New Jersey Generals The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League ( USFL ) established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983 . The team played three seasons from 1983 – 85 , winning 31 regular - season games and losing 25 while going 0 - 2 in postseason competition . Home games were played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford , New Jersey , which was called The Meadowlands for Generals games . Uniforms . Team colors were scarlet , white , royal blue and sunflower gold . The primary logo was a gold five - star general wreath . Team helmets were solid scarlet with the logo decal on each side and a white face - mask . Home uniforms featured red jerseys with white numbers trimmed in royal blue , with numbers on the sleeves and no striping ; pants were white with a single wide red stripe trimmed in blue down the sides from hip to knee . Road jerseys were white with red numbers trimmed in blue . The team was the second in the New York metropolitan area to be known as " Generals , " there having been a professional soccer team in the late 1960s known as the " New York Generals . " History . 1983 . The franchise was originally owned by New York real - estate magnate Donald Trump , but he opted to sell out in order to focus on a long list of unfinished construction projects . Trump sold his interest to Oklahoma oil magnate J . Walter Duncan , who took on former New England Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks as a minority partner . Fairbanks also served as general manager and head coach . The team made a big splash by signing Heisman Trophy - winning underclassman Herschel Walker , a running back from the University of Georgia . While the USFL had followed the NFL ' s lead in banning underclassmen from playing , league officials were certain that this rule would never withstand a court challenge . In an even more ominous development , Walker did not sign a standard player contract . Rather , he agreed to a three - year personal - services contract with Duncan . The contract was valued at $ 4 . 2 million — more than double the USFL ' s salary cap of $ 1 . 8 million . Nonetheless , the other owners knew having the incumbent Heisman winner in their fold would lend the USFL instant credibility , and allowed the contract to stand . Eventually , nearly all of the other teams jettisoned league founder David Dixon ' s original blueprint and began signing star players to expensive contracts — a step which ultimately proved to be the league ' s undoing . Despite the signing of Walker , who rushed for 1 , 812 yards and 17 touchdowns , the Generals finished their inaugural season with a 6 - 12 record . This was largely due to a porous defense which gave up the third - most points in the league ( 437 ) . 1984 . At 66 years old , Duncan soon tired of flying 2 , 000 miles from Oklahoma to New York to see his team play . Prior to the 1984 season , he and Fairbanks sold their interest to Trump , the team ' s original owner . Trump tried to lure legendary coach Don Shula from the Miami Dolphins . Legend has it that Shula asked for a condominium in Trump Tower as part of his deal and Trump balked at the prospect . Once Shula declined , the Generals hired former New York Jets head coach Walt Michaels . The Generals responded to their poor 1983 showing with an influx of veteran NFL talent for 1984 , including wide receiver Tom McConnaughey , quarterback Brian Sipe , defensive back Gary Barbaro , and linebacker s Jim LeClair and Bobby Leopold . Both Walker and fullback Maurice Carthon rushed for over 1 , 000 yards ( Walker 1 , 339 ; Carthon 1 , 042 ) as the Generals went 14 - 4 , defeating the eventual champion Philadelphia Stars twice for that franchise ' s only two losses of the season . The Stars defeated the Generals 28 - 7 in a first round playoff game . 1985 . The 1985 season saw the heralded signing of Heisman Trophy - winning quarterback Doug Flutie of Boston College . Despite Flutie ' s inexperience , the Generals traded Sipe to the Jacksonville Bulls to ensure Flutie would start . Flutie struggled at times but played well overall until he suffered a broken collarbone against the Memphis Showboats in the season ' s 15th game and did not play again . The 1985 Generals finished 11 - 7 behind Walker ' s pro football - record 2 , 411 rushing yards but lost again to the Stars ( transplanted to Baltimore ) in the first round of the playoffs , 20 - 17 . 1986 . The USFL planned to play its 1986 schedule in the fall , directly opposite the NFL , thanks mostly to Trump ' s strong advocacy of direct competition with the older , established league . Two years earlier , Trump sold most of his fellow owners on a move to the fall by arguing that it would eventually force a merger with the NFL — in which the owners of any USFL teams included in a merger would see their investment more than double . The Generals merged with the Houston Gamblers during the extended offseason , adding such stars as quarterback Jim Kelly and wide receiver Ricky Sanders . Michaels was fired , replaced with former Gamblers coach Jack Pardee , who planned to bring the Gamblers ' high - powered run and shoot offense with him . However , the USFL ' s " Dream Team " never took the field . The 1986 season was cancelled after the USFL won a minimal verdict in an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL ; the league folded soon afterward . Numerous Generals players , including Flutie , Walker and center Kent Hull went on to productive NFL careers . Flutie also starred in the Canadian Football League ; Hull ( with Gambler quarterback Kelly ) played in four Super Bowl s with the Buffalo Bills , and Flutie is the last quarterback to have led the Bills to the NFL playoffs . Season - by - season . ! Totals | | 31 | | 25 | | 0 A - 11 Football League . Starting in 2015 , the New Jersey Generals are back with the name of the former USFL team , and being part of A - 11 Football League .