Highlighted Year: Brian Griese, 2004

Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age: 29

7^th season in pro football, 1^st with Buccaneers

College: Michigan

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 214

Prelude:

Griese, the son of Hall of Fame QB Bob Griese, was a successful walk-on in college who passed for 3663 yards and 27 touchdowns and capped his career at Michigan with a Rose Bowl victory. He was chosen by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft and spent his rookie year backing up QB John Elway. With Elway retired, Griese took over the starting job in 1999 and, hampered by injuries (a recurring theme), threw for 3032 yards and 14 TDs, with as many interceptions. While again plagued by injuries, he showed improvement in 2000, passing for 2688 yards and 19 touchdowns, with just four interceptions, and led the NFL with a 102.9 passer rating. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl but also needed shoulder surgery for the second straight year. Griese struggled with consistency in 2001 and his interception total rose to 19. A smart and accurate, if not strong-armed, passer at his best, his leadership skills and confidence came under question, particularly in clutch situations, and after another disappointing year in 2002 he was let go and moved on to the Miami Dolphins in ’03, where he started five games and was unimpressive. Griese joined the Buccaneers in 2004 as the third-string quarterback but, when QB Chris Simms went down with an injury, he took over the starting job and performed well.

2004 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 336

Most attempts, game – 50 at San Diego 12/12

Completions – 233

Most completions, game – 36 at San Diego 12/12

Yards – 2632

Most yards, game – 392 at San Diego 12/12

Completion percentage – 69.3 [1]

Yards per attempt – 7.8 [8]

TD passes – 20 [14, tied with Drew Bledsoe]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at San Diego 12/12, vs. Carolina 12/26

Interceptions – 12 [15, tied with Joey Harrington & Michael Vick]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at San Diego 12/12

Passer rating – 97.5 [6]

300-yard passing games – 3

200-yard passing games – 6

Rushing

Attempts – 30

Most attempts, game – 5 (for -2 yds.) at New Orleans 10/10

Yards – 17

Most yards, game – 9 yards (on 2 carries) at Carolina 11/28

Average gain – 0.6

TDs – 0

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 1

Yards – -4

TDs – 0

Buccaneers went 5-11 to finish fourth in the NFC South.

Aftermath:

Griese started six games in 2005, five of which the Bucs won, but a knee injury cut his season short and he was let go afterward. He moved on to the Bears as a backup in 2006 and saw considerable action in ’07 in place of starting QB Rex Grossman until he again was injured. Griese was traded back to Tampa Bay in 2008 and started five games in what was his last season. Overall, he passed for 19,440 yards and 119 touchdowns, with 4841 yards and 32 TDs coming with the Bucs. Griese was chosen to one Pro Bowl in a career that was marked by injuries and inconsistency.

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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: Matt Hasselbeck, 2005

Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks

Age: 30 (Sept. 25)

8^th season in pro football (7^th active), 5^th with Seahawks

College: Boston College

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 223

Prelude:

The son of Don Hasselbeck, who played tight end in the NFL, Hasselbeck passed for 4548 yards and 22 touchdowns in college and was chosen by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL draft. He spent that year on the practice squad and then saw scant action behind QB Brett Favre in 1999 and 2000. Hasselbeck was traded to the Seahawks in 2001 and was mentored by veteran QB Trent Dilfer while also training under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, formerly of the Packers. With good size and arm strength, if not mobility, he developed into a Pro Bowl quarterback in 2003 when he threw for 3841 yards and 26 TDs and the team improved to 10-6 and reached the postseason. Hasselbeck followed up with a somewhat lesser year in 2004, passing for 3382 yards and 22 touchdowns while playing through injuries, but performed well down the stretch after an inconsistent start and earned a contract extension.

