***NJ WOLVERINES - 1995***

The success was immediate...
two former high school teammates with a passion for football and a passion for football in the city of paterson - mark fischer and leroy mcqueen...

They needed a head coach with local, regional and national recognition.
And that man was lou mathis - also a son of Paterson - former eastside high school stand out, and 1974 rose rose bowl winner under legendary coach at ohio state university, woody hayes.

there had been an an absence of minor league football since the north jersey steelers ran through regional leagues in the mid 1980's and the national power, new jersey rams, before that.

both teams calling hinchliffe stadium their home.

Fischer and mcqueen didn't just recruit within the silk city, but the call went out to south jersey and all parts of new york, drawing talent from rutgers university and Hosftra university, and everywhere else great players wanted to play great football.

The wolverines were talented throughout their entire roster, ripping through the old united football league, with unsurmountable leads racked up by halftime.

the "reserves" were just as potent, and would have have equal success against all of the UFL organizations.

under mathis, the wolverines were disciplined, relentless on offense and defense, and ready.

the season culminated in florida, and shortly afterwards a unanimous vote as the number one minor league football team in the nation, bestowed by the american football association.