OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Invaders' first-year head coach Charlie Sumner is in a race with time.
Sumner has been given just a little over a month to mold the best players out of the off-season merger between the Michigan Panthers and Oakland Invaders. The talent pool formed by the union is strong, but it might take some time for the players to get comfortable.
'It was a quiet as I've ever seen a camp the first 10 days,' Sumner said. 'But now the players are getting used to each other and it is starting to pick up. I certainly would have liked to have had a few more exhibition games to get the team ready.'
Oakland's new look for 1985 begins with Sumner, who was a defensive coach for the Los Angeles Raiders when he was hired away early last summer by the Invaders.
Sumner's hiring seemingly halts a revolving door front office. The Invaders endured at least a dozen coaching staff changes on the way to a 7-11 record in 1984. Oakland lost its first nine games last season and then won its next seven before dropping the final two.
Things did not quiet down in the off-season as the club's attempted merger with the Oklahoma Outlaws fell through when the owners of both franchises argued among themselves.
In November, Invaders owner Tad Taube worked out a merger agreement with Michigan Panthers owner Alfred Taubman. In a flash, nearly every personnel problem Sumner had was corrected.
The new coach's first challenge of the 1985 season will be to choose either Bobby Hebert or Fred Besana as a starting quarterback. Both men have run up impressive statistics in the league's short history.
Besana has completed 602-of-996 attempts for 6,772 yards and 35 touchdowns in his two years with the Invaders. Meanwhile, Hebert completed 529-of-951 for 7,226 yards and 51 touchdowns at Michigan where he led the Panthers to the first USFL title in 1983.
Both quarterbacks have deficiencies. Besana is not very mobile; Hebert is new to the system and has yet to fully grasp it.
'For that position (quarterback), I'm going to keep an open mind,' Sumner said. 'I'm going to make my decision after our exhibition games.'
However, Sumner ruled out a two-quarterback system.
Whoever the quarterback, he should have a strong supporting cast to work with.
The offensive line has Michigan carryovers Ray Pinney, Jeff Wiska, and Thom Dornbrook. The team also signed tackle Steve Wright away from the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
At wide receiver, the Invaders have the always dangerous Anthony Carter and veterans Derek Holloway and Gordon Banks.
'Wide receiver is one of the areas I was looking to strengthen on this team,' Sumner said. 'With Carter, Holloway and Banks we have three of the best and we have six good receivers currently battling for the other two roster spots.'
Oakland has been thrown for a loss in the backfield as Eric Jordan was holding out during the pre-season over problems with his contract. The second-year back was inserted into the starting lineup at mid-season and was a key to the seven-game win streak. He gained 744 yards on 135 carries good for 5.5 yards a crack.
The Invaders will have to depend greatly on steady John Williams (984 yards in 1984) and Otis Brown.
On defense, the Invaders have a strong line and linebacker corps, but they are weak in the defensive backfield.
Strong safety David Greenwood is recovering from knee surgery and should be ready for the team's opener against the Denver Gold on Feb. 24. Even with safety Marcus Quinn, who earned first-team All-USFL honors with 12 intercpetions last year, and Greenwood in the lineup, the defensive backfield has a few problems.
When it comes to special teams, the Invaders should rate among the best in the league. Punter Stan Talley was a first-team All-USFL performer last season, averaging 41.5 yards and dropping a league-leading 27 punts inside the 20. Place-kicker Novo Bojovic is a steady veteran performer.
