EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants Wednesday announced the long-awaited signing of former all-USFL center Bart Oates.
Oates, who played on USFL championship teams with the Philadelphia and Baltimore Stars, agreed to a four-year $1.1 million contract with the Giants near the beginning of training camp.
The Stars had a right to match the offer, however, and claimed they would do so until they placed Oates on waivers Tuesday.
Oates, a 6-foot-3, 267-pounder from Brigham Young University, is expected to become the Giants' starting center soon. Conrad Goode, a converted tackle, has been the center throughout the exhibition season because an offseason car injury sidelined 1984 starter Kevin Belcher.
To make room for Oates, the Giants waived four-year veteran center Rich Umphrey. Umphrey, a fifth-round draft choice out of Colorado in 1982, started the final seven games of his rookie season and the first 10 of 1983. Last year he was used primarily as a long snapper and was never really in the running for the starting job this season.
