Pro Football Hall of Fame unveils new USFL exhibit ahead of title game at Benson Stadium

CANTON — The new USFL is now part of history. Just 48 hours before kicking off the championship game, the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened a exhibit of the new version of the USFL as it prepares to conclude its first season.

On one side, it has the Houston Gamblers jersey and helmet of Jim Kelly — a Hall of Famer — and Ken Dunek's Philadelphia Stars jersey. Both represent the original USFL from the early 1980s.

On the other side is the new USFL showcasing items of current players — including from the Birmingham Stallions and Philadelphia Stars, who meet in the league's title game. The championship game is 7:30 p.m., Sunday, at Tom Benson  Hall of Fame Stadium.

Among the items from the current roster of the finalists are Stars quarterback Bryan Scott’s jersey, Birmingham Stallions quarterback J’Mar Smith’s towel, and Stallions linebacker Scooby Wright’s game cleats. A Stars' play sheet, autographed by their head coach Bart Andrus, also was displayed to the public.

League officials, media partner Fox Sports and football fans all came together for the exhibit. Eric Shanks, the CEO and executive producer of Fox Sports, was part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and was thrilled to televise USFL games all season.

“We started this league because we love football and for anyone who plays the game, coaches the game, has anything to do with the game, this is where you want to end up,” Shanks said. “To be able to cut the ribbon on this exhibit here today is a proud moment for everybody at the USFL, and it’s just the beginning of a new legacy of football in this country and also here in Canton.”

Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said the decision to open the USFL exhibit to the public was a collective effort from all parties. Porter looks forward to working with the USFL as it continues to grow its brand.

“Everybody just came together and said boy, this is awesome to have their inaugural championship here and it’s a historic season, and we tell the story of the historic seasons of professional football,“ Porter said.

Porter mentioned how impressed he was with the viewership of the USFL games which had as many as three million viewers.

“The television numbers were really impressive. America loves football. Having another season of it, how can that be bad,” Porter said. “We’re proud of what the USFL has done.”

What also impressed Porter was the level of respect he saw from the players of the four different playoff teams. Some players had their first glimpse of the exhibit while touring the building before it opened to the public.

“It was the respect that they were giving to the people who built the game prior to them,” Porter said. “There are 362 players that are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and this game was built on the shoulders of those 362. They realized that, and there was a respect.”

The league expects to have at least 15,000 fans at Benson Stadium for the title game. Shanks believes the fans who are not too familiar with the league will feel nostalgic about the game. He also expects the fan base, especially in the Northeast Ohio area, to enjoy the quality of the game.

Shanks thinks the USFL showcases quality football players who have not taken the next step yet to the NFL. He added, "We’re going to put on a great show for them on Sunday.”

This article originally appeared on The Repository: New USFL exhibit unveiled at Pro Football Hall of Fame