1949: Hornets Edge Bills in AAFC Season-Opening Game

The All-America Football Conference’s Chicago franchise had undergone significant alteration coming into the 1949 season. The league had installed new ownership and the nickname was changed from Rockets to Hornets. Ray Flaherty was brought in to coach the team, and he had experienced success with the NFL Redskins and AAFC Yankees. Most importantly, there were many new players on the roster, including ten alone who had come from the defunct Brooklyn Dodgers. For a team that was coming off a miserable 1-13 record, it could only be an improvement.

The Hornets opened the regular season on August 26 against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills had nearly been sold and relocated to Houston in the offseason, but strong community support kept the team in place. Head Coach Red Dawson’s club was coming off a 7-7 campaign in ’48 that was good enough to tie for first place in the mediocre Eastern Division and had advanced to the league title game, only to be pummeled by the mighty Cleveland Browns. QB George Ratterman had skillfully guided the productive offense, but he was holding out in a salary dispute and was thus unavailable for the first game of the new season. Untested backup QB Jim Still started in his place.

There were 23,800 in attendance at Soldier Field for the Friday night game. The Hornets unveiled a single-wing attack, taking advantage of the presence of tailbacks Bob “Hunchy” Hoernschmeyer (pictured at top), who was returning to the team after a hiatus with the Dodgers; Johnny Clement, formerly of the NFL Steelers; and Bob Chappuis, another Brooklyn refugee.

It was the Bills getting on the board first on a touchdown pass from Jim Still to end Al Baldwin that covered 18 yards. Not only did it put the visitors ahead by 7-0 after Chet Adams added the extra point, but it marked an AAFC-record seventh straight game, stretching back to the previous season, in which Baldwin (pictured below) had scored a TD.

The Hornets scored twice in the second quarter on big plays to take the lead. Bob Hoernschemeyer passed to wingback Ray Ramsey on a play that covered 63 yards for a touchdown. Johnny Clement then connected with wingback Paul Patterson for a 35-yard TD. With both PATs successfully added, Chicago led at halftime by a 14-7 tally.

Neither club scored during the third quarter. Buffalo had difficulty moving on offense while the Hornets proved to be adept at turning the ball over. The Bills got a break in the fourth quarter when a bad snap on a punt gave them possession on the Chicago 38. The series culminated in a 13-yard run by HB Chet Mutryn that, with the successful extra point, tied the score.

Late in the fourth quarter the Hornets had the ball in scoring territory and Jim McCarthy booted a 21-yard field goal that broke the deadlock. Chicago held on to win by a final tally of 17-14.

The Hornets significantly outgained Buffalo (305 yards to 193), with the Bills only able to generate 66 yards through the air. The visitors had the edge in first downs (9 to 7) and Chicago turned the ball over six times (two interceptions and four fumbles) to three suffered by Buffalo.

It was an encouraging – if sloppy – start for the Hornets, who were thrashed by the 49ers the following week but won their next two and had a 4-3 record before the bottom fell out. They lost their remaining games and ended up at 4-8, tying them for fifth in the division-less AAFC with the Los Angeles Dons.

Bob Hoernschmeyer and Johnny Clement continued to handle the bulk of the playing time at tailback. Hoernschmeyer threw more passes (167 to 114) for more yards (1063 to 906) but Clement was more accurate (50.9 to 41.3). Each passed for six touchdowns. Hoernschmeyer also led the team in rushing with 456 yards, with Clement next at 388.

Buffalo had George Ratterman back in the fold in short order and, after getting off to a 1-4-1 start that cost Coach Ramsey his job, finished strong. The Bills ended up with a 5-5-2 record that placed them fourth and gave them a spot in the playoffs. They lost to the Browns in the first round.

Al Baldwin’s streak of games with touchdown receptions ended the week following the opening game. He ranked second for the year in the AAFC with 53 pass receptions, 719 yards, and 7 scoring catches (tied with Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie of the Browns). 

Rookie of the Year: Joe Delaney, 1981

Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs

Age: 23 (Oct. 30)

College: Northwestern State (Louisiana)

Height: 5’10” Weight: 184

Prelude:

Delaney starred in both track and football in college, and rushed for 3047 yards and 31 touchdowns, including 299 yards on 28 carries in a game against Nicholls State. He was chosen by the Chiefs in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft with the hope that his speed would make him an ideal situational back.

1981 Season Summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 234 [16]

Most attempts, game - 29 (for 193 yds.) vs. Houston 11/15

Yards – 1121 [10]

Most yards, game – 193 yards (on 29 carries) vs. Houston 11/15

Average gain – 4.8 [5, tied with James Brooks, Tony Dorsett, & Curtis Dickey]

TDs – 3

100-yard rushing games – 5

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 22      

Most receptions, game – 3 (for 104 yds.) vs. Oakland 10/11, (for 31 yds.) vs. Seattle 11/22

Yards – 246

Most yards, game - 104 (on 3 catches) vs. Oakland 10/11

Average gain – 11.2

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 11

Average per return – 11.0

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Awards & Honors:

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

1st-team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Chiefs went 9-7 to finish third in the AFC West while leading the AFC in rushing (2633 yards).

Aftermath:

Injuries marred Delaney’s play in 1982, a strike-shortened season, and he appeared in eight of the nine games. He ran the ball for 380 yards on 95 carries (4.0 avg.) and caught just 11 passes. His career was tragically cut short during the offseason when he drowned while attempting to save three children in a pond. Chiefs players wore a patch in his honor during the 1983 season and his name was later added to the team’s Ring of Honor at Arrowhead Stadium.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

1946: Long TDs by Hirsch Spur College All-Stars to Win Over Rams

The 13^th College All-Star Game on August 23, 1946 featured a transplanted defending NFL Champion, the Los Angeles Rams, facing an All-Star team coached by Bo McMillin of Indiana, who had guided a previous group of All-Stars to a win in 1938.

As the Cleveland Rams in 1945, Head Coach Adam Walsh’s team had gone 9-1 in winning the Western Division and then edged the Redskins for the league title. Rookie QB Bob Waterfield excelled in the club’s new T-formation offense that also featured end Jim Benton and a good group of running backs. New for 1946, in addition to the franchise’s location, was HB Kenny Washington who, along with end Woody Strode, broke the NFL’s color line, plus former Heisman Trophy winner HB Tom Harmon, who had returned from military duty.

The All-Stars had a talented roster that included tailback Otto Graham from Northwestern, Tulane HB Dub Jones, and FB Pat Harder and HB Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch from Wisconsin (pictured above; Hirsch also played at Michigan during his stint as a Marine Corps officer candidate). Due to relaxed eligibility rules during World War II that allowed underclassmen to participate, several players were appearing in the contest for the second or third time.

There were 97,380 fans in attendance at Chicago’s Soldier Field for the Friday night game. In the first quarter, after the Rams were stopped at the All-Star 30, the collegians struck quickly. The first play of the series gained two yards and then “Crazylegs” Hirsch took a pitchout and tore off to his right on a 68-yard touchdown carry, outrunning the Rams secondary and eluding a last-gasp tackle at the ten yard line. Pat Harder added the extra point.

In the second quarter, the Rams mounted their greatest threat, reaching the All-Star nine yard line after Bob Waterfield connected with Jim Benton for a 27-yard gain, but they came up empty and the score remained 7-0 at the half.

The Rams appeared to be flat, blowing several scoring opportunities in the first half, particularly after All-Star fumbles. On three occasions they were inside the All-Star 20 yard line and in the collegians’ territory two more times but failed to put points on the board in each instance. The All-Stars were well prepared to defend against the passing game and as a result Waterfield had few open targets. LA’s typically strong aerial attack was successful only sporadically and the running game could not adequately compensate.

In the third quarter, and after a series by the Rams that ended with a failed 39-yard field goal attempt, Hirsch struck again as he grabbed a long, arching pass from Otto Graham in full stride for a 62-yard TD. The collegians had taken over on their 20 and gained 18 yards in three plays. Graham’s pass traveled 37 yards in the air and Hirsch got past DHB Jim Gillette to score. Once again, Harder kicked the extra point to make it 14-0.

