1990 NAFL season (Jayverse)

The 1990 NAFL season was the 71st regular season of the North American Football League.

This was also the first full season for Paul Tagliabue as the league's Commissioner, after taking over from Pete Rozelle midway through the previous season.

ABC was given the rights to televise the two additional playoff games. Meanwhile, Turner's TNT network started to broadcast Sunday night games for the first half of the season while ESPN will be bringing Sunday night games for the Second Half of the Season.

Not Only That Tempo has secured rights to air Saturday Night Games for the Second Half of the Season., ESPN will air Saturday Night Games the First Half of the Season

On October 8, the league announced that the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award would be named the Pete Rozelle Trophy.

Late in the season, with the Gulf War looming closer, the NAFL announced that starting in Week 16 (and continuing until Super Bowl XXV), the league would add American flag decals to the back of the helmet for Teams in the United States only. The flag would return on a permanent basis in 2001 following the September 11 attacks.

Rookie Draft
The 1990 NAFL Rookie Draft Saw Illinois QB Jeff George being crowned the Top Draft Choice to the Birmingham Vulcans, The Washington Sentinels took Richmond Webb (T) from Texas A&M as their Second Draft Choice

Other Picks chosen were as follows

Los Angeles Rams draft Bern Brostek (C)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Eric Green (TE)

Winnipeg Bombers draft Steve Zatylny (WR)

San Diego Destroyers draft Junior Seau (LB)

Ottawa Canadians draft Cortez Kennedy (DT)

Arizona Firebirds draft Anthony Thompson (RB)

Southern California Sun draft Mark Carrier (CB)

Boston Patriots draft Chris Singleton (LB)

Toronto Huskies draft Jock Climie (WR)

Atlanta Falcons draft Steve Broussard (RB)

Seattle Orcas draft Terry Wooden (LB)

Dallas Texans draft Emmitt Smith (RB)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Ben Smith (SS)

Green Bay Packers draft Tony Bennett (DE)

Montreal Alouettes draft Shannon Sharpe (TE)

New Orleans Saints draft Renaldo Turnbull (DE)

Cincinnati Chargers draft James Francis (LB)

Portland Storm draft LeRoy Butler (CB)

Edmonton Elks draft Steve Christie (K)

New York Jets draft Blair Thomas (RB)

Denver Broncos draft Alton Montgomery (SS)

Buffalo Bills draft James Williams (SS)

Kentucky Bourbons draft Bryce Paup (LB)

Houston Oilers draft Lamar Lathon (LB)

Minnesota Vikings draft Mike Jones (TE)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Ian Beckles (G)

Miami Dolphins draft Keith Sims (G)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats draft Richard Nurse (WR)

Calgary Stampeders draft Dave Sapunjis (WR)

Oakland Invaders draft Dan Owens (DE)

Kansas City Colts draft Percy Snow (LB)

Sacramento Condors draft John Randle (DT)

Chicago Bears draft Fred Washington (DT)

Saskatchewan Roughriders draft Glen Scrivener (DT)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Keith McCants (DE)

Detroit Lions draft Andre Ware (QB)

New York Giants draft Rodney Hampton (RB)

Cleveland Browns draft Leroy Hoard (RB)

San Francisco 49ers draft Dexter Carter (RB)

Indianapolis Racers draft Anthony Johnson (RB)

Honolulu Raiders draft Aaron Wallace (LB)

Memphis Steamers draft Reggie Cobb (RB)

Washington Sentinels draft Brian Mitchell (RB)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Neil O'Donnell (QB)

Ottawa Canadians draft Mike Philbrick (DT)

Arizona Firebirds draft Larry Centers (FB)

Seattle Orcas draft Chris Warren (RB)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Fred Barnett (WR)

Green Bay Packers draft Jackie Harris (TE)

Cincinnati Chargers draft Harold Green (RB)

New York Jets draft Rob Moore (WR)

Denver Broncos draft Carl Coulter (C)

Houston Oilers draft Kimble Anders (FB)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Mohammed Elewonibi (T)

Oakland Invaders draft Eric Davis (CB)

Kansas City Colts draft Tim Grunhard (C)

Chicago Bears draft Johnny Bailey (RB)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Tony Mayberry (C)

New York Giants draft Matt Stover (K)

Cleveland Browns draft Rob Burnett (DE)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Barry Foster (RB)

Arizona Firebirds draft Johnny Johnson (RB)

New York Jets draft Terance Mathis (WR)

Kansas City Colts draft Dave Szott (G)

Final Standings
NFC East: Montreal Alouettes (8-8), Toronto Huskies (8-8), Washington Sentinels (7-9), Philadelphia Eagles (5-11), Baltimore Ravens (5-11), New York Giants (4-12)

NFC North: Green Bay Packers (9-7), Indianapolis Racers (9-7), Kansas City Colts (9-7), Chicago Bears (8-8), Detroit Lions (8-8), Kentucky Bourbons (6-10)

NFC South: Jacksonville Sharks (15-1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4), Mexico City Diablos (11-5), Dallas Texans (10-6), Arizona Firebirds (5-11), New Orleans Saints (5-11)

NFC West: Sacramento Condors (12-4), Seattle Orcas (12-4), Denver Broncos (9-7), Portland Storm (9-7), Las Vegas Gamblers (7-9), San Francisco 49ers (4-12), Los Angeles Rams (3-13)

AFC East: Buffalo Bills (10-6), Ottawa Canadians (9-7), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-8), Brooklyn Barons (8-8), Boston Patriots (6-10), New York Jets (5-11)

AFC North: Cleveland Browns (11-5), Minnesota Vikings (10-6), Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-7), Cincinnati Chargers (7-9), Pittsburgh Steelers (4-12), Winnipeg Bombers (3-13)

AFC South: Miami Dolphins (10-6), Houston Oilers (10-6), Memphis Steamers (8-8), San Antonio Gunslingers (7-9), Atlanta Falcons (6-10), Birmingham Vulcans (6-10)

AFC West: Oakland Invaders (12-4), Honolulu Raiders (11-5), Southern Califorrnia Sun (10-6), Calgary Stampeders (10-6), Edmonton Elks (9-7), Vancouver Lumberjacks (7-9), San Diego Destroyers (4-12)

Playoffs
AFC Wildcard: Miami def. Calgary 27-24, Buffalo def. Honolulu 55-21

NFC Wildcard: Green Bay def. Tampa Bay 35-34, Seattle def. Montreal 35-17

AFC Divisional: Cleveland def. Miami 28-21, Oakland def. Buffalo 17-10

NFC Divisional: Sacramento def. Green Bay 52-27, Jacksonville def. Seattle 31-27

AFC Championship: Cleveland def. Oakland 27-19

NFC Championship: Sacramento def. Jacksonville 50-47

Super Bowl XXV (at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, FL): Sacramento def. Cleveland 41-19

NAFL All-Star Game (at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ): NFC def. AFC 41-16

League Leaders
Passing Yards - Grover Stern (Cincinnati) 5,215

Passing TD's - Ron Sally (Jacksonville) 50

Passing Rating - Ron Sally (Jacksonville) 135.3

Rushing Yards - Joe Morris (NY Giants) 1,559

Receiving Yards - Brian Hickman (Vancouver) 2,008

Total Points - Long Bruce (Kansas City) 151

Tackles - Erick Reis (Mexico City) 128

Sacks - Dion Atherton (Memphis) 16

Interceptions - Travis Bradley (Sacramento), William Lucas (Detroit) & Timothy Rutledge (Atlanta) 8