MVP Profile: Jim Taylor, 1962

Fullback, Green Bay Packers


Age: 27 (Sept. 20)
5th season in pro football & with Packers
College: LSU
Height: 6’0” Weight: 215

Prelude:
Chosen by the Packers in the 2nd round of the 1958 NFL draft, Taylor saw scant action in his rookie season. With the coming of Vince Lombardi as head coach in ’59, he moved into the starting lineup, although burns suffered in a kitchen grease fire caused him to miss action. He broke out in 1960, gaining 1101 yards on a league-leading 230 carries, and rushed for 1307 yards and a NFL-leading 15 rushing TDs in ’61. A physically-punishing runner, Taylor provided the power for Green Bay’s offense and was selected to the Pro Bowl following the ’60 and ’61 seasons.

1962 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 272 [1]
Most attempts, game - 25 (for 124 yds.) at Chicago 11/4, (for 141 yds.) at Philadelphia 11/11
Yards – 1474 [1]
Most yards, game – 164 yards (on 17 carries) at Minnesota 10/14
Average gain – 5.4 [2]
TDs – 19 [1]
100-yard rushing games - 7

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 22
Most receptions, game – 4 (for 40 yds.) vs. St. Louis 9/23
Yards – 106
Most yards, game - 40 (on 4 catches) vs. St. Louis 9/23
Average gain – 4.8
TDs – 0

Scoring
TDs – 19 [1]
Points – 114 [1]

The 19 touchdowns set a then-NFL single-season record.

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at NY Giants)
Rushing attempts – 31
Rushing yards – 85
Average gain rushing – 2.7
Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 3
Pass receiving yards - 20
Average yards per reception – 6.7
Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, NEA
1st team All-NFL: AP, NEA, UPI
1st team All-Western Conference: Sporting News
Pro Bowl

Packers went 13-1 to win Western Conference while leading league in rushing offense (2460 yards), scoring (415 points), and TDs (53). Won NFL Championship over New York Giants (16-7).

Aftermath:
Taylor had two more thousand-yard seasons, in 1963 and ’64, and was named to the Pro Bowl after each, to give him five straight. He began to show signs of wear in 1965, running for 734 yards and a 3.5-yard average, and following a 705-yard season in ’66, Taylor played out his option and signed with the expansion New Orleans Saints. He led the team in rushing, but with just 390 yards, and retired prior to the 1968 season with 8597 career yards (second highest in NFL history at the time). Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1976.

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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 2/15/14]

Past Venue: Tampa Stadium

Tampa, FL
aka Houlihan’s Stadium



Year opened: 1967
Capacity: 74,301, up from 45,000 at opening

Names:
Tampa Stadium, 1967-95
Houlihan’s Stadium, 1996-98

Pro football tenants:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL), 1976-97
Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL), 1983-85

Postseason games hosted:
NFC Divisional playoff, Buccaneers 24 Eagles 17, Dec. 29, 1979
NFC Championship, Rams 9 Buccaneers 0, Jan. 6, 1980
Super Bowl XVIII, Raiders 38 Redskins 9, Jan. 22, 1984
USFL Championship, Stars 23 Wranglers 3, July 15, 1984
Super Bowl XXV, Giants 20 Bills 19, Jan. 27, 1991
NFC Wild Card playoff, Buccaneers 20 Lions 10, Dec. 28, 1997

Other tenants of note:
Univ. of Tampa (college football), 1967-74
Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL), 1975-84
Tampa Bay Mutiny (MLS), 1996-98
Univ. of South Florida (college football), 1997

Notes: Hosted AFC/NFC Pro Bowl, Jan. 23, 1978. Hosted Can-Am Bowl, 1977-79. Hosted Hall of Fame/Outback Bowl, 1986-98. Hosted one home game of AFL Miami Dolphins in 1969. Hosted several NFL preseason games prior to the creation of the Buccaneers, beginning with Washington Redskins vs. Atlanta Falcons in Aug. 1968. A major expansion project in 1975 added 27,000 seats. Referred to as the Big Sombrero due to its distinctive shape. Renamed Houlihan’s Stadium after Malcolm Glazer, owner of the Buccaneers as well as the Houlihan’s restaurant chain, also purchased the stadium’s naming rights.

