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{{Short description|American Football Team}}
#REDIRECT [[Jacksonville Sharks (World Football League)]]
{{For|the earlier Jacksonville WFL team|Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)}}
{{Infobox American football team
| name = Jacksonville Express
| logo =
| helmet =
| uniform =
| established = January 1975
| suspended =
| folded = October 1975
| location = [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Florida]]
| field = [[Gator Bowl Stadium]]
| colours = Black, red and gold {{color box|#000000}} {{color box|red}} {{color box|gold}}
| nickname =
| coach = [[Charlie Tate]]
| manager =
| owner = Earl Knabb, Bill DeCarlis
| mascot =
| league = [[World Football League]]
| division = Eastern
| league_champ_type = [[World Bowl (WFL)|World Bowl]] wins
| league_champs =
| div_champs =
| website =
}}
The '''Jacksonville Express''' were a professional [[American football]] team based in [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Florida]] which competed in the [[World Football League]] (WFL) in 1975. They were preceded in 1974 by the WFL's [[Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)|Jacksonville Sharks]], though the two teams had separate ownership and identities. The Express folded when the league ceased operations during the 1975 season.

== History ==
The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida which competed in the 1974 WFL season. The Sharks folded during that season due to financial difficulties. The WFL returned to Jacksonville the following season with the '''Jacksonville Express'''. While head coach [[Charlie Tate]] and a few players returned from the Sharks, the Express had new owners (local businessman Earl Knabb along with several minor partners) and a mostly new front office staff. The team's biggest player acquisitions were quarterback [[George Mira]], who had been co-MVP of the 1974 WFL championship game with Birmingham and had been a college All-American with the in-state [[Miami Hurricanes football|Miami Hurricanes]], and [[Tommy Reamon]], who had led the WFL in rushing in 1974 with the [[Florida Blazers]].<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kQk0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=sOsFAAAAIBAJ&dq=jacksonville-sharks%20jacksonville-express&pg=2586%2C1937865 Jacksonville Sharks] news.google.com {{dead link|date=November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iK8fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kdYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=995,4270907|title=Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=2 December 2023}}</ref>

The new ownership group sought to be much more frugal than the free-spending Sharks had been. One notable example of this was that while the Sharks' headquarters had been located in a large suite atop a skyscraper in downtown Jacksonville, the offices of the Express were located in a mall in the basement of a hotel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y0BSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p3kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2409,157141|title=St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|accessdate=2 December 2023}}</ref> Accordingly, the franchise was able to meet its financial obligations throughout its short existence. However, the WFL had lost their television contract right before the 1975 season, putting the entire league in serious financial difficulty. The Express had compiled a 6–5 record when the WFL folded in October 1975, 11 games into a planned 20-game schedule.

==Schedule and results==
{| cellpadding=5 style="border:1px solid #BBB"
|-
| '''Key''': || style="background: #CCFFCC;" | '''Win''' || style="background: #FFCCCC;" | '''Loss''' || style="background: #CCCCCC;" | '''Bye'''
|}

===1975 regular season===
Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wflfootball.tripod.com/1975/results.html| title=1975 World Football League Results| accessdate=2015-11-11}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Week
! Day
! Date
! Opponent
! Result
! Attendance
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!1
|Sunday
|August 2, 1975
|at [[Memphis Southmen|Memphis Grizzlies]]
|'''L''' 26–27
|25,166
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!2
|Sunday
|August 16, 1975
|[[Birmingham Vulcans]]
|'''W''' 22–11
|16,049
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!3
|Sunday
|August 23, 1975
|[[San Antonio Wings]]
|'''W''' 26–19
|16,133
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!4
|Sunday
|August 30, 1975
|[[Charlotte Hornets (WFL)|Charlotte Hornets]]
|'''L''' 14–33
|16,428
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!5
|Saturday
|September 6, 1975
|at [[Shreveport Steamer]]
|'''W''' 22–15
|13,638
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!6
|Sunday
|September 14, 1975
|at [[The Hawaiians (WFL)|Hawaiians]]
|'''L''' 15–33
|18,479
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!7
|Saturday
|September 20, 1975
|[[Philadelphia Bell]]
|'''W''' 16–10
|10,296
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!8
|Saturday
|September 27, 1975
|[[Birmingham Vulcans]]
|'''W''' 26–18
|10,881
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
!9
|Saturday
|October 4, 1975
|[[Portland Storm|Portland Thunder]]
|'''W''' 32–29
|8,119
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!10
|Sunday
|October 12, 1975
|at [[Charlotte Hornets (WFL)|Charlotte Hornets]]
|'''L''' 15–22
|7,750
|---- align="center" bgcolor="#FFCCCC"
!11
|Sunday
|October 19, 1975
|at [[Portland Storm|Portland Thunder]]
|'''L''' 13–30
|8,713
|----
|}

