1974: Emery’s Third TD Propels Sun Past Bell

Two World Football League teams with 3-3 records met in Philadelphia on August 21, 1974. The visiting Southern California Sun were in first place in the Western Division, just ahead of the Houston Texans, while the host Philadelphia Bell were third in the Eastern Division and trying to keep pace with the Florida Blazers and New York Stars.

The Sun, coached by Tom Fears, had an all-rookie starting backfield of QB Tony Adams, FB James McAlister, and HB Kermit Johnson. Adams was playing well, but while Johnson ranked second in the league with 407 rushing yards, he had been injured the previous week and was unavailable for the game against the Bell.

Philadelphia had taken heat for inflating early home attendance figures with free and heavily-discounted tickets and the local media was thus making far more of missteps by the front office than the team’s play on the field. With Head Coach Ron Waller utilizing a creative offense, eccentric QB Jim “King” Corcoran had passed for 1168 yards and 12 touchdowns in six games and the running  back combination of John Land and Claude Watts was a productive one.

There were 14,600 fans in attendance at JFK Stadium on a pleasant Wednesday night. The Bell broke out to the early lead in the first quarter when RB John Land caught a pass from “King” Corcoran for a nine-yard touchdown. Corcoran tossed another TD pass later in the opening period, this time connecting with WR Paul Dunn from 34 yards out. In both instances the action point attempts failed and the score was 14-0 (in the WFL, touchdowns counted for seven points and were followed by an action point attempt that could not be kicked).

The Sun got on the board when RB Alonzo Emery (pictured at top) ran for a one-yard touchdown and the tally was 14-8 after Tony Adams threw to James McAlister for the action point. In the second quarter, the visitors took the lead when Emery again scored from a yard out and Adams successfully ran for the action point and a 16-14 margin.

Philadelphia moved back in front at 21-16 on a one-yard TD carry by RB Alan Thompson, but the pass attempt for the action point was unsuccessful. Before the half was over, Adams threw to WR Dave Williams for an 11-yard touchdown and RB Ralph Nelson ran for the action point. The Sun took a 24-21 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, Corcoran again rallied the Bell on a series highlighted by two passes to TE Mike Carter, one of 12 yards and the next for a 27-yard TD. They failed once more at adding the action point, but led by 28-24.

The game had been highlighted by passing and long kick returns during the first three quarters, but the teams slugged it out in the final period. The Southern California offense remained stymied until late in the contest when they advanced 80 yards in 11 plays, helped along by two 15-yard penalties called on the defense. Adams threw to WR Greg Moses for a 29-yard gain to the Philadelphia one and, with 52 seconds remaining, Alonzo Emery scored his third touchdown to move the Sun back in front.

The attempt to add the action point was unsuccessful and so there was still an opportunity for Philadelphia, down by three points, to tie the score. A sweep by Land put the Bell at the Southern California 40 and Land then caught a pass from Corcoran at the 31. However, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved the ball back 15 yards (and drew the furor of Coach Waller) and, while two sideline passes moved the ball into field goal range, a 36-yard field goal attempt by Jerry Warren was blocked. Southern California came away with a dramatic 31-28 win.

The Sun had the edge in total yards (430 to 399) and first downs (23 to 17). Philadelphia turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by Southern California, and drew 11 penalties to five flags thrown on the Sun, although Ron Waller blamed “jaded officiating” for several of the infractions called on his team.

Tony Adams completed 21 of 40 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown while giving up no interceptions. Ralph Nelson rushed for 49 yards on 17 carries and James McAlister (pictured below) added 35 yards on six attempts, while Alonzo Emery scored the three short TDs as part of his 9 yards on 7 carries. McAlister also led the receivers with 6 catches for 140 yards.

For the Bell, Jim Corcoran was successful on 18 of 33 throws for 241 yards and three TDs, although he was picked off twice. John Land ran for 51 yards on 10 attempts and Claude Watts carried 11 times for 44 yards. Claude Watts topped the receivers with 5 catches for 50 yards while Paul Dunn and Mike Carter had four pass receptions apiece, for 79 and 71 yards, respectively. CB Marv Pettaway had kickoff returns of 73 and 47 yards that set up scores.

The Sun moved a game over .500 and Philadelphia a game under. Southern California pulled away to top the Western Division with a 13-7 record and the Bell went 9-11 to place third in the Eastern Division. Both teams made it into the constantly-revamped playoffs and lost in the first round.

Alonzo Emery scored a total of seven touchdowns. Utilized in short-yardage situations, he ran for just 67 yards on 40 carries in his only pro season. 