2005 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 449 [14]

Most attempts, game – 42 vs. Dallas 10/23

Completions – 294 [9, tied with Eli Manning]

Most completions, game – 27 at St. Louis 10/9

Yards – 3459 [10]

Most yards, game – 316 at St. Louis 10/9

Completion percentage – 65.5 [6]

Yards per attempt – 7.7 [4]

TD passes – 24 [4, tied with Jake Delhomme, Drew Brees & Eli Manning, 1^st in NFC]

Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. San Francisco 12/11

Interceptions – 9

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Jacksonville 9/11, vs. Dallas 10/23, vs. St. Louis 11/13

Passer rating – 98.2 [4, 1^st in NFC]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 11

Rushing

Attempts – 36

Most attempts, game – 6 (for 7 yds.) at San Francisco 11/20

Yards – 124

Most yards, game – 40 yards (on 4 carries) vs. Houston 10/16

Average gain – 3.4

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 3 G

Pass attempts – 103

Most pass attempts, game – 49 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

Pass completions – 62

Most pass completions, game – 26 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

Passing yardage – 707

Most passing yards, game – 273 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

TD passes – 4

Most TD passes, game – 2 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship

Interceptions – 1

Rushing attempts – 15

Most rushing attempts, game – 6 vs. Washington, NFC Divisional playoff

Rushing yards – 83

Most rushing yards, game – 35 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl

Average gain rushing – 5.5

Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Seahawks went 13-3 to finish first in the NFC West while leading the NFL in touchdowns (57) and scoring (452 points) and the conference in total yards (5915). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (20-10) & NFC Championship over Carolina Panthers (34-14). Lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers (21-10).

Aftermath:

Hasselbeck suffered through a rough year in 2006, missing four games due to a knee injury. He bounced back in ’07 in achieving career highs with 562 pass attempts, 352 completions, 3966 yards, and 28 touchdowns and returned to the Pro Bowl. However, he appeared in only seven games in 2008 due to injury and endured lesser years in 2009 and ’10 before moving on to the Tennessee Titans and briefly resurrecting his career as he passed for 3571 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2011. Hasselbeck moved into a backup role in 2012 but started five games when second-year QB Jake Locker was injured. Released following the season, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts to provide a veteran backup to QB Andrew Luck and saw little action during the next two years until 2015, when Luck was injured and Hasselbeck started eight games, throwing for 1690 yards and 9 TDs in what proved to be his last season at age 40. Overall, Hasselbeck completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 36,638 yards and 212 touchdowns while giving up 153 interceptions. Of those totals, a team-record 29,434 yards along with 174 TDs and 128 interceptions came with the Seahawks. He added another 2741 yards and 18 touchdowns, with 9 interceptions, in 11 playoff games, all with Seattle. Hasselbeck was a first-team All-NFC selection once and was chosen to three Pro Bowls. His brother Tim also played quarterback 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

1976: Cards Beat Chargers in Preseason Game in Tokyo

It was a National Football League first on August 16, 1976 when the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Cardinals met for a preseason game in Tokyo, Japan. While NFL contests had been played in Canada, never before had one occurred outside of North America.

The game was referred to as the Mainichi Star Bowl since it was jointly sponsored by the Mainichi Newspaper Company and the Sports Nippon Newspaper Company as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.

There were 38,000 fans in attendance in a misty rain at the Korakuen Stadium, normally used for baseball. The crowd was mostly Japanese with some Americans for the Monday night contest and the atmosphere was festive. Fans were enthusiastic and occasionally engaged in chants during the contest, such as “Chargers, Chargers, Banzai! Banzai!” and “Cardinals, attack the ball!”

Many citizens of the city of Suwa in central Japan, which had engaged in several cultural exchanges with St. Louis, were at the game, led by Mayor Setsuji Iwamoto. Four firemen played Japanese army assault marches on their bugles while another citizen of the city banged on a drum.

“They are such nice people, and they respond very quickly to our action,” said Lori West, a University of Missouri student and cheerleader for the Cardinals.

As for the participants on the field, it was the third preseason game for each club. The Cardinals, coached by Don Coryell for the fourth year, were coming off of consecutive NFC East titles and had been 11-3 in 1975. San Diego was a less successful club under the direction of Head Coach Tommy Prothro and posted a 2-12 record the previous year, its sixth straight losing season. In a rebuilding mode, the Chargers hired Bill Walsh away from Cincinnati to be offensive coordinator and especially to provide guidance for young QB Dan Fouts.

