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

1978: Corral Field Goals Propel Rams to Win Over Eagles

The Los Angeles Rams traveled to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in a NFL season-opening game on September 3, 1978. LA, which went 10-4 in ’77, had a new head coach in Ray Malavasi, elevated to replace George Allen, who returned to the team for 1978 after seven years in Washington only to be fired during a tumultuous preseason, and who was in turn successor to Chuck Knox, who led the Rams to five straight division titles but no Super Bowl appearances. The offense, directed by QB Pat Haden, was deep and talented while the defense was outstanding. One newcomer was Frank Corral (pictured above), a placekicker out of UCLA who was drafted in the third round.

Philadelphia had long been a losing club, including a 5-9 record in 1977, but was looking to improve in Head Coach Dick Vermeil’s third season. The seeds were there in an emerging defense that featured a good line anchored by DE Carl Hairston and a solid corps of linebackers led by Bill Bergey. QB Ron Jaworski was still a work in progress and near the end of the ’77 season rookie HB Wilbert Montgomery, the league’s top kickoff returner, showed promise as a runner from scrimmage and claimed the starting job.

It was a sunny afternoon at Veterans Stadium with 64,721 fans in attendance. The Eagles had the game’s first possession, punted, and LA went 42 yards in 12 plays. Pat Haden completed three passes, two of them to convert third downs, and after the drive finally stalled at the Philadelphia 12, Frank Corral kicked a 29-yard field goal.

The Eagles responded with a promising series spurred by Wilbert Montgomery’s 15-yard carry on first down. Ron Jaworski completed two passes, and was fortunate when an apparent interception was wiped out by a penalty on the Rams. But the home team came up empty when Nick Mike-Mayer’s 37-yard field goal try was blocked.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. A poor kick by Rick Engles that traveled only 29 yards gave the Rams good field position at their own 44 and, keeping the ball primarily on the ground, they went 26 yards in eight plays that concluded with another Corral field goal, this time from 47 yards, to extend their lead to 6-0.

The clubs again exchanged punts and the Eagles squandered good field position at the LA 38 when Jaworski threw a pass that was intercepted by SS Dave Elmendorf. Neither team was able to get out of its end of the field until, in the closing seconds of the first half, Haden connected with WR Dwight Scales for a gain of 21 yards to the Philadelphia 31. However, Corral’s field goal attempt from 48 yards hit the left upright and was unsuccessful.

Both offenses remained stymied during the third quarter, although the Rams were winning the field position battle. A promising LA series that featured a Haden throw to Tyler for 16 yards reached the Philadelphia 24, but Tyler fumbled on a first down carry and Bill Bergey recovered for the Eagles.

Philadelphia kept the ball on the ground and moved effectively, although a fumble by FB Cleveland Franklin turned the ball back over to the Rams. Los Angeles had to punt once again with less than a minute remaining in the period, and as the game moved into the fourth quarter, the Eagles were forced to do the same from their own 21. This time Engles’ punt was blocked by CB Pat Thomas and the bouncing ball was recovered by safety Nolan Cromwell in the end zone for a touchdown.  Corral added the extra point and the Rams were ahead by a seemingly-comfortable 13-0.

Once more the teams traded punts, but Philadelphia finally came alive on offense with nine minutes remaining in regulation. Jaworski (pictured at left), who was the target of booing by frustrated home fans thus far, completed a third-and-six pass to WR Harold Carmichael for 32 yards, another throw drew a pass interference penalty on the defenders, and the five-play, 80-yard series concluded with Jaworski connecting with WR Ken Payne for a 24-yard TD. Mike-Mayer converted and the LA lead was cut to six points at 13-7.

The Rams couldn’t move past their own 20 on the ensuing possession and a punt was pulled in by WR Wally Henry at the Philadelphia 43, who returned it 57 yards for a touchdown. Mike-Mayer added the point after and, in sudden fashion, the Eagles were in front by 14-13 with 5:27 left on the clock.

Once more the teams traded punts following short possessions, and the Rams found themselves with the ball at their own 12 with less than two minutes remaining. Haden completed six of his next seven passes, starting off with one to WR Ron Jessie that gained 29 yards and two to WR Willie Miller that picked up ten yards apiece. The 60-yard drive concluded with Corral kicking a 46-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining, and the Rams won by a final score of 16-14.

In a contest in which neither offense excelled, Los Angeles had more total yards (220 to 208) and first downs (15 to 10). The Eagles recorded five sacks, to three by LA. They also turned the ball over twice, to one by the Rams, while the visitors were penalized 10 times at a cost of 82 yards, to three flags thrown on Philadelphia. The teams combined for 17 punts (nine by the Rams, eight by the Eagles) and the special teams for each club each accounted for a touchdown.