In the fourth quarter the desperate Rams inserted some of their newcomers to try to turn things around. Tom Harmon ran the ball once for an eight-yard loss and suffered a dislocated elbow. Kenny Washington attempted to throw an option pass from behind his own goal line and was tackled by Yale DE Paul Walker for a safety that capped the scoring. The All-Stars came away with a stunning 16-0 win.

Apart from the two long scoring plays, the All-Stars were hardly dominant on offense. They outgained LA by 227 yards to 167 and the Rams actually led in first downs by 7 to 5. The collegians were guilty of sloppy play as they fumbled the ball seven times and the Rams recovered four of them. LA was unable to capitalize, however, and Bob Waterfield had a rough performance as he completed 7 of 16 passes and had two intercepted.

It was the fourth win for the All-Stars in the series, against seven for the pro champs and two ties. Bo McMillin became the first coach to twice lead the All-Stars to victory. Along with Hirsch, tackle Martin Ruby from Texas A & M received accolades as one of the stars of the game.

In the ensuing NFL season, the Rams went on to finish 6-4-1 and placed second in the Western Division. Waterfield led the league in pass attempts (251), completions (127), and touchdown passes (17). 

“Crazylegs” Hirsch, who ironically enough had been chosen by the Rams in the first round of the 1945 NFL draft, instead joined the Chicago Rockets of the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He started out as a halfback but, after an injury-filled sojourn that concluded with his suffering a severe head injury during the ‘48 season, joined the Rams. Starting out as a halfback who was often flanked out wide, Hirsch moved to end and became a record-breaking receiver over a career that ended in 1957. The same flashy skills that he used to such advantage in the 1946 College All-Star Game were evident during his years in the NFL and he caught 343 passes for 6299 yards and 53 touchdowns. In 1968 Hirsch was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

MVP Profile: Lee Roy Selmon, 1979

Defensive End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age:  25 (Oct. 20)

4^th season in pro football & with Buccaneers

College: Oklahoma

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 255

Prelude:

Selmon won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award as college football’s best lineman in 1975 and was the first overall draft choice of the expansion Buccaneers for ’76 (his brother Dewey, a linebacker, was picked in the second round). He missed half of his rookie season due to a knee injury but came back strong in 1977 and excelled as a pass rushing right end in a 3-4 alignment despite often being double or triple-teamed by opponents. Another solid year in ’78 was tempered by his undergoing knee surgery afterward.

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 11 (unofficial)

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 2

Fumble recovery TDs – 1

Forced fumbles – 3

Tackles – 117

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 2 G

Sacks – N/A

Interceptions – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly

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

Pro Bowl

Buccaneers went 10-6 to finish first in the NFC Central – the first winning record in franchise history – while leading the NFL in fewest yards allowed (3949), fewest passing yards allowed (2076), and fewest points allowed (237). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Philadelphia Eagles (24-17). Lost NFC Championship to Los Angeles Rams (9-0).

Aftermath:

Selmon was chosen to the Pro Bowl again in 1980 and every year thereafter until a back injury ended his career in 1984 – a total of six consecutive selections (he was forced to sit out the 1985 season before formally retiring). He also received 1^st or 2^nd team All-NFL recognition in 1980, ’82, ’83, and ’84. Sacks were not counted as an official statistic until 1982, so while had 23 in his last three seasons with a high of 11 in 1983, he has unofficially been credited with 78.5 for his career. Selmon’s #63 was retired by the Buccaneers (the first such honor in franchise history) and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1995.

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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). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

1948: Cards Shut Out College All-Stars

The 15^th annual College All-Star Game on August 20, 1948 featured the Chicago Cardinals, defending NFL Champions, against a highly-regarded group of All-Stars coached by Notre Dame’s Frank Leahy. The All-Stars had won the last two games by identical 16-0 scores and the Cardinals came into the contest as underdogs, which was certainly an oddity in the history of the series.

