MVP Profile: Bart Starr, 1966

Quarterback, Green Bay Packers


Age: 32
11th season in pro football & with Packers
College: Alabama
Height: 6’1” Weight: 200

Prelude:
An unheralded 17th-round draft pick of the Packers in 1956, Starr backed up veteran Tobin Rote as a rookie, became the starter for a poor team in ’57, and saw limited playing time in 1958 due to an ankle injury. In 1959, new Head Coach Vince Lombardi went with Lamar McHan as the starting QB, but when he ran into injury problems, Starr took over and held onto the job. In 1960, the Packers went to the postseason and Starr was picked for the Pro Bowl. He was better in ’61, achieving new personal highs in completion percentage (58.3), passing yards (2418), and TD passes (16) and again going to the Pro Bowl as the Packers won the NFL title. He led the league in passing (90.7 rating) and completion percentage (62.5) in 1962, another championship season for the team, and went to a third straight Pro Bowl. A broken wrist hindered Starr in ’63 but he was back on top of the passing standings (97.1) in 1964 as well as first in completion percentage (59.9) and threw 15 TDs to just 4 INTs. The Packers were champions once again in 1965, with Starr again directing the offense.

1966 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 251 [11]
Most attempts, game – 31 at Minnesota 11/27
Completions – 156 [9]
Most completions, game – 20 at Cleveland 9/18, at Minnesota 11/27
Yards – 2257 [8]
Most yards, game – 287 at San Francisco 10/9
Completion percentage – 62.2 [1]
Yards per attempt – 9.0 [1]
TD passes – 14 [7]
Most TD passes, game – 2 on 5 occasions
Interceptions – 3
Most interceptions, game – 1 vs. Baltimore 9/10, at San Francisco 10/9, at Chicago 10/16
Passer rating – 105.0 [1]
200-yard passing games – 6

Rushing
Attempts – 21
Most attempts, game – 4 (for 17 yds.) at Cleveland 9/18
Yards – 104
Most yards, game – 36 yards (on 3 carries) vs. Baltimore 9/10
Yards per attempt – 5.0
TDs – 2

Scoring
TDs – 2
Points – 12

Postseason: 2 G
Pass attempts – 51
Most attempts, game - 28 at Dallas, NFL Championship
Pass completions – 35
Most completions, game - 19 at Dallas, NFL Championship
Passing yardage – 554
Most yards, game - 304 at Dallas, NFL Championship
TD passes – 6
Most TD passes, game - 4 at Dallas, NFL Championship
Interceptions – 1
Most interceptions, game - 1 vs. Kansas City, Super Bowl

Rushing attempts – 2
Most rushing attempts, game - 2 at Dallas, NFL Championship
Rushing yards – -1
Most rushing yards, game - -1 at Dallas, NFL Championship
Average gain rushing – -0.5
Rushing TDs – 0

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

The Packers went 12-2 to finish first in the Western Conference. Won NFL Championship over Dallas Cowboys (34-27) and Super Bowl over Kansas City Chiefs (35-10).

Aftermath:
Playing hurt to start the 1967 season, Starr threw more interceptions in the season-opening tie against Detroit than he had in all of ’66 (4). In the end, however, the Packers were champions for the third straight year and won Super Bowl II; Starr led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.7). With Lombardi gone as head coach and age setting in, the team’s performance dropped off and Starr, while still a solid QB, suffered through injury-plagued seasons before retiring in 1971. At his leaving, he was the fourth-rated passer of all-time (80.5) to go along with five championships. The Packers retired Starr’s #15 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1977.

