Highlighted Year: Mark Gastineau, 1982

Defensive End, New York Jets

Age: 26 (Nov. 20)

4^th season in pro football & with Jets

College: East Central Oklahoma State

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 269

Prelude:

Gastineau transferred from Arizona State to East Central Oklahoma State and was credited with 27 sacks and 200 tackles in two seasons, garnering NAIA All-American honors in 1978. He was chosen by the Jets in the second round of the ’79 NFL draft and, a raw talent, was primarily a reserve member of a young defensive line as a rookie. Gastineau moved into the starting lineup in 1980 and was unofficially credited with 11.5 sacks. The unofficial sack total rose to 20 in ’81. His teammate, DE Joe Klecko, had 20.5 and overall the Jets recorded 66 sacks in easily leading the NFL. The defensive line, which also included tackles Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam, was christened “the New York Sack Exchange” and Gastineau was selected to the Pro Bowl as well as receiving first-team All-AFC honors. Individual sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

1982 Season Summary

Appeared in all 9 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 6 [16, tied with five others]

Most sacks, game – 2.5 at Miami 12/18

Multi-sack games – 1

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Postseason: 3 G

Sacks – 4

Most sacks, game – 2 at Miami, AFC Championship

Interceptions – 0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

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

1^st team All-AFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Jets went 6-3 in the strike-shortened season and were sixth seed in the AFC playoff tournament that replaced the usual postseason format. Won First Round playoff over Cincinnati Bengals (44-17) & Second Round playoff over Los Angeles Raiders (17-14). Lost AFC Championship to Miami Dolphins (14-0).

Aftermath:

Known for his flamboyant sack celebrations, Gastineau followed up by leading the NFL in each of the next two seasons, with 19 sacks in 1983 and 22 in ’84, a record that stood until 2001. He again received first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl recognition in each of those seasons. Hobbled by injuries in 1985, Gastineau still accumulated 13.5 sacks and was chosen to a fifth straight Pro Bowl. He missed six games due to injuries in 1986, accumulated only 4.5 sacks in ’87, and after getting off to a strong start in 1988, abruptly retired halfway through the year. An abortive comeback with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL ended after four games of the 1990 season. Overall in the NFL, Gastineau officially accumulated 74 sacks. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL choice twice, received at least some first- or second-team honors after three other seasons, and was selected to five Pro Bowls.

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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: Kerry Collins, 2002

Quarterback, New York Giants

Age: 30 (Dec. 30)

8^th season in pro football, 4^th with Giants

College: Penn State

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 245

Prelude:

Collins won the Maxwell Trophy and finished fourth in Heisman voting as a college senior in 1994 when he threw for 2679 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 10.1 yards per attempt. He was chosen by the expansion Carolina Panthers in the first round of the ’95 NFL draft (fifth overall) and moved into the starting lineup during his rookie season, and while the statistics were mediocre, the overall result was promising. Collins followed up with a big year in 1996 in which he passed for 2454 yards and 14 TDs and was named to the Pro Bowl while the team reached the postseason and advanced to the NFC title game. However, both Collins and the club came down to earth in a 1997 season in which the quarterback led the NFL by giving up 21 interceptions. His leadership came into question and when he asked Head Coach Dom Capers to be benched during the ’98 season, he was released. Collins finished out the year with the New Orleans Saints with unimpressive results. Signed by the Giants as a backup in 1999, and having dealt with off-field issues, he took over the starting job during the second half of the season and performed well enough to hold the job through all of 2000. Collins passed for 3610 yards and 22 touchdowns and the Giants reached the Super Bowl, although he gave up four interceptions in a thrashing at the hands of the Ravens. The club had a lesser year in 2001 and while Collins threw for 3764 yards and 19 TDs, he fumbled a league-record 23 times and tossed 16 interceptions. Big, durable, and with a strong arm, he also lacked mobility and was prone to turnovers and inconsistency.

2002 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 545 [7]

Most attempts, game – 46 vs. Washington 11/17

Completions – 335 [6]

Most completions, game – 28 vs. San Francisco 9/5

Yards – 4073 [4, 1^st in NFC]

Most yards, game – 366 at Indianapolis 12/22

Completion percentage – 61.5 [18]

Yards per attempt – 7.5 [5]

TD passes – 19 [13]

Most TD passes, game – 4 at Indianapolis 12/22

Interceptions – 14 [15, tied with Rodney Peete & Tom Brady]

Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. San Francisco 9/5

Passer rating – 85.4 [15]

300-yard passing games – 4

200-yard passing games – 14

Rushing

Attempts – 44

Most attempts, game – 7 (for 3 yds.) at St. Louis 9/15

Yards – -3

Most yards, game – 11 yards (on 2 carries) vs. Jacksonville 11/3

Average gain – -0.1

TDs – 0

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at San Francisco)

Pass attempts – 43

Pass completions – 29

Passing yardage – 342

TD passes – 4

Interceptions – 1

Giants went 10-6 to finish second in the NFC East and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to San Francisco 49ers (39-38).

