1950: Giants Prevail Against Redskins in Back-and-Forth Contest

The New York Giants were 2-0 as they traveled to Washington to face the Redskins on October 8, 1950. The Giants were coming off of three straight mediocre seasons since last topping the NFL’s Eastern Division, but an infusion of talent that was mainly due to the demise of the All-America Football Conference was making a difference for the better. It was especially true on defense, and long-time Head Coach Steve Owen’s “umbrella defense” had shut down the powerful Cleveland Browns, newcomers from the AAFC, the previous week.

Washington, coached by Herman Ball, was at 1-2 and didn’t appear to offer much of a challenge. HB Bill Dudley was a fine all-around player and end Hugh Taylor a quality receiver, but aging star QB Sammy Baugh was injured and inconsistent Harry Gilmer was starting in his place. After defeating the lowly Colts in the opener, they had lost badly to the Packers and Steelers.

It was a rainy day with a light crowd of 19,288 fans in attendance at Griffith Stadium.  In the first quarter, the Redskins drove 80 yards, keeping the ball on the ground, and Gilmer finished it off with a quarterback sneak from less than a yard out for a touchdown. Bill Dudley added the extra point for the early 7-0 lead. The Giants responded with a 70-yard possession that ended with HB Forrest Griffith, who ran effectively along the way with gains of six and seven yards, scoring on a two-yard plunge. Ray Poole tied the game with the point after.

In the second quarter, the Redskins got a break when HB Jim Ostendarp fumbled a punt and DT Paul Lipscomb recovered, giving Washington the ball at the New York nine. Two plays later, Gilmer threw to Dudley (pictured below) for a four-yard TD and Dudley also added the extra point to make it 14-7, which remained the score at halftime.

In the third quarter, New York QB Charlie Conerly (pictured at top) passed to end Bob McChesney to reach the Washington 13 and the Giants pounded away on the ground from there until HB Gene Roberts blasted over from two yards out for a touchdown. Poole again added the extra point and it was a 14-14 contest.

The Redskins had an opportunity to regain the lead when Dudley kicked a 22-yard field goal, but they chose to take the points off the board due to an offside penalty on the Giants that gave them a first down at the New York 11. However, they were unable to reach the end zone and, once again calling upon Dudley to try for three, came up empty when he missed.

Dudley didn’t miss early in the fourth quarter when he kicked a 19-yard field goal to make it 17-14 in favor of Washington. Down by three, and with less than six minutes to play, the Giants advanced 92 yards. Conerly threw twice to HB Randall Clay, for 37 and 20 yards, and finally it was Conerly tossing a short pass to Roberts, who ran the remaining distance untouched for a 39-yard touchdown. Poole converted once more to put the visitors ahead by four points.

There was still time for the Redskins and HB Frank Spaniel returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to the New York 49. But after advancing to the 35, FB Chuck Drazenovich fumbled and the Giants recovered to seal the 21-17 win.

The statistics reflected the closeness of the contest. New York had the edge in total yards (288 to 260) while the Redskins led in first downs (18 to 15). Both teams completed seven passes apiece, with the Giants having a 168 to 105 edge in yards, and Washington outgained New York on the ground by 155 yards to 120. However, the Redskins turned the ball over three times, to one by the Giants.

New York lost two of its next three games but didn’t lose another on the way to a 10-2 record that tied with the Browns atop the American Conference (the re-named Eastern Division). But after sweeping Cleveland in the season series, the Giants lost a tight 8-3 playoff to the Browns. As for the Redskins, the loss to New York was the third of eight straight (including the rematch between the teams). Washington ended up 3-9 and at the bottom of the conference.

1947: Steelers Trade Bill Dudley to Lions

On August 6, 1947 the Pittsburgh Steelers sent star HB Bill Dudley along with tackle Jack Dugger to the Detroit Lions for halfbacks Bob Cifers and Paul White plus the rights to Michigan tailback Bob Chappuis, who still had a year of college eligibility remaining, and an additional first-round draft choice for 1948 that was used to take Texas QB Bobby Layne (whose rights were traded to the Chicago Bears but who would eventually conclude his Hall of Fame career with the Steelers).