Highlighted Year: Steve Bagarus, 1945

Halfback, Washington Redskins

Age: 26

5^th season in pro football, 1^st in NFL & with Redskins

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 170

Prelude:

Recipient of a basketball scholarship to attend Notre Dame, Bagarus had his biggest football moment when he returned an interception for a touchdown in a 14-0 win over Army in 1939. He went into the military during World War II and also played for the San Diego Bombers of the Pacific Coast Football League from 1941 to ‘44. He led the league in touchdowns three times and scoring twice, with highs of 12 TDs and 72 points in 1943. Bagarus joined the Redskins in 1945 and proved to be an outstanding receiver out of the backfield as well as an excellent open-field runner.

1945 Season Summary

Appeared in all 10 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 39

Yards – 154

Average gain – 3.9

TDs – 1

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 34 [3]

Yards – 617 [3]

Most yards, game – 162 (on 8 catches) at NY Giants 10/28

Average gain – 18.1 [7]

TDs – 5 [6, tied with John Greene]

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 12 [4]

Yards – 325 [3]

Average per return – 27.1 [2]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 55 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 21 [1]

Yards – 251 [1]

Average per return – 12.0 [4]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 28 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1347 [2]

Scoring

TDs – 6 [9, tied with Frank Akins, Ken Kavanaugh & Pug Manders]

Points – 36 [13, tied with Frank Akins, Ken Kavanaugh & Pug Manders]

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at Cleveland)

Rushing attempts – 5

Rushing yards – -4

Average gain rushing – -0.8

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 3

Receiving yards – 95

Average yards per reception – 31.7

Pass receiving TDs – 1

Kickoff returns – 1

Kickoff return yards – 29

Average yards per return – 29.0

Kickoff return TDs – 0

Punt returns – 4

Punt return yards – 52

Average yards per return – 13.0

Punt return TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP

2^nd team All-NFL: Chicago Herald-American, NY Daily News

Redskins went 8-2 to finish first in the NFL Eastern Division while leading the league in total yards (3546). Lost NFL Championship to Cleveland Rams (15-14).

Aftermath:

Bagarus gained 771 yards from scrimmage in 1946 and also averaged 10.7 yards on 18 punt returns and 25.5 yards returning 13 kickoffs. He was traded to the Rams in 1947 and broke his leg, sidelining him for most of the season. Waived early in ’48, the Redskins re-signed him for the last five games. He caught 15 passes for 100 yards and a TD and retired, although he did see action with Wilmington and Richmond of the minor league AFL in 1949. Overall in the NFL, Bagarus had 80 pass receptions for 1155 yards (14.4 avg.), ran the ball 98 times for 343 yards (3.5 avg.), returned 41 punts for an 11.2-yard average and 27 kickoffs for an average of 25.3 yards. He also intercepted five passes on defense and scored a total of 10 touchdowns.  

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Highlighted Years features players who were 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: Rob Bironas, 2007

Placekicker, Tennessee Titans

Age:  29

6^th season in pro football, 3^rd in NFL & with Titans

College: Georgia Southern

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

Bironas originally attended Auburn University and was successful on 12 of 16 field goal attempts in 1998. He transferred to Georgia Southern for his final year of eligibility and went to training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 2002, Tampa Bay Buccaneers in ’03, and Pittsburgh Steelers in ’04, but failed to make it to the regular season in each instance. Bironas was with the Charleston Swamp Foxes, a minor league arena team, in 2003 and in the Arena Football League with the Carolina Cobras in ’04, where he was successful on 18 of 40 field goal attempts, and New York Dragons in 2005, connecting on 7 of 16 field goal tries. Bironas finally caught on in the NFL with the Titans in 2005 and, in his first two years with the club, made good on 45 of 57 field goal attempts, including a 60-yard game-winner against the Colts in 2006, one of several clutch kicks.

2007 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 35 [1]

Most field goals, game – 8 at Houston 10/21

Field goal attempts – 39 [1, tied with Mason Crosby]

Most field goal attempts, game – 8 at Houston 10/21

Field goal percentage – 89.7 [4]

PATs – 28

PAT attempts – 28

Longest field goal – 56 yards at Denver 11/19

Scoring

Field Goals – 35

PATs – 28

Points – 133 [4]

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Wild Card playoff at San Diego)

Field goals – 2

Field goal attempts – 3

PATs – 0

PAT attempts – 0

Longest field goal – 44 yards

Awards & Honors:

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

Pro Bowl

Titans went 10-6 to finish third in the AFC South. Lost AFC Wild Card playoff to San Diego Chargers (17-6).

