Highlighted Year: Champ Bailey, 2005

Cornerback, Denver Broncos

Age: 27

7^th season in pro football, 2^nd with Broncos

College: Georgia

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 192

Prelude:

A consensus All-American cornerback in 1998, Bailey starred on both offense and defense in college and was chosen by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the ’99 NFL draft (seventh overall). He moved directly into the starting lineup and intercepted five passes. Tough and smart, and with ideal size and speed, he quickly became established as an elite player at his position and in 2000 was named to the Pro Bowl for the first of eight consecutive seasons in addition to receiving first-team All-NFC recognition. In 2004, after five years in Washington, he was dealt to Denver in a blockbuster trade for RB Clinton Portis and achieved consensus first-team All-NFL honors for the first time.

2005 Season Summary

Appeared in 14 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 8 [4, tied with Nathan Vasher]

Most interceptions, game – 1 on eight occasions

Int. return yards – 139 [8]

Most int. return yards, game – 65 (on 1 int.) at Dallas 11/24

Int. TDs – 2 [1, tied with four others]

Sacks – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Forced fumbles – 1

Tackles – 59

Assists – 5

Scoring

TDs – 2

Points – 12

Postseason: 2 G

Interceptions – 1

Int. return yards – 100

Sacks – 0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

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

1^st team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Broncos went 13-3 to finish first in the AFC West. Won AFC Divisional playoff over New England Patriots (27-13). Lost AFC Championship to Pittsburgh Steelers (34-17).

Aftermath:

Bailey followed up in 2006 by leading the NFL in both interceptions (10) and interception return yards (162) and was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection for the third straight year. With teams not throwing in his direction, his interception total dropped to three in ’07, but he still achieved Pro Bowl recognition. Injuries cost Bailey seven games in 2008 but he bounced back in ’09 to return to the Pro Bowl for another four straight years. Even with declining skills, he was still a formidable cover corner well into his 30s. A foot injury limited Bailey to five games in 2013, although he returned to play in the postseason, including the Super Bowl loss to Seattle that was his last game with the Broncos. He was released following the season, signed with New Orleans, but failed to make the team and retired. Overall, Bailey played for 15 years, ten of them with Denver, and intercepted 52 passes, 34 as a member of the Broncos, four of which he returned for touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection three times, received at least some first-team recognition after three other seasons, and was selected to the Pro Bowl 12 times, a record for a cornerback. He was named to the All-2000s Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His brother Rodney “Boss” Bailey also played in the NFL with the Lions and Broncos.

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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

2004: Thunder Defeat Galaxy in World Bowl XII for NFL Europe Title

The championship game of NFL Europe, World Bowl XII, was played on June 12, 2004 and featured the defending-champion Frankfurt Galaxy against the Berlin Thunder, who finished with the best record.

Berlin, under first-year Head Coach Rick Lantz, went 9-1 and was back in the World Bowl after the absence of a year, having won back-to-back titles in 2001 and ’02. The Thunder had the developmental league’s Offensive Player of the Year in QB Rohan Davey. RB Eric McCoo (pictured above) was NFL Europe’s leading rusher with 669 yards.

Frankfurt finished second with a 7-3 record during the regular season, although two of the losses came in late-season contests against the Thunder. The Galaxy also had a first-year head coach in Mike Jones and had the rushing runner-up in RB Skip Hicks and the second-ranked passer in QB J.T. O’Sullivan.

There were 35,413 fans in attendance at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The Galaxy had the game’s first possession, but four plays into the contest a J.T. O’Sullivan pass was intercepted by Berlin DT Montique Sharpe, who returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. Heinz Quast added the extra point.

Frankfurt responded by driving 66 yards in 11 plays. O’Sullivan connected with WR Derrick Lewis three times and a 15-yard facemask penalty was tacked on to an eight-yard run by the quarterback. However, after getting a first down at the Berlin 11, the drive stalled and Ralf Kleinmann kicked a 28-yard field goal.

A promising series by the Thunder ended with WR Chas Gessner being stripped of the ball while trying to gain additional yards after a catch and DB Chris Brown recovered for the Dragons. Following a Barcelona punt, a nine-yard run by Eric McCoo and two completions by Rohan Davey advanced Berlin to the Dragons’ 29, but McCoo fumbled the ball away. A mishandled snap gave the Thunder possession again at the Frankfurt 36 and Davey threw to TE Bryan Fletcher for 17 yards, but once again McCoo coughed up the ball to end the series.