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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: Riverfront Stadium

Cincinnati, OH
aka Cinergy Field



Year opened: 1970
Capacity: 59,754

Names:
Riverfront Stadium, 1970-95
Cinergy Field, 1996-2002

Pro football tenants:
Cincinnati Bengals (NFL), 1970-99

Postseason games hosted:
AFC Divisional playoff, Bengals 28 Bills 21, Jan. 3, 1982
AFC Championship, Bengals 27 Chargers 7, Jan. 10, 1982
AFC First Round playoff, Jets 44 Bengals 17, Jan. 9, 1983
AFC Divisional playoff, Bengals 21 Seahawks 13, Dec. 31, 1988
AFC Championship, Bengals 21 Bills 10, Jan. 8, 1989
AFC Wild Card playoff, Bengals 41 Oilers 14, Jan. 6, 1991

Other tenants of note:
Cincinnati Reds (MLB – NL), 1970-2002
Univ. of Cincinnati (college football), 1990

Notes: Originally had AstroTurf surface, but was converted to a grass field in 2001 (when the baseball Reds were the sole tenant). In addition to the 1990 season, the stadium occasionally hosted other Univ. of Cincinnati football games against major opponents. Capacity reduced by about 13,000 due to need to knock out a section in 2001 in order to accommodate construction of the next-door Great American Ball Park. The birthplace and boyhood home of singing cowboy/actor Roy Rogers was one of the buildings that the stadium replaced.

Fate: Demolished in 2002, the site is now the western concourse of Great American Ball Park.

MVP Profile: Kelvin Bryant, 1983

Running Back, Philadelphia Stars


Age: 22
1st season in pro football
College: North Carolina
Height: 6’2” Weight: 195

Prelude:
A three-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference back in college, Bryant was chosen by the Stars in the first USFL territorial draft and went with the new league (the Washington Redskins selected him in the 7th round of the ’83 NFL draft even though he had already signed with the USFL). He moved directly into the starting lineup and quickly became the focal point of the ground-oriented offense.

1983 Season Summary
Appeared in 17 of 18 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 318 [2]
Most attempts, game - 27 (for 177 yds.) at Birmingham 3/21
Yards – 1442 [2]
Most yards, game – 177 yards (on 27 carries) at Birmingham 3/21
Average gain – 4.5 [7]
TDs – 16 [2]
100-yard rushing games - 7

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 53 [19, tied with Herschel Walker]
Most receptions, game – 6 (for 34 yds.) at Denver 3/6, (for 50 yds.) vs. Denver 5/8
Yards – 410
Most yards, game - 66 (on 4 catches) at New Jersey 6/12
Average gain – 7.7
TDs – 1

Scoring
TDs – 17 [2]
Points – 102 [7]

Postseason: 2 G
Rushing attempts – 37
Most rushing attempts, game - 24 vs. Chicago, USFL Semifinal playoff
Rushing yards – 231
Most rushing yards, game - 142 vs. Chicago, USFL Semifinal playoff
Average gain rushing – 6.2
Rushing TDs – 2

Pass receptions – 6
Most pass receptions, game - 4 vs. Michigan, USFL Championship
Pass receiving yards - 29
Most pass receiving yards, game - 15 vs. Michigan, USFL Championship
Average yards per reception – 4.8
Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:
USFL MVP: League, Pro Football Weekly
1st team All-USFL: League, Sporting News, College & Pro Football Newsweekly, Pro Football Weekly

Stars went 15-3 to finish first in the USFL Atlantic Division with the league’s best record. Won Semifinal playoff over Chicago Blitz (44-38 in OT). Lost USFL Championship to Michigan Panthers (24-22).

Aftermath:
Bryant continued to be one of the league’s best runners, even though battling occasional injuries, again ranking second in the USFL with 1406 rushing yards in 1984 and tied for fourth in ’85 with 1207. He ended up gaining 4055 yards over the course of the three USFL seasons, and the Stars won the league championship in the last two. Following the demise of the USFL, Bryant joined the Redskins where he spent four seasons (1986-90). In the NFL, he battled injuries and was utilized more for his pass receiving skills, catching over 40 passes in each of his first three years but only once compiling as many as 100 carries (108 in 1988). With Washington, he rushed for a total of 1186 yards and caught 154 passes for 1634 yards.