Aftermath:

Collins suffered through a losing season in 2003, tossing more interceptions (16) than TDs (13), and departed to the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. In two years with the Raiders, he passed for over 3000 yards and 20 touchdowns in each but led the NFL with 20 interceptions in 2004 and the team went a combined 7-21 in his starts. He became a quality backup and sometime starter for Tennessee over the next five years, playing well enough in 2008 to earn a spot in the Pro Bowl. Collins finished his long career with the Colts in 2011. Overall, he passed for 40,922 yards and 208 TDs, with 196 interceptions. His most productive years were with the Giants, where he completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 16,875 yards and 81 TDs with 70 interceptions, achieving career highs with his 61.5 completion percentage, 7.5 yards per attempt, and 4073 passing yards in ’02 and 22 TD passes in 2000. Collins was selected to two Pro Bowls.

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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: Julian Fagan, 1970

Punter, New Orleans Saints

Age: 22

1^st season in pro football

College: Mississippi

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

Fagan averaged 41.5 yards on 199 punts in college and was chosen by the Houston Oilers in the 17^th round of the 1970 NFL draft. Failing to make the club, he was picked up by the Saints.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 77 [9]

Most punts, game – 8 at Minnesota 9/27, vs. Chicago 12/20

Yards – 3269 [9]

Average – 42.5 [8, 1^st in NFC]

Best average, game – 49.6 (on 5 punts) at Miami 11/15

Punts blocked – 2

Longest punt – 64 yards

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – -6

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

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

Saints went 2-11-1 to finish fourth in the NFC West.

Aftermath:

Fagan spent two more seasons with the Saints, averaging 41.4 yards on 77 punts in 1971 and 40.8 yards on 71 punts in ’72. Traded to the New York Jets as part of a four-player deal that involved another punter, Steve O’Neal, in 1973, Fagan had a poor year, averaging just 37.1 yards in his last pro season. Overall, over the course of four years he punted 299 times for an average of 40.5 yards, with 225 of those punts for a 41.6-yard average coming with the Saints. Fagan went on to practice law in his native Mississippi.

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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: Carl Garrett, 1971

Halfback, New England Patriots

Age: 24

3^rd season in pro football & with Patriots

College: New Mexico Highlands

Height: 5’11” Weight: 210

Prelude:

In college, Garrett set school career records with 3862 rushing yards (averaging 7.4 yards-per-carry), 69 touchdowns, and 418 points scored. He received first-team NAIA All-American honors in 1966 and was a second-team choice in ’67. Garrett was chosen by the Patriots in the third round of the 1969 AFL/NFL draft and, with his great speed, had an immediate impact, rushing for 691 yards, catching 29 passes for another 267 yards, averaging 28.3 yards on 28 kickoff returns and 13.3 yards returning 12 punts, for a total of 1909 combined yards, second-best in the league. He was a second-team All-AFL selection by the NEA and was named to the AFL All-Star Game. Garrett missed time during training camp due to military service and then suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1970, rushing for only 272 yards and accumulating an all-purpose total of 1167.

1971 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 181 [15, tied with Marv Hubbard]

Most attempts, game – 21 (for 127 yds.) at Buffalo 11/28

Yards – 784 [12]

Most yards, game – 127 yards (on 21 carries) at Buffalo 11/28

Average gain – 4.3 [16]

TDs – 1

100-yard rushing games – 2

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 22

Most receptions, game – 4 (for 13 yds.) vs. Baltimore 10/3

Yards – 265

Most yards, game – 97 (on 2 catches) vs. Buffalo 11/14

Average gain – 12.0

TDs – 1

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 24 [15, tied with Jerry LeVias & Charlie West]

Yards – 538 [17]

Most yards, game – 172 (on 6 ret.) at Dallas 10/24

Average per return – 22.4

TDs – 0

Longest return – 37 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 8

Yards – 124 [16]

Average per return – 15.5

TDs – 0

Longest return – 50 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1711 [2, 1^st in AFC]

Scoring

TDs – 2

Points – 12

Patriots went 6-8 to finish third in the AFC East.