The Cardinals, playing in their home town, were coached by Jimmy Conzelman and known for their outstanding offensive backfield that featured QB Paul Christman, FB Pat Harder, and halfbacks Charlie Trippi (pictured above) and Elmer Angsman operating out of the T-formation.

The past two winning All-Star teams had utilized the T-formation but Coach Leahy made a controversial decision in deciding to split his squad into T-formation and single wing groups. There was plenty of depth for both, with four T-formation quarterbacks (most notably Bobby Layne of Texas and Notre Dame’s Johnny Lujack) and three single wing tailbacks on the roster.

There was a crowd of 101,220 in attendance at Soldier Field under a full moon for the Friday night contest. The All-Stars got the first break early in the contest when C Dick Scott of Navy recovered a fumble by Charlie Trippi in Chicago territory.  However, they were unable to move the ball as Johnny Lujack threw two incomplete passes and Charlie Conerly of Mississippi punted into the end zone for a touchback.

The Cards responded impressively by going 80 yards in 15 plays.  Only one was a pass as Chicago moved methodically down the field, with the longest gain 19 yards on a lateral from Paul Christman to Elmer Angsman. Angsman finished the series as he punched over for a touchdown from two yards out and Pat Harder added the extra point.

The All-Stars threatened in the second quarter but turned the ball over on downs at the Chicago 32 yard line. The collegians got a break shortly thereafter when HB Boris “Babe” Dimancheff fumbled and the All-Stars recovered at the Chicago 27. Shifting to the single-wing, they advanced ten yards and again came away empty.

The Cards responded with another impressive drive, going 83 yards in nine plays. Three were Christman (pictured at right) pass completions, to Angsman and ends Bill Dewell and Mal Kutner. They scored on a 14-yard run by HB Vic Schwall on a quick-opener and Harder again successfully converted.

The All-Stars recovered yet another fumble by the Cards and Michigan end Len Ford ran 55 yards for what would have been a touchdown under NFL rules. However, they were using college rules for the All-Star Game and the ball was returned to the point of recovery. The tally remained 14-0 in favor of the Cardinals at the half.

The All-Stars provided some excitement in the scoreless third quarter, putting together an 84-yard drive. Notre Dame HB Bill Gompers ran for 20 yards on a sweep and Conerly tossed a lateral to Lujack who proceeded to fire a long pass to end Dan Edwards for a 44-yard gain. Two big defensive plays by DB Marshall Goldberg kept the All-Stars out of the end zone, however, the big one a stop of FB Floyd Simmons, another Notre Dame participant, at the one foot line on fourth down.

The Cards made it a rout in the fourth quarter. First, LB Vince Banonis intercepted a pass by Illinois QB Perry Moss and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. Then LB Bill Blackburn recovered a fumble by Bobby Layne that set up a 13-yard scoring pass from QB Ray Mallouf to Trippi four plays later. Harder kicked both extra points and that was more than enough as the Cardinals came away with a big 28-0 win.

It was the most decisive score thus far in the history of the series. Passing yardage was practically even (133 to 132 yards, in favor of Chicago) but the Cardinals had 200 rushing yards, almost twice the total amassed by the collegians. The Cards fumbled the ball away three times, all in the first half. However, they only punted three times and the defense did a fine job of keeping the All-Star attack in check.

The win for the defending NFL champs was the eighth thus far, with the All-Stars having won five and two ending in ties. Center Jay Rhodemyre of Kentucky was voted the most valuable player by his All-Star teammates.

Chicago went on to have another outstanding season, topping the Western Division with an 11-1 record. However, they lost the NFL Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles in blizzard conditions.

Rookie of the Year: Mike Croel, 1991

Linebacker, Denver Broncos

Age: 22

College: Nebraska

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 231

Prelude:

Considered the top outside linebacker available in the 1991 NFL draft, Croel was taken in the first round (fourth overall) by the Broncos. With great speed and agility, he was still a raw talent and moved into the starting lineup early in the season, although injuries cost him three games.