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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]

1985: Gold Beat Gamblers to Clinch Playoff Spot

The teams that met on June 9, 1985 at Denver’s Mile High Stadium were battling for postseason berths in the United States Football League’s third season. The host Gold had missed out in the USFL’s first two years and came into this contest at 10-5 while the visiting Houston Gamblers, who had joined the league in 1984, were 9-6. Both clubs were in the Western Conference of the restructured league.

The announced move from spring to fall for 1986 had a devastating impact on the Gold, despite the success on the field. After averaging a league-high 41,736 fans per home game in 1983 and 33,953 in ’84, Denver averaged just 14,446 in 1985 and, for the finale at Mile High Stadium with a playoff spot on the line, there was a paltry crowd of 12,553.

Former Gamblers’ offensive coordinator Darrel “Mouse” Davis (pictured above) was now the head coach in Denver, and had brought his exciting run-and-shoot offense with him. Houston, coached by Jack Pardee, also continued to utilize the quick-striking scheme. However, star QB Jim Kelly was injured and backup Todd Dillon started against the Gold.

The Gold opened the scoring in spectacular fashion in the first quarter as QB Bob Gagliano connected on a bomb to WR Leonard Harris that resulted in a 63-yard touchdown. Houston responded with two Toni Fritsch field goals, of 46 yards later in the first quarter and 31 yards less than five minutes into the second quarter, to cut Denver’s lead to 7-6.

The nationally-televised game was delayed in the second quarter for 19 minutes due to lightning and torrential rain. The stadium lights briefly went out and parts of the field were flooded with over an inch of rain while the officials sent the teams back to the locker room until the storm passed.

Play resumed, but Denver’s offense, while moving the ball effectively, squandered four second quarter scoring opportunities and one in the third period as well. Gagliano was intercepted in the end zone three times and PK Jim Asmus missed field goal attempts of 19 and 30 yards. The Gold clung to a one-point lead at halftime.

Asmus was finally successful on a 40-yard field goal attempt midway through the third quarter and also connected from 47 yards early in the final period, putting the Gold ahead by a 13-6 score. However, Houston came back with a five-play, 73-yard drive that culminated in RB Todd Fowler running for a six-yard touchdown with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation. Fritsch was successful on the extra point conversion, and the score was tied at 13-13.

The teams traded punts, and then the Gold, taking over at their own 27 yard line, drove to the Houston one. Along the way, Gagliano completed passes of 27 yards to WR Marc Lewis and 20 yards to WR Lonnie Turner. Asmus booted the game-winning kick from 18 yards with one second left on the clock, atoning for the two earlier misses, and Denver clinched a playoff spot by a score of 16-13.

Considering that both teams had explosive offenses, the game was remarkably low-scoring (the 13 points were the fewest ever scored by the Gamblers). Denver significantly outgained the Gamblers (462 yards to 291) and also led in first downs (20 to 16), but had difficulty putting points on the board. The Gold gained just 47 yards on 21 rushing attempts and the Gamblers sacked Bob Gagliano five times (to three by Denver).

Gagliano nevertheless piled up plenty of passing yards as he set a Denver club record with 445 while completing 24 of 45 throws, including the one long TD but also the three costly interceptions. Marc Lewis caught 9 passes for 130 yards while Leonard Harris (pictured below), with the long scoring reception, had 177 yards on his four catches. RB Bill Johnson led the ground game with 38 yards on 15 carries.



For Houston, QB Todd Dillon was successful on 21 of 36 passes for 233 yards with no touchdowns and one picked off. Wide receivers Ricky Sanders and Scott McGhee and RB Sam Harrell all caught four passes apiece, with Sanders gaining the most yards (56). Harrell and Todd Fowler had identical rushing statistics - 25 yards on six carries.

“I could hear Coach Davis swearing at me as I walked off the field after the first half,” Jim Asmus said afterward. “But then he told me to go out in the second half and kick it through the uprights. I was glad I was able to come back and score points when we need them. I owed it to the guys.”

“Yes, it's true we had a difficult time getting into the end zone,” added Mouse Davis, “and yes, it's true we had a tough time making those field goals. But we won and it gets us in the playoffs.”

