Mike Clark Game-Worn Jersey #79 USFL Tampa Bay Bandits 1984 COA 100% Authentic

Presented is a rare 1984 USFL Tampa Bay Bandits game worn jersey. It was worn by defensive end, Mike Clark. Clark wore the offered [size] “L” Champion jersey during his USFL tenure in 1984. It is a red mesh main body, the craze among jerseys of the mid ’80s. Both sleeve ends are custom hemmed. The red mesh jersey has Clark’s number “79” in white with black outline on the front and back, as well as smaller versions on each shoulder. The Bandits logo is pressed into each sleeve. “CLARK” in white tackle twill on nameplate adorns the back. Speedline patch is present on the left sleeve border. The jersey exhibits an incredible amount of wear with well worn identifiers, scrapes, impact marks and repairs throughout.

The Tampa Bay Bandits were the Tampa franchise of the USFL. While they were owned by Canadian businessman John Bassett, actor and former Florida State player Burt Reynolds bought in as a minority owner and became a big part of the team’s marketing. Though most fans assumed the ‘Bandits’ name was a reference to Reynolds’ popular movie franchise, Bassett said he’d named the team after his granddaughter’s dog.

Helping the team’s popularity was another local star, Steve Spurrier. The Florida star’s up-tempo, aggressive offense – which earned the nickname Bandit Ball – was usually among the best in the league. On the field, the Bandits went 11-7, 14-4, and 10-8. The team made the playoffs in two of their three seasons and played an exhibition game in London in 1984.

Mike Clark was a defensive end for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and United States Football League (USFL) during the 1980s. Clark played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Washington Redskins, the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL, and the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL.

Mike Clark Game-Worn Jersey #79 USFL Tampa Bay Bandits