With two minutes remaining in the first half, and following yet another Berlin turnover, the Galaxy put together a five-play, 55-yard possession that culminated in O’Sullivan throwing to Lewis for an eight-yard TD. The drive was highlighted by an O’Sullivan carry of 17 yards that had a 15-yard personal foul penalty added on. Kleinmann successfully kicked the point after.

There was still time remaining and, utilizing a hurry-up offense, the Thunder put together a 51-yard series in seven plays. Jonathan Ruffin kicked a 38-yard field goal and the halftime score was tied at 10-10.

In the third quarter, an interception of a Davey pass by DB Lynaris Elpheage led to another scoring opportunity for Frankfurt, but a field goal attempt had to be aborted due to a bad snap and PK Kleinmann’s pass was picked off by LB Kevin DeRonde and returned 22 yards. On the next play, the Thunder utilized trickery as Davey handed off to WR Richard Alston on an apparent end-around, but he instead passed to a wide-open Chas Gessner for a 60-yard touchdown. Quast’s conversion put Berlin in front by seven points.

The ensuing kickoff was returned 64 yards by WR Hugo Lira, but two sacks kept the Galaxy at bay. The Thunder were pinned back at their two after the punt, but runs by McCoo and catches on swing passes by FB Ed Stansbury  moved the ball all the way to the Frankfurt 24. A pass into the end zone was incomplete and Ruffin kicked a 42-yard field goal to extend Berlin’s lead.

The turnovers continued as the kickoff was fumbled by WR Jason Willis to give the Thunder possession at the Frankfurt 22, and while they couldn’t reach the end zone, Ruffin added another three points from 40 yards. Berlin took a 23-10 advantage into the final quarter.

Both offenses bogged down until the Thunder scored once more on a 69-yard touchdown run by McCoo. Quast kicked the PAT. With Berlin up by a 30-10 score with six minutes to play, the game appeared to be a rout, but the Galaxy mounted a comeback. A 64-yard drive in five plays ended with O’Sullivan throwing to WR Drew Haddad for a 17-yard TD. Kleinmann again kicked the extra point.

When the Galaxy got the ball back, they drove to another score. O’Sullivan this time connected with Lewis for a 19-yard touchdown.  Kleinmann ‘s point after made it a six-point game, but that was the last gasp for the defending champs as time ran out on them and Berlin came away with a 30-24 win.

The Thunder had the edge in total yards (451 to 255), first downs (22 to 20), and time of possession (32:39 to 27:21). However, in the sloppily-played contest, both teams turned the ball over five times apiece and Berlin committed a staggering 16 penalties, at a cost of 154 yards, while Frankfurt was flagged five times.

Eric McCoo was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 167 yards on 28 carries that included the one long touchdown, making up for the two fumbles. Rohan Davey completed 19 of 29 passes for 212 yards with no TDs and one interception. Richard Alston and Ed Stansbury had five catches apiece, for 58 and 48 yards, respectively, and Chas Gessner led the Thunder with 80 yards on his two receptions.

For the Dragons, J.T. O’Sullivan was successful on 19 of 33 throws for 210 yards and three TDs while giving up two interceptions and being sacked four times. He also led the team in rushing with 44 yards on seven attempts. Derrick Lewis caught 9 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

The win gave Berlin a third NFL Europe Championship, joining Frankfurt for the most in the developmental league’s history up to that point, although the Galaxy would win a fourth in 2006.

Rohan Davey and Eric McCoo became reserves with the teams that reached the Super Bowl following the 2004 NFL season, although neither appeared in that contest. Davey was a backup to New England QB Tom Brady, throwing a total of 10 passes over the course of the year, while McCoo was active for one game with the Philadelphia Eagles and rushed for 54 yards on nine carries.

Highlighted Year: Marion Barber, 2006

Running Back, Dallas Cowboys

Age: 23

2^nd season in pro football & with Cowboys

College: Minnesota

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 218

Prelude:

Son of a former running back for the Jets of the same name (his brother Dominique also played in the NFL as a safety with the Houston Texans), Barber teamed up with RB Laurence Maroney in college to create an effective tandem. He gained 4495 all-purpose yards, 3276 via rushing. Barber entered the 2005 NFL draft after his junior year and was chosen by the Cowboys in the fourth round. Backing up RB Julius Jones, he rushed for 538 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. With his ability to break tackles, Barber proved to be a good complement to the injury-prone Jones and became the preferred short-yardage runner in a two-back arrangement.

2006 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 135

Most attempts, game – 16 (for 83 yds.) vs. Tampa Bay 11/23

Yards – 654

Most yards, game – 83 yards (on 16 carries) vs. Tampa Bay 11/23

Average gain – 4.8 [11]

TDs – 14 [3, 1^st in NFC]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 23

Most receptions, game – 5 (for 23 yds.) vs. Detroit 12/31

Yards – 196

Most yards, game – 28 (on 2 catches) at Washington 11/5

Average gain – 8.5

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 16 [3, tied with Steven Jackson, Maurice Jones-Drew & Willie Parker, 1^st in NFC]

Points – 96

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at Seattle)

Rushing attempts – 3

Rushing yards – 4

Average gain rushing – 1.3

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 3

Pass receiving yards – 23

Average yards per reception – 7.7

Pass receiving TDs – 0

Cowboys went 9-7 to finish second in the NFC East and qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card while leading the conference in touchdowns (52). Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to Seattle Seahawks (21-20).

Aftermath:

Barber continued to be used in combination with Julius Jones in 2007 and rushed for 975 yards and 10 TDs while also catching 44 passes. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and, with the departure of Jones, moved into the starting lineup in ’08. Still a potent power runner, he was also bothered by a toe injury and, rushing for 885 yards, his yards-per-carry dropped from 4.8 to 3.7. Still, he achieved a career high with 52 pass receptions for 417 yards and scored a total of nine touchdowns. Barber ran for 932 yards in 2009 but showed signs of wear and RB Felix Jones saw more action. The toll taken by his hard-charging running style caused a quick drop in Barber’s production in 2010 as his rushing total fell to 374 yards and his career came to an end as a backup with the Chicago Bears in 2011. Overall, Barber rushed for 4780 yards and 53 touchdowns on 1156 carries (4.1 avg.), with 4358 of those yards and 47 TDs coming with Dallas. He also caught 179 passes for 1330 yards and six more TDs.

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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

Highlighted Year: Tom Colella, 1946

Halfback, Cleveland Browns

Age: 28

5^th season in pro football, 1^st in AAFC & with Browns

College: Canisius

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 187

Prelude:

The versatile Colella was a three-time Little All-American in college and the Detroit Lions chose him in the fifth round of the 1942 NFL draft. Following two seasons as a tailback in Detroit, he was traded to the Cleveland Rams and was a member of the 1945 NFL Championship team, having been shifted to halfback in the T-formation offense while still performing in the defensive backfield and punting. Rather than move with the Rams to Los Angeles, Colella jumped to the Browns of the new AAFC for 1946.

1946 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions

Interceptions – 10 [1]

Int. return yards – 110 [3]

Int. TDs – 0

Rushing

Attempts – 30

Yards – 118

Average gain – 3.9

TDs – 2

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 1

Yards – 12

TDs – 1

Punting

Punts – 47 [4]

Yards – 1895 [5]

Average – 40.3 [6]

Punts blocked – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 29

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 8 [13, tied with Cliff Lewis, Walt Clay & Ace Parker]

Yards – 172 [9]

Average per return – 21.5

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Postseason: 1 G (AAFC Championship vs. New York)

Rushing attempts – 4

Rushing yards – 14

Average gain rushing – 3.5

Rushing TDs – 0

Punts –2

Yards – 77

Average – 38.5

Blocked – 0

Longest punt – 41 yards

Browns went 12-2 to finish first in the AAFC Western Division while leading the league in interceptions (41), fewest passing yards allowed (1317), fewest touchdowns allowed (19), and fewest points allowed (137). Won AAFC Championship over New York Yankees (14-9).  

Aftermath:

Colella again led the AAFC with six interceptions in 1947, one of which he returned for a touchdown. After one more season with Cleveland, Colella was traded to the Buffalo Bills in 1949, which was his last season. Overall, he intercepted 26 passes, five in the NFL and 21 in the AAFC, with 18 of those coming with the Browns. He also averaged 37.4 yards on 197 punts, with 97 of those kicks averaging 37.6 yards with Cleveland. 507 of his 753 rushing yards came in the NFL, as did 10 of 18 pass receptions. Colella was a charter member of the Canisius College Athletics Hall of Fame and was later inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

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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

2001: Antowain Smith Signs with Patriots

On June 7, 2001 the New England Patriots took a step toward improving their running game by signing RB Antowain Smith to a one-year contract. The 29-year old, who started college late and was thus a comparative latecomer to the NFL, had spent the previous four years with the Buffalo Bills.

Smith didn’t play football until he was a high school senior, but excelled when he did, achieving both all-district and all-conference honors. After working for two years to support the grandparents who raised him, he moved on to Eastern Mississippi and then the University of Houston, where he ran for 1847 yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons.

Smith was chosen by the Bills in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft and backed up RB Thurman Thomas as a rookie but still managed to rush for 840 yards. He followed up with 1124 yards in ’98 as he became the starting tailback. However, injuries, which would become a recurring problem, dropped Smith’s production to 614 yards in 1999, although he performed well in the postseason loss at Tennessee (14 carries for 79 yards and two TDs). In 2000 he appeared in 11 games, starting only three of them, as he found himself out of favor with offensive coordinator Joe Pendry.

With a new front office and coaching staff taking over, the Bills released Smith. He joined a New England squad that had yet to suitably replace star RB Curtis Martin, who departed for the Jets following the 1997 season. J.R. Redmond, a third-round draft choice in 2000, had been the latest disappointment. He started five games and ran for 406 yards in an injury-plagued year while Kevin Faulk, better suited to a part-time role, led the club with 570 yards on the ground. The team as a whole dropped to 5-11 in the first season under Head Coach Bill Belichick and was seeking to retool. Smith was the sort of player that New England was rebuilding with – another club’s misfit who nevertheless was also a highly-motivated, team-oriented type and played with passion.

Smith moved into the lineup and became part of a surprising turnaround by the Patriots that culminated in a NFL Championship. While the biggest story was the injury to QB Drew Bledsoe that opened the door for the unsung Tom Brady, Smith helped by having his best season. A slow start gave way to a 94-yard, two-TD performance against the Colts in the third contest and he had three hundred-yard performances in four weeks at midseason. He reached a high of 156 yards on 26 carries against Miami in the next-to-last game and ended up with 287 rushes for 1157 yards (4.0 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. In the playoffs, Smith gained another 204 yards that included 92 on 18 attempts in the Super Bowl upset of the Rams.

Smith spent two more seasons with the Patriots, rushing for 982 yards in 2002 and catching a career-high 31 passes for 243 yards, although he scored only six touchdowns on the ground and, at age 31, appeared to be wearing down. While New England again reached the top in ’03, Smith was less productive and was released in the offseason. His last hundred-yard game for the Patriots was an even 100 on 22 carries against the Colts in the AFC Championship game, and he rushed for 83 yards on 26 attempts in the Super Bowl vs. Carolina, his final game with the club.

Smith played another two years, with Tennessee in 2004 and New Orleans in ’05, and finished up with 6881 rushing yards on 1784 carries (3.9 avg.) and 54 TDs. Never much of a receiver out of the backfield, he had 136 pass receptions for 982 yards (7.2 avg.) and three TDs. Not a breakaway threat, he was a solid power runner who was at his best carrying the ball between the tackles and wearing defenses down. In 2001, most notably, his performance helped to take pressure off of a promising young quarterback, who could typically stick to a conservative passing game, with excellent results.

Highlighted Year: Jeff Blake, 1995

Quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals

Age: 25 (Dec. 4)

4^th season in pro football (3^rd active), 2^nd with Bengals

College: East Carolina

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 202

Prelude:

Blake passed for 3073 yards and 28 touchdowns as a college senior in 1991 and led East Carolina to an 11-1 record. He was chosen in the sixth round of the ’92 NFL draft by the New York Jets and saw scant action in his first two seasons before being waived and moving on to the Bengals in 1994. When ineffective starting QB David Klingler suffered a knee sprain, Blake got his chance and was an immediate sensation. Smart, mobile, and with a quick release, he teamed well with wide receivers Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott on his long, high passes. His inexperience began to show as the season wore on, but he passed for 2154 yards and 14 TDs, against 9 interceptions, while topping the NFL with a 13.8 yards-per-catch average.

1995 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 567 [5, tied with Jim Everett]

Most attempts, game – 46 vs. Houston 9/24, at Cleveland 12/17

Completions – 326 [6]

Most completions, game – 30 vs. Chicago 12/10

Yards – 3822 [8]

Most yards, game – 356 vs. Houston 9/24

Completion percentage – 57.5

Yards per attempt – 6.7

TD passes – 28 [5, 1^st in AFC]

Most TD passes, game – 3 vs. Houston 9/24, vs. Miami 10/1, at Pittsburgh 10/19, vs. Pittsburgh 11/19

Interceptions – 17 [5]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at Tampa Bay 10/8, at Jacksonville 11/26

Passer rating – 82.1 [18]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 15

Rushing

Attempts – 53

Most attempts, game – 7 (for 49 yds.) at Houston 11/12, (for 15 yds.) vs. Pittsburgh 11/19, (for 46 yds.) at Jacksonville 11/26

Yards – 309

Most yards, game – 56 yards (on 5 carries) at Seattle 9/17

Yards per attempt – 5.8

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 2

2-pt conversions – 1 [6, tied with many others]

Points – 14

Awards & Honors:

Pro Bowl

Bengals went 7-9 to finish second in the AFC Central while leading the conference in touchdown passes (29).

Aftermath:

Blake had another strong season in 1996, passing for 3624 yards and 24 touchdowns, but was benched in favor of the returned veteran Boomer Esiason in ’97. Not a favorite of Head Coach Bruce Coslet, he was nearly traded after Neil O’Donnell won the starting job in the 1998 preseason and threw only 93 passes during the season. Blake returned to throw for 2670 yards and 16 TDs in ’99 and signed with New Orleans as a free agent in 2000. He got off to a good start with his new team, passing for 2025 yards and 13 TDs in the first 11 games before being sidelined with a broken foot. Aaron Brooks took over the starting job with favorable results and Blake was relegated to the bench in 2001. He moved on to the Ravens in ’02, where he started ten games, and Arizona in 2003 before finishing his career as a backup for the Eagles in 2004 and Bears in ’05. Overall, Blake threw for 21,711 yards and 134 touchdowns, with 15,134 of those yards and 93 TDs coming with Cincinnati. He also rushed for 2027 yards, 1499 with the Bengals. His Pro Bowl selection in 1995 was the only one of his career.

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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

Highlighted Year: Kevin Butler, 1985

Placekicker, Chicago Bears

Age: 23

1^st season in pro football

College: Georgia

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

Butler kicked 77 field goals in college, which was a SEC career record, and his 60-yard game-winning field goal against Clemson was one of 11 over fifty yards. He was chosen by the Bears in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL draft and beat out veteran Bob Thomas.

1985 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 31 [2, tied with Morten Andersen, 1^st in NFC]

Most field goals, game – 4 at Minnesota 9/19, at San Francisco 10/13, at NY Jets 12/14

Field goal attempts – 37 [3]

Most field goal attempts, game – 6 at Minnesota 9/19

Field goal percentage – 83.8 [4]

PATs – 51 [2, tied with Bob Thomas]

PAT attempts – 51 [4]

Longest field goal – 46 yards at Dallas 11/17

Scoring

Field Goals – 31

PATs – 51

Points – 144 [1]

Postseason: 3 G

Field goals – 4

Most field goals, game – 3 vs. New England, Super Bowl

Field goal attempts – 7

Most field goal attempts, game – 3 vs. NY Giants, NFC Divisional playoff; vs. New England, Super Bowl

PATs – 11

Most PATs, game – 5 vs. vs. New England, Super Bowl

PAT attempts – 11

Longest field goal – 34 yards vs. LA Rams, NFC Championship

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Bears went 15-1 to finish first in the NFC Central with the conference’s best record while leading the NFC in scoring (456 points). Won NFC Divisional playoff over New York Giants (21-0), NFC Championship over Los Angeles Rams (24-0), and Super Bowl over New England Patriots (46-10).

Aftermath:

After setting a rookie scoring record in 1985, Butler followed up in ‘86 by leading the league in field goal attempts (41) but he connected on only 28 of them as his percentage dropped due to slumps. However, he performed well in clutch situations and ended up staying with the Bears for 11 seasons, through 1995. He made good on 243 of 332 field goal tries (73.2 %) and added 387 extra points out of 397 attempts, scoring a total of 1116 points, all of which set club records. Released by the Bears, Butler spent his last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, adding another 22 field goals and 26 extra points to give him career totals of 265 field goals, 413 PATs, and 1208 points. In 12 postseason games, he kicked another 17 field goals and 23 extra points, all with the Bears. Butler was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His son Drew has been a punter in the NFL.

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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