Age: 31
9th
season in pro football, 1st in WFL
College: Maryland
Height: 6’0” Weight: 205
Prelude:
The
flamboyant Corcoran had a long and successful career as a minor league pro
quarterback, achieving a near-legendary status due to his performance on the
field and eccentric behavior off of it. He spent the better part of his first six
seasons in the Atlantic Coast Football League. With Wilmington in 1966, he led
the ACFL in pass attempts (247) and with Waterbury in 1967 topped the circuit
in attempts (309), completions (141), yards (2065), and TD passes (19). Corcoran
was cut by the AFL’s Denver Broncos during both the 1966 and ’67 preseasons and
was signed to the New York Jets’ taxi squad. He started the 1968 season with
Bridgeport, which acted as a minor league team for the Jets, and after he was sold
to another AFL club, the Boston Patriots, continued in the ACFL with Lowell,
Boston’s minor league affiliate. Corcoran again led the league in pass attempts
(333), completions (166), yards (2158), and TD passes (20). He also played in
two games for the Patriots, throwing seven passes, two of which were
intercepted. In 1969, after failing to catch on with the Philadelphia Eagles of
the NFL, Corcoran joined the Pottstown Firebirds for two seasons and led them
to an 11-1 record in ’70, a year in which he topped the ACFL in pass attempts
(297), completions (164), completion percentage (55.2), yards (2129), and TD
passes (24), although an injury caused him to miss the league championship
game, which the Firebirds won. He was named to the ACFL All-Star team. After another
failed trial with the Eagles in 1971, Corcoran returned to the ACFL and the
Norfolk Neptunes, leading the league in completion percentage (52.6) and TD
passes (17) as the club won the championship. He joined the Montreal Alouettes
of the CFL for 1972 but quit rather than be a third-string quarterback and
moved on to Chambersburg of the Seaboard Football League, but was injured
midway through the season. He spent the ’73 season with Flint of the Midwest
Football League. Corcoran joined the Bell of the new WFL for 1974, reuniting
with Head Coach Ron Waller, who had been an assistant with Pottstown and head
coach at Norfolk, as well as a number of other players who had been teammates
with both of those clubs.
1974 Season Summary
Appeared in 19
of 20 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Passing
Attempts – 545
[1]
Completions –
280 [1]
Yards – 3631
[2]
Completion
percentage – 51.4 [6]
Yards per
attempt – 6.7
TD passes – 31
[1]
Interceptions
– 30 [1]
Rushing
Attempts – 23
Yards – 26
Yards per
attempt – 1.1
TDs – 3
Scoring
TDs – 3
Action Points
- 1
Points – 22
(Note:
Touchdowns counted for 7 points in the WFL)
Postseason: 1 G (WFL First Round playoff at
Florida)
Pass attempts
– 32
Pass
completions – 11
Passing
yardage – 127
TD passes – 0
Interceptions
– 2
Bell went 9-11
to finish third in the WFL Eastern Division. Lost WFL First Round playoff to Florida
Blazers (18-3).
Aftermath:
Corcoran
returned to the Bell in 1975 but lost his starting job to Bob Davis. He
completed 45 of 99 passes for 440 yards and three TDs with six intercepted
before the WFL folded in October. Corcoran retired, “the minor league Joe
Namath” having passed for 14,528 yards and 134 touchdowns over the course of
his checkered and colorful career.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing: Yards,
TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