In the other locker room, Houston’s Pardee could only shake his head and mutter, “Two run-and-shoot teams in a defensive battle.”

While the loss put Houston’s playoff hopes in jeopardy, in the end both clubs made it to the postseason. Denver was second in the conference at 11-7 but was crushed by the Memphis Showboats in the first round (48-7). The Gamblers, who came in third at 10-8, also lost in the Quarterfinal playoff round, but to the Birmingham Stallions by the much closer score of 22-20.

With fan support dwindling, Denver owner Doug Spedding was considering moving the franchise for the ’86 fall season, but the USFL folded before the shift ever happened. Meanwhile, the Gamblers (who also suffered at the gate as a result of the announced move to the fall) merged with the New Jersey Generals, and while it created what could have been a dominating club, the end of the league rendered such speculation moot.

Past Venue: Soldier Field

Chicago, IL
(original structure)



Year opened: 1924
Capacity: 74,000 at opening, could be increased to 100,000 with additional seating. Reduced to 57,000 as result of renovation to accommodate the Bears, but capacity increased to 66,944 by 1994.

Names:
Municipal Grant Park Stadium, 1924-25
Soldier Field, 1925-2002

Pro football tenants:
Chicago Rockets/Hornets (AAFC), 1946-49
Chicago Cardinals (NFL), 1959
Chicago Owls (ContFL), 1968-69
Chicago Bears (NFL), 1971-2001
Chicago Fire/Winds (WFL), 1974-75
Chicago Blitz (USFL), 1983-84
Chicago Enforcers (XFL), 2001

Postseason games hosted:
NFC Divisional playoff, Bears 21 Giants 0, Jan. 5, 1986
NFC Championship, Bears 24 Rams 0, Jan. 12, 1986
NFC Divisional playoff, Redskins 27 Bears 13, Jan. 3, 1987
NFC Divisional playoff, Redskins 21 Bears 17, Jan. 10, 1988
NFC Divisional playoff, Bears 20 Eagles 12, Dec. 31, 1988
NFC Championship, 49ers 28 Bears 3, Jan. 8, 1989
NFC Wild Card playoff, Bears 16 Saints 6, Jan. 6, 1991
NFC Wild Card playoff, Cowboys 17 Bears 13, Dec. 29, 1991
NFC Divisional playoff, Eagles 33 Bears 19, Jan. 19, 2002

Other tenants of note:
Chicago Spurs (NPSL), 1967
Chicago Sting (NASL), 1975-76
Chicago Fire (MLS), 1998-2001

Notes: Hosted annual College All-Star game, 1934-42, 1945-73, 1975-76. In addition to years indicated above, hosted two home games of NFL Chicago Bears in 1926 and one in 1933. In addition to 1959 season, hosted one home game of NFL Chicago Cardinals in 1926 and two in 1927. Name changed on Nov. 11, 1925. First football game at stadium was between Louisville Male High School vs. Austin High School, Oct. 4, 1924. Hosted Army vs. Navy football game, 1926. Used as venue for FIFA World Cup, including the opening ceremony, 1994. Hosted boxing Heavyweight title fight between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney, famous as “Long Count” fight, Sept. 22, 1927. Hosted stock car racing between 1935 and ’68. AstroTurf replaced grass field in 1971 but was in turn replaced by grass in 1988.

Fate: Demolished in 2002 and rebuilt into modernized facility bearing same name. Only the distinctive outer colonnade remains from the original structure.



[Updated 2/3/14]

MVP Profile: Roger Staubach, 1971

Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys



Age: 29
3rd season in pro football & with Cowboys
College: Navy
Height: 6’3” Weight: 197

Prelude:
After starring at Navy, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 1963, Staubach didn’t arrive in the NFL until completing his five-year military commitment in 1969. The Cowboys had drafted him in the 10th round of the ’64 draft, as a future consideration (he was also picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 16th round of the AFL draft), and Staubach joined them in ’69. After backing up Craig Morton for two years, he alternated with the veteran in ’71 before winning the starting job outright.

