft Nick Benjamin (G - Concordia)

Washington Redskins draft Raleigh McKenzie (G - Tennessee)

Sacramento Raiders draft Jessie Hester (WR Florida State)

Los Angeles Rams draft Jerry Gray (FS - Texas)

New York Empire draft Al Toon (WR - Wisconsin)

Halifax Schooners draft Ray Childress (DT - Texas A&M)

Saskatchewan Roughriders draft David Conrad (TE - Acadia)

San Francisco 49ers draft Bruce Collie (G - UT-Arlington)

Las Vegas Gamblers draft Randall Cunningham (QB - UNLV)

Denver Broncos draft Vance Johnson (WR - Arizona)

Memphis Grizzlies draft Walter Stanley (WR - Colorado)

Edmonton Eskimos draft Chris Doleman (DE - Pittsburgh)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Bill Fralic (G - Pittsburgh)

Miami Dolphins draft Lorenzo Hampton (RB - Florida)

Atlanta Falcons draft Mike Gann (DE - Notre Dame)

Baltimore Colts draft Chris Burkett (WR - Jackson State)

Oakland Invaders draft Reggie Langhorne (WR - Elizabeth City State)

Winnipeg Blue Bombers draft Pete Langdon (TE - Tennessee)

New Orleans Breakers draft Alvin Toles (LB - Tennessee)

Dallas Cowboys draft Kevin Brooks (DT - Michigan)

Chicago Bears draft William Perry (DT - Clemson)

Boston Patriots draft Audrey McMillian (CB - Houston)

Detroit Lions draft Lomas Brown (T - Florida)

Buffalo Bills draft Andre Reed (WR - Kutztown PA)

Cincinnati Bengals draft Eddie Brown (WR - Miami FL)

Indianapolis Checkers draft Duane Brown (LB - USC)

New York Giants draft Mark Bavaro (TE - Notre Dame)

San Diego Chargers draft Jim Lachey (T - Ohio State)

Green Bay Packers draft Ken Ruettgers (T - USC)

Toronto Argonauts draft Alex Troop (LB - Wilfrid Laurier)

Minnesota Vikings draft Issiac Holt (FS - Alcorn State)

Cleveland Browns draft Bernie Kosar (QB - Miami FL)

Seattle Jets draft Eugene Robinson (CB - Colgate)

Phoenix Firebirds draft Tory Nixon (SS - Arizona State)

Calgary Stampeders draft Randy Ambrosie (T - Manitoba)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats draft Dale Sanderson (C - Tennessee)

Houston Oilers draft Richard Johnson (FS - Wisconsin)

Portland Loggers draft Stacy Robinson (WR - North Dakota State)

British Columbia Cardinals draft John Ulmer (LB - North Dakota)

Montreal Alouettes draft Kevin Greene (LB - Auburn)

Final Standings
NFC East: New York Giants (10-6), Baltimore Colts (8-8), Philadelphia Eagles (8-8), Washington Redskins (6-10), Montreal Alouettes (6-10), New Jersey Generals (2-14)

NFC Central: Dallas Cowboys (13-3), Green Bay Packers (10-6), Minnesota Vikings (10-6), Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7), Chicago Bears (6-10), Cleveland Browns (4-12)

NFC Mountain: Denver Broncos (11-5), Calgary Stampeders (11-5), Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-6), Boise Steelheads (9-7), Salt Lake City Pioneers (8-8), Edmonton Eskimos (5-11)

NFC West: Honolulu Hawaiians (9-7), Portland Loggers (9-7), Los Angeles Rams (9-7), Las Vegas Gamblers (8-8), San Francisco 49ers (7-9), Tokyo Samurai (7-9), Reno Rhinos (5-11)

CFC East: Halifax Schooners (12-4), Ottawa Northmen (8-8), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-8), New York Empire (7-9), Boston Patriots (5-11), London Monarchs (3-13)

CFC Central: Toronto Argonauts (13-3), Indianapolis Checkers (10-6), Cincinnati Bengals (9-7), Buffalo Bills (6-10), Detroit Lions (6-10), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-11)

CFC South: Birmingham Vulcans (13-3), New Orleans Breakers (9-7), Atlanta Falcons (8-8), Houston Oilers (5-11), Miami Dolphins (5-11), Memphis Grizzlies (4-12)

CFC West: Seattle Jets (11-5), Los Angeles Express (11-5), Phoenix Firebirds (10-6), Oakland Invaders (9-7), British Columbia Cardinals (9-7), San Diego Chargers (8-8), Sacramento Raiders (6-10)

Playoffs
Halas Cup Quarterfinal

New York Giants 27, Green Bay Packers 20

Honolulu Hawaiians 35, Calgary Stampeders 31

Grey Cup Quarterfinal

Indianapolis Checkers 30, Halifax Schooners 0

Seattle Jets 50, Los Angeles Express 14

Halas Cup Semi-Final

Denver Broncos 45, New York Giants 24

Dallas Cowboys 30, Honolulu Hawaiians 18

Grey Cup Semi-Final

Toronto Argonauts 33, Indianapolis Checkers 7

Birmingham Vulcans 45, Seattle Jets 28

Halas Cup Final

Dallas Cowboys 45, Denver Broncos 42

Grey Cup Final

Birmingham Vulcans 52, Toronto Argonauts 31

26th World Series of Pro Football (at Legion Field in Birmingham, AL)

Dallas Cowboys 20, Birmingham Vulcans 17

The 1986 NAFL All-Star Game (at Mara Stadium in New York, NY)

Continental All-Stars 21, National All-Stars 17

Awards
League MVP: Steve Young (QB - Boise Steelheads)

Playoff MVP: Joe Montana (QB - Dallas Cowboys)

Offensive POTY: Steve Young (QB - Boise Steelheads)

Defensive POTY: Justin Purvis (LB - Cleveland Browns)

Offensive ROTY: Randall Cunningham (QB - Las Vegas Gamblers)

Defensive ROTY: Enrique Jolley (DE - Ottawa Northmen)