Aftermath:

Garrett had a lesser rushing year in 1972, although he achieved career highs with 30 pass receptions for 410 yards. Traded to the Chicago Bears in ’73, he led the club in rushing with 655 yards and also averaged a league-leading 30.4 yards on 16 kickoff returns. On the downside, he also fumbled 13 times. Following an injury-interrupted year in 1974 in which he appeared in just seven games, he moved on to the New York Jets in ’75, rushed for 566 yards, but had disciplinary issues and spent 1976 and ’77, his last two seasons, as a reserve with the Raiders. Overall, Garrett rushed for 4197 yards on 1031 attempts (4.1 avg.), caught 182 passes for 1931 yards (10.6 avg.), returned 154 kickoffs for a 24.1-yard average and 43 punts at an 11.3-yard clip, gaining 10,319 total yards and scoring 35 touchdowns. Of those totals, 2235 rushing yards, 1158 yards on 107 pass receptions, 92 punt returns for a 24.5 average, all of the punt returns, and 18 TDs came with the Patriots.  

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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: Fred Cox, 1965

Placekicker, Minnesota Vikings

Age: 27 (Dec. 11)

3^rd season in pro football & with Vikings

College: Pittsburgh

Height: 5’10” Weight: 200

Prelude:

Cox was a running back in college who gained 1298 yards from scrimmage in three varsity seasons and scored five touchdowns. He was a future draft choice of both the Cleveland Browns of the NFL (eighth round) and New York Titans of the AFL (28^th round) in 1961. Signing with the Browns in ’62, he suffered a back injury during his first training camp and concentrated on placekicking, learning technique from veteran PK Lou Groza. The Browns traded him to Minnesota during the preseason, but he was waived in favor of Mike Mercer, who could both punt and placekick. Cox sat out the year but was invited back in 1963 and made 12 of 24 field goals and all 39 extra point attempts as a placekicker and also handled the punting, averaging 38.7 yards. He was relieved of the punting in ’64 and had a better year placekicking, hitting on 21 of 33 of his field goal tries and 40 of 42 PATs.

1965 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 23 [1]

Most field goals, game – 4 at Green Bay 12/5

Field goal attempts – 35 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 5 at Green Bay 12/5

Field goal percentage – 65.7 [2]

PATs – 44 [5]

PAT attempts – 44 [5]

Longest field goal – 53 yards at Green Bay 12/5

Scoring

Field Goals – 23

PATs – 44

Points – 113 [3]

Vikings went 7-7 to finish fifth in the NFL Western Conference.

Aftermath:

Cox continued on for a total of 15 seasons, all with the Vikings. After two lesser years in 1966 and ’67, his field goal percentage improved to 65.5 in 1968. He topped the NFL in field goals (26), field goal percentage (70.3), and scoring (121 points) in 1969, when he also received All-NFL honors from the Associated Press and Sporting News, and again in field goals (30) and scoring (125 points) in ’70, when he received consensus All-NFC recognition. His field goal totals dropped with the moving of the goal posts to the back of the end zone in 1974, although he succeeded on 13 of 17 attempts in ’75 for a career-high 76.5 percentage, and he became less reliable on extra points in his last few seasons. Overall, Cox was successful on 282 of 455 field goal tries (62 %) and added 519 extra points out of 539 attempts for a total of 1365 points, all franchise best totals. In 18 postseason games, he was successful on 11 of 18 field goal attempts and 38 of 40 PATs for another 71 points. Cox was a first-team All-NFL selection once and was named to one Pro Bowl. He also gained some notoriety as the inventor of the Nerf football.

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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: Ron Davenport, 1985

Fullback, Miami Dolphins

Age: 23 (Dec. 22)

1^st season in pro football

College: Louisville

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 225

Prelude:

In college, Davenport rushed for 1477 yards on 369 carries (4.0 avg.) and caught 55 passes for another 532 and scored a total of 18 touchdowns. He was chosen by the Dolphins in the sixth round of the 1985 NFL draft and proved to be an outstanding short-yardage runner near the goal line and in third down situations.

1985 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 98

Most attempts, game – 12 (for 49 yds.) vs. Indianapolis 9/15, (for 55 yds.) vs. Kansas City 9/22

Yards – 370

Most yards, game – 57 yards (on 6 carries) vs. Buffalo 12/22

Average gain – 3.8

TDs – 11 [3, tied with Marcus Allen, 1^st in AFC]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 13      

Most receptions, game – 4 (for 23 yds.) at Buffalo 11/24

Yards – 74

Most yards, game – 23 (on 4 catches) at Buffalo 11/24

Average gain – 5.7

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 13 [5, tied with Daryl Turner]

Points – 78

Postseason: 2 G

Rushing attempts – 9

Most rushing attempts, game – 6 vs. Cleveland, AFC Divisional playoff

Rushing yards – 54

Most rushing yards, game – 48 vs. Cleveland, AFC Divisional playoff

Average gain rushing – 6.0

Rushing TDs – 2

Pass receptions – 3

Most pass receptions, game – 3 vs. New England, AFC Championship

Pass receiving yards – 23

Most pass receiving yards, game – 23 vs. New England, AFC Championship

Average yards per reception – 7.7

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Dolphins went 12-4 to finish first in the AFC East. Won AFC Divisional playoff over Cleveland Browns (24-21). Lost AFC Championship to New England Patriots (31-14).