Fate: Demolished in 1999, the site is now a parking lot for Raymond James Stadium.

MVP Profile: John Brodie, 1970

Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers



Age: 35
14th season in pro football & with 49ers
College: Stanford
Height: 6’1” Weight: 203

Prelude:
Chosen by the 49ers in the 1st round of the 1957 NFL draft, Brodie backed up Y.A. Tittle for four seasons (although seeing enough action for the injured Tittle in ’58 to lead the league in completion percentage at 59.9) before inheriting the full-time starting job in 1961. With all of the necessary tools but plagued by inconsistency, he was selected for the Pro Bowl in 1965 after leading the NFL in pass attempts (391), completions (242), completion percentage (61.9), yards (3112), and TD passes (30). Brodie also led the league in pass attempts (404), completions (234), completion percentage (57.9), and yards (3020) in ’68, but in between were years of mediocrity, both for Brodie and the team.

1970 Season Summary
Appeared & started in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 378 [4]
Most attempts, game – 36 vs. New Orleans 10/18, vs. LA Rams 11/29
Completions – 223 [1]
Most completions, game – 21 at Chicago 11/8
Yards – 2941 [1]
Most yards, game – 317 at Chicago 11/8
Completion percentage – 59.0 [2]
Yards per attempt – 7.8 [3]
TD passes – 24 [1]
Most TD passes, game – 3 vs. Cleveland 9/27, at Chicago 11/8, at Houston 11/15, at New Orleans 12/13, at Oakland 12/20
Interceptions – 10
Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. New Orleans 10/18, at Detroit 11/22
Passer rating – 93.8 [1]
300-yard passing games – 1
200-yard passing games – 7

Rushing
Attempts – 9
Most attempts, game - 2 (for 7 yds.) vs. Cleveland 9/27, (for 11 yds.) at LA Rams 10/11
Yards – 29
Most yards, game – 11 yards (on 2 carries) at LA Rams 10/11
Yards per attempt – 3.2
TDs – 2

Scoring
TDs – 2
Points – 12

Postseason: 2 G
Pass attempts – 72
Most pass attempts, game – 40 vs. Dallas, NFC Championship
Pass completions – 35
Most pass completions, game – 19 vs. Dallas, NFC Championship
Passing yardage – 463
Most passing yards, game – 262 vs. Dallas, NFC Championship
TD passes – 2
Most TD passes, game – 1 at Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff, vs. Dallas, NFC Championship
Interceptions – 2
Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Dallas, NFC Championship

Rushing attempts – 2
Most rushing attempts, game – 2 at Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff
Rushing yards – 4
Most rushing yards, game – 4 at Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff
Average gain rushing – 2.0
Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, NEA
NFC Offensive Player of the Year: Sporting News
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly
1st team All-NFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
Pro Bowl

49ers went 10-3-1 to win the NFC West while leading the NFL in passing offense (2923 yards), scoring (352 points), and touchdowns (41, tied with Detroit). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Minnesota Vikings (17-14). Lost NFC Championship to Dallas Cowboys (17-10).

Aftermath:
Brodie had a lesser year in 1971, throwing more interceptions (24) than TD passes (18), but the 49ers again won the NFC West with a 9-5 record and again advanced to the NFC Championship game, losing once more to Dallas. Brodie went down with a severely sprained ankle in ‘72 and gave way to Steve Spurrier, but rallied the team into the playoffs for the third straight year, although the 49ers once again fell to the Cowboys (this time in the Divisional round). He retired after the 1973 season, ranking third lifetime in the NFL in both pass attempts (4491) and completions (2469) while having thrown for 31,548 yards with 214 TDs and 224 interceptions. Brodie’s #12 was retired by the 49ers.