1971 Season Summary
Appeared in 13 of 14 games, started 10 of them
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 211 [20]
Most attempts, game – 31 at St. Louis 11/7
Completions – 126 [17]
Most completions, game – 20 at St. Louis 11/7
Yards – 1882 [14]
Most yards, game – 232 at NY Giants 12/12
Completion percentage – 59.7 [3]
Yards per attempt – 8.9 [1]
TD passes – 15 [8, tied with Len Dawson]
Most TD passes, game – 3 vs. NY Jets 12/4, at NY Giants 12/12
Interceptions – 4
Most interceptions, game – 1 on four occasions
Passer rating – 104.8 [1]
200-yard passing games – 1

Rushing
Attempts – 41
Most attempts, game - 7 (for 60 yds.) at St. Louis 11/7
Yards – 343
Most yards, game – 90 yards (on 6 carries) vs. Philadelphia 11/14
Yards per attempt – 8.4
TDs – 2

Scoring
TDs – 2
Points - 12

Postseason: 3 G
Pass attempts – 51
Most attempts, game - 19 vs. Miami, Super Bowl
Pass completions – 31
Most completions, game - 12 vs. Miami, Super Bowl
Passing yardage – 321
Most yards, game - 119 vs. Miami, Super Bowl
TD passes – 3
Most TD passes, game - 2 vs. Miami, Super Bowl
Interceptions – 0

Rushing attempts – 15
Most rushing attempts, game - 8 vs. San Francisco, NFC Championship
Rushing yards – 75
Most rushing yards, game - 55 vs. San Francisco, NFC Championship
Average gain rushing – 5.0
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Player of the Year: Bert Bell Award
NFC Player of the Year: Sporting News
2nd team All-NFL: PFWA, NEA
1st team All-NFC: AP, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
Pro Bowl

Cowboys went 11-3 to win the NFC East and led league in total offense (5035 yards), points scored (406), and touchdowns (50) and NFC in passing yards (2786). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Minnesota Vikings (20-12), NFC Championship over San Francisco 49ers (14-3), and Super Bowl over Miami Dolphins (24-3).

Aftermath:
Injured early in the 1972 season, Staubach saw only limited action, but returned to the starting job in ’73 and led the NFL in passing (94.6 rating) and TD passes (23, tied with Roman Gabriel of the Eagles). From 1975 through the end of his career in ’79, he was named to the Pro Bowl five straight times and led the league in passing in each of his last two seasons (1978 and ’79). The Cowboys went to the Super Bowl three more times with Staubach at quarterback, winning once. He retired as the top-ranked passer in NFL history at the time (83.4 rating). Highly mobile, he also rushed for 2264 yards. Staubach was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1985.

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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: Municipal Stadium

Baltimore, MD
aka Babe Ruth Stadium



Year opened: 1922
Capacity: 40,000 at opening, increased to 78,000 within two years, but eventually reduced to 58,917

Names:
Venable Stadium, 1922-24
Municipal Stadium, 1924-49
Babe Ruth Stadium, 1949-50

Pro football tenants:
Baltimore Colts (AAFC), 1947-49

Postseason games hosted:
AAFC Eastern Division playoff, Bills 28 Colts 17, Dec. 12, 1948

Other tenants of note:
Baltimore Orioles (minor league baseball), 1944-49
Baltimore Elite Giants (baseball Negro leagues), 1944-49

Notes: Hosted Army vs. Navy football games, 1924 and 1944. Stadium opened with a football game between teams fielded by the US Army Third Corps and Marines from Quantico, VA on Dec. 3, 1922. Regularly hosted Navy home games against significant opponents. Primarily a football stadium, the minor league baseball Orioles moved in during 1944 season after their home park was destroyed by fire. Briefly renamed for Baltimore native Babe Ruth following the baseball star’s death in 1948.

Fate: Gradually demolished between 1949 and ‘50 and rebuilt into Memorial Stadium.