Aftermath:

Bironas spent another six seasons with the Titans. He remained consistent and his leg strength continued to make him accurate from long range and accounted for many touchbacks on kickoffs. His post-2007 high for field goals was 29, which he reached in both 2008 and 2011, and his best field goal percentage was 92.3 in 2010, when he was 24-of-26. The Titans chose to release him following the 2013 season and he tragically died in a car crash in September 2014. Over the course of nine NFL seasons, all with Tennessee, Bironas kicked 239 field goals in 279 attempts (85.7 %) and was successful on 315 of 317 tries for extra points, never missing one after his first year, for a total of 1032 points. His eight-field goal performance against the Texans in 2007 remains the league record.

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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

1972: Broncos Obtain Charley Johnson from Oilers

On August 16, 1972 the Denver Broncos obtained QB Charley Johnson from the Houston Oilers for an undisclosed 1973 draft choice (it turned out to be a third-round selection that was sent on to the Colts and used to take RB Bill Olds from Nebraska). The 33-year-old Johnson, who was reported to be completely recovered from an off-season knee operation, had been expected to start for the Oilers in a preseason game against the Packers but was dealt instead. The Broncos made room on the roster by cutting veteran backup QB John Stofa.

“We are delighted to have Charley in a Broncos uniform,” said Denver’s first-year Head Coach John Ralston. “His experience will be invaluable to our team.”

Johnson certainly brought significant experience to his new club. He was a tenth-round future draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals out of New Mexico State in 1960 (he still had a year of college eligibility and joined the team the following year). A college walk-on (he had received a basketball scholarship), Johnson guided New Mexico State to back-to-back victories in the Sun Bowl, garnering game MVP honors both times. In St. Louis, he moved into the starting lineup ahead of sore-armed veteran Sam Etcheverry in ’62 and set then-franchise records with 308 pass attempts, 150 completions, and 2440 yards. He did far better in 1963, completing 222 of a league-leading 423 passes for 3280 yards and 28 touchdowns, giving up 21 interceptions, and was named to the Pro Bowl. The Cards contended in 1964 and Johnson had another big year, leading the NFL in pass attempts (420), completions (223), and yards (3045), although also in interceptions (24).

A classic drop-back passer, the 6’0”, 190-pound Johnson threw wobbly but accurate passes with a quick release and had the advantage of excellent receivers in split end Sonny Randle, flanker Bobby Joe Conrad, and TE Jackie Smith. He was also highly intelligent, earning a master’s degree and then a Ph.D.  in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. However, injuries hindered his progress in 1965 and ’66. Johnson missed a total of eight games over the two seasons, including the last five of ’66 due to a knee injury suffered when the team was 6-1-1 (the Cards lost four of their last five contests without Johnson behind center). Then in 1967 and ’68, the Army reserve officer was called up to active duty and inexperienced QB Jim Hart took over the starting job. When Johnson’s military commitment was completed, he found himself in competition with Hart in 1969 and the result was that afterward he was traded to Houston in a deal that brought QB Pete Beathard and CB Miller Farr to St. Louis.

Johnson took over as starting quarterback of the Oilers but struggled with injuries over the course of his two years with the club. In 1970 he had to wear a special harness due to a broken left collar bone and he started just four games in ’71. Meanwhile, rookies Dan Pastorini and Lynn Dickey were chosen in the first and third rounds, respectively, in the 1971 draft as the team looked to the future.

The Broncos had long been seeking a quality starting quarterback, and many aspirants had lined up behind center in the Mile High City since the departure of Frank Tripucka in 1963. The results had been disappointing for the franchise that had not yet put together a winning season since joining the AFL as a charter club in 1960. The starters in ’71 were Don Horn, who had failed to produce in Green Bay as the designated heir to Bart Starr, and Steve Ramsey, who had started out in 1970 with New Orleans. The Broncos finished at 4-9-1.

Coach Ralston went with Ramsey to begin the 1972 season, but after getting off to a 1-4 start, Johnson took over in the sixth week. The result was a stunning upset of the formidable Oakland Raiders in which Johnson passed for 361 yards and, while it didn’t signal an immediate turnaround, the Broncos won three of their last six contests and finished at 5-9. Johnson completed 55.5 percent of his passes for 1783 yards and 14 touchdowns, giving up 14 interceptions. He also was sacked only 12 times, as compared to Ramsey being dumped 26 times in far fewer appearances.

Denver had long been dependent on the ground-gaining of HB Floyd Little, but with Johnson behind center and good receivers in WR Haven Moses and TE Riley Odoms, the team became more productive on offense. Following a slow 1-3 start in 1973, the Broncos went 5-0-2 on the way to a 7-5-2 tally, the first winning record in club history. They contended in the AFC West until finally falling short in the season finale against the Raiders, a game in which Johnson, who remained remarkably healthy, was knocked out of. As it was, Denver led the AFC in passing yards (2519) and ranked third in overall yards per game with 319.5. Johnson threw for 2465 yards and a conference-leading 20 TDs and was a first-team All-AFC selection of UPI and Pro Football Weekly.

