1976 NAFL season (Jayverse)
The 1976 NAFL Season was the 57th Regular Season of the North American Football League. The year 1976 was also the Bicentennial of the United States as all NAFL Teams in United States did issue its own Bicentennial patch while The Dallas Cowboys did modify their helmet (red, white and blue stripes) to honor the year.
Expanding to 10 More in '76
With that announcement beginning in 1976, The Baltimore Colts decided to move to the NFC East to Rival with the Washington Capitals in which they were rebranded into the Sentinels to avoid Confusion with the NAHL Team of the Same Name, However the Los Angeles Chargers were sold to Cincinnati Reds owner Louis Nippert and is forced to move the Chargers to Cincinnati beginning this year and will be moved to the AFC North forcing the Calgary Stampeders and the Edmonton Eskimos to relocated from the AFC North to the AFC West as for the Expansion Teams the NFC North decided to expand to Milwaukee, WI led by Cable TV Executive Jim Fitzgerald (who also owned the NABA's Milwaukee Bucks) and will be called the Milwaukee Mustangs, The NFC South Made an announcement to expand to Mexico City, Mexico and will be called the Diablos and Tampa Bay, FL and will be known as the Buccaneers, And The NFC West expanded to Las Vegas, NV and will be called the Gamblers (led by a ownership group including Game Show Host, Monty Hall who wants to bring Let's Make a Deal to the City of Las Vegas for September of 1976) and The Sacramento Condors based in Sacramento, CA
As for the AFC, The Hamilton Tiger-Cats (named after the Former CFL Team) joined the AFC East along with expansion to Regina, SK (Saskatchewan Roughriders) and Winnipeg, MB (Winnipeg Bombers) to the AFC North, The AFC South added a Team in San Antonio, TX to be called the San Antonio Wings and the AFC West expanded to get a replacement team in LA after the Chargers bolt for Cincinnati and will be called the Southern California Sun which will play home games in Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CA and The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.
The Draft
The Expansion Hamilton Tiger-Cats got the Top Pick in the NAFL Draft to Franklin Steffen (G) from Portland State, Washington Sentinels got the 2nd choice in the Draft to take Notre Dame DT Steve Niehaus, Then the Toronto Huskies selected Ottawa FB Neil Lumsden on Pick #3, Then the St. Louis Gunners take LB Harry Carson out of South Carolina State as Pick #4 and Rounding out the Top 5, The San Francisco 49ers drafted California RB Chuck Muncie
Other Selections in the Draft
San Diego Destroyers draft Joe Washington (RB)
Saskatchewan Roughriders draft John Glassford (LB)
Pittsburgh Steelers draft Bennie Cunningham (TE)
Philadelphia Eagles draft Rick Koswin (WR)
New York Jets daft Shafer Suggs (SS)
New Orleans Saints draft Tony Galbreath (RB)
Miami Dolphins draft Larry Gordon (LB)
Los Angeles Rams draft Kevin McLain (LB)
Cincinnati Bengals draft Archie Griffin (RB)
Kansas City Kings draft Gary Barbaro (CB)
Houston Oilers draft Mike Barber (TE)
Green Bay Packers draft Mark Koncar (T)
Las Vegas Gamblers draft Jackie Slater (T)
Edmonton Elks draft Brian Fryer (WR)
Detroit Lions draft Lawrence Gaines (RB)
Denver Broncos draft Tom Glassic (G)
Winnipeg Bombers draft Ted Milian (C)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Lee Roy Selmon (DE)
Cleveland Browns draft Mike Pruitt (RB)
Chicago Bears draft Dennis Lick (T)
Calgary Stampeders draft Mike Haynes (SS)
Buffalo Bills draft Mario Clark (CB)
Boston Patriots draft Ike Forte (RB)