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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 2/15/14]

1968: Steelers Deal Bill Nelsen to Browns

On May 14, 1968 the Pittsburgh Steelers traded QB Bill Nelsen and safety Jim Bradshaw to the Cleveland Browns for QB Dick Shiner, DT Frank Parker, and an unspecified draft choice. The deal officially brought to an end Nelsen’s injury-riddled career in Pittsburgh, and at the time was seen as an effort to bolster the defensive line.

The 27-year-old Nelsen came to Pittsburgh in 1963 as a tenth round draft pick out of USC, where he had split time at quarterback with Pete Beathard during a 1962 season in which the Trojans were national champions. While he wasn’t big at 6’0” and 195 pounds, and didn’t possess an especially strong arm, he proved to be a decent passer with a good attitude and outstanding leadership qualities.

After backing up veteran QB Ed Brown in his first two seasons, Nelsen took over as starting quarterback in ’65, but was playing on a bad knee. He missed time and was challenged for the starting job by another young (and less talented) quarterback, Tommy Wade. After off-season surgery, he came back in 1966 and went down with an injury to the other knee. In 1967, Nelsen lost his starting job to Kent Nix as he missed eight games with further knee problems.

In trading Nelsen for Dick Shiner, the Steelers were obtaining a quarterback who had come into the NFL a year later but had seen far less action. A seventh-round draft choice out of Maryland by the Redskins in 1964, Shiner had been strictly a backup behind Sonny Jurgensen in Washington for three years and then Frank Ryan in Cleveland for one, and broke his leg in practice the previous year.

Speculation initially centered around Parker as the key to the trade. The 6’5”, 270-pound defensive tackle missed all of 1965 due to a major knee injury suffered in ‘64 that required surgery. A promising player prior to the injury, he had played sparingly in the two seasons since.

Jim Bradshaw saw little action in ’67, playing both safety positions, after losing his starting job to former Pitt star Paul Martha. He had intercepted a total of nine passes in 1965 and ’66. In 1967, he also returned 16 punts for a 6.1-yard average.

“Parker will give us the interior pass rushing we needed so badly last season,” said Steelers Head Coach Bill Austin. “As far as quarterbacks are concerned, if we opened our NFL schedule tomorrow I'd go with Kent Nix.” Austin added that “I still think Nelsen is a good football player who has been very unfortunate because of injuries. If he didn't beat out Nix this summer it would be very discouraging for him. A shift in scenery should help.”

The change in scenery proved more beneficial to Nelsen’s career than was anticipated when the deal was culminated. 32-year-old Frank Ryan had played well at quarterback for the Browns, including leading them to a championship in 1964, but injuries suffered during the ’67 season took their toll. When the team started off poorly in 1968, Nelsen took over as starting quarterback and significantly reinvigorated the passing game. The Browns won eight of their last nine contests and advanced to the NFL title game before losing to the Colts. Nelsen ranked sixth among the league’s passers, throwing for 2366 yards and 19 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

Nelsen was even better in 1969, earning selection to the Pro Bowl as he threw for 2743 yards and 23 TDs. The Browns again advanced to the NFL Championship game before succumbing to the Minnesota Vikings. With the merger, Cleveland moved to the AFC and Nelsen stayed on as the starting quarterback for two more seasons before giving way to highly-touted Mike Phipps in 1972, his final year. Playing with two bad knees that had him wearing aluminum braces during games, and thus lacking mobility, he nevertheless did well in Cleveland. Over the course of five seasons, four as the starter, Nelsen threw for 9725 yards with 71 touchdowns and, most significantly, the Browns went 34-16-1 in the regular season with him under center and 2-3 in the playoffs.