Neither team generated much of a ground attack in the early going. In the first quarter, Jim Bakken kicked a 30-yard field goal for the Cards and, in the second quarter, St. Louis again moved into scoring position thanks to a nine-yard carry by HB Jerry Latin and a run by HB Wayne Morris that picked up five for a first down at the San Diego 15. From there, QB Bill Donckers threw a touchdown pass to WR Pat Tilley and Bakken converted to put the Cards up by 10-0. San Diego finally got on the board with four seconds left in the first half as Sergio Albert booted a 30-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, a bad punt by a heavily-rushed Terry Joyce of the Cards, kicking from his own end zone, gave the Chargers possession at the St. Louis 28. Dan Fouts tossed a four-yard completion to WR Charlie Joiner before throwing a 23-yard TD pass to WR Dwight McDonald and Albert added the extra point that tied the contest at 10-10.

The Cardinals came right back as Jim Hart went long to WR Ike Harris in a play that covered 52 yards for a touchdown. Bakken closed out the scoring with a 10-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and St. Louis won by a final tally of 20-10.

The game was pass-heavy, with the Cards running 41 times for 105 yards and San Diego gaining just 34 yards on 19 attempts. St. Louis had 20 first downs to 12 for the Chargers.

Bill Donckers and Jim Hart both threw 14 passes apiece for the Cardinals, with Donckers, the backup, completing 10 for 94 yards and a touchdown and Hart 9 for 111 yards and a TD. Neither was intercepted. Wayne Morris gained 49 yards on 14 carries and Pat Tilley caught 4 passes for 54 yards.

For the Chargers, Dan Fouts completed just 4 of 10 passes for 70 yards while backup Jesse Freitas was successful on 9 of 20 for 85 yards and was intercepted once. FB Jim Harrison had 28 yards on 6 carries to pace the club in rushing. Dwight McDonald caught two passes for 44 yards and a TD.

In the regular season, St. Louis put together a 10-4 record but just missed the playoffs this time, ending up third in the NFC East. The Chargers improved to 6-8 and third in the AFC West.

As a side note, Bill Walsh stayed for a year with the Chargers before departing for Stanford, and Dan Fouts, who showed much improvement under Walsh’s guidance, would go on to Hall of Fame success after Don Coryell left the Cards and came to San Diego to replace Tommy Prothro.

As for the NFL playing outside of North America, the next overseas preseason game occurred in London, UK in 1983, and London would become a regular host to preseason and, eventually, regular season contests. The NFL would also return to Tokyo, but not until 1989, and for preseason games only.

Highlighted Year: Mike Cofer, 1988

Placekicker, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 24

2^nd season in pro football, 1^st with 49ers

College: North Carolina State

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

In college, Cofer connected on 50 of 68 field goal attempts (73.5 %), topping the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1984 (18) and ’86 (13), and 97 of 108 PATs (89.8 %) for a total of 247 points. Undrafted in 1987, he signed with the Cleveland Browns and barely lost out to Jeff Jaeger in the preseason. He was a replacement player with New Orleans during the season and then signed with the 49ers in 1988 and won the placekicking job in the preseason, impressing with his leg strength.

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 27 [3, tied with Nick Lowery, 1^st in NFC]

Most field goals, game – 3 at Phoenix 11/6, vs. New Orleans 12/11, vs. LA Rams 12/18

Field goal attempts – 38 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 at NY Giants 9/11, at Seattle 9/25, at Atlanta 12/4

Field goal percentage – 71.1 [17]

PATs – 40 [7, tied with Chip Lohmiller]

PAT attempts – 41 [7, tied with Chip Lohmiller]

Longest field goal – 52 yards vs. Washington 11/21

Scoring

Field Goals – 27

PATs – 40

Points – 121 [2, 1^st in NFC]

Postseason: 3 G

Field goals – 2

Most field goals, game – 2 vs. Cincinnati, Super Bowl

Field goal attempts – 5

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 vs. Cincinnati, Super Bowl

PATs – 10

Most PATs, game – 4 vs. Minnesota, NFC Divisional playoff; at Chicago, NFC Championship

PAT attempts – 11

Longest field goal – 41 yards vs. Cincinnati, Super Bowl

49ers went 10-6 to finish first in the NFC West while leading the conference in rushing yards (2523) and total yards (5900). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Minnesota Vikings (34-9), NFC Championship over Chicago Bears (28-3) & Super Bowl over Cincinnati Bengals (20-16).  