Having led the nation by scoring 134 points for Virginia in 1941, the undersized (5’10”, 180 pounds) Dudley was chosen by the Steelers with the first overall draft pick in ’42. His nickname “Bullet Bill” was rather misleading, as he was more elusive than fast. But he was a perfect fit as a tailback in Pittsburgh’s single-wing offense, allaying any concerns about his lack of size by leading the NFL in rushing with 696 yards in the eleven-game season. Dudley also passed for 438 yards (although passing with his sidearm delivery was not his best skill), returned 20 punts for a league-topping 271 yards (13.6 avg.) and led the NFL by averaging 27.1 yards on 11 kickoff returns that included a touchdown. He intercepted three passes on defense and his 1289 all-purpose yards topped the circuit. A fiery team leader, he was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection.

Dudley then spent the next three years in the Army air force during World War II, returning to Pittsburgh for the last four games of the 1945 season. In ’46, he took up where he had left off as a rookie, again leading the NFL with 604 rushing yards, a 14.3 punt return average, 10 interceptions that he returned 242 yards, and 1378 total yards. For his efforts he received the Joe F. Carr Trophy as league MVP.

However, Dudley, who took a beating due to his heavy use, expressed concern with the grind of playing pro football at his size (not helped by his difficult relationship with Head Coach Jock Sutherland, who didn’t appreciate his brashness) and indicated his desire to retire and return to the University of Virginia as an assistant backfield coach.  

Dudley turned down a $20,000 contract offer for 1947. Not surprisingly, when Dudley declared that he would no longer play for the Steelers, the team received many inquiries. The Lions persisted in negotiating the trade over the course of two weeks and Dudley agreed to terms with them for $20,000 plus a $5000 signing bonus, interrupting his honeymoon to fly to Detroit and sign the contract.

“I respect Dudley tremendously as a player,” said Coach Sutherland. “I’m sorry he didn’t see fit to come back to us. Had he decided to retire as he promised, we wouldn’t have had anybody in return. Now that he’s signed with Detroit, we get two players right away and two more next Fall.”

As for the players the Steelers received, all three came out of single-wing offenses and were thus good fits for Pittsburgh’s system. 25-year-old Bob Cifers had played collegiately at Tennessee, where he was coached by Bob Neyland, a friend of Jock Sutherland’s, and was drafted by the Lions in the second round in 1943. He was a triple-threat halfback who had also been an outstanding punter in college and led the NFL in that category with a 45.6-yard average in ’46.

Paul White was also 25 and an 11^th round draft choice in 1944 who played one more season of college football for Michigan in 1946 after spending two years in the military. A left-handed halfback, he had been Michigan’s team captain.

Also from Michigan, tailback Bob Chappuis was an outstanding all-around talent who was so highly-touted after setting a Big 10 record for total offense in 1946 that the Lions drafted him in the fifth round as a future pick.

Jack Dugger, the player who was sent to the Lions along with Dudley, had been with Buffalo of the All-America Football Conference in 1946 and expressed a desire to play in Detroit, where he lived. He did so for two seasons before moving on to the Bears.

The Steelers improved from 5-5-1 to 8-4, winning a share of first place in the Eastern Division but losing a playoff to the Eagles. Detroit had been a league-worst 1-10 in ’46 and moved up to just 3-9. Dudley became a halfback in a T-formation offense, and while his rushing total dropped to 302 yards on 80 carries, he caught 27 passes for 375 yards and seven touchdowns. He also continued to return kicks and had five interceptions on defense, and in all scored 11 TDs by means of rushing, pass receiving, a punt return, and an interception return. His all-purpose yards totaled 1322 in nine games, which ranked third in the league. He was also selected team captain by his teammates, who appreciated his leadership by example.

Dudley played two more years with Detroit before moving on to the Washington Redskins, where he was named to the Pro Bowl in 1950 and ‘51. He finished up as a placekicker in 1953, making the most of his multiple talents to the end, and utilizing an odd style in which he didn’t take any steps but simply swung his leg once the ball was set. Overall, he ran the ball 765 times for 3057 yards (4.0 avg.) and 18 touchdowns, caught 123 passes for 1383 yards (11.2 avg.) and another 18 TDs, returned 124 punts for a 12.2 average and three scores, 78 kickoffs for a 22.3 average and a touchdown, and accumulated 23 interceptions that he returned for 459 yards and two more TDs. Dudley also passed for 985 yards and six TDs, punted 193 times for a 37.8-yard average, and kicked 33 field goals and 121 extra points. “Bullet Bill” was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 (he had already been selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956).

The Lions never had a winning record during Dudley’s time with the team. After contending in 1947, the Steelers lost Coach Sutherland, who died suddenly in the Spring of ’48, and went 4-8 that Fall.