Dick Shiner ended up supplanting Nix as the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh, but the team played poorly. In two seasons with the Steelers, he proved to be inconsistent and the club’s record in his starts was a dismal 3-16-1. Having drafted, first, QB Terry Hanratty in 1969 and then, with the first overall choice in ’70, Terry Bradshaw, Shiner was traded to the Giants, where he saw little action behind veteran star Fran Tarkenton. Moving on to Atlanta in 1971, he was still a backup, but had the distinction of starting the opening game of the ’73 season and earning a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in a 62-7 shellacking of the New Orleans Saints. It was the highlight of his career, and he lost the starting job to Bob Lee shortly thereafter, finishing up with the Patriots in ’74.

Frank Parker was just a backup defensive lineman in Pittsburgh and moved on to the Giants for one last year in 1969. Jim Bradshaw was waived during the preseason and never again played in the NFL.

The conditional draft choice ended up being used by the Steelers to take RB Warren Bankston of Tulane in the second round in 1969. He was a backup for four seasons in Pittsburgh before moving on to Oakland in ’73.

All told, the trade for Bill Nelsen proved to be a good one for the Browns. The Steelers would ultimately put together four championships in the decade of the 1970s, but the 1968 deal with Cleveland was not a part in that process (although the poor play in ’68 set the stage for the hiring of Chuck Noll as head coach and the accompanying rebuilding job).

1984: Kelly Throws 5 TD Passes as Gamblers Thrash Maulers

After getting off to a 6-3 start, the Houston Gamblers, one of six new teams to take the field in the United States Football League’s second season, were in a three-way tie atop the Central Division. Head Coach Jack Pardee provided overall direction while offensive coordinator Darrel “Mouse” Davis instituted a “run-and-shoot” offense. With prize rookie QB Jim Kelly (pictured above) directing the pass-oriented attack, the Gamblers were an exciting and high-scoring club.

However, the Gamblers then lost two consecutive close contests to fall a game behind the defending-champion Michigan Panthers (who had administered the first of the defeats). On May 12, 1984 they went on the road to face another first-year team, the Pittsburgh Maulers, at Three Rivers Stadium.

Pittsburgh was far less successful than the Gamblers. They had lost five straight games to come into the contest at 2-9, and Head Coach Joe Pendry had already been fired and replaced by Ellis Rainsberger, who was elevated from assistant head coach. Pittsburgh, too, had a prize rookie in Heisman Trophy-winning RB Mike Rozier out of Nebraska, but little else. Former NFL backup QB Glenn Carano was inconsistent and the defense had far too many weaknesses.

There were 24,880 in attendance for the Saturday night game that was something of a homecoming for Kelly – he had grown up in East Brady, a town north of Pittsburgh, before going on to star at the Univ. of Miami. The rookie quarterback was suffering from a sore elbow, but it didn’t hinder his performance.

The Maulers fumbled the ball away on their first two possessions and Houston converted those turnovers into a 10-0 lead. Following a 25-yard field goal by Toni Fritsch, a fumble by Carano set up the first touchdown of the game less than two minutes later as Kelly threw to WR Richard Johnson on a play covering 15 yards.


The Gamblers took control of the game in the second quarter. Following another Fritsch field goal of 22 yards just under three minutes into the period, Kelly connected again with Johnson for a 13-yard TD and 20-0 lead. Pittsburgh finally got on the board as Carano threw to TE Mark Raugh for a 13-yard touchdown. But Kelly responded with a first-down bomb to WR Ricky Sanders that covered 68 yards for his third TD pass of the game, and less than three minutes later, with just seconds remaining in the first half, Kelly fired a fourth scoring pass to RB Todd Fowler from 21 yards out. Houston took a solid 34-7 lead into halftime.

Fritsch extended the margin to 37-7 at just under six minutes into the third quarter with a 42-yard field goal. The Maulers scored two touchdowns later in the period, both on runs by RB William Miller. The first covered 12 yards and the extra point attempt was missed. The second was from a yard out and, with the successful PAT, narrowed Houston’s lead to a slightly-more-respectable 37-20.

