1964: Eagles Trade Tommy McDonald to Cowboys

Following the 1963 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles were a team in transition. They had a new owner, 36-year-old Jerry Wolman, and a new head coach/general manager, Joe Kuharich. Having finished in last place in the Eastern Conference in both 1962 and ’63, Kuharich decided a makeover of the team was in order, and he made several significant trades. The first major deal, on March 20, 1964, sent star flanker Tommy McDonald to the Dallas Cowboys for all-purpose kicker Sam Baker, DT John Meyers, and offensive lineman Lynn Hoyem.

The trade certainly generated plenty of controversy among Eagles fans. Since joining the club in 1957 as a third round draft choice out of Oklahoma, McDonald had become one of the most potent deep threats in the NFL. His statistics were formidable – 287 receptions for 5499 yards (a 19.2-yard average) with 66 touchdowns, including two thousand-yard seasons and four consecutive in which he scored at least 10 TDs. He was selected to five Pro Bowls and had received first or second team All-Pro recognition on four occasions.

Moreover, he was charismatic with an effervescent personality and had become a fan favorite. At 5’9” and 178 pounds, he was generally considered to be the smallest player in the NFL during his career, yet he was an intimidating force as he raced past opposing defenders while often making spectacular catches. When hit, he had a habit of bouncing up quickly, showing toughness and a lack of fear. Few receivers were more effective at running crossing routes.

Trading McDonald was a bitter pill for the fans, and it wasn’t helped that many questioned whether the Eagles had received equal value for the 29-year-old receiver (he would be 30 by the start of the ’64 season). Sam Baker was the best-known of the three players Philadelphia received from the Cowboys. Both a placekicker and punter, he had played under Kuharich when he was head coach at Washington and had led the league in field goals kicked in 1956 (17) and scoring in ’57 (77 points). After two years in Cleveland, Baker had moved on to Dallas for two years, where it was reported that his off-field carousing had worn out his welcome with Head Coach Tom Landry. A proven performer at age 35, with nine years of NFL experience, he had been twice selected to the Pro Bowl (1956 and ’63).

John Meyers, a 6’6”, 275-pound defensive tackle, was 24 years old and had been with the Cowboys for two years. He was considered to be a quality reserve. 25-year-old Lynn Hoyem, at 6’4” and 253 pounds, had backed up at center and guard and was expected to do the same for the Eagles.

All three players filled clear needs that the team had, and contributed. Baker stayed for six seasons and made the Pro Bowl twice while also leading the NFL in field goal percentage in 1966 (72.0 %, on 18 of 25 attempts). Meyers moved into the starting lineup and played for four years. Hoyem also stayed for four seasons in his utility role on the offensive line.

As for McDonald, the Cowboys moved him from flanker to split end. While Dallas already had an outstanding flanker in Frank Clarke, veteran split end Billy Howton had retired following the ’63 season. In upgrading the receiving corps for young QB Don Meredith, they also traded with Pittsburgh for another veteran deep threat, Buddy Dial. McDonald went on to have what, for him, was a rather mediocre season as he caught 46 passes for 612 yards (just 13.3 yards-per-reception) with only two touchdowns (one of them coming against the Eagles in Philadelphia).

With speedy rookie Bob Hayes joining the Cowboys in 1965, McDonald was traded to the Rams where he caught a career-high 67 passes for 1036 yards and nine TDs. He was selected to the Pro Bowl one last time and, after another year in Los Angeles followed by brief stints in Atlanta and Cleveland, McDonald retired after the 1968 season.

The McDonald deal to Dallas was arguably not the most controversial of the trades swung by Joe Kuharich in the 1963-64 offseason; the one made a few days later that sent QB Sonny Jurgensen to Washington for QB Norm Snead raised even more eyebrows and generated fierce debate long afterward. McDonald was something of a disappointment in Dallas, although he proved with the Rams that he still could be an effective receiver. But none of the players received could replace the excitement and spirit that he had provided the Eagles and their fans.

1984: Kelvin Bryant Leads Stars Past Invaders in 28-Point Second Half

At halftime of the March 18, 1984 USFL game between the host Philadelphia Stars and visiting Oakland Invaders at Veterans Stadium, it appeared that a significant upset was in the making. The Invaders, 0-3 coming into the contest and having failed to score in the previous 12 consecutive quarters, held a 7-0 lead on the 2-1 Stars, who had come within two points of the league championship in ’83.

