The Tampa Bay Bandits was a franchise in the United States Football League and competed in all three of the seasons of that league's existence: 1983, 1984, and 1985. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium. They were coached by former University of Florida Heisman Trophy winner and National Football League punter and quarterback, Steve Spurrier.
The team was owned in part by Hollywood mainstay Burt Reynolds, at that time one of the most popular motion picture actors in the world; the team's majority owner was Canadian businessman John Bassett. On the field, the Bandits were far more successful than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NFL team that Spurrier had once quarterbacked, and with whom they shared their stadium. They narrowly missed the playoffs in their first season, but their next two seasons were solid. Unfortunately, while their offense was one of the most explosive in the league, they never got out of the first round due to an average (at best) defense.
The Bandits were just as successful off the field. They were among the league leaders in attendance throughout their existence. Also, their memorabilia outsold that of the Buccaneers in the Tampa Bay area during the time of the team's existence, no doubt helped by the seasons of 2-14, 6-10 and 2-14 suffered by the Bucs from 1983-85. Due to these factors, the Bandits probably had a reasonable chance to be a viable venture had the USFL been better run.
Bassett was a strong proponent of the spring football concept, and nearly pulled the Bandits out of the league when it decided to switch to fall play for the 1986 season.
Receiving Yards: 1146 (1983), Danny Buggs
Passing Yards: 4183 (1985), John Reaves