Aftermath:

Cofer followed up by connecting on 29 of 36 field goal attempts (80.6 %), with just one miss inside of 40 yards, and adding 49 PATs to lead the NFL with 136 points in 1989. He received first-team All-NFL recognition from the Associated Press and Newspaper Enterprise Association. Cofer spent a total of six years with the 49ers, with declining reliability, until being let go after the 1993 season. He joined the Colts in ’95 and, while he had a 52-yard game-winning field goal against the Jets, Cofer still lacked consistency and was released, ending his career. Overall, he was successful on 133 of 201 field goal attempts (66.2 %), with 128 of 191 coming with the 49ers. Cofer also booted 303 extra points and scored a total of 702 points (296 PATs and 673 points with San Francisco). He received first-team All-NFL honors once.

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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

1954: Lions Dominate College All-Stars

The 21^st College All-Star Game on August 13, 1954 featured a return appearance by the Detroit Lions, NFL Champions for the second consecutive year, who had won the previous installment in the annual series by a score of 24-10.

There was one twist in that, for the first time in ten years, the game utilized the single-platoon college rule with limited substitution, which was expected to benefit the collegians. With players going both ways, Head Coach Buddy Parker chose to sit QB Bobby Layne in favor of backup QB Tom Dublinski  (pictured above) and, for the most part, used second stringers at most positions, primarily utilizing a split-T offense.

The All-Stars were coached by Maryland’s Jim Tatum and the roster contained future pro stars that included QB Zeke Bratkowski from Georgia, HB Jerry Norton of SMU, Florida FB Rick Casares, and, from Maryland, tackle Stan Jones and HB Dick Nolan.

There were 93,470 fans in attendance on a pleasant Friday night at Soldier Field. The tone for the game was set on the first play from scrimmage following the opening kickoff when HB Johnny Lattner, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Notre Dame, fumbled and DT Thurman McGraw recovered for Detroit at the All-Star 27. The Lions came away with the game’s first points when Jim Martin kicked a 46-yard field goal.

Once again the Lions took advantage of a turnover when safety Jack Christiansen intercepted a Lattner pass to give the pro champs the ball at midfield. FB Lew Carpenter took off on a 20-yard run and this time Detroit reached the end zone on a four-yard carry by HB Doak Walker. Walker also booted the extra point to make it 10-0.

Before the opening period was completed the Lions drove 73 yards in 10 plays that included another big carry by Carpenter, this time of 21 yards down the sideline, and it was Carpenter running for a two-yard touchdown to finish the series off. Jug Girard kicked the point after.

Detroit took a 17-0 lead into the second quarter and the onslaught calmed down for a time. Late in the period, the All-Stars finally threatened when Carpenter fumbled and Texas DE Carleton Massey recovered, but after reaching the Detroit 10 they came up empty and the halftime score remained unchanged.

On the first play of the third quarter, the All-Stars got a break when Tom Dublinski fumbled as he was hit fading back to pass and MG Jerry Hilgenberg of Iowa recovered at the Detroit four. Two plays later, Lattner ran around right end for a touchdown. The try for extra point by Notre Dame’s Menil Mavraides was blocked, but the collegians were finally on the board.

The Lions put together a 68-yard possession later in the period. Dublinski completed passes to end Dorne Dibble of 20 and 17 yards and Carpenter (pictured at right) plowed over from the one for a TD and, with Martin’s kick, the pro champs were ahead by 24-6.

Detroit had the contest well in hand as it headed into the fourth quarter and scored once more when DE Jim Doran grabbed the ball on an attempted handoff by QB Jim Ninowski of Michigan State to Notre Dame FB Neil Worden and rumbled 34 yards for a touchdown. The Lions came away with an easy 31-6 win.