Kelly threw one more TD pass in the fourth quarter, his fifth of the game and third to Johnson, covering 31 yards. Pittsburgh’s backup QB Tom Rozantz connected for a 70-yard touchdown to WR Jackie Flowers – the attempt for a two-point conversion failed. Kelly yielded to backup QB Todd Dillon and Fritsch kicked his fourth field goal of the game, from 29 yards, to provide the final points. The Gamblers won by a comfortable score of 47-26.

While the time of possession was practically even (30:41 to 29:19 in favor of the Maulers) as well as yardage by rushing (Houston held the edge at 138 to 136), the Gamblers blew Pittsburgh away with 450 yards through the air (the Maulers had 147). They also had a significant lead in first downs (27 to 16) although they were also penalized 15 times, at a loss of 132 yards (Pittsburgh was flagged on six occasions).

Jim Kelly’s completion percentage was ordinary, as he was successful on 15 of 29 throws, but they were good for 367 yards and he tied the USFL single-game record for TD passes with five (Walter Lewis of Memphis also threw five the night before). None were intercepted. While Richard Johnson scored three touchdowns on his 4 catches for 70 yards, Ricky Sanders had the gaudier statistics with 8 receptions for 227 yards and the one long TD. The Gamblers could run the ball, too, and Todd Fowler gained 130 yards on 20 carries.

For the Maulers, Glenn Carano completed only 4 of 14 passes for 48 yards with one intercepted; Tom Rozantz was successful on 5 of 7 throws for 144 yards, including the one long TD and no interceptions. The recipient of that long scoring pass, Jackie Flowers, had two catches for 83 yards. William Miller ran for 93 yards on 20 attempts and two touchdowns while Mike Rozier ended up with 8 rushes for 28 yards.

It was the sixth straight loss and tenth in twelve contests for the Maulers, who ended up tied with Washington at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 3-15 record. The franchise folded in the offseason.

Houston went on to surpass Michigan and win the Central Division at 13-5, running up a total of 618 points (an average of 34.3 points per game) and 79 touchdowns along the way. However, the Gamblers were upset in their First Round playoff game by the Arizona Wranglers.


Jim Kelly, who surpassed Bobby Hebert’s 1983 season record of 27 TD passes with his five against Pittsburgh, ended up throwing for 5219 yards and 44 touchdowns, although he also led the league with 26 interceptions. Richard Johnson (pictured at right) topped the USFL with 115 catches for 1455 yards (12.7 avg.) and 15 TDs. Ricky Sanders was runner-up as he pulled in 101 passes for 1378 yards (13.6 avg.) and 11 scores.

Kelly had a second five-TD passing performance in ’85, making him one of two quarterbacks in the three-season history of the USFL to reach that total in a game twice (the other was Birmingham’s Cliff Stoudt). Michigan’s Hebert, who originally set the record in 1983, Chuck Fusina of Philadelphia, and Lewis were the others who achieved the mark.

Past Venue: Memorial Coliseum

Los Angeles, CA



Year opened: 1923
Capacity: 93,607, up from 75,144 at opening but down from high of 105,000 at time of 1932 Olympics

Names:
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 1923 to date

Pro football tenants:
Los Angeles Dons (AAFC), 1946-49
Los Angeles Rams (NFL), 1946-79
Los Angeles Chargers (AFL), 1960
Los Angeles Raiders (NFL), 1982-94
Los Angeles Express (USFL), 1983-85
Los Angeles Xtreme (XFL), 2001