The Broncos went 7-6-1 in ’74. Little was lost to an Achilles injury but second-year HB Otis Armstrong stepped in impressively. However, Johnson slipped some and passed for just 1969 yards and 13 touchdowns while being sacked 36 times. The slippage was greater in 1975 as the team dropped to 6-8 and Ramsey saw more action than Johnson. It proved to be the end of the line for the 37-year-old veteran.

Johnson did well overall in four seasons with Denver. He passed for 7238 yards and 52 touchdowns, and the team was 20-18-3 in his starts. Moreover, he provided solid veteran guidance and helped the team to its first two winning seasons. For that, he was ultimately named to the franchise’s Ring of Fame. Johnson returned to New Mexico State where he became a professor of Chemical Engineering for many years.

Highlighted Year: Ronde Barber, 2001

Cornerback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age: 26

5^th season in pro football & with Buccaneers

College: Virginia

Height: 5’10” Weight: 184

Prelude:

Barber intercepted 15 passes in college and was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection three times before declaring for the NFL draft after his junior year. He was chosen by the Buccaneers in the third round in 1997 and saw action in only one game as a rookie. Barber broke out in ’98, developing quickly and moving into the starting lineup. He played well in combination with Brian Kelly across from CB Donnie Abraham and made up in instincts what he lacked in speed, intercepting a total of six passes in three seasons, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

2001 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 10 [1, tied with Anthony Henry]

Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. New Orleans 12/23

Int. return yards – 86 [18]

Most int. return yards, game – 56 (on 3 int.) vs. New Orleans 12/23

Int. TDs – 1 [12, tied with many others]

Sacks – 1

Fumble recoveries – 2

Forced fumbles – 1

Tackles – 58

Assists – 13

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

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

Interceptions – 0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA

Pro Bowl

Buccaneers went 9-7 to finish third in the NFC Central and qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card entry while leading the conference in interceptions (28). Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to Philadelphia Eagles (31-9).

Aftermath:

Barber spent another 11 seasons with Tampa Bay. He was a second-team All-NFL selection by the Associated Press in 2002 and his 92-yard interception return for a touchdown against Philadelphia nailed down a win in the NFC Championship game on the way to a NFL title. Barber received first-team All-NFL honors following the 2004 and ’05 seasons and was chosen to a total of five Pro Bowls. He appeared in 240 consecutive regular season games, starting 215 of them, and ending up as a free safety starting all 16 games at age 37 in 2012. Unwilling to come back in a reserve role, Barber retired, having intercepted a franchise-record 47 passes and also accounting for 28 sacks and over a thousand tackles. He was named to the All-2000s team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His twin brother Tiki had a 10-year career as a running back for the New York Giants.

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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

1992: Chargers Obtain Stan Humphries

On August 13, 1992 the San Diego Chargers, in need of help at quarterback, obtained QB Stan Humphries from the Washington Redskins for a conditional 1993 draft choice. The condition was that, if Humphries took at least half the snaps during the ‘92 season, Washington would get a choice in the third round, as opposed to a fourth-round pick (It ended up being a third-round selection used to take Ed Bunn, a punter out of Texas-El Paso, who failed to make the club).

The 27-year-old Humphries had starred in college at Northeast Louisiana, which won the Division I-AA national championship with him behind center. The Redskins chose him in the sixth round of the 1988 NFL draft and, while impressed with his size (6’2”, 223) and arm, he was stuck as a backup behind Mark Rypien. The failure of the pudgy quarterback to commit to offseason conditioning soured Head Coach Joe Gibbs on him and it didn’t help when he got a chance to start in place of the injured Rypien for five games in 1990 and was highly inconsistent. He saw no action at all during the 1991 season that culminated in a NFL Championship. Rypien, who was outstanding during the title campaign, was a training camp holdout but signed just prior to Humphries being traded.

San Diego had gone 10-22 in the previous two years, including 4-12 in 1991, and Bobby Ross was replacing Dan Henning as head coach. QB John Friesz showed some promise, but suffered a knee injury in the first preseason game that required surgery, and backups Bob Gagliano and Jeff Graham were mediocre. Ex-Washington GM Bobby Beathard was now the general manager of the Chargers and swung the deal for Humphries.