Baltimore Colts draft Ken Novak (DT)
Atlanta Falcons draft Bubba Bean (RB)
Oakland Raiders draft Charles Philyaw (DE)
Montreal Beavers draft Chuck McMann (RB)
Dallas Texans draft Aaron Kyle (SS)
Seattle Orcas draft Steve Largent (WR)
Ottawa Canadians draft Jeff Avery (WR)
New York Giants draft Troy Archer (DT)
Minnesota Vikings draft James White (DT)
Birmingham Vulcans draft Richard Todd (QB)
Indianapolis Racers draft Woodrow Lowe (LB)
Vancouver Lumberjacks draft Bill Norton (T)
Hamilton Tiger-Cats draft Don Macek (C)
St. Louis Gunners draft Pat Tilley (WR)
San Francisco 49ers draft Randy Cross (G)
Mexico City Diablos draft Tim Fox (SS)
New York Jets draft Abdul Salaam (DT)
New Orleans Saints draft Carl Hairston (DE)
Los Angeles Rams draft Pat Thomas (CB)
Detroit Lions draft David Hill (TE)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft Carl Roaches (WR)
Calgary Stampeders draft Tom Rafferty (C)
Minnesota Vikings draft Sammy White (WR)
Portland Storm draft Gary Fencik (FS)
Vancouver Lumberjacks draft John Sciarra (CB)
St. Louis Gunners draft Greg Buttle (LB)
Los Angeles Rams draft Carl Ekern (LB)
Chicago Bears draft Mike Hegman (LB)
Montreal Beavers draft Duriel Harris (WR)
Standings
NFC East: New York Giants (15-1), Toronto Huskies (10-6), Washington Sentinels (10-6), Philadelphia Eagles (8-8), Montreal Beavers (6-10), Baltimore Colts (6-10)
NFC North: Green Bay Packers (11-5), Indianapolis Racers (10-6), St. Louis Gunners (7-9), Detroit Lions (7-9), Chicago Bears (6-10), Milwaukee Mustangs (6-10)
NFC South: Dallas Texans (12-4), Jacksonville Sharks (12-4), Kentucky Bourbons (9-7), New Orelanas Saints (6-10), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13), Mexico City Daiablos (3-13)
NFC West: Seattle Orcas (13-3), Portland Storm (10-6), Sacramento Condors (8-8), Denver Broncos (8-8), Los Angeles Rams (5-11), San Francisco 49ers (5-11), Las Vegas Gamblers (4-12)
AFC East: Ottawa Canadians (10-6), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-8), Brooklyn Barons (7-9), New York Jets (7-9), Buffalo Bills (7-9), Boston Patriots (4-12)
AFC North: Cincinnati Chargers (10-6), Winnipeg Bombers (7-9), Pittsburgh Steelers (7-9), Minnesota Vikings (6-10), Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-10), Cleveland Browns (6-10)
AFC South: Birmingham Vulcans (14-2), Memphis Steamers (11-5), Atlanta Falcons (9-7), Houston Oilers (8-8), San Antonio Wings (7-9), Miami Dolphins (4-12)
AFC West: Calgary Stampeders (13-3), San Diego Destroyers (12-4), Vancouver Lumberjacks (10-6), Southern California Sun (8-8), Kansas City Kings (7-9), Edmonton Elks (7-9), Oakland Raiders (5-11)
Playoffs
AFC Wildcard: Ottawa def. Memphis 38-17, Cincinnati def. San Diego 24-10
NFC Wildcard: Dallas def. Portland 24-19, Green Bay def. Jacksonville 36-10
AFC Divisional: Ottawa def. Calgary 30-27, Birmingham def. Cincinnati 23-7
NFC Divisional: Dallas def. Seattle 20-17, Green Bay def. NY Giants 14-10
AFC Championship: Dallas def. Green Bay 37-10
NFC Championship: Birmingham def. Ottawa 31-13
Super Bowl XI (at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA): Birmingham def. Dallas 12-3
NAFL All-Star Game (at The Kingdome in Seattle, WA): AFC def. NFC 19-17
League Leaders
Passing Yards - Dan Fouts (Birmingham) 5,226
Passing TD's - Dan Fouts (Birmingham) 46
Passing Rating - Dan Fouts (Birmingham) 126.4
Rushing Yards - Ernie Davis (Saskatchewan) 1,564
Receiving Yards - Steve Largent (Seattle) 1,945
Total Points - Michael King (Ottawa) 162
Tackles - Jack Lambert (Portland) 125
Sacks - Kevin Muniz (Montreal) 22
Interceptions - Justin Wicks (Edmonton) 8