CHICAGO -- Arizona State University offensive guard Bruce Branch has signed with the Chicago Blitz of the fledgling U.S. Football League, a club spokesman said Wedndesday.
Branch signed Aug. 25 in Phoenix, ariz., but the announcement was postponed until approval from the league office was obtained, the spokesman said.
An earlier Blitz signing with a player signed direct from college was invalidated by the league.
Branch was to be a fifth-year player for the Sun Devils this fall before he was declared academically ineligible and became available as a free agent.
The Blitz said protests might be forthcoming from the Phoenix USFL franchise because of the league's territorial rights system.
But the spokesman said Arizona and Arizona State players are open to all teams because there originally was no franchise assigned to Phoenix. The current Phoenix team was originally based in Los Angeles.
Branch, a native of Camden, N.J., anchored the Arizona State offensive line that led the nation in total offense in 1981. He is 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds.
