Former USFLers: 18-game season a grind (AP)

Doug Flutie remembers feeling how his arm was ready to fall off during his
one year in the USFL. Nate Newton recalls how he did nothing for an entire month
after playing his two USFL 18-game regular seasons.

And former CFL quarterback Danny McManus can still see the telltale signs of
blurry-eyed fatigue that set in on rookies when Week 13 rolled around in Canada
with five games still left to play.

For those wondering what the effects might be if the NFL expands from 16 to
18 regular-season games, take it from those who’ve been through it: It’s a
grind.

Physically and mentally, players are going to “blow a fuse,” Newton says.
He’s the former Dallas Cowboys star offensive lineman, who began his pro career
with the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits.