Highlighted Year: Hank Gillo, 1922

Fullback/Tailback, Racine Legion

 Age: 28 (Oct. 5)

3^rd season in pro football, 1^st with Legion

College: Colgate

Height: 5’10” Weight: 195

Prelude:

Gillo’s fine college career was interrupted by military service in World War I. He spent 1920 and ’21 with the Hammond Pros and also coached the club in ‘20. The power-running fullback called “Line-Plunging” Gillo signed with the Legion for 1922.

  

1922 Season Summary

Appeared in all 11 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 5 [4]

Receiving TDs – 0

Other TDs – 0

Total TDs – 5 [5, tied with four others]

Field Goals – 6 [2, tied with Dutch Sternaman]

Extra Points – 4 [8, tied with Paddy Driscoll & Pete Henry]

Points – 52 [1]

Legion went 6-4-1 to finish sixth in the NFL.

Aftermath:

Gillo followed up with 44 points in 1923 and received first-team All-NFL honors from Collyers Eye. In 1924, Gillo had a successful 50-yard drop-kick for a field goal against the Milwaukee Badgers, the first of that length in pro football history, on his way to 48 points in his last year with Racine. Over the course of three seasons with the Legion, Gillo produced 10 TDs, 18 PATs, and 22 field goals (21 of which were drop-kicked) for a total of 144 points.  He played for the Milwaukee Badgers in 1925 and the Racine Tornadoes in 1926, which was his last season. He accounted for no more scoring after 1924.

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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: Gary Clark, 1986

Wide Receiver, Washington Redskins

Age: 24

4^th season in pro football, 2^nd in NFL & with Redskins

College: James Madison

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 173

Prelude:

Clark caught 155 passes for 2863 yards and 16 touchdowns in college and was chosen by the Jacksonville Bulls in the first round of the 1984 USFL draft. He had 56 catches for 760 yards and two TDs as a rookie and also returned kicks. He had a lesser season in ’85 and caught only 10 passes. Following the demise of the USFL, he joined the Redskins in the Fall, who had taken him in the second round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft. He had a big first year with Washington in ’85 with 72 receptions for 926 yards and 5 TDs. He proved to be an explosive receiver with great toughness.

1986 Season Summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 74 [10]           

Most receptions, game – 11 (for 241 yds.) at NY Giants 10/27

Yards – 1265 [4]

Most yards, game – 241 (on 11 catches) at NY Giants 10/27

Average gain – 17.1

TDs – 7 [15, tied with four others]

200-yard receiving games – 1

100-yard receiving games – 5

Punt Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 14

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 7

Points – 42

Postseason: 3 G

Pass receptions – 6

Most pass receptions, game – 5 at Chicago, NFC Divisional playoff

Pass receiving yards – 45

Most pass receiving yards, game – 37 at Chicago, NFC Divisional playoff

Average yards per reception – 7.5

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

1^st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Redskins went 12-4 to finish second in the NFC East to qualify as a wild card playoff entry. Won NFC Wild Card playoff over Los Angeles Rams (19-7) & NFC Divisional playoff over Chicago Bears (27-13). Lost NFC Championship to New York Giants (17-0).

Aftermath:

Clark followed up with another All-Pro season in 1987, catching 56 passes for 1066 yards and 7 TDs in Washington’s Super Bowl-winning campaign, that was strike-interrupted. An off year in 1988 with a 79-catch year in ’89 for 1229 yards and 9 touchdowns. Clark garnered Pro Bowl recognition in 1990 and ’91 (75 receptions for 112 yards and 8 TDs followed by 70 catches for 1340 yards and 10 TDs). Following a 64-catch, 912-yard season in 1992, Clark moved on to the Phoenix Cardinals as a free agent in ’93. He spent two years with the Cards and finished his stellar career with Miami in 1995. Overall in the NFL he caught 699 passes for 10,856 yards and 65 touchdowns. Of those totals, 549 receptions for 8742 yards and 58 TDs came with the Redskins. Clark received at least some first-team All-NFL honors twice and was selected to four 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: Cody Carlson, 1992

Quarterback, Houston Oilers

Age: 29 (Nov. 5)

6^th season in pro football (5^th active) & with Oilers

College: Baylor

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 202

Prelude:

Following a fine career at Baylor, Carlson was chosen by the Oilers in the third round of the 1987 NFL draft. He saw no action as a rookie backup to Warren Moon during the strike-interrupted ’87 season. Valued for his size and arm strength, he proved to be a capable backup to Moon, starting five games when Moon suffered a shoulder injury in 1988, when he passed for 775 yards and four touchdowns. Carlson appeared in six games in ’89 and one in 1990 to close out the regular season, which garnered him AFC Offensive Player of the Week recognition. Stepping in for Moon in the postseason, the result was a loss to Cincinnati. A broken arm sidelined Moon during the 1992 season, again necessitating Carlson’s stepping into the starting role.

1992 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 227

Most attempts, game – 36 vs. Green Bay 12/13

Completions – 149

Most completions, game – 25 vs. Green Bay 12/13

Yards – 1710

Most yards, game – 338 at Detroit 11/26

Completion percentage – 65.6 [3, 1^st in AFC]

Yards per attempt – 7.5 [6]

TD passes – 9

Most TD passes, game – 2 vs. Cleveland 11/8, at Cleveland 12/20

Interceptions – 11 [19, tied with Randall Cunningham, Jay Schroeder & Stan Gelbaugh]

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Miami 11/22, at Detroit 11/26, vs. Green Bay 12/13, at Cleveland 12/20

Passer rating – 81.2 [12]

300-yard passing games – 2

200-yard passing games – 4

Rushing

Attempts – 27

Most attempts, game – 6 (for 26 yds.) at Cleveland 12/20

Yards – 77

Most yards, game – 26 yards (on 6 carries) at Cleveland 12/20

Average gain – 2.9

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Did not appear in postseason game

Oilers went 10-6 to finish second in the AFC Central, while leading the NFL in passing yards (4029) and qualifying for the postseason as a wild card entry. Lost AFC Wild Card playoff to Buffalo Bills (41-38).

Aftermath:

Moon was briefly benched for poor play in 1993 and Carlson was also sidelined with a groin injury. With Moon’s departure in 1994, Carlson was handed the starting job with unsuccessful results. With questions arising as to his fragility, Carlson retired in 1995 after failing his team physical. Over the course of seven active seasons, mostly in a backup role, he passed for 4469 yards and 21 TDs with 28 interceptions. The Oilers went 11-8 in games that he started.

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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