Pat Haden (pictured at right) completed just 14 of 33 passes for 154 yards and no touchdowns, but also gave up no interceptions and performed well in the clutch. Wendell Tyler led the Rams in rushing with 36 yards on 10 carries while Willie Miller was the top receiver with three catches for 44 yards. Frank Corral was good on three of four field goal attempts, two of them from over 40 yards that included the game-winner.

For the Eagles, Ron Jaworski was successful on 7 of 17 throws for 102 yards and a TD while being picked off once. Wilbert Montgomery ran for 46 yards on 12 attempts and caught a pass for 23 yards. Harold Carmichael’s one reception for 32 yards made him the leader in receiving yards while Mike Hogan, who ran for 37 yards on 8 carries, and TE Keith Krepfle each had two pass receptions, for 12 and 11 yards, respectively.

“I’m not going to let the fans substitute my quarterback,” said a Coach Vermeil of the booing directed toward Ron Jaworski. “I got one who can win for us; they can boo all they want. I’m not going to take him out. The only ways he matures is if he throws nine innings. They can boo for six months; he will get better.”

Vermeil did indeed stick with Jaworski, with favorable results, and Wilbert Montgomery rushed for 1220 yards. Following another defeat, the Eagles won four of their next five games on the way to a 9-7 record and Wild Card spot in the playoffs. They lost to Atlanta in the first round. The Rams reeled off seven straight wins as they topped the NFC West once again with a 12-4 tally. They made it to the NFC Championship game before falling to the Dallas Cowboys.

Frank Corral’s opening week heroics launched a season in which he led the NFL in field goals (29) and scoring (118 points). He was named to the Pro Bowl in what would prove to be the best of his four years with Los Angeles which also included doing double duty as punter in the last two.

1977: Rams Beat Raiders to Clinch NFC West Title

The Los Angeles Rams had won four straight NFC West titles and were looking to clinch a fifth as they hosted the Oakland Raiders on December 4, 1977. Head Coach Chuck Knox, unhappy working for owner Carroll Rosenbloom but still at the helm, had molded the Rams into a consistent winner with a ground-oriented offense and solid defense, although the winning had yet to reach full fruition in the postseason. 34-year-old Joe Namath had come from the Jets and started the season at quarterback but was quickly supplanted by Pat Haden, who made up for a lack of size and arm strength with mobility and intelligence (he had studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar). HB Lawrence McCutcheon (pictured above) ably led the ground game and, when the Rams passed, they had an outstanding deep threat in WR Harold Jackson. After getting off to a 4-3 start, Los Angeles had won four straight – with the defense giving up no more than ten points in any of those games – and came into the contest against Oakland at 8-3, a full two games in front of the nearest competitor in the division.

The Raiders, coached by John Madden, were the defending NFL Champions but, at 9-2, were in a battle with the upstart Denver Broncos for leadership in the AFC West. QB Ken “The Snake” Stabler was having something of an off year, but the Raiders were still a tough, veteran club.

There were 67,075 fans in attendance on a pleasant day at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Raiders had first possession and drove just past midfield before Stabler was intercepted by LB Jim Youngblood. The Rams moved into Oakland territory with Lawrence McCutcheon running effectively and catching a pass from Pat Haden (pictured below) for a 14-yard gain in a third-and-six situation. The drive finally stalled at the 28 but LA came up empty when Rafael Septien’s 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the right.

The teams exchanged punts but the Rams got another break when WR Rick Jennings of the Raiders fumbled while attempting to make a fair catch of Glenn Walker’s kick. Rookie safety Nolan Cromwell recovered at the Oakland 27 and this time LA did not fail to capitalize. Following two short passes, McCutcheon carried five straight times to reach the three and FB John Cappelletti ran the final yard for a touchdown. Septien added the extra point.

In a series that carried over into the second quarter, the Raiders responded by advancing into Los Angeles territory, but Errol Mann’s 39-yard try for a field goal was blocked by CB Pat Thomas. The teams again traded punts before Oakland once again marched into LA’s end of the field. The Raiders started off at their ten but HB Clarence Davis took a pitchout and ran 32 yards and a 12-yard carry by FB Mark van Eeghen brought the ball to the LA 37. Following two short runs and a pass, Stabler fired twice for the end zone. The first fell incomplete and the second was picked off by CB Monte Jackson to extinguish the threat.

However, it was now Oakland’s turn to benefit from a turnover. Cappelletti fumbled and DE Pat Toomay recovered for the Raiders at the LA 31. Eight plays later, and with just under a minute remaining in the half, FB Pete Banaszak pounded one yard for a TD. Mann’s extra point tied the score at 7-7, which remained the tally at halftime.