Detroit dominated in total yards (361 to 144) and first downs (20 to 11) and the All-Stars turned the ball over five times, to three suffered by the Lions. Both teams completed 11 passes, but Detroit went to the air ten fewer times (16 to 26) than the All-Stars, who utilized a total of five quarterbacks. Tom Dublinski was an efficient 10 of 15 for 103 yards in passing for Detroit.

Detroit’s win put the pro champions ahead by 13 to 6 in the series, with two ties, and was the fourth straight for the professionals. The Lions went on to reach the NFL Championship game for the third straight year in 1954, compiling a 9-2-1 record in topping the Western Conference, but this time lost badly to the Cleveland Browns.

Tom Dublinski returned to his backup role but did start four games during the season and passed for 1073 yards and eight touchdowns, while giving up seven interceptions, in his most productive year with the Lions. He jumped to Canada in 1955 and had a big statistical year with Toronto, throwing for 3561 yards and 30 TDs, although with 34 interceptions. Dublinski shifted back and forth between the US and Canada in a career that concluded in 1962.

Highlighted Year: Antonio Cromartie, 2007

Cornerback, San Diego Chargers

Age: 23

2^nd season in pro football & with Chargers

College: Florida State

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 203

Prelude:

Cromartie intercepted five passes in college and returned 43 kickoffs for a 23.3-yard average, but in 2005, his last year, he missed the season due to a knee injury suffered during a summer workout. A raw talent with great potential, Cromartie was chosen by the Chargers in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft and split time with CB Drayton Florence as a rookie. He emerged in ’07, showing off outstanding ball-hawking ability in addition to fine speed for coverage.

2007 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 10 [1]

Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. Indianapolis 11/11

Int. return yards – 144 [6]

Most int. return yards, game – 91 (on 2 int.) vs. Houston 10/28

Int. TDs – 1 [7, tied with many others]

Sacks – 0

Fumble recoveries – 2

Forced fumbles – 0

Tackles – 39

Assists – 5

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 3

Yards – 67

Average per return – 22.3

TDs – 0

Longest return – 26 yards

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

One TD scored on the 109-yard return of a missed field goal vs. Minnesota, a NFL record.

Postseason: 3 G

Interceptions – 2

Int. return yards – 37

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP

Pro Bowl

Chargers went 11-5 to finish first in the AFC West while leading the NFL in interceptions (30). Won AFC Wild Card playoff over Tennessee Titans (17-6) & AFC Divisional playoff over Indianapolis Colts (28-24). Lost AFC Championship to New England Patriots (21-12).

Aftermath:

Cromartie had a lesser year in 2008, playing with a hip injury, and intercepted just two passes. There were off-field issues in ’09 and he was traded to the New York Jets in 2010. Cromartie had problems with consistency in his first two years with the Jets but stepped up when top CB Darrelle Revis was injured and garnered Pro Bowl recognition in 2012. Following another Pro Bowl year in 2013, Cromartie moved on to the Arizona Cardinals, again achieved Pro Bowl honors, and returned to the Jets as a free agent in 2015. He had a disappointing year, seeming to have lost speed and failing to intercept a pass for the first time since his rookie year, and was released in the offseason. Overall through 2015, Cromartie has intercepted 31 passes, three of which he returned for touchdowns, with 15 pickoffs and two TDs coming with the Chargers. He also has returned two of his five fumble recoveries for touchdowns and ran back 60 kickoffs for a 23.9-yard average. Cromartie received first-team All-NFL honors once and was named to four Pro Bowls.

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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

1957: Conerly TD Passes Lead Giants Past College All-Stars

The 24^th annual College All-Star Game on August 9, 1957 matched up the New York Giants, reigning champions of the NFL, with an All-Star team coached by Curly Lambeau for the third straight year.

Head Coach Jim Lee Howell of the Giants placed great authority in Vince Lombardi, his offensive assistant, and Tom Landry, who operated the defense. Behind center was QB Charlie Conerly, who platooned with Don Heinrich, and the offense also featured star all-purpose HB Frank Gifford as well as capable runners in HB Alex Webster and FB Mel Triplett. The tough defense contained All-Pros in DE Andy Robustelli and safety Emlen Tunnell plus a rising second-year talent in MLB Sam Huff.