Bob Cifers played two seasons in Pittsburgh before moving on to Green Bay, rushing for 356 yards in 1947 and 361 in ’48. He averaged 40.4 on 130 punts over that period. Paul White played just one season as a reserve. Bob Chappuis never played for the Steelers, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the AAFC in 1948 instead, and moving on to the Chicago Hornets in ’49, where he finished his brief pro career. 

MVP Profile: Bill Dudley, 1946

Tailback/Defensive Back, Pittsburgh Steelers


Age: 26
3rd season in pro football & with Steelers
College: Virginia
Height: 5’10” Weight: 172

Prelude:
Despite questions about his size, Dudley was drafted in the first round by the Steelers in 1942, ran for a 55-yard TD in his first pro game, and went on to lead the NFL in rushing as a rookie with 696 yards. He also led the league in punt return yardage (271) and kickoff return average (27.1) and accumulated a league-leading 1349 all-purpose yards. Despite his nickname, Bullet Bill was not particularly fast, but had outstanding instincts. Playing halfback and tailback in a single-wing offense, he was also not a particularly adept passer, but his all-around skills made Dudley a star and he was an outstanding ball hawk in the defensive backfield. Due to World War II, Dudley missed the 1943 and ’44 seasons completely, but returned for the last four games of 1945.

1946 Season Summary
Appeared in all 11 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 146 [1]
Yards – 604 [1]
Yards per attempt – 4.1 [7]
TDs – 2

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 4
Yards – 109
Yards per catch – 27.3
TDs - 1

Passing
Attempts – 90 [10]
Completions – 32 [10]
Yards – 452 [10]
Completion percentage – 35.6
Yards per attempt – 5.0
TD passes – 2 [12, tied with five others]
Most TD passes, game – 1 vs. Chicago Cardinals 9/20, vs. NY Giants 10/6
Interceptions – 9 [8, tied with Tommy Thompson]
Passer rating – 20.5

Kicking
Field goals – 2 [9, tied with Roy Zimmerman]
Field goal attempts – 7 [8]
Percentage – 28.6
PATs – 12 [9, tied with Joe Stydahar]
PAT attempts – 14 [9]
Longest field goal – 34 yards vs. Boston Yanks 10/13

Punting
Punts – 60 [2, tied with Howard Maley]
Yards – 2409 [2]
Average – 40.2 [7]
Punts blocked – 1
Longest punt – 69 yards

Interceptions
Interceptions – 10 [1]
Return yards – 242 [1]
TDs – 1 [1, tied with six others]

Kickoff Returns
Returns – 14 [3]
Yards – 280 [6]
Average per return – 20.0 [7]
TDs – 0
Longest return – 34 yards

Punt Returns
Returns – 27 [1]
Yards – 385 [1]
Average per return – 14.3 [1]
TDs – 0
Longest return – 52 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1378 [1]

Scoring
TDs – 5 [8, tied with ten others]
Field goals – 2
PATs - 12
Points – 48 [5, tied with Hugh Gallarneau]

Also led NFL with 7 fumble recoveries

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: Joe F. Carr Trophy
1st team All-NFL/AAFC: Chicago Herald-American
1st team All-NFL: UPI, Pro Football Illustrated, NY Daily News
2nd team All-NFL: AP

Steelers went 5-5-1 to finish in a tie for third in the Eastern Division with the Washington Redskins.

Aftermath:
Despite his outstanding play, Dudley clashed with Pittsburgh Head Coach Jock Sutherland as well as teammates. Threatening retirement, he was traded to the Detroit Lions prior to the 1947 season, and while his rushing numbers dropped, he caught far more passes as a T-formation halfback and continued to be an outstanding kick returner and defensive player – he scored 11 TDs in four different ways in ’47 (2 rushing, 7 receiving, 1 punt return, 1 kickoff return). After three seasons with the Lions, he moved on to the Washington Redskins in 1950 and was chosen to the first two Pro Bowls following the ’50 and ’51 seasons. Continuing to be a versatile performer, he led the NFL in field goal percentage (76.9) in 1951. After missing the ’52 season, he played primarily as a placekicker in 1953, his last year. Overall, he rushed for 3057 yards, caught 123 passes for 1383 more, intercepted 23 passes, returned 124 punts for a 12.2 average and 78 kickoffs for a 22.3 average, punted 193 times with a 37.8 average, and kicked 33 field goals and 121 extra points. Dudley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1966.

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/14/14]