The Rams took the second half kickoff and rolled methodically down the field, going 62 yards in 11 plays. Haden threw to TE Terry Nelson for 16 yards and to Cappelletti for nine yards in a third-and-four situation. Another 16-yard completion to Nelson got the ball to the Oakland 11 and, after McCutcheon ran twice and Haden’s third-down pass was tipped by DE John Matuszak, Septien kicked a 21-yard field goal to put Los Angeles back in the lead.

The Raiders reached the LA 45 on their next series before having to punt. The home team got a big play when Haden threw to McCutcheon for a 30-yard gain to the Oakland 36, but the drive stalled and the Rams punted in turn. A Stabler pass was tipped and intercepted by SS Dave Elmendorf, but Oakland got the ball back on the next play when Cappelletti fumbled again and CB Lester Hayes recovered. As the game headed into the final period, the Raiders reached the LA 32, but Stabler fumbled when sacked by LB Isiah Robertson and DE Jack Youngblood came up with the ball.

The Rams went 17 yards in six plays before Septien kicked another field goal, this time from 44 yards, to make it a six-point game. But the Raiders, starting at their 13 following a penalty on the ensuing kickoff, responded with a 12-play, 87-yard drive. Davis and van Eeghen ran the ball well and, when the series stalled at the Oakland 45 and the Raiders punted, an offsides penalty on the Rams kept the possession alive. Van Eeghen took off for a 20-yard run and a defensive holding penalty allowed the Raiders to convert another third down. Finally, Stabler threw to TE Dave Casper for a 21-yard touchdown and, with Mann adding the extra point, Oakland was in front by 14-13 with less than five minutes remaining to play.

With the ball at the LA 17 following the kickoff, Haden threw to Nelson for 20 yards and, after a short running play, tossed a swing pass to Cappelletti for another ten. McCutcheon ran for six yards and another swing pass lost ground, but Haden then went long for the fleet Harold Jackson who caught the ball in the end zone for a 43-yard TD. Septien’s PAT made it a six-point lead for the home team.

There were still two minutes left as the Raiders took possession. Stabler was looking to pass on every play, and after being sacked by Jack Youngblood to face a fourth-and-20 situation, he connected with Casper for a 24-yard gain. Two plays later, “The Snake” hit WR Cliff Branch for nine yards, but a sack and an incomplete pass had the Raiders back at their 49 with seven seconds remaining on the clock. Stabler found Branch for 24 yards but time expired before he could get out of bounds and the Rams came away with a 20-14 win.

The Raiders led in total yards (351 to 302), with 198 of that total coming on the ground, and first downs (27 to 19). However, Oakland also turned the ball over six times, to two suffered by the Rams. Stabler was also sacked four times, as opposed to two recorded by LA.

Pat Haden completed 13 of 22 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Lawrence McCutcheon ran for 97 yards on 25 carries and also led the Rams with 63 yards on four pass receptions. John Cappelletti had 5 catches for 29 yards to go along with his 34 yards and a TD on 13 rushing attempts. Terry Nelson contributed three receptions for 51 yards while Harold Jackson had the one big 43-yard scoring catch.

For the Raiders, Ken Stabler was successful on 16 of 38 throws for 194 yards and a TD, and gave up four interceptions. Clarence Davis rushed for 80 yards on 10 carries and Mark van Eeghen was right behind as he gained 79 yards on 16 attempts. Dave Casper (pictured at right) topped the receivers with 5 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown and Fred Biletnikoff added four receptions for 47 yards.

The win for the Rams clinched another NFL West crown and they finished at 10-4. However, they once again fell short in the postseason with a loss to Minnesota in the Divisional playoff round. The loss for the Raiders assured that they would need to qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card entry. They did just that, winning their last two contests to place second in the AFC West at 11-3. Oakland won an exciting overtime game in the Divisional round over the Colts before falling to the Broncos in a close contest for the AFC Championship.

Lawrence McCutcheon ranked third in the NFL with 1238 yards on 294 rushing attempts (4.2 avg.), his fourth thousand-yard season in five years. He caught 25 passes for 274 yards and scored a total of nine touchdowns in garnering his fifth consecutive selection to the Pro Bowl.

Pat Haden ranked third in the league in passing with an 84.5 rating. He completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 1551 yards and 11 touchdowns, giving up just 6 interceptions, and was also named to the Pro Bowl.

1975: Sun Defeat Bell in Highest-Scoring WFL Game

The Southern California Sun were off to a 3-1 start in the second World Football League season as they hosted the Philadelphia Bell on August 29, 1975. Under the guidance of Head Coach Tom Fears, the Sun were benefiting from the presence of rookie RB Anthony Davis, a local star out of USC who had spurned the New York Jets to become the troubled WFL’s lone high-profile rookie signing for ’75. It had been anticipated that ex-Raider Daryle Lamonica would take over at quarterback for departed 1974 co-MVP Tony Adams, but injuries kept him off the field and another rookie from Southern Cal, Pat Haden (pictured at right), stepped into the starting role after overcoming a preseason injury. But while the offense could put points on the board, there were concerns about the defense, especially when star DT Dave Roller was knocked out of action with an injury the previous week.

