Rozelle Says USFL Asked Him to Head League

NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, whose credibility the USFL has been trying to impugn, testified Tuesday that he had been offered the job of becoming the USFL’s first commissioner four years ago.

Rozelle’s disclosure came in his fourth day of testimony as the first witness in the USFL’s $1.32-billion antitrust suit against its established rival. But it was his first day under questioning by the NFL’s lead attorney, Frank Rothman.

Rothman led Rozelle through a series of questions designed to rebut evidence entered during the 13 1/2 hours of grilling by Harvey Myerson, the USFL’s chief attorney, who made the commissioner his first witness in an attempt to prove the USFL’s case.

Rozelle also was led through a history of the NFL’s television contracts with CBS, ABC and NBC in an effort to prove that the existence of contracts with all three networks was a natural progression rather than an attempt to keep a new league off the air.

Television is the key element in the trial. The USFL, which has been unable to get a contract for its switch to a fall schedule this year, is seeking to have the NFL ordered off at least one of those networks.

Rozelle said the offer to become USFL commissioner was made in early 1982, before the league began operations. Asked during a recess for other particulars, including who had made the offer, he said he couldn’t answer “because I’m a witness.”