Originally called the Florida Sun, there was objection from the Southern California team that had already claimed that moniker and Loudd announced that the new franchise, one representing all of Central Florida, would be called the Blazers. Loudd himself could have been a story as complicated as the Florida Blazers or the World Football League.  Coming out of Thomas Jefferson High School in inner city Los Angeles, Loudd was a star on two of the most powerful UCLA teams in their history. Under legendary coach Red Sanders, Loudd was named to more than one All America team in 1954 as the UCLAN went 9-0 and shared the National Championship with Ohio State. He was a first team consensus All America as an end in 1955 and a third-round draft choice of the 49ers as a linebacker. He was rostered with the Bears but was a relatively unknown pro until he played on the original Los Angeles Chargers in 1960. He manned a linebacker spot for the Boston Patriots in 1961 and 1962 before becoming the first full time African-American assistant coach (linebackers) in professional football in 1966. In 1967 the Patriots moved Loudd up to Director Of Player Personnel, and again he was the first of his race to be in a full time front office position in the league. When Upton Bell became the Pats General Manager, he promoted Loudd to the new position of Director Of Pro Personnel and allowed him to create and define the duties of the position. Loudd was not going to allow his personal success story to end at this level. Justifiably proud of his accomplishments, he set his sights on ownership. Loudd put some backers together for an early-discussion-possible-NFL-franchise for the Orlando area, to some a natural follow-up to the opening of Disney World and the immediate growth of the area’s population. Upon hearing that the price tag of a WFL franchise would be “peanuts compared to a possible NFL team”, Loudd turned to his real estate-based backers and pitched the new league, telling them that there was a ready-made team in Virginia waiting for them.

Almost immediately there were claims of financial impropriety within the group, one made up of Will Gieger, the President of the Tangerine Bowl and a successful construction magnate; Roger Holler who had auto dealerships; Howard Palmer, the owner of a local electrical company; Jack White who was in the motel/hotel business; and David Williams, the partner with the deep pockets who owned Holiday Inns. Supposedly, the entire transaction came to the huge sum of $2 million but the amount is disputed to this day although Wheeler claimed that all of his Ambassadors’ bills had been paid and he walked with a $50,000.00 profit. In the WFL, who will ever know the truth? Each had what was described as a “share, one of nine total shares” of the original Florida Sun franchise. Loudd had five shares but refused to identify his other backers as he certainly did not have the finances to swing this deal with Davidson.  One David Booth was identified as a “friend” of Loudd’s and a full shareholder. Loudd’s “people” included an attorney who was not licensed to practice law and others identified by NFL security investigators as frauds and imposters. This is how the competitive year began for the new Orlando-based franchise. They secured the Tangerine Bowl as a home field and were ready to go. Pardee of course was seen as a legitimate head coach and General Manager. Ed Cain, a former officer in the NFL Players’ Association was the Assistant GM. Bob Bowser, the former Assistant P.R. Director of the Redskins took on the head P.R. man’s position with the team. The only shaky appointment was Loudd himself, cast as the General Managing Partner. Gieger secured the Tangerine Bowl for a modest 12 percent of the gate or $6500.00 per game minimum.
 