Philadelphia had undergone coaching turmoil during the preseason, but was now guided by ex-Green Bay Hall of Famer Willie Wood, a pioneering African-American head coach. The Bell had also picked up QB Bob Davis from the Florida Blazers, who beat out the flamboyant Jim “King” Corcoran for the starting job, as well as RB J.J. Jennings from Memphis and TE Ted Kwalick from the NFL 49ers. The Bell came into the contest at 2-2.

There was a paltry crowd of 17,811 on hand at Anaheim Stadium for the Friday night game. Philadelphia had the first scoring opportunity, but a 38-yard field goal by Bob Cooper was nullified by a penalty and the follow-up attempt was blocked.

On Southern California’s first play, Anthony Davis threw an option pass to wide-open WR Dave Williams that resulted in a 51-yard touchdown. Davis successfully ran for the action point (in the WFL, touchdowns were good for seven points and were then followed up by an “action point” that could not be kicked). It was the beginning of a big first half for the 10^th-year veteran Williams.

The Bell evened the score when RB John Land ran for a two-yard TD to cap a seven-play, 54-yard drive, followed by Bob Davis throwing to Land for the action point, but the Sun came right back when Anthony Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for another touchdown. While they failed to convert the action point attempt, the Sun had a 15-8 lead – and had run just one play from scrimmage.

Before the first quarter was over, Williams scored again to cap a 72-yard drive, this time on a pass from Haden that covered 37 yards. The Sun again failed to add the action point but still held a 22-8 lead.

The Sun poured it on in the second quarter, with FB Greg Herd scoring on a one-yard carry set up by a pass interference call in the end zone (followed by a successful action point conversion on a run by backup QB Mike Ernst), and Williams adding two more TD catches from Haden on plays that covered 15 and 38 yards. Ted Kwalick caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bob Davis (and caught another pass to convert the action point), but Southern California maintained a solid 44-16 lead at the half.

The Bell didn’t give up as Davis tossed three more touchdown passes in the second half, of eight yards to WR Ron Holliday in the third quarter and, in the final period, of 13 yards to ex-Eagles veteran WR Ben Hawkins and 49 yards to a future Eagles special teams star, WR Vince Papale. Two of the action point attempts were successful.

The Sun added a one-yard TD carry by RB Bill Kramer in the third quarter and an eight-yard run by RB Gary Dixon in the fourth. Both action point attempts failed, but they weren’t needed as Southern California prevailed by a score of 58-39. To add insult to injury for the Bell, the local television station that was showing the game in Philadelphia pulled the plug on the telecast because it was running too late.

The 97 points scored made it the highest-scoring game in the WFL’s brief history. The Sun rolled up 508 total yards – with 233 coming on the ground – to 436 for Philadelphia, trying vainly to play catch-up throughout most of the game. Southern California also had the edge in first downs (25 to 22) while the Bell led in turnovers (3 to 2) and penalties (14, at a cost of 152 yards, to 10 flags for 96 yards thrown on the home team).

Anthony Davis (pictured below) had another noteworthy performance, rushing for 115 yards on 21 carries, throwing a touchdown pass, and returning a kickoff for another TD. Pat Haden completed 13 of 21 passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns and had one intercepted. Dave Williams was the receiving star with 6 catches for 179 yards and four scores.

For the Bell, Bob Davis was successful on 21 of 46 throws for 285 yards and four TDs along with two interceptions. John Land ran for 55 yards on 12 carries that included a touchdown and J.J. Jennings was right behind with 10 attempts for 52 yards. Land and Ben Hawkins each caught 5 passes (for 44 and 42 yards, respectively) and Ted Kwalick gained 93 yards on his four receptions.

“All week we talked about containing (Anthony) Davis,” said a disappointed Coach Willie Wood. “Then the first time the Sun has the ball he goes around end and throws for the 51-yard touchdown. We got flat, we lost concentration because of that play.”

Southern California compiled a 7-5 record and was in first place in the Western Division when the WFL abruptly folded in October. The Bell were at the bottom of the Eastern Division at 4-7.

Anthony Davis was outstanding, comfortably leading the league in rushing (1200 yards), rushing touchdowns (16), and scoring (133 points) after 12 games. He went on to play in the CFL, NFL, and USFL, but never came close to the same level of performance.

Pat Haden was off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar before the league folded, but would return to pro football with the NFL’s Rams for six years. Dave Williams finished off his pro career by catching 21 passes, 9 of which were good for touchdowns. He gained 327 yards (15.6 avg.) and the scoring reception from Anthony Davis was his longest of the year.