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San Antonio Riders

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San Antonio Riders
Team logo
Founded1991
Closed1992
Based inSan Antonio, Texas, U.S. (1991)
San Marcos, Texas, U.S. (1992)
Home fieldAlamo Stadium (1991)
Bobcat Stadium (1992)
Head coachMike Riley
LeagueWorld League of American Football (NFL Europe)
ColorsBrown, Metallic Gold, Burnt Orange, White, Scarlet, Blue, Vegas Gold [1]
             
Franchise recordRegular Season: 11–9

The San Antonio Riders were a professional American football team that played in the WLAF in 1991 and 1992. The team played at Alamo Stadium in San Antonio in 1991 and then were forced to move to Bobcat Stadium on the campus of Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) in San Marcos, Texas, 45 miles (72 km) northeast of San Antonio, for the 1992 season after the San Antonio Independent School District refused to allow the sale of beer at WLAF games or the display of beer advertising at Alamo Stadium. In return, Riders ownership scrapped plans to fund $235,000 in renovations to the Stadium. In June 1991, SAISD officials announced plans for a rent increase on the Riders for the 1992 season. The relationship would last for only one season.

The team was owned by Larry Benson, the brother of Tom Benson (owner of the New Orleans Saints of the NFL). The general managers were Tom Landry (Pro Football Hall of Fame coach) and Tom Landry, Jr. The head coach for both seasons was Mike Riley.

The team's record in 1991 was 4-6. San Antonio turned things around in 1992 with a mark of 7-3. The Riders were not able to compete in the highly competitive North American West Division during the 1992 season, and like the Frankfurt Galaxy of 1991, they did not make the playoffs despite a 7-3 record.

Former players include professional wrestler John "Bradshaw" Layfield, better known as JBL of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Jason Garrett who went on to play for and later serve as head coach for the Dallas Cowboys, and head coach Mike Riley, who went on to coach the San Diego Chargers of the NFL, as well as Oregon State and Nebraska at the collegiate level.

After the 1992 season saw the suspension of the WLAF (and ultimately the abandonment of North American teams), Benson applied to the Canadian Football League to have the Riders join that league instead for the 1993 season. The CFL accepted, and admitted the Riders and the Sacramento Surge/Gold Miners to the CFL. The Riders were to change names to the San Antonio Texans (there was already a Rough Riders and a Roughriders, both of whom were known as the "Riders" for short), but the team folded abruptly prior to the 1993 season. The San Antonio Texans name would later be used for the aforementioned Gold Miners when they moved to San Antonio in 1995.

Season-by-season

[edit]
Season League Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
1991 WLAF 4 6 0 .400 2nd (North American West) – – — —
1992 WLAF 7 3 0 .700 3rd (North American West) – – — —
Total 11 9 0 .550 – – —

1991 season

[edit]
1991 San Antonio Riders season
OwnerLarry Benson
General managerJohn Peterson
Head coachMike Riley
Home fieldAlamo Stadium
Results
Record4–6
Division place3rd
Playoff finishdid not qualify

Personnel

[edit]

Staff

[edit]
1991 San Antonio Riders staff
Front office
  • Owner/president – Larry J. Benson
  • Vice president/general manager – John Peterson
  • Assistant director of football operations – Billy Schott
  • Business manager – Greg Korn

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Greg Newhouse
  • Defensive line/special teams – Don Wnek
  • Defensive backs – Bill Bradley


[2]

Roster

[edit]
1991 San Antonio Riders roster

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

  • 83 Bill Hess
  • 84 Dwight Pickens
  • 80 Elliott Searcy


Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

  • 93 David Bailey DE
  • 97 John Fletcher DE
  • 96 Donnie Gardner DE
  • 99 Greg Ross NT

Linebackers

  • 55 Greg Gilbert ILB
  • 94 Mark Ledbetter OLB
  • 53 Derrick Little
  • 58 Roderick Manning OLB
  • 51 Eric Snelson
  • 57 Tim Walton ILB

