Highlighted Year: Pat Haden, 1975

Quarterback, Southern California Sun

Age: 22

1^st season in pro football

College: Southern California

Height: 5’11” Weight: 180

Prelude:

Haden was a member of national championship teams at USC in 1972 and ’74 and appeared in three Rose Bowls. He was also an Academic All-American and received a Rhodes Scholarship following his graduation. Haden was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the 1975 NFL draft but signed with the Sun of the WFL with the stipulation that he would need to cut his season short in order to begin his studies at Oxford. He took over the starting duties in the second week and played well until departing the club just a few weeks before the league folded.

1975 Season Summary

Appeared in 7of 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 163 [9]

Most attempts, game – 40 at San Antonio 8/9

Completions – 98 [6]

Most completions, game – 24 at San Antonio 8/9

Yards – 1404 [6]

Most yards, game – 313 at San Antonio 8/9

Completion percentage – 60.1 [1]

Yards per attempt – 8.6 [1]

TD passes – 11 [4, tied with Don Horn]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at San Antonio 8/9, vs. Philadelphia 8/29

Interceptions – 9 [8, tied with Tom Sherman & Sonny Sixkiller]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at San Antonio 8/9

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 3

Rushing

Attempts – 12

Most attempts, game – 4 (for 26 yds.) vs. Charlotte 9/14

Yards – 44

Most yards, game – 26 yards (on 4 carries) vs. Charlotte 9/14

Average gain – 3.7

TDs – 0

Sun went 7-5 and were first in the WFL Western Division when the league folded. They led the league in touchdowns (45, tied with San Antonio) and were second in rushing yards (2047), passing yards (2431), and scoring (354 points).

Aftermath:

With the WFL having folded, Haden joined the Rams in 1976. There were concerns about his lack of size and arm strength and he made the club as the third-string quarterback behind James Harris and Ron Jaworski but started seven games (amid some controversy when Harris was benched in his favor) and showed promise. Haden overcame the challenge of fading veteran QB Joe Namath in 1977 to pass for 1551 yards and 11 touchdowns and gained selection to the Pro Bowl. He had his biggest statistical season in ’78, starting all 16 games for the only time in his career and throwing for 2995 yards with 13 TDs, although also 19 interceptions. Haden started the first ten games in 1979 until going down with a broken finger and backup QB Vince Ferragamo led the club to the NFC Championship. Regaining the starting job in ’80, he again suffered a broken passing hand and threw only 41 passes and, following another injury-riddled year in 1981, Haden retired to practice law. Overall in the NFL, he threw for 9296 yards and 52 touchdowns. A smart and unselfish quarterback, if physically limited and best suited to a ball control offense, the club went 35-19-1 during Haden’s starts and he was named to one Pro Bowl.

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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

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

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

1947: Dons Edge Out Rockets in Season-Opening AAFC Game

The second All-America Football Conference season commenced with the Los Angeles Dons traveling to Chicago to face the Rockets on August 29, 1947.

The Dons were coached by Dudley DeGroot, formerly of the NFL Redskins, and were coming off of a 7-5-2 record in 1946, although in the tough Western Division that put them behind the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. There was plenty of veteran talent on the roster and QB Charlie O’Rourke (pictured above) led the AAFC in completion percentage and outperformed Angelo Bertelli, the highly-touted Heisman Trophy winner out of Notre Dame.

Jim Crowley, once one of Notre Dame’s “Four Horsemen” and more recently the commissioner of the AAFC, was making his debut as head coach of the Rockets. It was hoped he could stabilize a club that went through multiple coaches in ’46 on the way to a 5-6-3 tally. There was promising young talent on the team, including all-purpose tailback Bob “Hunchy” Hoernschemeyer and HB Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch.

There were 41,182 fans in attendance for the Friday night game at Soldier Field. Five minutes into the first quarter, LA scored first on a long pass from Charlie O’Rourke to end Joe Aguirre that covered 31 yards. Ben Agajanian kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead. The Rockets responded with an 85-yard series that featured a 39-yard run by QB Al Dekdebrun and concluded with Dekdebrun tossing a four-yard TD throw to “Hunchy” Hoernschemeyer in the end zone. John Rokisky converted to tie the score.

In the second quarter, the Dons struck back with an eight-play, 52-yard possession. FB John Kimbrough finished it off with a two-yard touchdown carry around left end and Agajanian again booted the point after. Chicago once more came back with a score. Hoernschemeyer threw to end Max Morris to reach the LA 22 and, from there, FB Bill Daley blasted up the middle for a TD. Rokisky’s extra point tied the game at 14-14, which remained the tally at the half.

The Rockets moved ahead in the third quarter thanks to a razzle-dazzle play that involved Dekdebrun tossing 12 yards to “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, and he lateraled to HB Ray Ramsey who went the rest of the way for a 24-yard touchdown. Rokisky again booted the point after and the home team held a 21-14 edge. Later in the period, Agajanian kicked a 40-yard field goal for the Dons to narrow the margin to 21-17.

The game’s pivotal play came on the last play of the quarter when DHB Bob Kelly went high to intercept a Dekdebrun pass and returned it 22 yards to give the Dons the ball at the Chicago 46. O’Rourke completed a 19-yard pass to end Dale Gentry and Kimbrough and HB Bert Pigott ran the ball effectively to reach the three yard line, from where Kimbrough ran over left tackle for a touchdown. Agajanian added the extra point and Los Angeles held on to win by a final score of 24-21.

Chicago led in total yards (304 to 279) while the Dons had the edge in first downs (13 to 12). Each team turned the ball over twice. Charlie O’Rourke was the passing star for the Dons, setting up all three of the team’s TDs with his throws. Bill Daley (pictured at left) ran the ball effectively for the Rockets, who gained 129 yards on the ground, and scored once.

The next week the Dons swung a huge three-team trade involving the Rockets to obtain tailback Glenn Dobbs from the Brooklyn Dodgers, the AAFC’s reigning MVP. Chicago parted with Hoernschemeyer, who ended up in Brooklyn, and LA jettisoned Bertelli, who went to the Rockets. Dobbs struggled in his transition from the single-wing to T-formation and O’Rourke continued to see most of the action at quarterback. The Dons struggled as well, losing three of their next four games on the way to a disappointing 7-7 record that was once again well behind the Browns and 49ers. Coach DeGroot was forced to resign after the eleventh game. Jim Crowley also failed to last the year in Chicago as the Rockets collapsed to a dismal 1-13.

1974: Efficient Adams Leads Sun to Win Against Storm

The Southern California Sun were at 4-3 and leading the World Football League’s Western Division as they faced the winless Portland Storm, who had a 0-6-1 record, on August 28, 1974 in the eighth week of the first WFL season.

The Sun were coached by Tom Fears, a former Hall of Fame player for the Rams and, more recently, the first head coach of the New Orleans Saints. They had good luck in signing draft choices, most notably HB Kermit Johnson and FB James McAlister from UCLA and OT Booker Brown of USC. They also had a fair sprinkling of quality veterans such as WR Dave Williams and OT Joe Carollo, while unheralded QB Tony Adams (pictured above) was proving to be a pleasant surprise guiding the offense. Southern California had won its last two contests and was trying to build its lead in the division. However, the Sun was without McAlister, who was replaced in the starting lineup by Greg “Buffalo” Herd, due to a thigh injury as well as Booker Brown.

Portland had been the last franchise to enter the WFL and was guided by Head Coach Dick Coury. QB Greg Barton had CFL experience and replaced rookie Ken Johnson, who suffered a broken hand in the opening week. Running backs Rufus “Road Runner” Ferguson and Marv Kendricks were talented but the team had difficulty producing points, reaching 20 in a game only once thus far.

There were 27,814 fans in attendance at Anaheim Stadium on a Wednesday night. The Sun started off the scoring following a turnover when DT Charles DeJurnett forced Marv Kendricks of the Storm to fumble at the Portland 41 on the game’s second play.  Four plays later, Tony Adams threw to Dave Williams for a 28-yard touchdown. The pass for the action point was unsuccessful (In the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point that could not be kicked).

Late in the opening period, Adams tossed another TD pass, this time to WR Terry Lindsey covering 37 yards, and although the action point attempt again failed, the home team held a 14-0 advantage.

Heading into the second quarter, Portland came back with a 61-yard drive that culminated in Greg Barton connecting with TE Bob Christiansen, who was free in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown. A throw for the action point was no good. But the Sun quickly advanced to another score, helped by a pass interference penalty near the goal line, and HB Ralph Nelson pounded over from a yard out for another TD. Once again the try for the action point was unsuccessful, but it hardly mattered. On Portland’s next play from scrimmage, CB Gene Howard intercepted a Barton pass and returned it 44 yards for another touchdown and this time the action point was added thanks to an Adams toss to Williams that put Southern California well in front by a 29-7 score.

On the final play of the first half, Adams added to the home team’s lead by finishing off a long drive of 92 yards in 16 plays with an 11-yard completion to Williams, and the two once again connected for the action point. The halftime score stood at 37-7 and Adams took a seat for the remainder of the contest. 

Southern California’s backup QB Gary Valbuena helped to pile on to the home team’s lead in the opening minutes of the third quarter when he threw to Lindsey along the right sideline and, when the defender dove and missed, he ran 26 yards for another TD. Nelson ran for the action point and the crowd began heading for the exits.

The Storm finally scored again when a Barton pass intended for WR Jim Krieg drew a pass interference penalty of 33 yards to the Southern California two and, three plays later, Kendricks drove over right tackle for a one-yard touchdown. QB Ken Johnson ran a bootleg to add the action point. It counted for nothing more than pride as the Sun came away with a convincing 45-15 win.

The Sun outpaced Portland in total yards (394 to 233) and first downs (22 to 15). The Storm turned the ball over twice to one suffered by Southern California.

Tony Adams, in his half of action, completed 12 of 13 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns while Gary Valbuena, in mop-up duty, was 8 of 14 for 77 yards and a TD. HB Alonzo Emery gained 40 yards on 7 carries while, in his relief appearance, Greg Herd (pictured at right) rushed for 31 yards on 8 attempts and caught an eight-yard pass. Dave Williams had 6 catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns and Terry Lindsey gained 86 yards on his three pass receptions. MLB Eric Patton and DT Dave Roller performed notably well on defense.

For the Storm, Greg Barton was successful on 8 of 15 throws for 57 yards and a TD while giving up one interception. Rufus Ferguson was held to 31 yards on 13 carries and led the club in pass receiving with three for 50 yards.

“They’re an excellent team,” said Portland’s Coach Coury of the Sun. “They have good talent, good receivers, and they executed very well.”

The Sun lost the following week but then reeled off seven straight wins on the way to easily topping the Western Division with a 13-7 record. However, they also encountered financial problems and the star rookies Johnson, McAlister, and Brown chose to sit out the playoff game against the Hawaiians, which the demoralized club lost. As for Portland, the Storm finally won the next week against the Detroit Wheels, the first of four victories in five games, and finished the season at 7-12-1.

Tony Adams was named one of the WFL’s three co-MVPs as he led the league in passing yards (3905) and finished second in attempts (510), completions (276), and yards per attempt (7.7). He was also a first-team All-WFL selection by The Sporting News and moved on to the NFL in 1975, where he spent four seasons primarily as a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs before moving on to Canada.

Highlighted Year: Doc Elliott, 1923

Fullback, Canton Bulldogs

Age: 23

2^nd season in pro football & with Bulldogs

College: Lafayette

Height: 5’10” Weight: 210

Prelude:

Elliott was a noteworthy performer in college until being sanctioned for rowdy off-field behavior. He joined the Bulldogs in 1922 and, proving to be an outstanding power runner, received first-team All-NFL honors from the Canton Daily News as the team went 10-0-2 and won the league title.

1923 Season Summary

Appeared in 9 of 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 6 [2, tied with Paddy Driscoll & Ben Jones]

Receiving TDs – 0

Other TDs – 0

Total TDs – 6 [3, tied with Ben Jones]

Field Goals – 0

Extra Points – 0

Points – 36 [8, tied with Ben Jones]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: Canton Daily News, Green Bay Press-Gazette

Bulldogs went 11-0-1 to finish first in the NFL for the second straight year while leading the league in touchdowns (32) and scoring (246 points).

Aftermath:

The franchise having been deactivated, Elliott moved along with many other top Canton players whose contracts were sold to the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1924. The club won the NFL Championship and Elliott received first-team All-NFL honors from the Green Bay Press-Gazette, scoring another six touchdowns and a total of 40 points. Following another year with Cleveland in 1925, Elliott jumped to the new AFL in ’26, splitting time with the Cleveland Panthers and Philadelphia Quakers, the league’s champions. With the demise of the league after one year, Elliott played minor league football before returning to the NFL with the Cleveland Indians for one last year in 1931. Overall in the NFL, Elliott scored 17 touchdowns, four field goals, and seven PATs, for a total of 121 points. He received at least some first-team NFL recognition after three seasons.

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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

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

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

Highlighted Year: Charlie Brown, 1983

Wide Receiver, Washington Redskins

Age: 25 (Oct. 29)

3^rd season in pro football (2^nd active) & with Redskins

College: South Carolina State

Height: 5’10” Weight: 179

Prelude:

An outstanding receiver on a run-oriented college team, Brown was chosen by the Redskins in the eighth round of the 1981 NFL draft but spent his first year on injured reserve due to a knee injury suffered in the third preseason game. He made an impact in the 1982 season opening game by scoring on a 78-yard touchdown catch, the first of eight TDs in the strike-shortened campaign that saw him pull in 32 receptions for 690 yards (21.6 avg.). Brown caught another 17 passes for 242 yards and two TDs in the postseason as the Redskins won the NFL Championship and he received second-team All-NFL recognition from the NEA and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He became part of a group of capable receivers known as “the Fun Bunch” that were a component of the NFL’s most potent offense.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 78 [6, tied with Earnest Gray & Roy Green, 1^st in NFC]           

Most receptions, game – 11 (for 180 yds.) vs. LA Raiders 10/2

Yards – 1225 [6]

Most yards, game – 180 (on 11 catches) vs. LA Raiders 10/2

Average gain – 15.7

TDs – 8 [7, tied with five others]

100-yard receiving games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 4

Yards – 53

Average gain – 13.3

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 8

Points – 48

Postseason: 3 G

Pass receptions – 14

Most pass receptions, game – 6 vs. LA Rams, NFC Divisional playoff

Pass receiving yards – 401

Most pass receiving yards, game – 171 vs. LA Rams, NFC Divisional playoff

Average yards per reception – 28.6

Pass Receiving TDs – 1

100-yard receiving games – 2

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Redskins went 14-2 and finished first in the NFC East while leading the NFL in scoring (541 points) and touchdowns (63). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Los Angeles Rams (51-7) and NFC Championship over San Francisco 49ers (24-21). Lost Super Bowl to Los Angeles Raiders (38-9).

Aftermath:

Brown suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1984, catching just 18 passes for 200 yards (11.1 avg.), and was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. Following a mediocre 24-catch season in ’85, Brown rebounded in 1986 with 63 pass receptions for 918 yards (14.6 avg.) and four touchdowns. It was his last hurrah as he caught just five more passes in 1986 and his NFL career came to an end with his release by the Colts in 1988. Brown played arena football in 1990 with the a Washington Commandos and caught 11 passes for 129 yards and two TDs. Overall in the NFL, Brown had 220 receptions for 3548 yards (16.1 avg.) and 25 touchdowns, with 128 of those catches for 2115 yards and 19 TDs coming with Washington. He added another 31 catches for 643 yards (20.7 avg.) and three TDs in eight postseason games. Brown received second-team All-NFL honors once, second-team All-NFC recognition twice, and was chosen to two Pro Bowls.

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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

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

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

Highlighted Year: Earl Campbell, 1981

Running Back, Houston Oilers

Age: 26

4^th season in pro football & with Oilers

College: Texas

Height: 5’11” Weight: 237

Prelude:

Following an outstanding college career that was capped by rushing for 1744 yards and winning the Heisman Trophy, Campbell was the first overall pick by the Oilers in the 1978 NFL draft (Houston traded with Tampa Bay for the top choice). He moved directly into the starting lineup with outstanding results, leading the league in rushing (1450 yards), gaining consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, as well as Rookie of the Year and MVP recognition (Pro Football Writers, NEA). Campbell followed up in 1979 by again topping the NFL in rushing (1697 yards) and touchdowns (19) to again receive consensus MVP, first-team All-Pro, and Pro Bowl honors. It was more of the same in ’80 as the power-running Campbell rushed for a career-high 1934 yards that included a record four 200-yard performances.

1981 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 361 [2]

Most attempts, game – 39 (for 186 yds.) vs. Seattle 10/11

Yards – 1376 [5, tied with Ottis Anderson, 1^st in AFC]

Most yards, game – 186 yards (on 39 carries) vs. Seattle 10/11

Average gain – 3.8

TDs – 10 [7, tied with William Andrews, Ron Springs & Billy Jackson]

100-yard rushing games – 3

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 36

Most receptions, game – 6 (for 25 yds.) vs. Atlanta 11/29

Yards – 156

Most yards, game – 40 (on 4 catches) vs. Oakland 11/8

Average gain – 4.3

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 10 [12, tied with five others]

Points – 60

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-AFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Oilers went 7-9 to finish third in the AFC Central.

Aftermath:

Campbell ran for 538 yards in the strike-shortened 1982 season, in which the team crashed to 1-8, and after one more 1000-yard rushing season in 1983 (1301 yards), his heavy workload and physically-punishing running style caused his performance to drop significantly. Campbell was traded to New Orleans during the ’84 season and he finished his career in 1985, rushing for 643 yards and a 4.1-yard average for the Saints. He retired with 9407 rushing yards, which ranked seventh in NFL history at the time, on 2187 carries and 81 touchdowns. Campbell received at least some MVP recognition and was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection three times and was named to four Pro Bowls. His #34 was retired by the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1991.

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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

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

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

Highlighted Year: Brian Griese, 2004

Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age: 29

7^th season in pro football, 1^st with Buccaneers

College: Michigan

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 214

Prelude:

Griese, the son of Hall of Fame QB Bob Griese, was a successful walk-on in college who passed for 3663 yards and 27 touchdowns and capped his career at Michigan with a Rose Bowl victory. He was chosen by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft and spent his rookie year backing up QB John Elway. With Elway retired, Griese took over the starting job in 1999 and, hampered by injuries (a recurring theme), threw for 3032 yards and 14 TDs, with as many interceptions. While again plagued by injuries, he showed improvement in 2000, passing for 2688 yards and 19 touchdowns, with just four interceptions, and led the NFL with a 102.9 passer rating. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl but also needed shoulder surgery for the second straight year. Griese struggled with consistency in 2001 and his interception total rose to 19. A smart and accurate, if not strong-armed, passer at his best, his leadership skills and confidence came under question, particularly in clutch situations, and after another disappointing year in 2002 he was let go and moved on to the Miami Dolphins in ’03, where he started five games and was unimpressive. Griese joined the Buccaneers in 2004 as the third-string quarterback but, when QB Chris Simms went down with an injury, he took over the starting job and performed well.

2004 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 336

Most attempts, game – 50 at San Diego 12/12

Completions – 233

Most completions, game – 36 at San Diego 12/12

Yards – 2632

Most yards, game – 392 at San Diego 12/12

Completion percentage – 69.3 [1]

Yards per attempt – 7.8 [8]

TD passes – 20 [14, tied with Drew Bledsoe]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at San Diego 12/12, vs. Carolina 12/26

Interceptions – 12 [15, tied with Joey Harrington & Michael Vick]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at San Diego 12/12

Passer rating – 97.5 [6]

300-yard passing games – 3

200-yard passing games – 6

Rushing

Attempts – 30

Most attempts, game – 5 (for -2 yds.) at New Orleans 10/10

Yards – 17

Most yards, game – 9 yards (on 2 carries) at Carolina 11/28

Average gain – 0.6

TDs – 0

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 1

Yards – -4

TDs – 0

Buccaneers went 5-11 to finish fourth in the NFC South.

Aftermath:

Griese started six games in 2005, five of which the Bucs won, but a knee injury cut his season short and he was let go afterward. He moved on to the Bears as a backup in 2006 and saw considerable action in ’07 in place of starting QB Rex Grossman until he again was injured. Griese was traded back to Tampa Bay in 2008 and started five games in what was his last season. Overall, he passed for 19,440 yards and 119 touchdowns, with 4841 yards and 32 TDs coming with the Bucs. Griese was chosen to one Pro Bowl in a career that was marked by injuries and inconsistency.

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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

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

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

Highlighted Year: Matt Hasselbeck, 2005

Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks

Age: 30 (Sept. 25)

8^th season in pro football (7^th active), 5^th with Seahawks

College: Boston College

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 223

Prelude:

The son of Don Hasselbeck, who played tight end in the NFL, Hasselbeck passed for 4548 yards and 22 touchdowns in college and was chosen by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL draft. He spent that year on the practice squad and then saw scant action behind QB Brett Favre in 1999 and 2000. Hasselbeck was traded to the Seahawks in 2001 and was mentored by veteran QB Trent Dilfer while also training under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, formerly of the Packers. With good size and arm strength, if not mobility, he developed into a Pro Bowl quarterback in 2003 when he threw for 3841 yards and 26 TDs and the team improved to 10-6 and reached the postseason. Hasselbeck followed up with a somewhat lesser year in 2004, passing for 3382 yards and 22 touchdowns while playing through injuries, but performed well down the stretch after an inconsistent start and earned a contract extension.

2005 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 449 [14]

Most attempts, game – 42 vs. Dallas 10/23

Completions – 294 [9, tied with Eli Manning]

Most completions, game – 27 at St. Louis 10/9

Yards – 3459 [10]

Most yards, game – 316 at St. Louis 10/9

Completion percentage – 65.5 [6]

Yards per attempt – 7.7 [4]

TD passes – 24 [4, tied with Jake Delhomme, Drew Brees & Eli Manning, 1^st in NFC]

Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. San Francisco 12/11

Interceptions – 9

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Jacksonville 9/11, vs. Dallas 10/23, vs. St. Louis 11/13

Passer rating – 98.2 [4, 1^st in NFC]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 11

Rushing

Attempts – 36

Most attempts, game – 6 (for 7 yds.) at San Francisco 11/20

Yards – 124

Most yards, game – 40 yards (on 4 carries) vs. Houston 10/16

Average gain – 3.4

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 3 G

Pass attempts – 103

Most pass attempts, game – 49 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

Pass completions – 62

Most pass completions, game – 26 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

Passing yardage – 707

Most passing yards, game – 273 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

TD passes – 4

Most TD passes, game – 2 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

Interceptions – 1

Rushing attempts – 15

Most rushing attempts, game – 6 vs. Washington, NFC Divisional playoff

Rushing yards – 83

Most rushing yards, game – 35 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

Average gain rushing – 5.5

Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Seahawks went 13-3 to finish first in the NFC West while leading the NFL in touchdowns (57) and scoring (452 points) and the conference in total yards (5915). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (20-10) & NFC Championship over Carolina Panthers (34-14). Lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers (21-10).

Aftermath:

Hasselbeck suffered through a rough year in 2006, missing four games due to a knee injury. He bounced back in ’07 in achieving career highs with 562 pass attempts, 352 completions, 3966 yards, and 28 touchdowns and returned to the Pro Bowl. However, he appeared in only seven games in 2008 due to injury and endured lesser years in 2009 and ’10 before moving on to the Tennessee Titans and briefly resurrecting his career as he passed for 3571 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2011. Hasselbeck moved into a backup role in 2012 but started five games when second-year QB Jake Locker was injured. Released following the season, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts to provide a veteran backup to QB Andrew Luck and saw little action during the next two years until 2015, when Luck was injured and Hasselbeck started eight games, throwing for 1690 yards and 9 TDs in what proved to be his last season at age 40. Overall, Hasselbeck completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 36,638 yards and 212 touchdowns while giving up 153 interceptions. Of those totals, a team-record 29,434 yards along with 174 TDs and 128 interceptions came with the Seahawks. He added another 2741 yards and 18 touchdowns, with 9 interceptions, in 11 playoff games, all with Seattle. Hasselbeck was a first-team All-NFC selection once and was chosen to three Pro Bowls. His brother Tim also played quarterback in the NFL.

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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

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

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

1976: Cards Beat Chargers in Preseason Game in Tokyo

It was a National Football League first on August 16, 1976 when the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Cardinals met for a preseason game in Tokyo, Japan. While NFL contests had been played in Canada, never before had one occurred outside of North America.

The game was referred to as the Mainichi Star Bowl since it was jointly sponsored by the Mainichi Newspaper Company and the Sports Nippon Newspaper Company as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.

There were 38,000 fans in attendance in a misty rain at the Korakuen Stadium, normally used for baseball. The crowd was mostly Japanese with some Americans for the Monday night contest and the atmosphere was festive. Fans were enthusiastic and occasionally engaged in chants during the contest, such as “Chargers, Chargers, Banzai! Banzai!” and “Cardinals, attack the ball!”

Many citizens of the city of Suwa in central Japan, which had engaged in several cultural exchanges with St. Louis, were at the game, led by Mayor Setsuji Iwamoto. Four firemen played Japanese army assault marches on their bugles while another citizen of the city banged on a drum.

“They are such nice people, and they respond very quickly to our action,” said Lori West, a University of Missouri student and cheerleader for the Cardinals.

As for the participants on the field, it was the third preseason game for each club. The Cardinals, coached by Don Coryell for the fourth year, were coming off of consecutive NFC East titles and had been 11-3 in 1975. San Diego was a less successful club under the direction of Head Coach Tommy Prothro and posted a 2-12 record the previous year, its sixth straight losing season. In a rebuilding mode, the Chargers hired Bill Walsh away from Cincinnati to be offensive coordinator and especially to provide guidance for young QB Dan Fouts.

Neither team generated much of a ground attack in the early going. In the first quarter, Jim Bakken kicked a 30-yard field goal for the Cards and, in the second quarter, St. Louis again moved into scoring position thanks to a nine-yard carry by HB Jerry Latin and a run by HB Wayne Morris that picked up five for a first down at the San Diego 15. From there, QB Bill Donckers threw a touchdown pass to WR Pat Tilley and Bakken converted to put the Cards up by 10-0. San Diego finally got on the board with four seconds left in the first half as Sergio Albert booted a 30-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, a bad punt by a heavily-rushed Terry Joyce of the Cards, kicking from his own end zone, gave the Chargers possession at the St. Louis 28. Dan Fouts tossed a four-yard completion to WR Charlie Joiner before throwing a 23-yard TD pass to WR Dwight McDonald and Albert added the extra point that tied the contest at 10-10.

The Cardinals came right back as Jim Hart went long to WR Ike Harris in a play that covered 52 yards for a touchdown. Bakken closed out the scoring with a 10-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and St. Louis won by a final tally of 20-10.

The game was pass-heavy, with the Cards running 41 times for 105 yards and San Diego gaining just 34 yards on 19 attempts. St. Louis had 20 first downs to 12 for the Chargers.

Bill Donckers and Jim Hart both threw 14 passes apiece for the Cardinals, with Donckers, the backup, completing 10 for 94 yards and a touchdown and Hart 9 for 111 yards and a TD. Neither was intercepted. Wayne Morris gained 49 yards on 14 carries and Pat Tilley caught 4 passes for 54 yards.

For the Chargers, Dan Fouts completed just 4 of 10 passes for 70 yards while backup Jesse Freitas was successful on 9 of 20 for 85 yards and was intercepted once. FB Jim Harrison had 28 yards on 6 carries to pace the club in rushing. Dwight McDonald caught two passes for 44 yards and a TD.

In the regular season, St. Louis put together a 10-4 record but just missed the playoffs this time, ending up third in the NFC East. The Chargers improved to 6-8 and third in the AFC West.

As a side note, Bill Walsh stayed for a year with the Chargers before departing for Stanford, and Dan Fouts, who showed much improvement under Walsh’s guidance, would go on to Hall of Fame success after Don Coryell left the Cards and came to San Diego to replace Tommy Prothro.

As for the NFL playing outside of North America, the next overseas preseason game occurred in London, UK in 1983, and London would become a regular host to preseason and, eventually, regular season contests. The NFL would also return to Tokyo, but not until 1989, and for preseason games only.

Highlighted Year: Mike Cofer, 1988

Placekicker, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 24

2^nd season in pro football, 1^st with 49ers

College: North Carolina State

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

In college, Cofer connected on 50 of 68 field goal attempts (73.5 %), topping the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1984 (18) and ’86 (13), and 97 of 108 PATs (89.8 %) for a total of 247 points. Undrafted in 1987, he signed with the Cleveland Browns and barely lost out to Jeff Jaeger in the preseason. He was a replacement player with New Orleans during the season and then signed with the 49ers in 1988 and won the placekicking job in the preseason, impressing with his leg strength.

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 27 [3, tied with Nick Lowery, 1^st in NFC]

Most field goals, game – 3 at Phoenix 11/6, vs. New Orleans 12/11, vs. LA Rams 12/18

Field goal attempts – 38 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 at NY Giants 9/11, at Seattle 9/25, at Atlanta 12/4

Field goal percentage – 71.1 [17]

PATs – 40 [7, tied with Chip Lohmiller]

PAT attempts – 41 [7, tied with Chip Lohmiller]

Longest field goal – 52 yards vs. Washington 11/21

Scoring

Field Goals – 27

PATs – 40

Points – 121 [2, 1^st in NFC]

Postseason: 3 G

Field goals – 2

Most field goals, game – 2 vs. Cincinnati, Super Bowl

Field goal attempts – 5

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 vs. Cincinnati, Super Bowl

PATs – 10

Most PATs, game – 4 vs. Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff; at Chicago, NFC Championship

PAT attempts – 11

Longest field goal – 41 yards vs. Cincinnati, Super Bowl

49ers went 10-6 to finish first in the NFC West while leading the conference in rushing yards (2523) and total yards (5900). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Minnesota Vikings (34-9), NFC Championship over Chicago Bears (28-3) & Super Bowl over Cincinnati Bengals (20-16).  

Aftermath:

Cofer followed up by connecting on 29 of 36 field goal attempts (80.6 %), with just one miss inside of 40 yards, and adding 49 PATs to lead the NFL with 136 points in 1989. He received first-team All-NFL recognition from the Associated Press and Newspaper Enterprise Association. Cofer spent a total of six years with the 49ers, with declining reliability, until being let go after the 1993 season. He joined the Colts in ’95 and, while he had a 52-yard game-winning field goal against the Jets, Cofer still lacked consistency and was released, ending his career. Overall, he was successful on 133 of 201 field goal attempts (66.2 %), with 128 of 191 coming with the 49ers. Cofer also booted 303 extra points and scored a total of 702 points (296 PATs and 673 points with San Francisco). He received first-team All-NFL honors once.

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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

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

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

1954: Lions Dominate College All-Stars

The 21^st College All-Star Game on August 13, 1954 featured a return appearance by the Detroit Lions, NFL Champions for the second consecutive year, who had won the previous installment in the annual series by a score of 24-10.

There was one twist in that, for the first time in ten years, the game utilized the single-platoon college rule with limited substitution, which was expected to benefit the collegians. With players going both ways, Head Coach Buddy Parker chose to sit QB Bobby Layne in favor of backup QB Tom Dublinski  (pictured above) and, for the most part, used second stringers at most positions, primarily utilizing a split-T offense.

The All-Stars were coached by Maryland’s Jim Tatum and the roster contained future pro stars that included QB Zeke Bratkowski from Georgia, HB Jerry Norton of SMU, Florida FB Rick Casares, and, from Maryland, tackle Stan Jones and HB Dick Nolan.

There were 93,470 fans in attendance on a pleasant Friday night at Soldier Field. The tone for the game was set on the first play from scrimmage following the opening kickoff when HB Johnny Lattner, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Notre Dame, fumbled and DT Thurman McGraw recovered for Detroit at the All-Star 27. The Lions came away with the game’s first points when Jim Martin kicked a 46-yard field goal.

Once again the Lions took advantage of a turnover when safety Jack Christiansen intercepted a Lattner pass to give the pro champs the ball at midfield. FB Lew Carpenter took off on a 20-yard run and this time Detroit reached the end zone on a four-yard carry by HB Doak Walker. Walker also booted the extra point to make it 10-0.

Before the opening period was completed the Lions drove 73 yards in 10 plays that included another big carry by Carpenter, this time of 21 yards down the sideline, and it was Carpenter running for a two-yard touchdown to finish the series off. Jug Girard kicked the point after.

Detroit took a 17-0 lead into the second quarter and the onslaught calmed down for a time. Late in the period, the All-Stars finally threatened when Carpenter fumbled and Texas DE Carleton Massey recovered, but after reaching the Detroit 10 they came up empty and the halftime score remained unchanged.

On the first play of the third quarter, the All-Stars got a break when Tom Dublinski fumbled as he was hit fading back to pass and MG Jerry Hilgenberg of Iowa recovered at the Detroit four. Two plays later, Lattner ran around right end for a touchdown. The try for extra point by Notre Dame’s Menil Mavraides was blocked, but the collegians were finally on the board.

The Lions put together a 68-yard possession later in the period. Dublinski completed passes to end Dorne Dibble of 20 and 17 yards and Carpenter (pictured at right) plowed over from the one for a TD and, with Martin’s kick, the pro champs were ahead by 24-6.

Detroit had the contest well in hand as it headed into the fourth quarter and scored once more when DE Jim Doran grabbed the ball on an attempted handoff by QB Jim Ninowski of Michigan State to Notre Dame FB Neil Worden and rumbled 34 yards for a touchdown. The Lions came away with an easy 31-6 win.

Detroit dominated in total yards (361 to 144) and first downs (20 to 11) and the All-Stars turned the ball over five times, to three suffered by the Lions. Both teams completed 11 passes, but Detroit went to the air ten fewer times (16 to 26) than the All-Stars, who utilized a total of five quarterbacks. Tom Dublinski was an efficient 10 of 15 for 103 yards in passing for Detroit.

Detroit’s win put the pro champions ahead by 13 to 6 in the series, with two ties, and was the fourth straight for the professionals. The Lions went on to reach the NFL Championship game for the third straight year in 1954, compiling a 9-2-1 record in topping the Western Conference, but this time lost badly to the Cleveland Browns.

Tom Dublinski returned to his backup role but did start four games during the season and passed for 1073 yards and eight touchdowns, while giving up seven interceptions, in his most productive year with the Lions. He jumped to Canada in 1955 and had a big statistical year with Toronto, throwing for 3561 yards and 30 TDs, although with 34 interceptions. Dublinski shifted back and forth between the US and Canada in a career that concluded in 1962.