Coach Lambeau, the head coach of the Green Bay Packers for many years who finished up with the Cardinals and Redskins, had the All-Stars well prepared to face the Giants. The roster contained several offensive players who would become pro stars such as quarterbacks John Brodie from Stanford and Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung, Syracuse FB Jim Brown, halfbacks Jon Arnett of USC and Billy Barnes from Wake Forest, and Michigan end Ron Kramer.

It was a wet Friday night with over 75,000 fans in attendance at Soldier Field and the start of the game was delayed due to a major deluge of rain combined with a gusty wind that caused the elimination of pregame introductions and other festivities. The Giants had the ball first but Alex Webster fumbled it away on the third play and the All-Stars capitalized. With John Brodie behind center, they advanced 55 yards, the key play being a 22-yard gain on a triple reverse, and Billy Barnes capped the series by running wide for a two-yard touchdown in a fourth down situation. Paul Hornung missed to the left on the extra point attempt but the collegians held the early 6-0 lead.

The Giants had to punt following their next series but regained possession on the All-Star 20 when Barnes fumbled. A running play lost a yard and two throws by Charlie Conerly were broken up, but the pro champs got on the board when Ben Agajanian, just short of his 38^th birthday, kicked a 33-yard field goal with a minute remaining in the opening period to narrow the score to 6-3.

Early in the second quarter, New York put together a drive that covered 88 yards in five plays. It featured Conerly passes to Webster for 33 yards and then to end Ken MacAfee, who took advantage of a good block by end Kyle Rote after hauling in the throw at the All-Star 25 and going the distance for a 38-yard touchdown. Agajanian’s conversion put the Giants ahead by 10-6.

Late in the period, Barnes created some excitement for the All-Stars by breaking away on a carry from his 35 that nearly went the distance before a diving DHB Ed Hughes tripped him up at the New York 37, a distance of 28 yards. Three plays later, Brodie suffered an injury but Hornung came in at quarterback and ran for a first down at the nine. New York’s defense held and the collegians settled for a 12-yard field goal by Paige Cothren of Mississippi. The Giants maintained a 10-9 edge at the half.

In the third quarter, the Giants put together a long drive of 77 yards in 10 plays, helped along by a questionable pass interference penalty on Michigan State DHB Clarence Peaks, who had nearly pulled the ball away from Frank Gifford. That moved New York to the All-Star 15, and two plays later Conerly threw once again to MacAfee, who was open in the end zone for a 10-yard TD. Agajanian booted the point after.

Later in the third quarter, and with Hornung still at quarterback, the All-Stars drove into New York territory but came up empty when Cothren missed on a 33-yard field goal try. However, early in the fourth quarter the collegians got a break when Sam Huff flagrantly interfered with Ron Kramer and Cothren this time came through for a 24-yard field goal that made it a five-point contest.

That would be it for the All-Stars as the Giants responded by advancing to a 45-yard Agajanian field goal. Then, with three minutes left to play, New York DHB Dick Nolan capped the scoring by foiling a double-reverse and tackling Illinois HB Abe Woodson in the end zone for a safety. The Giants came away winners by a final score of 22-12.

New York had the edge in total yards (281 to 220) while the All-Stars led in first downs (16 to 14)

Each team turned the ball over once.

Charlie Conerly completed 8 of 17 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns and Mel Triplett led New York’s ground game with 74 yards on 17 attempts. For the All-Stars, Paul Hornung, utilized on option plays, was successful on 5 of 7 throws for 39 yards and John Brodie was 8 of 20 for 94 yards. Billy Barnes rushed for 60 yards on 11 carries, scoring the lone All-Star TD.  

“They stopped us as well as anybody in the league stopped us,” said New York’s Coach Howell of the All-Star defense. “Their defensive line and linebackers were excellent.”

The win for the Giants marked the 15^th in the series for the pro champs, against seven for the All-Stars and two ties. New York followed up by going 7-5 during the season to place second in the Eastern Conference.

The game marked the finale for Curly Lambeau as coach of the All-Stars. As a former pro coach, his selection in 1955 had marked a departure from the practice of using college coaches for the contest. Lambeau had coached the Packers in the game three times, going 2-1, and his record with the All-Stars was 1-2.