Defensive backs

  • 28 Anthony Cooney S
  • 40 Carlo Cheattom S
  • 22 Sean Dykes CB
  • 29 Greg Lee S
  • 25 Calvin Nicholson CB
  • 44 Gary Richard CB
  • 26 Rickey Royal CB
  • 24 Ken Watson CB
  • 46 Kennedy Wilson S

Special teams

Operation Discovery
  • 72 Stefan Bjorkman OL
  • 41 John Hyllienmark DB
  • 78 Stefan Ohrvall DL
  •  5 Marco Rueda K

rookies in italics

[2] [3]

Schedule

[edit]
Week Date Kickoff Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 March 25 8:00 p.m. at Orlando Thunder L 34–35 0–1 Florida Citrus Bowl 21,714
2 April 1 7:00 p.m. Frankfurt Galaxy L 3–10 0–2 Alamo Stadium 18,432
3 April 7 12:00 p.m. Sacramento Surge W 10–3 1–2 Alamo Stadium 6,772
4 April 15 8:00 p.m. at Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks W 37–15 2–2 Carter–Finley Stadium 11,818
5 April 20 7:00 p.m. Barcelona Dragons W 22–14 3–2 Alamo Stadium 16,500
6 April 29 7:00 p.m. at Birmingham Fire L 12–16 3–3 Legion Field 8,114
7 May 6 7:00 p.m. London Monarchs L 15–38 3–4 Alamo Stadium 12,328
8 May 11 8:00 p.m. at Barcelona Dragons L 7–17 3–5 Montjuic Stadium 23,670
9 May 19 11:30 a.m. Montreal Machine W 27–10 4–5 Alamo Stadium 20,234
10 May 25 8:00 p.m. at New York/New Jersey Knights L 9–38 4–6 Giants Stadium 32,857

[2] [4]

1992 season

[edit]
1992 San Antonio Riders season
OwnerLarry Benson
General managerJohn Peterson
Head coachMike Riley
Home fieldAlamo Stadium
Local radioWOAI
Results
Record7–3

Personnel

[edit]

Staff

[edit]
1992 San Antonio Riders staff
Front office
  • President/Managing Partner – Larry J. Benson
  • Limited partner – Tom Landry
  • Vice president/general manager – John Peterson
  • Business manager – Greg Korn
  • Assistant director of football operations – Billy Schott
  • Scouting assistant – Jeff Beathard

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Greg Newhouse
  • Defensive line/special teams – Don Wnek
  • Defensive backs – Bill Bradley


Roster

[edit]
1992 San Antonio Riders roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

  • 34 Dewaine Jones
  • 30 Cisco Richard
  • 20 George Searcy

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

  • 88 John Ford
 Offensive Linemen
  • 62 Ben Mitchell G
  • 73 Mike Nord T

Defensive Linemen

  • 99 Greg Ross DE
 Linebackers
  • 51 Patrick Hinton ILB
  • 55 Malvin Hunter ILB
  • 94 Mark Ledbetter OLB
  • 57 Tim Walton ILB

Defensive Backs

  • 28 Anthony Cooney S
  • 26 Greg Eaglin CB
  • 29 Greg Lee S
  • -- Kip Texada CB

Special Teams

Operation Discovery
  • Vacant


Rookies in italics

Results

[edit]
Week 1: San Antonio 17, Montreal Machine 16
Week 2: Birmingham Fire 17, San Antonio 10
Week 3: San Antonio 9, New York/New Jersey Knights 3
Week 4: San Antonio 23, Sacramento Surge 20 (OT)
Week 5: San Antonio 17, Ohio Glory 0
Week 6: San Antonio 17, Birmingham Fire 14
Week 7: Orlando Thunder 39, San Antonio 21
Week 8: San Antonio 17, Barcelona Dragons 0
Week 9: San Antonio 43, Frankfurt Galaxy 14
Week 10: Sacramento Surge 27, San Antonio 21

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Team Colors – WLAF". SSUR.org. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c The Official 1991 World League of American Football Media Guide.
  3. ^ 1992 San Antonio Riders Media Guide.
  4. ^ The Official 1992 World League Fact Book.
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