Story of the USFL

Below is a loose (very loose) chronology of the headline stories from the USFL: Herschel Walker signs on When football was F-U-N Young signs with Express The Class of '84 Marcus Dupree: The phenom Blitz 'em in Chi ... uh, Buffalo Only the sky was their limit The cradle of NFL coaching? Perpetual motion (The pursuit of) USFL trivia The Donald (Trump, of course) The $3.76 lawsuit Stick with the plan Landeta and Flutie -- Greg Garber

After Herschel Walker, the USFL would sign the next two Heisman Trophy winners, Nebraska's Mike Rozier and Boston College's Doug Flutie, as well. But the second biggest bang the league created after the acquisition of Walker was landing BYU quarterback Steve Young.

In March, 1984, the Los Angeles Express and owner J. William Oldenburg, a self-made billionaire, signed him to a staggering $36 million contract that would pay Young over 43 years. It was believed to be the biggest contract in professional sports history.

The best the Cincinnati Bengals -- who held the No. 1 pick in the draft -- offered Young's agent Leigh Steinberg was a $1 million signing bonus and a $500,000 salary for five years.

"I don't want to look like I'm money-hungry," Young said. "That's not what I based my decision on. Look at my alternative -- living in Cincinnati and sitting behind Ken Anderson. Who knows if I'd get a chance for three or four years?"

Next: The QB Class of '84

Greg Garber is a senior writer at ESPN.com.