After the USFL's first season, the league decided to expand quickly adding six new teams. One of those new teams the San Antonio Gunslingers, would soon become symbolic of the league's troubled existence.

Originally the USFL wanted to place a team in either the Twin Cities or Seattle, but settled on San Antonio when those deals fell through. The San Antonio Gunslingers were owned by Clinton Manges, a well-known oil tycoon.

Manages was full of boast and bravado, paying for team expenses out of pocket. However, this often meant he ran the team on the cheap, using a trailer in the Alamo Stadium parking lot to run the franchise.

The Gunslingers would be coached by Gil Steinke, a longtime coach at Texas A&I. Troubles with the team could be seen early as the lights went out at Alamo Stadium during a Monday Night Game against the Houston Gamblers in Week 2.

The Gamblers a fellow expansion team ran circles around the Gunslingers, winning 35-7 as San Antonio dropped their first four games. The Gunslingers finally broke through in Week 5, beating the Oakland Invaders 14-10, becoming the last of the six expansion teams to earn a win.

The Gunslingers would split their final 14 games, finishing with a record of 7-11. While the Gunslingers struggled to run the ball, with Scott Stamper leading the team with 500 yards, they had a strong passing attack led by Rick Neuheisel, who threw for 2,542 yards with 14 touchdowns.