Pardee tried to put a coaching staff together quickly and efficiently. Former University Of Cincinnati Head Coach Ray Callahan jumped at a pro position, taking over the offensive line. Former Browns great Gary Collins was to coach the wide receivers. Another former Brown, defensive back Ross Fichtner who had quarterbacked Purdue to successful years before entering the NFL took over the defensive backfield. Well-respected Brad Ecklund was assigned the defensive line. Bob Davis did manage to show up for the quarterback job once camp opened.  He was complemented by some new and some “old” names that Pardee managed to sign, and the head coach gave the team a Texas flavor with many of those he brought in. Running back Jim Strong out of the University Of Houston had been a 7^th round draft choice of the 49ers in 1970 and had then spent two years with the Saints. Neither NFL team utilized his knack for coming out of the backfield as a pass receiver. The other running back was the steal of the year and became the WFL’s Offensive MVP. Tommy Reamon was a tough, darting back out of Missouri but not highly rated by NFL scouts, certainly not by the Steeler team that had drafted him in the 9^th round in 1974. The evaluation was “too short” at 5’9”, “too small” at 190 pounds and perhaps a bit too slow. Strong would end the season as the Blazers leading pass receiver, Reamon as the entire league’s leading rusher with 1576 yards. Former Steeler tight end John Hilton was helpful and although he did not play much, Pardee added another Texan in quick A.D. Whitfield, originally out of North Texas State who had a few good years with the Redskins. Actually, his name was A.D. Whitfield, Jr. with the A.D. standing for no more than A.D. (shades of former San Francisco “Alphabet Backfield” member JD Smith who was quick to tell anyone who asked that his “full name” was JD and all of his many siblings had only initials for names). Offensive guard Del Williams had been a stalwart for the Saints and came on board after the season began. Tim Brannan was a star at Maryland but after signing with the Lions in 1973 as a free agent guard, his 237 pounds was a bit too small, even for that period of time. He was however, a starter and a force for the Blazers, especially good on run blocking and he stayed another year as much of the squad moved on as the San Antonio Wings for the 1975 season. Eddie Richardson, a quick, tough receiver out of Howard University would take another year to blossom. On defense, Pardee did much of the coaching himself and molded a powerful squad. Former Penn State defensive end Mike McBath was All WFL, a proven performer when he was with the Bills from 1968-72 and very versatile. He had played defensive end, defensive tackle, and had filled in well at offensive tackle when the Bills needed him to do so. He was named All WFL when the 1974 season ended. Louis Ross was well known in the Orlando area, having starred at Jones High School before going off to South Carolina State. A thin and angular defensive end at 6’6”, Ross too was with the Bills, an 8^th round choice in 1971 and played the 1971 and ‘72 seasons but was a bit too light to be effective. He went to the CFL for the 1973 season and in the off-season, joined former Ottawa defensive tackle Tom Laputka at the Nautilus factory in Lake Helen, Florida, twenty miles from Orlando, where the two teamed up to serve as guinea pigs for the development of new strength training machines and training protocols. Laputka, who wound up with the Bell, was noted as one of the strongest men in sports by the time the off-season terminated. Ross, who had always depended upon his great speed-for-his-size had gained a full thirty pounds of solid muscle and was a sensation with the Blazers. Ross and Laputka made for an odd pair, the soft-spoken African-American and the New Jersey bred long-haired biker-looking Laputka, often on his motorcycle, but both were stronger than all get-out for the inaugural WFL season. Old-timer Miller Farr who was one of the big names out of the famous-to-football-fans Texas Port Arthur-Beaumont area came in to shore up the secondary after his good NFL career with the Broncos, Chargers, Oilers, Cards, and Lions. Texas A&M linebacker Billy Hobbs who had been a relative unknown with the Eagles from 1969-71 and again with the Saints in 1972, was the stabilizer behind the line. Former Jets great middle linebacker Larry Grantham served as a coach on the field at practice and when he was in game action. 

The force on this team however, was Pardee. As Loudd’s plans to accrue capital stalled and he insisted upon keeping secrets from most of his partners, the team’s finances quickly eroded. Despite having gone unpaid in over two months Pardee managed to convince the team to stay together “and win this thing” and their defense, the stingiest in the league, did just that as Reamon continued to improve. Pardee took them into the revamped playoff format, one they would have been in no matter what due to their first place 14-6 Eastern Division finish. In the first playoff round the Blazers hosted and then held off the Bell 18-3 in a fine defensive effort that featured four recovered turnovers. Traveling to Memphis for round two, they were facing what was arguably the strongest team in the league, a 17-3 finisher under Coach John McVay. It appeared that the Blazers might not be able to play at all if new ownership was not found immediately and one seemed to be on the horizon but he turned out to be an ex-convict whose down payment check bounced higher than the WFL football. Play they did and again the Blazers were victorious and picked up a bevy of sympathetic fans who received the news that these athletes chose to stay and play together as a team until the very end even though they had not been paid by their owners or the league. In a rain-soaked contest, they overcame a 15-0 halftime deficit and won as ace kick return man Dick James, a rookie out of the University Of Cincinnati who had played for assistant coach Callahan there, scored the winning touchdown with a bit more than a minute on the clock. In the World Bowl Championship in Birmingham, the never-say-die Blazers staged a frenzied three TD fourth quarter blitz to close the gap but ultimately lost 22-21 as three conversion attempts failed. WFL and Birmingham Americans and Vulcans expert and super fan Greg Allred filled in some little remembered facts about the World Bowl, stating that the result could have, and to some, should have been different. In the fourth quarter Florida scored quickly, Reamon turning a short pass into a touchdown. Davis then hit Latta for another TD and finally Rod Foster returned a punt for a touchdown. However, Blazer fans continue to point out that on the Blazers’ opening drive of the game, Reamon fumbled as he was crossing the goal line and he should have been credited with a touchdown. Birmingham fans are just as vociferous in stating that Reamon was outside the one-yard line when he lost the ball. When Foster returned his fourth quarter punt, Florida had the advantage of having twelve men on the field! Perhaps as Mr. Allred said, “there must have been a CFL refugee in the special teams huddle, or in the officiating crew, or some other reasonable explanation because the penalty went uncalled.”

The on-field product had been a rousing success and the esprit de corps created by Pardee made him an odds-on favorite to garner an NFL coaching job which he did, taking over the Bears head job the following season and then being named NFL Coach Of The Year in 1976. Life didn’t turn out as well for Loudd. The investigation that focused on him as a result of the collapsed Blazers financial scheme was small potatoes for what was to follow. Eventually, Loudd served two prison terms as a result of convictions for sexual misconduct and drug related offenses. While incarcerated he turned to religion and became known as Rommie Loudd “The All Pro Pastor” and hosted his own sports show on a county jail television station in Florida. He died at the age of sixty-four in 1998 as a result of diabetes-related complications.