The New Orleans Breakers were a United States Football League franchise that played in the Louisiana Superdome for one season, in 1984.The Breakers began their USFL tenure in Boston, in 1983, but a stadium issue forced a move, allowing New Orleans real estate developer Joe Canizaro to buy the team, and move it to New Orleans for the 1984 season.

In 1984, the Breakers began the season 5-0, but went 3-10 the rest of the way, and missed the USFL playoffs.

New Orleans supported the team well, with the Breakers averaging 30,557 per game, but the USFL opted to move their schedule from the spring to the fall in 1986, and with the Saints in town, the franchise elected to move to Portland for the 1985 season.

All summer long, we’re looking back at former players for the New Orleans Breakers.

Today, linebacker Ray Phillips:

Born in Fordyce, Arkansas, Phillips went to high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before going on to play college football with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

A fifth round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1977 NFL Draft, Ross spent all of the '77 season, and most of the '78 season with the Bengals, before moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played through the end of the 1982 season.

The 6-foot-4, 2225-pound Phillips wound up playing in 69 NFL games, starting six.

Phillips signed with the Boston Breakers prior to the 1983 USFL campaign, and went with them when the franchise moved to New Orleans before the beginning of the 1884 season.

In two USFL seasons, Phillips accumulated seven sacks and two interceptions.

Below, watch Phillips, wearing number 52, and the New Orleans Breakers take on the Pittsburgh Maulers, from week 7 of the 1984 USFL season, back on Sunday, April 8, 1984:

 

 

More From 103.3 The GOAT