1988 NAFL season (Jayverse)

The 1988 NAFL season was the 69th Regular Season of the North American Football League.

This season marked the final coaching season for the legendary Tom Landry.

Major rule changes

 * A standard system of two time intervals between plays are established (and would be timed using the play clock): For normal plays, the offensive team has 45 seconds to snap the ball after the previous play is signaled dead. After time outs and other administrative stoppages, the time limit is 30 seconds beginning after the Referee signals that the ball is ready to resume play.
 * If a fumble occurs during an extra point attempt, only the fumbling player can recover and/or advance the ball. This change closes a loophole in the "Stabler Fumble Rule" that was enacted during the 1979 NAFL season in reaction to the Holy Roller Game.
 * The penalty for "Running into the kicker" is changed from five yards and a first down to just 5 yards.
 * Referees were outfitted with white hats while all other officials wore black hats, which was the standard practice in college and high school football. From 1979 through 1987, referees wore black hats while all other officials wore white hats.

Officiating changes
Johnny Grier became the first African-American in NAFL history to be promoted to referee. Grier replaced long time referee Bob Frederic, who retired in the offseason. Grier was the field judge in the previous season's Super Bowl.

Back to Baltimore
The St. Louis Gunners despite of getting 2 Quarterbacks in the '87 Draft has officially relocated to Baltimore, MD and will now become the Baltimore Ravens and will start playing in Memorial Stadium while a New Football Stadium at Camden Yards will be under construction and will open in 1995.

NAFL Rookie Draft for 1988
Winnipeg Bombers got the Top Draft Choice in the 1988 NAFL Draft to select LB Dan Wicklum from Guelph, The Miami Dolphins picking 2nd selected SS Bennie Blades from Miami (FL), Eastern Kentucky DE Aaron Jones was selected to the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 3rd pick, Oakland Invaders select Nebraska DE Neil Smith as the 4th pick in the draft, Clemson DT Michael Dean Perry was chosen to the Montreal Alouettes as the 5th pick, Denver Broncos draft DT Ted Gregory as the 6th pick, Hamilton Tiger-Cats draft Shawn Daniels (RB) from Bowling Green as the 7th Pick, The 8th Pick the San Diego Destroyers draft Anthony Miller (WR) from San Diego State (Played College Football from Tennessee IOTL)

Selections for The Rest of the Draft

Baltimore Ravens draft Kevin Walker (LB)

Washington Sentinels draft Chip Lohmiller (K)

Los Angeles Rams draft Gaston Green (RB)

Kansas City Colts draft Kevin Porter (FS)

Dallas Texans draft Michael Irvin (WR)

Saskatchewan Roughriders draft Jeff Fairholm (WR)

Calgary Stampeders draft Mark McLoughlin (K)

Detroit Lions draft Chris Spielman (LB)

Houston Oilers draft Lorenzo White (RB)

New York Jets draft Dave Cadigan (G)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Keith Jackson (TE)

Green Bay Packers draft Sterling Sharpe (WR)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Tony Martino (P)

Kentucky Bourbons draft Randall McDaniel (G)

Toronto Huskies draft Paul Masotti (WR)

Cleveland Browns draft Clifford Charlton (LB)

Chicago Bears draft Brad Muster (RB)

Arizona Firebirds draft Ken Harvey (LB) Ottawa Canadians draft Orville Lee (RB)

Sacramento Condors draft Eric Allen (FS)

Edmonton Elks draft Brian Forde (LB)

New Orleans Saints draft Craig Heyward (RB)

Southern California Sun draft Marcus Cotton (LB)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Paul Gruber (T)

Atlanta Falcons draft Aundray Bruce (LB)

Buffalo Bills draft Thurman Thomas (RB)

Cincinati Chargers draft Rickey Dixon (CB)

Memphis Steamers draft Terry McDaniel (CB)

New York Giants draft Eric Moore (G)

Seattle Orcas draft James Hasty (CB)

Boston Patriots draft John Stephens (RB)

Minnesota Vikings draft Brad Edwards (FS)

Indianapolis Racers draft Chris Chandler (QB)

Honolulu Raiders draft Scott Davis (DT)

San Francisco 49ers draft Danny Stubbs (DE)

Winnipeg Bombers draft Rob Crifo (WR)

Miami Dolphins draft Brian Blades (WR)

Las Vegas Gamblers draft Ickey Woods (RB)

Baltimore Ravens draft Ferrell Edmunds (TE)

Dallas Texans draft Ken Norton (LB)

Saskatchewan Roughriders draft Ken Evraire (WR)

Houston Oilers draft Greg Montgomery (P)

New York Jets draft Erik McMillan (CB)

Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Dave Vankoughnett (C)

Kentucky Bourbons draft Dermontti Dawson (C)

Cleveland Browns draft Tony Jones (T)

Arizona Firebirds draft Tom Tupa (QB)

Sacramento Condors draft Tim Brown (WR)

New York Giants draft Jumbo Elliott (T)

Seattle Orcas draft Rufus Porter (LB)

Boston Patriots draft Jeff Feagles (P)

San Francisco 49ers draft Pierce Holt (DE)

Miami Dolphins draft Jeff Cross (DE)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Bill Romanowski (LB)

Houston Oilers draft Cris Dishman (CB)

Arizona Firebirds draft Chuck Cecil (FS)

Final Standings
NFC East: New York Giants (10-6), Toronto Huskies (9-7), Montreal Alouettes (7-9), Baltimore Ravens (6-10), Philadelphia Eagles (6-10), Washington Sentinels (1-15)

NFC North: Indianapolis Racers (14-2), Kentucky Bourbons (13-3), Kansas City Colts (10-6), Green Bay Packers (9-7), Detroit Lions (8-8), Chicago Bears (8-8)

NFC South: Jacksonville Sharks (12-4), Mexico City Diablos (11-5), New Orleans Saints (11-5), Dallas Texans (7-9),Tampa Bay Buccaneerrs (5-11), Arizona Firebirds (3-13)

NFC West: Sacramento Condors (9-7), San Francisco 49ers (9-7), Seattle Orcas (8-8), Las Vegas Gamblers (7-9), Portland Storm (7-9), Denver Broncos (6-10), Los Angeles Rams (4-12)

AFC East: Brooklyn Barons (14-2), Boston Patriots (12-4), Ottawa Canadians (10-6), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-8), Buffalo Bills (6-10), New York Jets (5-11)

AFC North: Minnesota Vikings (13-3), Cincinnati Chargers (8-8), Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-9), Cleveland Browns (7-9), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-10), Winnipeg Bombers (3-13)

AFC South: San Antonio Gunslingers (13-3), Memphis Steamers (10-6), Houston OIlers (9-7), Birmingham Vulcans (8-8), Atlanta Falcons (7-9), Miami Dolphins (3-13)

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

Playoffs
NFC Wildcard: Mexico City def. NY Giants 44-34, Sacramento def. Kentucky 9-6

AFC Wildcard: San Antonio def. Ottawa 52-13, Boston def. Oakland 45-21

NFC Divisional: Jacksonville def. Mexico City 45-31, Indianapolis def. Sacramento 31-28

AFC Divisional: Minnesota def. San Antonio 59-24, Boston def. Brooklyn 31-24

NFC Championship: Indianapolis def. Jacksonville 31-24

AFC Championship: Boston def. Minnesota 49-38

Super Bowl XXIII (at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, FL): Boston def. Indianapolis 42-38

NAFL All Star Game (at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO): NFC def. AFC 27-16

League Leaders
Passing Yards - Stephen Sewell (Chicago) 5,072

Passing TD's - Stephen Sewell (Chicago) 42

Passing Rating - Murray Hunter (Indianapolis) 120.2

Rushing Yards - Thurman Thomas (Buffalo) 1,598

Receiving Yards - Drew Hill (Chicago) 1,904

Total Points - Ryan Cantwell (Jacksonville) 157

Tackles - Darryl Talley (Kansas City) 131

Sacks - Angelo Halstead (Montreal) 18

Interceptions - Bill Bates (Dallas), Rod Perry (Birmingham), Fredric Robles (Brooklyn) & David Tijerina (Vancouver) 7