1991 Season Summary

Appeared in 13 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 10 [15, tied with Sean Jones, Jeff Lageman & Rufus Porter]

Most sacks, game – 2 vs. Kansas City 10/20

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Tackles – 84

Postseason: 2 G

Sacks – 0

Interceptions – 0

TD – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

Broncos went 12-4 to finish first in the AFC West and take the second playoff seed in the conference while leading the AFC in sacks (52), fewest passing yards allowed (2755), and fewest points allowed (235). Won AFC Divisional playoff over Houston Oilers (26-24). Lost AFC Championship to Buffalo Bills (10-7).

Aftermath:

Croel was moved to weakside outside linebacker in 1992, across from Simon Fletcher, and was effective but had half as many sacks as during his rookie season. He remained a fixture in Denver’s fine corps of linebackers until 1994, after which he left as a free agent to rejoin former Broncos Head Coach Dan Reeves with the New York Giants. Following a mediocre year in 1995, Croel moved on to the Baltimore Ravens for ’96 and, afflicted by injuries, bounced around thereafter, playing with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe and Seattle Seahawks in 1998. Croel had one last shot with the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL in 2001 but retired before the season started. Overall, for his NFL career, he appeared in 102 games spread over six seasons and recorded 24 sacks but did not sustain the success of his outstanding rookie year.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

MVP Profile: Aaron Rodgers, 2011

Quarterback, Green Bay Packers

Age:  28 (Dec. 2)

7^th season in pro football & with Packers

College: California

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 225

Prelude:

Rodgers was chosen by the Packers in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft (24^th overall) and backed up veteran QB Brett Favre for three seasons before inheriting the starting job. He performed well in the unenviable role of following a legendary performer in 2008, throwing for 4038 yards and 28 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. In ’09 he showed improvement, tying for the league lead in lowest interception percentage (1.3) while passing for 4434 yards and 30 TDs and showing impressive mobility as he rushed for 316 yards. The Packers reached the postseason and Rodgers was selected to the Pro Bowl. In 2010, the Packers started off slowly and Rodgers sustained two concussions, but he and the team played well down the stretch, qualified for a Wild Card playoff spot, and achieved a NFL Championship with a win over the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

2011 Season Summary

Appeared and started in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 502 [16]

Most attempts, game – 46 at NY Giants 12/4

Completions – 343 [10]

Most completions, game – 29 vs. Denver 10/2

Yards – 4643 [5]

Most yards, game – 408 vs. Denver 10/2

Completion percentage – 68.3 [2]

Yards per attempt – 9.2 [1]

TD passes – 45 [2]

Most TD passes, game – 5 vs. Chicago 12/25

Interceptions – 6

Most interceptions, game – 1 on six occasions

Passer rating – 122.5 [1]

400-yard passing games – 1

300-yard passing games – 8

200-yard passing games – 15

Passer rating of 122.5 set NFL record

Rushing

Attempts – 60

Most attempts, game - 9 (for 36 yds.) vs. Denver 10/2

Yards – 257

Most yards, game – 52 yards (on 8 carries) at San Diego 11/6

Yards per attempt – 4.3

TDs – 3

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points - 18

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Divisional playoff vs. NY Giants)

Pass attempts – 46

Pass completions – 26

Passing yardage – 264

TD passes – 2

Interceptions – 1

Rushing attempts – 7

Rushing yards – 66

Average gain rushing – 9.4

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Pro Football Focus, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Packers went 15-1 to finish first in the NFC North with the conference’s best record while leading the NFL in scoring (560 points) and touchdowns (70). Lost NFC Divisional playoff to New York Giants (37-20).

Aftermath:

Rodgers had another Pro Bowl season in 2012, leading the league in passing for the second straight year (108.0 rating) while throwing for 4295 yards and 39 touchdowns against just 8 interceptions. Through eight seasons (five as a full-time starting quarterback), Rodgers has a passer rating of 104.9 – the highest for a NFL player with at least 1500 pass attempts - and has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times.

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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).