The second half proved to be a different story as Philadelphia’s offense pulled out of its funk and scored touchdowns the first three times they had the ball. Star RB Kelvin Bryant, who had been held to 40 yards on 10 carries in the first half, scored touchdowns of four and two yards on his way to a 133-yard second half rushing total. QB Chuck Fusina threw for the last two scores, on passes of 25 yards to WR Scott Fitzkee and 35 yards to WR Tom Donovan. In the end, it was a comfortable 28-7 win for Head Coach Jim Mora’s team.

Philadelphia rolled up 234 rushing yards, 173 of that total accounted for by Bryant. Fusina completed 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards with the two touchdowns and an interception. WR Willie Collier led the Stars in receiving, with 6 catches for 95 yards. The defense held the Invaders to nine first downs, with 76 rushing and 140 net passing yards. LB George Cooper recorded a sack, while CB Garcia Lane picked off a pass.


For Oakland, QB Fred Besana completed 13 of 28 passes for 153 yards and an interception. RB Arthur Whittington was the top runner with 62 yards on 16 carries. WR Gordon Banks was the standout among the receivers with 5 catches for 99 yards.

The Stars had quickly emerged in the USFL’s first season as one of the best-balanced clubs, and after barely losing in the title game to the Michigan Panthers it was anticipated that they would again be strong contenders. They more than fulfilled expectations in 1984, going 16-2 over the course of the season to win the Atlantic Division and cruising through the postseason to win the league championship.

Kelvin Bryant, achieving All-League honors for the second season, ranked second in the USFL with 1406 rushing yards. Chuck Fusina might not have been the most highly regarded quarterback in the league, but he nevertheless led the circuit in passing in ’84 with a 104.7 rating that included a 64.9 completion percentage, 3837 yards, 31 TD passes, and just 9 interceptions. They operated behind a solid offensive line that featured OT Irv Eatman and the Oates brothers – center Bart and tackle Brad. Defensively, they had All-League performers in DT Pete Kugler, LB Sam Mills, safety Mike Lush, and Lane at cornerback.

In a roller coaster ride of a year, Oakland endured nine straight losses to open the season, turned around and won seven consecutive games to pull into playoff contention in the mediocre Pacific Divison, but dropped the final two contests to drop back into last place at 7-11. Fred Besana suffered through an injury-riddled year, and couldn’t duplicate his solid 1983 performance. Gordon Banks was a standout at wide receiver (61 catches, 937 yards), but the offensive line play was inconsistent, allowing the immobile Besana to be sacked too many times, and the defense was especially poor against the run.

1993: Bengals Trade Boomer Esiason to Jets

Boomer Esiason had a distinguished career with the Cincinnati Bengals after being drafted out of Maryland in the second round in 1984. In nine seasons through 1992, he had completed 56.2 % of his 3378 passes for 25,671 yards with 174 touchdowns against 129 interceptions. Esiason was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and in 1988, his most accomplished year, was named NFL MVP by the Associated Press and the Pro Football Writers of America while leading the NFL in passing and directing the Bengals to the AFC Championship.

However, in the last couple of seasons things had not gone quite so well for Esiason and the Bengals. After winning the AFC Central with a 9-7 record in 1990, Cincinnati went a combined 8-24 in finishing last in ’91 and ’92. Esiason’s performance had suffered as well, and questions arose regarding the condition of his arm, although he insisted the problem was more with the team around him. When new Head Coach David Shula started rookie QB David Klingler in four games in 1992 in place of Esiason, it was clear that change was coming.

On March 17, 1993 the Bengals traded Esiason to the New York Jets for a third round pick in the ’93 draft (used to take Steve Tovar from Ohio State, who started at middle linebacker for over three seasons). The deal was part of a housecleaning that included OT Anthony Munoz, WR Tim McGee, and TE Rodney Holman. For the Long Island native it was something of a homecoming and it also reunited Esiason with Bruce Coslet, head coach of the Jets who had been offensive coordinator in Cincinnati during his best seasons.

The Jets had gone 4-12 in 1992 with second-year QB Browning Nagle and Coslet was feeling pressure after a three-year tenure that had produced a combined record of 18-30. While Nagle was considered to be a good prospect, he had experienced difficulty with the offense and Esiason provided a ready solution. General Manager Dick Steinberg had swung several deals in the offseason for proven veterans on both offense and defense that included all-time great safety Ronnie Lott, DE Leonard Marshall, CB Eric Thomas, and RB Johnny Johnson.

The result for the Jets in 1993 was an 8-8 record. Esiason started off well and, after ten games, had completed 193 of 298 passes (64.8 %) for 2446 yards with 14 TDs against 7 interceptions. The team’s record was 6-4. But after suffering a neck injury, his performance dropped off significantly; in the last six games he completed 95 of 175 passes (54.3 %) for 975 yards with just two touchdowns and four interceptions. The offense encountered significant problems scoring points – after never scoring fewer than 10 points in those first ten games, they scored in single digits in five of the last six and were shut out by the Oilers in the season finale.

Esiason was still selected to the Pro Bowl, and overall he achieved career highs in passing attempts (473) and completions (288), and his completion percentage (60.9) was his best to date. But Coach Coslet was fired and replaced by defensive coordinator Pete Carroll.

In his remaining two seasons in New York, Esiason’s numbers deteriorated, but he wasn’t helped by the dropoff in quality around him. The Jets went a combined 9-23 under Pete Carroll and Rich Kotite. After a year in Arizona, Esiason returned to Cincinnati for one last season in 1997.

The Bengals failed to prosper with David Klingler at quarterback. Prone to being sacked and sore-shouldered after an injury in his third season, Klingler was nowhere near the productive passer he had been in college operating in the University of Houston’s pass-oriented offense. Cincinnati’s record with him at quarterback was a dismal 4-20. It marked the continuation of the dry spell that began in 1991 as the club finished as high as .500 only once between 1990 and 2003.

List of the Day: Best Passing Yardage Seasons, AAFC

(1946-49)

Otto Graham

TOP 10
1- Otto Graham, 1949 Cleveland Browns
2785 yards, 161-285, 56.5 %, 19 TD, 10 INT

2- Otto Graham, 1947 Cleveland Browns
2753 yards, 163-269, 60.6 %, 25 TD, 11 INT

3- Otto Graham, 1948 Cleveland Browns
2713 yards, 173-333, 52.0 %, 25 TD, 15 INT

4- George Ratterman, 1948 Buffalo Bills
2577 yards, 168-335, 50.1 %, 16 TD, 22 INT

5- Y.A. Tittle, 1948 Baltimore Colts
2522 yards, 161-289, 55.7 %, 16 TD, 9 INT

6- Glenn Dobbs, 1948 Los Angeles Dons
2403 yards, 185-369, 50.1 %, 21 TD, 20 INT

7- Bud Schwenk, 1947 Baltimore Colts
2236 yards, 168-327, 51.4 %, 13 TD, 20 INT

8- Y.A. Tittle, 1949 Baltimore Colts
2209 yards, 148-289, 51.2 %, 14 TD, 18 INT

9- Frankie Albert, 1948 San Francisco 49ers
1990 yards, 154-264, 58.3 %, 29 TD, 11 INT

10-Glenn Dobbs, 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers
1886 yards, 135-269, 50.2 %, 13 TD, 15 INT


George Ratterman


Y.A. Tittle

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Chicago Rockets/Hornets: Sam Vacanti, 1947
1571 yards, 96-225, 42.7 %, 16 TD, 16 INT

New York Yankees: Spec Sanders, 1947
1442 yards, 93-171, 54.4 %, 14 TD, 17 INT

Miami Seahawks: Marion Pugh, 1946*
608 yards, 55-118, 46.6 %, 5 TD, 12 INT

*Seahawks played in 1946 only


Frankie Albert

1983: Stallions Defeat Invaders in 1st USFL Overtime Game

On March 13, 1983 the Oakland Invaders hosted the Birmingham Stallions at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in the second week of the young USFL’s season. It was the home opener for the Invaders, who had won at Arizona the previous week, while Birmingham lost a close contest at home to the Michigan Panthers.

With a crowd of 47,344 in attendance, the Invaders recorded the only score of the first half on a one-yard run by FB Ted Torosian. However, the Stallions took a 14-7 lead with two third quarter touchdowns, a 46-yard pass play from QB Reggie Collier to WR Ron Frederick and a one-yard run by RB Ken Talton.

Oakland QB Fred Besana (pictured above) threw a 26-yard TD pass to WR Wyatt Henderson to tie the score. Invader PK Kevin Shea missed a field goal that could have won the game in regulation, and for the first time in the USFL’s young history, the game went into overtime.

Birmingham QB Bob Lane, who relieved Collier, led a 48-yard scoring drive in the “sudden death” period, plunging over from a yard out for the winning touchdown and a final score of 20-14. The key play had been a pass from Lane to RB Earl Gant that surprised the Invaders defense on third-and-one at the Oakland 28 yard line and covered 25 yards for a first-and-goal at the three.

The placekicker, Shea, was the goat for Oakland as he missed all four of his field goal attempts, including the one that would have won the game in the fourth quarter plus another in overtime. Wasted was a 19-of-30, 270-yard passing performance by Besana, the surprising star who had played behind Steve Bartkowski in college at California but, after failing to latch on in the NFL, had lately been playing semi-pro football for the Twin Cities Cougars of the California Football League.

Oakland won the statistical battle, with 127 rushing and 222 net passing yards to 92 and 188 yards, respectively, for the Stallions. Torosian was the leading rusher for the Invaders, with 48 yards on 12 carries, with HB Arthur Whittington, an ex-Raider, right behind at 41 yards on 13 attempts. Wyatt Henderson had the most receptions, with 5 (for 73 yards), while 34-year-old TE Raymond Chester, another ex-Raider, accumulated the most receiving yards with 78 on four catches.


Between them, quarterbacks Collier and Lane completed 11 of 24 passes for 197 yards with Collier’s TD pass and two interceptions tossed by Lane. Ken Talton led the Stallions in rushing with 44 yards on 18 carries. Ron Frederick, Earl Gant (pictured at left), and WR Greg Anderson all caught three passes apiece, with Frederick’s 80 yards leading the club.

Both teams went on to compile 9-9 records, which was good enough to win the weak Pacific Division title for the Invaders while the Stallions finished at the bottom of the Central Division.

Fred Besana was one of the league’s top passers, leading the USFL in completions (345), completion percentage (62.7), and yards (3980). Not a mobile quarterback, he was also sacked the most times (71) – in the game against Birmingham, he was hauled down six times, with a resulting loss of 46 yards. He wasn’t helped by the generally poor play by the offensive line.

The two ex-Oakland Raiders, Arthur Whittington and Raymond Chester, had solid years. Whittington led the club with 1043 rushing yards and caught 66 passes. Chester was the top receiver with 68 catches in his final pro season.

Despite the dreadful placekicking performance against the Stallions, Kevin Shea completed the season and put up respectable numbers with 19 field goals out of 32 attempts that included 12 of 17 from inside the 40.

Birmingham’s two rookie quarterbacks went through their share of growing pains. Reggie Collier, the more heralded of the two coming out of Southern Mississippi, suffered through an injury-plagued season. Lane, from Northeast Louisiana, saw the most action. As he did in this game, Ken Talton led the Stallions in rushing with 907 yards; Earl Gant was second with 530.

For the Stallions, the overtime win was the first of two during the ’83 season – they would not play in any more during the remaining two years of the franchise’s existence. Oakland would appear in two more – one of which, in 1985, ended up being the only tie game in USFL history.

1984: Sam Harrell Runs for 200 Yards & Scores 4 TDs as Gamblers Defeat Blitz

The Houston Gamblers, new to the United States Football League in 1984, had established themselves as a potent passing team in the first two weeks of the season. Rookie QB Jim Kelly had thrown for a combined 538 yards and three touchdowns as the club lost a narrow 20-17 verdict at Tampa Bay and handily defeated the San Antonio Gunslingers, 35-7. In their third game, on March 11 at Chicago’s Soldier Field, it was RB Sam Harrell making headlines as he became the league’s first 200-yard rusher and scored four touchdowns in a high-scoring battle won by the Gamblers, 45-36.

There were just 7808 fans in attendance as the two offenses piled up 81 points, the most in any USFL game thus far. Harrell scored on runs of 7, 53, and 2 yards as he amassed an even 200 yards on 20 carries; he also scored on a 13-yard pass from Kelly. The young quarterback hit WR Ricky Sanders for a 61-yard TD that opened the scoring in the first quarter and WR Greg Moser from 33 yards in the third quarter. In the end, Kelly completed 13 of 26 passes for 229 yards with three touchdowns against a lone interception. Sanders was Houston’s top receiver with 4 receptions for 119 yards.

Chicago’s QB Vince Evans, formerly of the NFL’s Bears, had a big statistical day as he completed 22 of 36 passes for 371 yards with a touchdown and an interception; he also ran for two scores. TE Gary Lewis led the Blitz receivers with 7 pass receptions for 105 yards. The running game was not nearly as effective as Houston’s, accumulating 91 yards on 26 attempts – leading ground gainer was Larry Canada with 35 yards on 11 carries.

“This is the greatest game I’ve ever played, that I’ve ever had in my life,” said Harrell afterward. It was certainly the highlight of his season – he gained a total of 697 yards on 120 carries, averaging an impressive 5.8 yards-per-carry and scoring 14 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 25 passes for 304 yards and two more scores in a year in which he missed several games due to a broken leg. He was part of an effective running tandem with Todd Fowler, who was ultimately the club’s leading rusher with 1003 yards.

The 6’2”, 225-pound Harrell had been chosen in the 11th round of the 1980 NFL draft out of East Carolina by the Minnesota Vikings, but he missed all of that season due to a hip injury and saw extremely limited action in ’81 and ’82. Released during preseason in 1983, he signed with the Gamblers and started the first eight games of ’84 until sidelined by the injury.

Head Coach Jack Pardee’s team remained committed to the innovative “run-and-shoot” passing game that allowed Jim Kelly to lead the league in attempts (587), completions (370), yards (5219), yards per attempt (8.9), and touchdown passes (44) – on the downside, he also led in interceptions (26). The Gamblers ended up with two hundred-catch receivers in wide receivers Richard Johnson (115) and Ricky Sanders (101).

Houston ended up with a 13-5 record to win the Central Division, but lost to Arizona in the first round of the playoffs. The Blitz, who were the remnant of 1983’s Arizona Wranglers team (the franchises had switched locations), were the mirror opposite, going 5-13 and ending up at the bottom of the same division.

List of the Day: Best Rushing Seasons, AAFC

(1946-49)

Spec Sanders

TOP 10
1- Spec Sanders, 1947 New York Yankees
1432 yds., 231 att., 6.2 avg., 18 TD

2- Marion Motley, 1948 Cleveland Browns
964 yds., 157 att., 6.1 avg., 5 TD

3- John Strzykalski, 1948 San Francisco 49ers
915 yds., 141 att., 6.5 avg., 4 TD

4- John Strzykalski, 1947 San Francisco 49ers
906 yds., 143 att., 6.3 avg., 5 TD

5- Marion Motley, 1947 Cleveland Browns
889 yds., 146 att., 6.1 avg., 8 TD

6- Chet Mutryn, 1947 Buffalo Bills
868 yds., 140 att., 6.2 avg., 9 TD

7- Chet Mutryn, 1948 Buffalo Bills
823 yds., 147 att., 5.6 avg., 10 TD

8- Joe Perry, 1949 San Francisco 49ers
783 yds., 115 att., 6.8 avg., 8 TD

9- Spec Sanders, 1948 New York Yankees
759 yds., 169 att., 4.5 avg., 9 TD

10-Lou Tomasetti, 1948 Buffalo Bills
716 yds., 134 att., 5.3 avg., 7 TD


Marion Motley


Johnny Strzykalski

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Brooklyn Dodgers: Mickey Colmer, 1948
704 yds., 164 att., 4.3 avg., 6 TD

Baltimore Colts: Bus Mertes, 1948
680 yds., 155 att., 4.4 avg., 4 TD

Los Angeles Dons: John Kimbrough, 1947
562 yds., 131 att., 4.3 avg., 8 TD

Chicago Rockets/Hornets: Bob Hoernschemeyer, 1949
456 yds., 133 att., 3.4 avg., 2 TD

Miami Seahawks: Pres Johnston, 1946*
165 yds., 30 att., 5.5 avg., 2 TD

*Seahawks played in 1946 only


Joe Perry


John Kimbrough