Humphries took over the starting job and, after a slow start, performed well. Adept at play-action and an able down-field passer with a quick release, which made up for a lack of mobility, he supplemented his physical abilities with strong leadership and toughness. The Chargers lost their first four games, but went 11-1 the rest of the way to improve to 11-5, winning the AFC West and advancing into the playoffs. They made it to the Divisional round with Humphries remaining behind center despite playing with a shoulder separation. Overall, Humphries passed for 3356 yards with 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, although eight of the pickoffs came in those first four losing games.

Humphries got off to a rough start in 1993 due to a shoulder injury during the preseason that affected his throwing ability and he lost his starting job to Friesz for six games at midseason. Four of those games were losses, however, and Humphries returned to the starting lineup. The team went 4-2, on the way to an 8-8 finish, with Humphries back behind center, and in one of the losses he was knocked out of the game due to a concussion. Overall, he passed for 1981 yards and 12 TDs against 10 interceptions, with 520 of those yards and five touchdowns coming in the final two contests.

The stage was set for Humphries and San Diego to rebound in 1994. The Chargers won their first six games on the way to topping the division with an 11-5 record. Humphries suffered hip, knee, ankle, thumb, and (non-throwing) elbow injuries along the way, but missed only one game while also showing greater savvy as a quarterback and guiding the club to six fourth quarter game-winning drives. He threw for 3209 yards while completing 58.3 percent of his passes, with 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a career-high passer rating of 81.6 and again provided effective leadership.

In the postseason, the team won two games, including an upset of the Steelers in Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship, although the Chargers foundered in the Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. Still, it was San Diego’s first Super Bowl appearance and a career-year for the stocky quarterback.

Humphries remained with the Chargers for another three seasons, with diminishing returns. While he passed for a career-high 3381 yards and another 17 TDs, the training camp holdout of star RB Natrone Means damaged the offense, as well as team morale, and while San Diego again reached the playoffs, it was as a Wild Card entry with a lesser 9-7 tally. The Chargers were eliminated in the first round.

San Diego slipped further to 8-8 in 1996 and injuries became more of a factor for Humphries, who missed three games although he also achieved a career high with 18 touchdown passes. He lasted just eight more games in ’97, and retired after suffering several concussions.

Overall with the Chargers, Humphries completed 56.8 percent of his passes for 16,085 yards and 85 TDs, totals only excelled up to that time in franchise history by Dan Fouts and John Hadl, while giving up 73 interceptions. The team went 47-29 during his starts, plus 3-3 in the postseason.     

Highlighted Year: Bobby Joe Edmonds, 1986

Running Back/Kick Returner, Seattle Seahawks

Age: 22 (Sept. 26)

1^st season in pro football

College: Arkansas

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175

Prelude:

Edmonds, who also played baseball, was used as a wide receiver and running back in college, gaining 1481 yards from scrimmage (755 rushing, 726 pass receiving) and averaging 10.3 yards on 93 punt returns. He was chosen by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL draft with the hope that, with his speed and sure-handedness, he would provide an upgrade to the team’s kick return game.

1986 Season Summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 34 [8]

Yards – 764 [8]

Most yards, game – 107 (on 6 ret.) at New England 9/21

Average per return – 22.5 [10]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 46 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 34 [10, tied with Willie Drewrey]

Yards – 419 [6]

Most yards, game – 103 (on 4 ret.) vs. Philadelphia 11/23

Average per return – 12.3 [1]

TDs – 1 [2, tied with eleven others]

Longest return – 75 yards

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – -11

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Awards & Honors:

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

1^st team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Seahawks went 10-6 to finish third in the AFC West while leading the conference in punt return average (11.7).

Aftermath:

Edmonds was near the top with a 12.6-yard average on 20 punt returns during the strike-interrupted 1987 season and followed up with a punt return average of 9.7 yards in ’88 along with 22.5 yards on 40 kickoff returns. He signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions in 1989 and also tried his hand at baseball during the Spring with the Class AA Reading Phillies. Shifted to wide receiver and a poor fit in Detroit’s new run-and-shoot offense, he was cut in the preseason, signed with the Raiders, and appeared in seven games, averaging 10.5 yards on 16 punt returns and 19.4 yards returning 14 kickoffs, but a broken ankle finished his season and he was released afterward. It brought an end initially to his NFL career due to off-field problems and concerns about his injury, but he returned with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995 at age 31 and averaged 10.1 yards on 29 punt returns and 19.8 yards running back 58 kickoffs. Overall, Edmonds averaged 11.0 yards on 134 punt returns and 21.1 yards on 173 kickoff returns, with 89 punt returns for an 11.3-yard average and 101 kickoff returns for a 22.1-yard average coming with the Seahawks.

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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