==See also==
* [[Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)]]
* [[1975 World Football League season]]

== References ==
{{reflist|}}

{{WFL}}

[[Category:Jacksonville Express| ]]
[[Category:Defunct American football teams]]
[[Category:Defunct American football teams]]
[[Category:American football teams in Jacksonville, Florida|Express]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:1975 disestablishments in Florida]]
[[Category:American football teams in Florida]]
[[Category:American football teams established in 1975]]
[[Category:American football teams disestablished in 1975]]

Latest revision as of 21:31, 26 December 2024

For the earlier Jacksonville WFL team, see Jacksonville Sharks (WFL).
Jacksonville Express
EstablishedJanuary 1975
FoldedOctober 1975
Based inJacksonville, Florida
Home fieldGator Bowl Stadium
Head coachCharlie Tate
Owner(s)Earl Knabb, Bill DeCarlis
LeagueWorld Football League
DivisionEastern
ColoursBlack, red and gold      

The Jacksonville Express were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida which competed in the World Football League (WFL) in 1975. They were preceded in 1974 by the WFL's Jacksonville Sharks, though the two teams had separate ownership and identities. The Express folded when the league ceased operations during the 1975 season.

History

[edit]

The Jacksonville Sharks were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida which competed in the 1974 WFL season. The Sharks folded during that season due to financial difficulties. The WFL returned to Jacksonville the following season with the Jacksonville Express. While head coach Charlie Tate and a few players returned from the Sharks, the Express had new owners (local businessman Earl Knabb along with several minor partners) and a mostly new front office staff. The team's biggest player acquisitions were quarterback George Mira, who had been co-MVP of the 1974 WFL championship game with Birmingham and had been a college All-American with the in-state Miami Hurricanes, and Tommy Reamon, who had led the WFL in rushing in 1974 with the Florida Blazers.[1][2]

The new ownership group sought to be much more frugal than the free-spending Sharks had been. One notable example of this was that while the Sharks' headquarters had been located in a large suite atop a skyscraper in downtown Jacksonville, the offices of the Express were located in a mall in the basement of a hotel.[3] Accordingly, the franchise was able to meet its financial obligations throughout its short existence. However, the WFL had lost their television contract right before the 1975 season, putting the entire league in serious financial difficulty. The Express had compiled a 6–5 record when the WFL folded in October 1975, 11 games into a planned 20-game schedule.

Schedule and results

[edit]
Key: Win Loss Bye

1975 regular season

[edit]

Source:[4]

Week Day Date Opponent Result Attendance
1 Sunday August 2, 1975 at Memphis Grizzlies L 26–27 25,166
2 Sunday August 16, 1975 Birmingham Vulcans W 22–11 16,049
3 Sunday August 23, 1975 San Antonio Wings W 26–19 16,133
4 Sunday August 30, 1975 Charlotte Hornets L 14–33 16,428
5 Saturday September 6, 1975 at Shreveport Steamer W 22–15 13,638
6 Sunday September 14, 1975 at Hawaiians L 15–33 18,479
7 Saturday September 20, 1975 Philadelphia Bell W 16–10 10,296
8 Saturday September 27, 1975 Birmingham Vulcans W 26–18 10,881
9 Saturday October 4, 1975 Portland Thunder W 32–29 8,119
10 Sunday October 12, 1975 at Charlotte Hornets L 15–22 7,750
11 Sunday October 19, 1975 at Portland Thunder L 13–30 8,713

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Jacksonville Sharks news.google.com [dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  3. ^ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  4. ^ "1975 World Football League Results". Retrieved 2015-11-11.
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