Postseason games hosted:
NFL Championship, Eagles 14 Rams 0, Dec. 18, 1949
NFL National Conf. playoff, Rams 24 Bears 14, Dec. 17, 1950
NFL Championship, Rams 24 Browns 17, Dec. 23, 1951
NFL Championship, Browns 38 Rams 14, Dec. 26, 1955
Super Bowl I, Packers 35 Chiefs 10, Jan. 15, 1967
Super Bowl VII, Dolphins 14 Redskins 7, Jan. 14, 1973
NFC Divisional playoff, Rams 19 Redskins 10, Dec. 22, 1974
NFC Divisional playoff, Rams 35 Cardinals 23, Dec. 27, 1975
NFC Championship, Cowboys 37 Rams 7, Jan. 4, 1976
NFC Divisional playoff, Vikings 14 Rams 7, Dec. 26, 1977
NFC Divisional playoff, Rams 34 Vikings 10, Dec. 31, 1978
NFC Championship, Cowboys 28 Rams 0, Jan. 7, 1979
AFC First Round playoff, Raiders 27 Browns 10, Jan. 8, 1983
AFC Divisional playoff, Jets 17 Raiders 14, Jan. 15, 1983
AFC Divisional playoff, Raiders 38 Steelers 10, Jan. 1, 1984
AFC Championship, Raiders 30 Seahawks 14, Jan. 8, 1984
USFL First Round playoff, Express 27 Panthers 21, June 30, 1984
AFC Divisional playoff, Patriots 27 Raiders 20, Jan. 5, 1986
AFC Divisional playoff, Raiders 20 Bengals 10, Jan. 13, 1991
AFC Wild Card playoff, Raiders 42 Broncos 24, Jan. 9, 1994
XFL Semifinal playoff, Xtreme 33 Enforcers 16, April 15, 2001
XFL Championship, Xtreme 38 Demons 6, April 21, 2001

Other tenants of note:
Univ. of Southern California (college football), 1923 to date
UCLA (college football), 1928-81
Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB – NL), 1958-61
Los Angeles Wolves (soccer), 1967
Los Angeles Aztecs (NASL), 1974-81

Notes: Hosted annual NFL Pro Bowl, 1951-72, and 1979. Hosted Summer Olympics, 1932 & 1984. The Olympic Cauldron/Torch is still lit during the fourth quarter of USC football games and on special occasions. Hosted Mercy Bowl, 1961 & ’71. Hosted one home game of the Los Angeles Dragons of the short-lived Spring Football League (SFL) in 2000. Was originally constructed and named as a memorial to World War I veterans (re-dedicated to veterans of all wars in 1968). First football game was a college contest between USC and Pomona College, Oct. 6, 1923. Stadium is owned by the State of California but leased to and managed by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. Running track removed as part of major renovation in 1993 in order to create additional seating closer to the football field. Renovations, use of temporary end zone seating, and occasional closing off of sections have caused fluctuations in stadium capacity over the years. Highest pro football game attendance was 102,368 for an NFL contest between the Rams and San Francisco 49ers in 1957.

Fate: Still in use.

MVP Profile: Lawrence Taylor, 1986

Linebacker, New York Giants



Age: 27
6th season in pro football & with Giants
College: North Carolina
Height: 6’3” Weight: 243

Prelude:
Chosen in the first round by the Giants in 1981, Taylor had an immediate impact as a rookie. Not only was he the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, but he was selected as NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the AP. With his attacking style of play, he almost immediately set new standards for outside linebackers and was a consensus first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in each of his first five seasons and NFL Defensive Player of the Year again in 1982.

1986 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 20.5 [1]
Most sacks, game – 4 vs. Philadelphia 10/12
Multi-sack games - 6
Interceptions – 0
Fumble recoveries – 0

Postseason: 3 G
Sacks – 0
Interceptions – 1
Int. return yards – 34
TD – 1

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, Bert Bell Trophy, Sporting News
NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFW, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Giants went 14-2 to win NFC East and led the NFL in defense against the run (1284 yards / 80.3 yards per game) and were second in fewest points surrendered (236). Won NFC Divisional playoff over San Francisco 49ers (49-3), NFC Championship over Washington Redskins (17-0), and Super Bowl over Denver Broncos (39-20).

Aftermath:
Taylor continued to be the leader of the Giants defense, achieving consensus first-team All Pro honors twice more and being selected to four more Pro Bowls (for a total of 10 consecutive, going back to his rookie year). He retired following the 1993 season, with 132.5 career sacks, and his #56 was retired by the Giants. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1999.

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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 2/15/14]