Aftermath:

Davenport spent another four seasons with the Dolphins, but his first remained his most productive. He ran for 314 yards in 1986 but with no rushing TDs and scored just two more in the remainder of his time with the club. He was utilized more as a receiver out of the backfield and achieved career highs with 30 receptions for 282 yards in 1988. Competing with FB Woody Bennett, a better pass blocker, and effective in spurts, Davenport was also inconsistent. Overall, he rushed for 1127 yards on 374 attempts (4.1 avg.), caught 93 passes for 801 yards, and scored 17 touchdowns.

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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

1963: Giants Trade Rosey Grier to Rams

On July 8, 1963 the New York Giants traded away one of the stalwart members of their defensive line by dealing DT Roosevelt “Rosey” Grier to the Los Angeles Rams for DT John LoVetere and a future draft pick.

The 6’5”, 290-pound Grier had been chosen by the Giants in the third round of the 1955 NFL draft out of Penn State. Except for the 1957 season, which he missed due to military service, Grier was part of an outstanding unit that included DT Dick Modzelewski and ends Andy Robustelli and Jim Katcavage. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection, received consensus first-team All-NFL honors in 1956, and gained at least some first- or second-team recognition after four other seasons. In 1962 Grier was an All-Eastern Conference choice by The Sporting News. Over the same course of time, the Giants consistently contended and won a NFL Championship while topping the Eastern Conference on five occasions. The tough and cohesive defense played a significant role in the club’s success.

However, there were concerns about age and the need for retooling. “At 31, Grier is about four years older than LoVetere,” explained New York’s Head Coach Allie Sherman. Sherman also expressed the desire to use the draft choice obtained from the Rams in dealing for a veteran running back, which failed to materialize (it ended up being a fourth-round choice in 1964 that was used to take Ohio State FB Matt Snell, who chose to sign with New York’s AFL club, the Jets).

In Los Angeles, Grier was reunited with a former Giants teammate, Harland Svare, who was now commencing his first full season as head coach of the Rams. He moved directly into the starting lineup alongside second-year DT Merlin Olsen and flanked by ends Dave “Deacon” Jones, in his third season, and Lamar Lundy, a 28-year-old veteran, putting Grier as the senior member in the midst of another formidable unit. But the remainder of the defense, while containing some good young players, was not so impressive, nor was the offense, and the team as a whole was coming off of a miserable 1-12-1 record in 1962, its fourth straight under .500. Svare had been promoted to head coach during the season.

The club improved to 5-9 in ’63 and the line, now containing Grier, remained the best part of the defense and led the NFL in allowing the fewest rushing yards in 1964, although the Rams finished once more with a losing record. Yet another disappointing year in ’65, in which Grier was beginning to show his age at 33 but was also still tough against the run, led to the dismissal of Svare and the hiring of George Allen, who had been an outstanding defensive coach with the Bears.

Under Allen’s guidance, the Rams improved to 8-6 in 1966 and were poised for further improvement. However, Grier went down with a torn Achilles tendon in the preseason that cost him the entire year and DT Roger Brown was obtained from Detroit to fill his place. LA went on to reach the postseason for the first time since 1955 with a gaudy 11-1-2 mark in ’67, and the “Fearsome Foursome” of Jones, Olsen, Brown, and Lundy played a key role in the success.

While it was anticipated that Grier would return to the Rams in 1968, he announced his retirement in July, moving on to a full-time entertainment career. Over the course of 11 seasons in the NFL, four with the Rams, he appeared in 141 regular season games and was a solid contributor to excellent defensive lines with two clubs. While sacks were not yet an officially-compiled statistic, Grier has been unofficially credited with 21 during his four active years with the Rams, with a high of seven in 1966.

As for the player the Giants obtained for Grier, the 27-year-old LoVetere (pictured at left), who was 6’4” and weighed 285 pounds, attended Compton Junior College but didn’t play football collegiately although he did play with distinction in the service for two years and was signed by the Rams in 1959. An early proponent of weight training, he was both strong and fast. LoVetere performed well, and in 1960 blocked five kicks, but ran afoul of Svare’s predecessor, Bob Waterfield, and lost his starting job.

LoVetere settled into Grier’s spot in the defensive line (he even wore the same number 76) and was named to the Pro Bowl as the Giants won a third consecutive Eastern Conference title in 1963. However, time finally caught up with the club and the bottom dropped out in ’64. It caught up to LoVetere as well, who appeared in just 12 games combined in 1964 and ’65 due to, first, a broken leg and then a knee injury that required surgery and proved to be career-ending.