75 WFL Jacksonville Express Suspension Football Helmet

Description: Jacksonville WFL Express - 1975 (Authentic Reproduction) On July 11, 1974 the Jacksonville Sharks opened their season impressively. A packed Gator Bowl in Jacksonville played host to America as the opening week of the World Football League season beamed its first televised game in front of a loud, enthusiastic, and supportive gaggle of fans. 59,112 Gator Bowl fans and what was described as “a national TV audience” saw the Sharks defeat the New York Stars and everyone connected to the WFL had stars in their eyes, at least for the first few weeks of the season. It was after the next two home games with announced attendance figures of 46,780 against the Sun and 43,869 for the Hawaii game that it was revealed that the Sharks and specifically owner Fran Monaco had “papered the house” with free tickets, many used as part of a supermarket give-away and that the actual paid attendance was actually averaging 9000 to 13,000 per game. The fans however were extremely enthusiastic, whether or not they had actually paid to attend and Jacksonville was still viewed as a viable professional football area by the New League WFL. As the Sharks had closed shop and folded with six games remaining on the 1974 schedule, it was not going to be an easy sell to a new ownership group but there was enough civic pride and optimism to give the WFL one more fling in 1975. It has been said that “love is blind” and community pride, a sense of local loyalty, unabashed optimism, and the lure of pro football ownership won out over common sense and the existing track record of the WFL. With a post-Civil War steam engine as its logo and a bright gold, black, and red color scheme, the Jacksonville Express was born and in business in April of 1975. The team Governor or owner was sixty-year old Earl Knabb, a wealthy lifelong native of the area who had made a fortune in the “family business whose interests included timber, turpentine, and more recently, land development.” Knabb was a good-ol’-boy with a network of deep-pocketed friends, a lifelong sports fan, and the former owner of a semi-pro baseball team. His true love was Baker County High School athletics where he helped to support the program but he felt that the citizens of the rapidly growing Jacksonville area deserved and would support a WFL team. Described as a “nice man” by many, Knabb had the time-honored belief that “pro sports gives young athletes something to strive for” and he wanted this in his hometown. He formed an ownership group that included local attorneys, a doctor, and a municipal judge and staked his claim with the Express. This plain-spoken owner wanted a plain-spoken and down-to-earth coach and he didn’t have to go far to rehire Charlie Tate who had finished the 1974 season as the Sharks head coach. Tate was a member of Bud Asher’s 1974 Sharks staff, an offensive coordinator with a history of success with Bobby Dodd at Georgia Tech and as the head coach at the University Of Miami. Tate was also a Florida legend as a former Gator star and the head coach of a Miami High School dynasty that was known nationally. He had less success as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints in 1972 and ’73 but was an able coordinator and head coach with the Sharks. Tate in turn named former Sharks and Buffalo Bills quarterback Kay Stephenson as his Director Of Player Personnel. Former Sharks’ coaches Jim Niblack and Kansas City Chiefs great Johnny Robinson came back for another year in Jacksonville. From the ranks of Sharks’ players, former running back Ronnie Lamb and Ray Greene (who had passed through camp before returning to Iowa State to coach receivers there) were also hired, thus the Express already had a strong Sharks connection. On paper at least, the Express seemed to have a few quality players and a number of them seeking a second go-round with the Jacksonville WFL entry. Starters tight end Dennis Hughes, running backs Rickey Lake and Alfred Haywood, guards Tom Walker and Larry Gagner, center Howard Kindig, defensive tackle Carleton Oats (who had been released by Green Bay in 1974 and played the final nine games with the Sharks), linebackers Fred Abbott and Rich Thomann, strong safety Ron Coppenbarger, and cornerback Fletcher Smith were all members of the Sharks at some point the previous season. Oats had completed a decent NFL career with the Raiders before joining the Sharks in time to start nine games in 1974. Haywood was one of the greats at little Bethune-Cookman College in nearby Daytona Beach and had worked his way into the 1974 lineup as a regular for the final few games. Thus while there was a New League, a new ownership group, and a brand new team, many of those who had suffered through the payless end of the 1974 season were back for more emotional punishment. The “big names” picked up in the off-season included quarterback George Mira and running back Tommy Reamon. Mira had led the Birmingham Americans to the World Bowl championship and Reamon had sparkled as the little-known running back who ran wild, led his Florida Blazer team to the championship game and was named the league offensive MVP. It was expected that this dynamic duo would also lead the Express to the promised land as the remainder of the roster was bereft of name players other than a few over-the-hill NFL castoffs seeking one more payday. Kindig had been a member of the Chargers mid-1960s AFL teams, spent time with the Bills and had been a mainstay with the Sharks. He was trying to squeeze an eleventh pro football year out of his weight-trained body. Former Hammond (Indiana) High School and Purdue standout Don Brumm who had labored as a first round draft choice in 1963 with the Cardinals for eight of his NFL ten year career had taken a break from driving tractor-trailers in the St. Louis area to spend 1974 playing for the Shreveport Steamer. He had stated “I played last season with Shreveport and lost money just like everyone else. Coming back this year is just a chance for me to get even.” Mira, Hughes, and Haywood were having good seasons with the 6-5 Express until the October 22nd announcement that the league was closing its doors. Despite the two-time failure of the WFL, many in Jacksonville believe that the WFL experience laid the groundwork first for the USFL Bulls and ultimately the NFL Jaguars. Despite what is considered to be a small television market, the Jacksonville area fans are considered to be among the most supportive and active in the NFL. The Express uniforms were very nice looking. A combination of black, red, and gold that made for outstanding jerseys in either black or white, gold pants with a wide red stripe outlined in black and the distinctive Civil War era train Express logo on a yellow/gold helmet made for a very memorable appearance. The TK helmet was used by many of the WFL players during the 1974 and 75 seasons. Reprodction TK helmet with 12 point suspension, leather jaw pads and OPO cage. Without question the nicest full size WFL helmets on the market. Look for all 25 models. As you know Helmethut com has the ability to stripe/number or customize (parts/masks and accessories) your helmets in hundreds of ways. Let us know if you want to make any changes to your helmet. Keep looking back for more auctions, literally thousands of football helmet related items on the way. If in need of something in particular give us a shout. Thanks for viewing and please do not ask for team logos of any league. All helmets come with an internal, non seen, no wear bar. Feel free to email any questions. Thank you. HH

Price: 239 USD

Location: Warsaw, Indiana

End Time: 2025-02-04T11:54:07.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD