List of the Day: Just for Fun - Favorite Nicknames

Part 1


Ernie "Big Cat" Ladd & Noland "Super Gnat" Smith

Just for something fun and a bit different, here is a list of twenty of my favorite pro football player nicknames – some have been favorites for many years, others I’ve discovered in the course of my researching. These are by-and-large not ranked, and another installment will follow later in the week.

Dick “Night Train” Lane
The Hall of Fame defensive back with the Rams, Cardinals, and Lions from 1952-65 had an all-time great nickname.

Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb
A memorable 6’6”, 284 pound defensive lineman for the Rams, Colts, and Steelers from 1953-62, was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times before coming to an untimely end.

Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds
Spent a decade at LB for the Rams, then helped the 49ers win two championships.

Noland “Super Gnat” Smith
The 5’5”, 154-pound WR/KR once returned a kickoff 106 yards for the Chiefs in his brief career.

“The Catawba Claw”, Bucky Pope
A one-year wonder with the Rams in 1964 with 25 catches for a 31.4-yard average gain and 10 TDs.

“Broadway Joe” Namath
No introduction necessary. The nickname fit the quarterback and the celebrity.

“Super Bill” Bradley
A free-spirited free safety for the Eagles who led the NFL in interceptions in 1971 and ’72 and went to three Pro Bowls.

L.G. “Long Gone” Dupre
HB with the Colts in their 50s championship years and then an original member of the Cowboys.

Ken “The Snake” Stabler
Daring and exciting quarterback for the Raiders, Oilers, and Saints

Ross “Timber Beast” Carter
Lineman for the Cardinals from 1936-39.


"Night Train" Lane



"Broadway Joe"



"The Catawba Claw"

John “Shipwreck” Kelly
All-purpose back who led the NFL in pass receiving with Brooklyn in 1933.

Clyde “Smackover” Scott
HB on both offense and defense, primarily with the Eagles from 1949-52.

Paul “Tank” Younger
A 6’3”, 225-pound FB/LB who played primarily with the Rams from 1949-58.

Jim “Cannonball” Butler
RB/KR, primarily with the Steelers and Falcons from 1965-72.

Danny “Lightning” Buggs
Played with the Giants and Redskins in the NFL, Edmonton in the CFL, but had his best season with Tampa Bay in the USFL.

Joe “Big Bird” Lavender
6’4”, 190-pound CB who started out with the Eagles in 1973 but had his best years in Washington.

Len “Bear Tracks”/“Feets” Barnum
Two great nicknames for the otherwise-forgettable all-purpose back and kicker for the Giants and Eagles from 1938-42.

Ernie “Big Cat” Ladd
6’9” and listed as high as 315 pounds, he was considered the biggest player in pro football with the Chargers, Oilers, and Chiefs from 1961-68.

“The Beast”, E.J. Holub
Played both center and linebacker during his AFL career with the Dallas Texans/KC Chiefs from 1961-70.

Billy “White Shoes” Johnson
Exciting kick returner as well as wide receiver, mostly with the Oilers and Falcons from 1974-87.


"Super Bill" Bradley



"Long Gone" Dupre



"Big Daddy" Lipscomb

1983: Dolphins Defense Shuts Down Jets to Win AFC Title

It was a rainy day at the Orange Bowl in Miami on January 23, 1983 as the Dolphins hosted the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game. Due to the strike-shortened nine-game 1982 regular season, the divisions had been dispensed with and the playoffs restructured into eight-team tournaments in each conference. Miami, with a 7-2 record, was the second-seeded team in the AFC, while the 6-3 Jets were at number six.

Head Coach Don Shula’s Dolphins were a young club with players averaging four years of pro experience. The defense had been the key to Miami’s success, featuring the “Killer Bees” of Pro Bowl NT Bob Baumhower, ends Doug Betters and Kim Bokamper, and LB Bob Brudzinski, along with brothers Glenn and Lyle Blackwood as the safeties. There was also A.J. Duhe, a former defensive end who had moved to linebacker. The conservative offense featured FB Andra Franklin (701 yards) and wide receivers Jimmy Cefalo and Duriel Harris. QB David Woodley was mobile but nothing special and was occasionally spelled by veteran backup Don Strock. The Dolphins beat the Jets in two meetings during the regular season, including a closely-fought game in December, and handily defeated the Patriots and Chargers at home in the playoffs (the latter game a payback for the wild overtime loss of the year before).

New York, coached by Walt Michaels, was coming off of playoff wins at Cincinnati and against the Raiders in Los Angeles that had highlighted their strengths. RB Freeman McNeil led the league with 786 yards rushing and added 303 more in the two postseason contests. Pro Bowl WR Wesley Walker caught 15 passes for 314 yards and two TDs against the Bengals and Raiders. While the defensive line that had earned the nickname “New York Sack Exchange” the year before was not as dominating due to the loss to injury of DE Joe Klecko, the other three members (DE Mark Gastineau and tackles Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam) did well. QB Richard Todd ranked third in the AFC in passing and rallied the Jets from behind in both playoff games.

There were 67,396 fans in attendance at the rain-soaked Orange Bowl, and they sat through a scoreless first half. While NFL rules required that a tarpaulin be placed over the field during inclement weather prior to a game, the field had been left exposed as heavy rain pelted it in the 24-hour period prior to kickoff, leaving a muddy swamp throughout with the deluge continuing during the contest.

The Jets went from their 34 yard line to midfield on their first possession, but Todd threw to a double-covered WR Johnny “Lam” Jones and Glenn Blackwood intercepted the pass. However, Miami turned the ball back over on its first play when Woodley threw a long pass intended for Cefalo that SS Ken Schroy picked off for the Jets.


Early in the second quarter, Woodley (pictured at left) evaded Gastineau’s grasp and ran 17 yards to his own 39 yard line. But RB Tony Nathan fumbled the wet ball on the next play and CB Bobby Jackson recovered at the Miami 41. New York’s offense couldn’t take advantage and had to punt.

Such was the case until near the end of the half, when Miami’s Tom Orosz booted a punt 45 yards from deep in his own territory to give the Jets possession near midfield. Bokamper sacked Todd twice, on second and third downs, and CB Don McNeal blocked Chuck Ramsey’s punt. With the ball at the New York 20, it appeared that the Dolphins might break the impasse before halftime, but Schroy again intercepted Woodley and the Jets ran out the clock.

In the third quarter, a Todd pass intended for Jones was intercepted by Lyle Blackwood, but a defensive holding penalty nullified the play. However, Todd went to the air again to RB Mike Augustyniak, and the ball hit his hands and was picked off by Duhe. On a second-and-two play at the New York 40, Franklin lost the ball and Gastineau leaped on it, but the officials ruled that the running back was already down and Miami maintained possession. Another key play came on a third-and-three situation at the Jets’ 27 as Woodley completed a pass to Harris for 13 yards. FS Derrol Ray’s vehement protest earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that moved the ball to the seven yard line. From there, RB Woody Bennett ran through the middle of the line for a touchdown.

Midway through the period, Duhe intercepted another pass that gave the Dolphins possession at the New York 41, but this time they were unable to capitalize. Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Todd, intending a screen pass for RB Bruce Harper, was picked off for a third time by Duhe, and this time the linebacker returned it 35 yards for a touchdown (pictured at top). The two-touchdown lead proved to be more than enough as the Jets never threatened in the remaining time, and the final score was 14-0.

Neither team accumulated much yardage, with the Dolphins outgaining the Jets by 198 yards to 139 and holding the edge in first downs at 13 to 10. Both teams sacked the other’s quarterback four times apiece, and while the Jets had the most net passing yards (77 to 60) they gained only 62 on the ground, to 138 yards for Miami. There were nine turnovers in all, five suffered by New York (all interceptions) and four by the Dolphins (one fumble and three interceptions).

Freeman McNeil was shut down, gaining just 46 yards on 17 carries. Wesley Walker caught one inconsequential pass, for no gain. Richard Todd completed only 15 of 37 passes for 103 yards and was intercepted five times. Bruce Harper caught four passes out of the backfield for 14 yards, while Johnny “Lam” Jones gained a team-leading 35 yards on three receptions.

In winning, David Woodley was successful on 9 of 21 passes for 87 yards with no TDs and three interceptions, and also led the Dolphins in rushing with 46 yards on 8 carries. Andra Franklin was right behind with 44 yards on his 13 runs before suffering a head injury and Woody Bennett carried 13 times for 24 yards and the only offensive touchdown of the game. RB Tommy Vigorito was the leading receiver with three catches for 29 yards.

“This was the most exciting game of my career,” A.J. Duhe said. “I know I missed a
couple of assignments, and I'll hear about it tomorrow. But I know I made a couple of big plays, too.”


Indeed, Duhe was the player of the game for Miami, with the three interceptions while lining up in six different positions during the course of the contest. Kim Bokamper (pictured at right) recorded three sacks, Glenn Blackwood and Gerald Small each picked off a pass, and Don McNeal had the blocked punt.

Don Shula laid much of the credit on the preparation by defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger and his coaches. “Bill Arnsparger and the rest of the defensive coaching staff did just a tremendous job in getting us ready, not only for this game, but for the playoffs in general,” Shula said. “We gave up 13 points to New England and 13 points to San Diego and we held the Jets to nothing today. That's tremendous defense and Bill Arnsparger is the reason.”

“We were slipping, sliding, twisting and turning out there today and we didn't get the breaks,” said a disappointed Walt Michaels. “I think we were prepared. We just didn't execute…I could make a lot of excuses about the loss, but when it's done it's done. Sometimes you just shouldn't get up in the morning.”

Miami went on to lose the Super Bowl to the Washington Redskins. As for the Jets, Coach Michaels quit the team in the offseason and was replaced by assistant coach Joe Walton, and the team suffered through two losing years before returning to the playoffs following the 1985 season; they would not advance as far as the AFC Championship game again until 1998.

2006: Steelers Beat Broncos for AFC Title with Third Straight Road Win

The AFC Championship game on January 22, 2006 at INVESCO Field at Mile High featured the host Denver Broncos, champions of the AFC West with a 13-3 record, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an 11-5 wild card team that had finished second to the Bengals in the AFC North.

The Broncos, under Head Coach Mike Shanahan, did well in 2005 with veteran Jake Plummer at quarterback, who in his third year with the club had thrown for 3366 yards and 18 touchdowns and, most notably for the often-erratic passer, tied his career low with just seven interceptions (he had led the NFL with 20 in ’04). Denver had become best known for its ground game during the Shanahan era, and running backs Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell combined for a total of 1935 yards and 20 touchdowns. 35-year-old Pro Bowl WR Rod Smith caught 85 passes for 1105 yards. MLB Al Wilson, CB Champ Bailey, and FS John Lynch were among the best in the league at their positions.

Pittsburgh, led by Head Coach Bill Cowher for the 14th year, had dropped from 15-1 in 2004, suffering during the ’05 season when second-year QB Ben Roethlisberger (pictured above) missed time due to injury. But they won their last four games to close out the regular season and then went on the road to beat division-rival Cincinnati in the Wild Card round and the Colts at the Divisional level, thus eliminating the third and first seeds, respectively, in the AFC postseason. While 33-year-old RB Jerome Bettis was fading in his last year, RB Willie Parker ran for 1202 yards. Reliable WR Hines Ward caught 69 passes for 975 yards and 11 TDs. C Jeff Hartings and G Alan Faneca were Pro Bowlers on the offensive line, and NT Casey Hampton, LB Joey Porter, and SS Troy Polamalu were feature players on the tough defense.

The Broncos had the game’s first possession and punted. Pittsburgh put together a long, 12-play drive that included a Roethlisberger pass to WR Antwaan Randle-El for 20 yards, a pass to Ward on a third-and-three play that was nearly intercepted by Bailey but picked up seven yards instead, and a successful challenge of what was initially ruled a fumble by Parker to keep the drive going. After all that, Jeff Reed kicked a 47-yard field goal to give the Steelers the early 3-0 lead.

On the third play of Denver’s next possession, Plummer fumbled when sacked by Porter and Hampton recovered for Pittsburgh at the Broncos’ 39 yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Roethlisberger threw to WR Cedrick Wilson in the back of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown.

Reed kicked out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff to give the Broncos the ball on their own 40 and they moved 55 yards in 12 plays that resulted in a 23-yard field goal by Jason Elam to cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 10-3.

However, the Steelers again put together a long drive of 80 yards in 14 plays, converting three third downs along the way. Bettis finished it with a three-yard touchdown run with two minutes remaining in the half. Plummer was immediately intercepted on their next play from scrimmage by CB Ike Taylor to give Pittsburgh another possession at the Denver 38. The Steelers made the most of it with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Ward and had a formidable 24-3 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, the Broncos put together a scoring drive of 80 yards in five plays, featuring a Plummer pass to Smith for 32 yards. Plummer completed a 30-yard touchdown throw to WR Ashley Lelie and the Pittsburgh lead was cut to 24-10.

The Steelers drove to a 42-yard Reed field goal early in the fourth quarter, and once again Plummer was intercepted on Denver’s next play following a 47-yard kickoff return by WR Charlie Adams. Pittsburgh went three-and-out and this time the Broncos drove 80 yards, with Plummer completing a pass to Lelie for 38 of that total, and RB Mike Anderson ran for a three-yard touchdown. Denver was down by ten at 27-17 with under eight minutes to play.

Pittsburgh again went three-and-out, but the Broncos couldn’t move when they got the ball back and on a fourth-and-ten play, Plummer fumbled when sacked and DE Travis Kirschke recovered for the Steelers at the Denver 17. Five plays later, Roethlisberger ran the ball in himself for a four yard touchdown that provided the final score of 34-17.

The statistics seemed closer than the score as the Steelers led in total yardage (358 yards to 308) and first downs (20 to 16). However, while Pittsburgh didn’t turn the ball over, the Broncos did four times, and all directly attributable to Plummer, who fumbled twice and was intercepted twice - three of those turnovers directly led to scores by the Steelers.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and of course wasn’t intercepted. Cedrick Wilson caught 5 passes for 92 yards and a TD and Hines Ward also had 5 receptions, for 59 yards and a score. Jerome Bettis gained 39 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown and Willie Parker contributed 35 yards on 14 attempts.


For Denver, Jake Plummer (pictured at left), beyond the turnovers, was successful on 18 of 30 passes for 223 yards and a TD against the two interceptions; he also ran for 30 yards on 7 attempts. Rod Smith and TE Jeb Putzier caught 4 passes apiece, for 61 and 55 yards respectively, while Ashley Lelie gained 68 yards on his two receptions. Mike Anderson was the team’s leading rusher, gaining 36 yards on 9 carries that included a TD, and Tatum Bell added 31 yards on five attempts.

“We did not complete the mission and it's frustrating,” said Denver LB Ian Gold. “But anytime you make it to the AFC championship game and you lose, you hope to lose to a team like that.”

In beating the Broncos in Denver, the Steelers became the first team to win three playoff games on the road since the New England Patriots in 1985, and defeated each of the top three seeded clubs in the conference in doing so.

“If you look at our ownership, Mr. (Dan) Rooney is a football guy and he understands how hard it is to do this,” Bill Cowher said. “Nothing would be more satisfying to me than to hand him the Vince Lombardi trophy in two weeks.”

Coach Cowher got his wish as the Steelers went on to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl, which also gave them a fifth Super Bowl victory (still well short of Green Bay’s record of 12 NFL championships, going back to 1920).

For Jake Plummer, the turnover-filled loss in the AFC title game was the beginning of the end for both his tenure in Denver and career. He was benched in favor of rookie Jay Cutler during the 2006 season and was dealt to Tampa Bay, choosing to retire instead. While he could be an exciting performer, his erratic tendencies ultimately curtailed his effectiveness.

2007: Colts Come from Behind to Defeat Patriots for AFC Championship

In the first four seasons under Head Coach Tony Dungy, the Indianapolis Colts had reached the postseason. However, they had yet to advance to the Super Bowl, and in two of those years it had been losses to the New England Patriots that had brought them up short. The Patriots, led by Head Coach Bill Belichick, had proceeded to win championships in both of those postseasons. On January 21, 2007 the two teams met in the AFC Championship game at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, with New England looking to advance to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in six years, and the Colts seeking to finally get past them.

The key to the Colts offense was QB Peyton Manning (pictured above), as had been the case since his rookie season in 1998. He led the NFL in passing (101.0 rating) and touchdown passes (31) in 2006, and was second in passing yards (4397) and third in completion percentage (65.0). With the departure of RB Edgerrin James to the Cardinals, Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes combined for 1722 yards on the ground and 76 pass receptions. Pro Bowl wide receivers Marvin Harrison (95 catches, 1366 yards) and Reggie Wayne (86 receptions for 1310 yards) were outstanding, as usual. However, the defense had great difficulty against the run and the team slumped during the second half of the season as a result, losing four of the last seven games. Still, they won the AFC South for the fourth straight year with a 12-4 record and defeated the Chiefs and Ravens to get to the conference title game.

New England had a star quarterback as well, Tom Brady, who had taken over for the injured Drew Bledsoe during the 2001 season and had proceeded to lead the Patriots to ten straight postseason victories (including three Super Bowls) before finally suffering a loss in the Divisional round following the ’05 season. Despite a lack of quality receivers, Brady still threw for 3529 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2006. Veteran RB Corey Dillon and rookie Lawrence Maroney ran for a total of 1557 yards. The defense featured the outstanding line of ends Richard Seymour and Ty Warren and NT Vince Wilfork, a capable linebacking corps, and CB Asante Samuel, with his 10 interceptions.

There were 57,433 fans in attendance under the dome, and the home crowd made plenty of noise during key points in the contest. Things began quietly on the field, however, as the teams traded punts to start the game. On their second possession, the Patriots opened with Brady completing an 18-yard pass to WR Reche Caldwell and, on fourth-and-one at the Indianapolis 48, Dillon took off on a 35-yard run to the 13 yard line. Three plays later, Maroney fumbled, the ball rolled into the end zone, and G Logan Mankins fell on it for a touchdown.

The Colts responded with a long, 14-play drive in which Manning completed six passes. Ex-Patriot Adam Vinatieri kicked a 42-yard field goal to narrow New England’s lead to 7-3.


The Patriots started off the second quarter by finishing a 72-yard possession with a seven-yard run by Dillon. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Manning was intercepted by Samuel (pictured at left), who returned it 39 yards for a TD. The Patriots were ahead by 21-3 and it seemed as though they would once again prevail over the Colts. Indianapolis scored once again before the half, on a 26-yard Vinatieri field goal, and the tally was 21-6 at the intermission.

The Colts received the second half kickoff and proceeded to drive 76 yards in 14 plays that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by Manning. Following a three-and-out possession by the Patriots, the Colts drove to another score as Manning completed a 25-yard pass to TE Dallas Clark and Rhodes had a 19-yard run. A pass interference call on New England CB Ellis Hobbs moved the ball to the one, and from there Manning tossed a TD pass to OT Dan Klecko on a tackle-eligible play. The Colts went for a two-point conversion and succeeded on a Manning pass to Harrison, tying the score at 21-21.

The Patriots came right back as Hobbs, making up for the big penalty, returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the Indianapolis 21 yard line. Following a one-yard loss on a run by Maroney, Brady completed a 17-yard pass to WR Jabar Gaffney and three plays later threw to Gaffney again for a six-yard touchdown to put New England back in front at 28-21.

In a drive that extended into the fourth quarter, the Colts went 67 yards in seven plays, featuring a Manning-to-Clark pass play that covered 23 yards down to the New England nine. On second-and-goal from the one, Rhodes got the ball but fumbled and C Jeff Saturday recovered in the end zone for a Colts touchdown – the third lineman to score a TD in the game, with Mankins having scored in the same manner in the first quarter for the Patriots and Klecko catching the scoring pass for Indianapolis. In any event, following the successful extra point, the back-and-forth game was again tied at 28-28.

Both teams went three-and-out on their next possessions. With just over ten minutes remaining in regulation, Brady fired completions of 16 yards to Caldwell, 14 yards to Gaffney, and seven to WR Troy Brown as the Patriots reached the Indianapolis 13 yard line. The drive sputtered at the 10 and Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 28-yard field goal to give New England the lead at 31-28.

Once again the Colts responded in kind, as on the first play of their next possession Manning completed a pass to Clark that covered 52 yards to the Patriots’ 25. Four plays later, Vinatieri connected on a 36-yard field goal to once more knot the score at 31-31.

Hobbs returned the kickoff 41 yards and Brady threw to TE Daniel Graham for a 25-yard gain down to the Indianapolis 25. Gostkowski booted a 43-yard field goal, and with the clock now down to 3:49, the Patriots were back in front at 34-31.

Manning threw three incomplete passes on the next possession and the Colts punted. The Patriots reached nearly to midfield and had to punt it back. Taking over at the 20 yard line with 2:17 to play, Manning threw to Wayne for 11 yards and then, after an incomplete pass, connected with TE Bryan Fletcher for 32 yards to the New England 37. A 14-yard completion to Wayne received additional yardage due to a roughing-the-passer penalty, and following the two-minute warning, Addai ran the ball three straight times, the last for a three-yard touchdown (pictured below).


With the successful PAT, the Colts were up by four points, but the Patriots got the ball back with 54 seconds on the clock and two timeouts left. Following an incompletion, Brady was successful on passes of 19 yards to TE Ben Watson and 15 to RB Heath Evans to get the ball into Colts territory. But DB Marlin Jackson intercepted a pass intended for Brown to snuff out the threat and preserve the 38-34 win for Indianapolis.

The Colts outgained New England (455 yards to 319) and had more first downs (32 to 17). Both teams suffered just one turnover apiece. The Patriots sacked Manning three times, while Brady was dumped just once, but were penalized eight times, to four flags thrown on the Colts.

Peyton Manning completed 27 of 47 passes for 349 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Dallas Clark (pictured below) caught 6 passes for 137 yards while Reggie Wayne grabbed 5 for 68 and Marvin Harrison had a relatively quiet day at 4 receptions for 41 yards. Dominic Rhodes led the Indianapolis runners with 69 yards on 14 carries and Joseph Addai contributed 56 yards and the winning TD on his 14 attempts.


For the Patriots, Tom Brady (pictured below left) was successful on 21 of 34 passes for 232 yards, also with a TD and an interception. Ben Watson caught 5 passes for 48 yards to lead the receivers, while Reche Caldwell had 46 yards on his 4 receptions. Corey Dillon was the leading rusher with 48 yards on seven carries.


“I'm so proud of the way our guys fought,” said Tony Dungy afterward. “I'm very happy for Peyton. He was very, very calm. He had to bring us from behind three or four times. It's just fitting. Our team went the hard way the whole year.”

The Colts went on to defeat the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl, finally reaching the NFL summit. New England would retool in the offseason and come back stronger.

1985: Montana & 49ers Beat Marino & Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX

The playoffs have often yielded surprises when it comes to Super Bowl participants, but such was not the case in Super Bowl XIX on January 20, 1985. Both the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins were widely perceived to be the best that their respective conferences had to offer.

The 49ers had roared to the top of the NFC West with a 15-1 record in 1984 and easily dispatched the Giants and Bears in the postseason. Under the innovative guidance of Head Coach Bill Walsh, the club was best known for its offense but was solid on defense as well. QB Joe Montana (pictured above) skillfully directed the attack, RB Wendell Tyler ran for 1262 yards, and there were three Pro Bowlers on the offensive line in C Fred Quillan, G Randy Cross, and OT Keith Fahnhorst. The defense had to make due without star pass rushing DE Fred Dean for much of the season due to a contract dispute, but still had solid performers in DE Dwaine Board and OLB Keena Turner. All four members of the backfield were selected for the Pro Bowl (cornerbacks Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright, FS Dwight Hicks, and SS Carlton Williamson).

Miami, under Head Coach Don Shula, went 14-2 in winning the AFC East and defeated the Seahawks and Steelers in the playoffs on the way to the Super Bowl. The passing game was nothing short of spectacular as second-year QB Dan Marino re-wrote the record book in setting new season records for passing yards (5084) and touchdown passes (48, exceeding the previous mark by 12). WR Mark Clayton set a new standard for TD catches in a season (18) and he and WR Mark Duper each caught over 70 passes and exceeded 1300 yards. The defense included the “Killer Bees”, ends Doug Betters and Kim Bokamper, NT Bob Baumhower, and LB Bob Brudzinski, plus Pro Bowl ILB A.J. Duhe.

There were 84,059 fans in attendance at Stanford Stadium along with the usual mammoth television audience. Following a punt by the 49ers, the Dolphins drove 45 yards on six plays, featuring a 25-yard pass from Marino to RB Tony Nathan, and scored the first points of the game on a 37-yard field goal by Uwe van Schamann. San Francisco wasted no time in responding, however, as short passes by Montana and runs by Tyler got the Niners to the Miami 48 yard line. Facing a third-and-seven situation, Montana took off on a 15-yard run for a first down, and on the next play he threw to RB Carl Monroe for a 33-yard touchdown.

Miami went into a no-huddle offense the next time it had the ball and Marino completed five straight passes, including the last for a two-yard TD to TE Dan Johnson (pictured below). The Dolphins held a 10-7 lead after one quarter.


The 49ers punted following their next possession, but a defensive adjustment caused Miami to go three-and-out the next three times it was on offense. Coach Walsh had gone to an “elephant” defense, a 4-2-5 alignment with safety Tom Holmoe as a nickel back and another safety, Jeff Fuller, lined up at linebacker along with Turner, and it proved to be effective. Marino, who had completed nine of his first ten passes, didn’t complete another until near the end of the half.

Meanwhile, San Francisco took control of the game. Following a poor 37-yard punt by Reggie Roby from his own end zone, the 49ers had good field position at the Miami 47. Montana again showed off his mobility by running for a 19-yard gain on the first play, and then passed to WR Dwight Clark for another 16 yards. Two plays later, he tossed an eight-yard scoring pass to RB Roger Craig and the 49ers retook the lead at 14-10.

With the 49ers getting the ball in good field position at their own 45 to start their next possession, Tyler and Craig ran the ball for a total of 15 yards and then Montana threw back-to-back completions to TE Russ Francis for another 29. Following a five-yard carry by Craig, Montana ran six yards for a touchdown on a quarterback keeper and the lead was strechted to 21-10.

San Francisco scored once more in the second quarter, on a nine-yard drive that covered 52 yards and culminated in a two-yard run by Craig for a touchdown. Coming down to the last two minutes of the half, Marino began completing passes again, going 7 for 11 as the Dolphins drove to the 49ers’ 13 yard line and van Schamann kicked a 31-yard field goal with 12 seconds remaining.

It wasn’t over, however, as G Guy McIntyre fumbled the squibbed Miami kickoff and WR Jim Jensen recovered for the Dolphins at the San Francisco 12. Another van Schamann field goal, this time from 30 yards, made the score 28-16 at halftime.

Miami received the second half kickoff but wasn’t able to maintain the momentum generated at the end of the second quarter. Nathan was thrown for a one-yard loss, Marino threw an incompletion, and then the quarterback was sacked for a nine-yard loss by Board. Following Roby’s punt, the 49ers took nine plays to drive 43 yards and Ray Wersching kicked a 27-yard field goal.


Once again the Dolphins had difficulty moving the ball as Marino (pictured at left) faced tremendous pressure from the San Francisco defense. The Niners’ offense continued to move effectively – on their next possession following the field goal, Montana hit on five passes, including 40 yards to Tyler and 14 to Francis, and completed a 16-yard TD pass to Craig for the second-year running back’s third score of the day.

Miami, desperate to get back in the game, moved to the San Francisco 27 on its next possession, but Marino threw a long pass intended for Clayton that Wright intercepted at the one yard line. The third quarter ended with the 49ers ahead by 22 points.

The Dolphins had to punt at the end of their next possession but got a break when CB Dana McLemore fumbled the kick and WR Vince Heflin recovered for Miami at the San Francisco 21. But on the first play, Marino threw into the end zone and was intercepted by Carlton Williamson. For all intents and purposes, the game was over.

Each team got the ball once more, but there was no more scoring and the 49ers came away the winner, 38-16.

San Francisco ran up 537 yards to Miami’s 314 and also had a significant edge in first downs (31 to 19). The 49ers ran a well-balanced attack, gaining 211 yards on the ground and 331 through the air. Meanwhile, the Dolphins, with a suspect running game to begin with, were held to just 25 yards rushing. Marino was sacked four times, especially notable since the quarterback had suffered only 13 sacks during the entire regular season.


Joe Montana, the game’s MVP, completed 24 of 35 passes for 331 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and also ran five times for 59 yards and a TD. Wendell Tyler led the rushers with 65 yards on 13 carries, catching four passes for 70 yards as well, while Roger Craig (pictured at right) gained 58 yards on 15 attempts and in addition had 7 pass receptions for another 77 yards, both team-leading figures to go with his three TDs. Dwight Clark also gained 77 yards on his 6 catches.

For Miami, Dan Marino threw 50 passes and completed 29 of them for 318 yards with a TD and two interceptions. Tony Nathan caught 10 passes, for 83 yards, to lead the club both in receptions and rushing - albeit with just 18 yards on five attempts. Mark Clayton gained 92 yards on 6 catches, and TE Joe Rose contributed 6 receptions for 73 yards. Mark Duper was held to just one catch for 11 yards.

“Montana is the guy who made it go for them,” said Don Shula afterward. “He beat everything we put against him. Whenever they needed him to, he wiggled loose and kept them going.”

Montana spoke in terms of the whole team’s effort. “All week, all we heard was ‘Miami, Miami, Miami’,” he said. “That motivated us. We felt we had more tools than Miami – passing, running, a great defense – and we wanted to prove it.”

Bill Walsh summed up by saying, “This is the best game we have played since I joined the 49ers. It was a great performance by a truly great team. This is one of the best teams of all time.”

For Walsh, Montana, and the 49ers, it was the second championship in four years, and they would win twice more before the conclusion of the decade (although Walsh had stepped aside as coach by the last one).

Dan Marino went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL, all with the Dolphins. Altogether, he passed for 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns over the course of his Hall of Fame career. But he never again played in the Super Bowl.

List of the Day: Progression of Individual Season Interception Record

Dick "Night Train" Lane

NOTE: The NFL first began tracking individual interceptions in 1940. Information not available for the first three AFLs (1926, 1936-37, 1940-41)

NFL
6- Ace Parker, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1940
6- Kent Ryan, Detroit Lions, 1940
6- Don Hutson, Green Bay Packers, 1940

7- Marshall Goldberg, Chicago Cardinals, 1941
7- Art Jones, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1941

8- Bulldog Turner, Chicago Bears, 1942

11- Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins, 1943

13- Dan Sandifer, Washington Redskins, 1948
13- Spec Sanders, New York Yanks, 1950

14- Dick “Night Train” Lane, Los Angeles Rams, 1952


Sammy Baugh



Dan Sandifer

AAFC (1946-49)
10- Tom Colella, Cleveland Browns, 1946

11- Otto Schnellbacher, New York Yankees, 1948


AFL (1960-69)
11- Goose Gonsoulin, Denver Broncos, 1960
11- Lee Riley, New York Titans, 1962

12- Fred Glick, Houston Oilers, 1963
12- Dainard Paulson, New York Jets, 1964





WFL (1974-75)
10- David Thomas, Memphis Southmen, 1974


USFL (1983-85)
12- Luther Bradley, Chicago Blitz, 1983
12- Marcus Quinn, Oakland Invaders, 1984

16- Chuck Clanton, Birmingham Stallions, 1985


XFL (2001)
5- Corey Ivy, Chicago Enforcers


Luther Bradley

1962: Bills Hire Lou Saban as Head Coach

On January 18, 1962 the Buffalo Bills of the AFL hired Lou Saban to be the team’s second head coach. The Bills had gone a combined 11-16-1 in their first two seasons under Buster Ramsey, and owner Ralph Wilson decided that a change was in order.

The 40-year-old Saban had been the original head coach of the Boston Patriots and was dismissed in favor of assistant coach Mike Holovak during the ’61 season. Immediately hired by the Bills as director of player personnel, he was Wilson’s choice to replace Ramsey. General Manager Dick Gallagher, who had been an assistant coach with Cleveland under Paul Brown when Saban was a player, also strongly supported the decision. Harvey Johnson took over Saban’s player personnel position.

Saban had played professionally with the Browns in the AAFC for four seasons until a shoulder injury forced his retirement in 1949. Prior to entering the pro coaching ranks, he was head football coach at Case Institute, Northwestern, and Western Illinois.

“I don't feel I have to prove myself as a coach,” Saban said upon being introduced. “What happened in Boston is behind. It was the best I could do under the circumstances and I make no apology for our record (7-12) or anything else.”

“There are no big mysteries to coaching pro football,” he added. “It's basically a game of blocking and tackling and working towards the goal of securing the best available talent together to get the job done.”

With regard to securing the best available talent, the Bills had a major void at quarterback. Veteran Al Dorow was obtained from the New York Titans and started the first four games of the season before yielding to young holdover Warren Rabb. The issue was decisively resolved during the 1962 season when Jack Kemp, who had twice led the Chargers to the AFL title game, was put on waivers due to an injured hand in order to make room on the roster (injured players had to be carried on the active roster in the AFL at that time). While it was reported that there was a so-called gentlemen’s agreement in place with regard to injury-waiver situations, several teams claimed Kemp, including the Bills. Commissioner Joe Foss awarded the quarterback to Buffalo for the $100 waiver price, and once the injury healed late in the season, Kemp became the starting quarterback.

Another key pickup on offense was FB Cookie Gilchrist, an eight-year veteran of Canadian pro football. The 250-pound power runner had a reputation for wearing out his welcome with several Canadian clubs (something that Saban would find to be true in Buffalo as well), but in ’62 he led the AFL in rushing with 1096 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. He also handled the team’s placekicking.

Beyond adding Kemp and Gilchrist, Saban revamped much of the lineup. Stew Barber was moved from linebacker to offensive tackle and Tom Day from defensive end to guard to supplement the group of young starters that featured G Billy Shaw, C Al Bemiller, OT Harold Olson, flanker Elbert “Golden Wheels” Dubenion, and split end Glenn Bass. Ernie Warlick became the tight end and led the club in receptions.

On defense, which was already a decent unit, several rookies immediately moved into the starting lineup with good results, including DT Tom Sestak, LB Mike Stratton, CB Booker Edgerson, and safety Carl Charon.

The Bills got off to a sluggish start in ’62, losing their first five games, but went 7-1-1 the rest of the way to finish with the first winning record in franchise history (7-6-1). It set the stage for high expectations in 1963, but instead came another 7-6-1 season, although that was enough for the Bills to tie for first in the mediocre Eastern Division - they lost the resulting playoff to the Patriots. However, in 1964 and ’65 it came together when Buffalo won consecutive AFL Championships.

Saban displayed coaching acumen in building the club into a contender. He went from inheriting a weak situation at quarterback to having impressive depth when Daryle Lamonica joined the team in ’63 as a rookie out of Notre Dame – in backing up the capable Kemp, Saban frequently used him in relief with good results. The defense was superb, perhaps most significantly evidenced by the two title game wins over the quick-striking Chargers, and in particular the second, a shutout in San Diego. There was also the added innovation of Pete Gogolak, the first soccer style placekicker who joined the team in 1964 and became a reliable producer of points. Even when the running game sagged in ’65 following the trade of Gilchrist to Denver, the Bills had enough to keep winning.

Saban’s coaching career was marked by frequent departures, and after four years in Buffalo and having twice reached the pinnacle in the American Football League, he quit to become head coach at the University of Maryland. He didn’t stay away from pro coaching for long, however, as he returned to the AFL in 1967 amid much fanfare to run the Denver Broncos. Saban failed to lift the Broncos out of the doldrums, however, and he resigned in 1971, barely half way through his ten-year contract as head coach/general manager.

The veteran coach returned to Buffalo in 1972. The Bills had fallen on hard times, and under Saban’s guidance put together three straight winning seasons, albeit with just one playoff appearance. He departed in ’76, ending his last stint as an AFL/NFL head coach.

Saban’s career took off on an eclectic course thereafter. He was at the University of Miami for two years and moved on to West Point to coach Army for a season, and then switched gears and became a major league baseball executive. Years before, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner had been an assistant coach under Saban at Northwestern, and he returned the favor by making Saban the president of the Yankees, a post he held in 1981 and ’82.

After that, it was a whirlwind of short football coaching stints at various levels, from college (University of Central Florida, Peru State in Nebraska, SUNY Canton), to high school (Georgetown High in South Carolina), semi-pro (the Middle Georgia Heat Wave), and arena football (Milwaukee Mustangs). His last stop was Chowan University, where he coached in 2001 and ’02 in his early eighties.

Being that he typically took on either rebuilding projects or new programs, his overall record was not impressive. Saban was 41-52-3 as a college coach and 94-99-7 in the AFL and NFL combined. By far his most successful stop was Buffalo, especially the first stint from 1962 to ’65 where he compiled a 36-17-3 tally, won two of three postseason games and two league championships.