by 1981 they were below .500 with an aging team. From the 1982 NFL Draft to the 1987 NFL Draft they had nine first round choices. They complemented their drafting with the signing of Warren Moon out of the Canadian Football League and Mike Rozier out of the United States Football League (USFL), a league that attempted to compete with the NFL in the 1980s. Biles, Studley, Campbell era Bostic was drafted with the fourteenth pick of the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft with the 42nd pick overall by the Houston Oilers. He was also drafted by the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL) in the 1983 Territorial Draft. Bostic joined the Oilers who were rebuilding from being the oldest average age NFL team in 1981. Bostic started the last 12 games of the 1983 NFL season and every game thereafter as an Oiler until leaving the team in 1989. The 1983 Houston Oilers under coaches Ed Biles and Chuck Studley went 2–14. The 1984 and 1985 teams of Hugh Campbell also were below .500. By 1985 he had nonetheless become one of the best safeties in the league. During the 1985 NFL season he had a career-high five quarterback sacks, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Glanville era Bostic's physical style of play was well-suited for Jerry Glanville who took over the Oilers' head coaching job for the 1986 NFL season after having been the team's defensive coordinator. Bostic signed a contract extension before the 1987 NFL season. Then, Bostic earned a Pro Bowl birth in 1987 and was named second-team All-Pro the same season. During the 1987 season he finished second in the NFL with a career-high six interceptions. That total led the American Football Conference (AFC), and he added three quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery that season. Glanville took the team to both the 1987-88 and 1988-89 NFL Playoffs. The unheralded 1987 team was a surprise playoff entrant in the first round Wild Card game. Even after a surprise 1987–88 NFL playoff run the Oilers fired their defensive backs coach, Tom Bettis who had taken over from Ken Houston. Bostic earned All-Pro honorable mention in 1988. That season, he finished tied for the third and final AFC safety Pro Bowl spot with David Fulcher and missed being invited due to the tiebreaker. With all the rebuilding turnover Bostic was one of