Rookie of the Year: Erik McMillan, 1988

Safety, New York Jets

Age: 23

College: Missouri

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 200

Prelude:

Son of Ernie McMillan, a former NFL offensive tackle, McMillan was an All-Big 8 selection in his last collegiate season and was taken by the Jets in the third round of the 1988 NFL draft. In an effort to bring greater speed to the defensive backfield, the club used three of its first four picks on defensive backs (the other two were Terry Williams and James Hasty). He became the starting free safety and proved to be one of the fastest in the league at that position.

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 13 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 0

Interceptions – 8 [2, tied with Terry Hoage, Vestee Jackson & Carl Lee, 1st in AFC]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at Miami 10/23

Int. return yards – 168 [2]

Most int. return yards, game – 57 (on 3 int.) at Miami 10/23

Int. TDs – 2 [1, tied with Carl Lee]

Fumble recoveries – 0

Tackles – 80

Scoring

TDs – 2

Points – 12

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

2^nd team All-AFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Jets went 8-7-1 to finish fourth in the AFC East while leading the conference in interceptions (24).  

Aftermath:

Daring and aggressive, McMillan was again selected to the Pro Bowl in 1989 after intercepting six passes, one of which he returned 92 yards. However, a change in defensive schemes affected his performance adversely in 1990. His play became marked by inconsistency and, following the ’92 season, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent. McMillan failed to last the year with the Eagles and made appearances with the Chiefs and Browns in what was his final season. Overall, over the course of six years he intercepted 22 passes, five of which he returned for touchdowns, but he failed to live up to the promise of his first two seasons in the NFL.

[Updated 8/4/13]
[Updated 11/29/14]

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

MVP Profile: Dana Stubblefield, 1997

Defensive Tackle, San Francisco 49ers

Age:  27 (Nov. 14)

5^th season in pro football & with 49ers

College: Kansas

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 290

Prelude:

Having lost their two best pass rushers (DE Pierce Holt and DE Tim Harris) to free agency, the 49ers chose Stubblefield in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft (26^th overall). With his speed, he proved to be a good fit in the interior of the line and received NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Stubblefield followed up his outstanding first year with Pro Bowl seasons in 1994 and ’95, seasons in which he recorded 8.5 and 4.5 sacks, respectively, but was coming off a subpar year in 1996.

1997 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 15 [2]

Most sacks, game – 4 at Philadelphia 11/10

Multi-sack games (2 or more) – 4

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Forced fumbles – 3

Tackles – 48

Assists – 13

Postseason: 2 G

Sacks – 0

Interceptions – 0

TD – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

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

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

49ers went 13-3 to finish first in the NFC West with the best record in the conference while leading the NFC in rushing defense (1366 yards). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Minnesota Vikings (38-22). Lost NFC Championship to Green Bay Packers (23-10).

Aftermath:

Stubblefield moved to the Washington Redskins as a free agent in 1998 and was a disappointment in his three years with the club (7 total sacks) before returning to the 49ers in 2001. In two years back in San Francisco, he revived his career, although Stubblefield was now better against the run than as a pass rusher between the gaps. He finished up with the Oakland Raiders in 2003. In eleven years, Stubblefield recorded 53.5 sacks and was named to the Pro Bowl a total of three times.

[Updated 8/4/13]

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

Rookie of the Year: Chester Marcol, 1972

Placekicker, Green Bay Packers

Age:  23 (Oct. 24)

College: Hillsdale

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

Having suffered through several years of mediocre placekicking, the Packers used a second round draft pick to take the Polish-born Marcol. While he had been a NAIA All-American, there was some concern with his coming from a small-college program. Nevertheless, he became Green Bay’s first soccer-style placekicker.

1972 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 33 [1]

Most field goals, game - 4 at Cleveland 9/17, vs. Detroit 12/3

Field goal attempts – 48 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 6 at Cleveland 9/17, vs. Dallas 10/1, vs. Detroit 12/3

Field goal percentage – 68.8 [5]

PATs – 29 [16, tied with John Leypoldt]

PAT attempts – 29 [17, tied with Don Cockroft]

Longest field goal – 51 yards at Chicago 11/12, at Washington 11/26

Scoring

Field Goals – 33

PATs – 29

Points – 128 [1]

Postseason: 1 G (at Washington, NFC Divisional playoff)

Field goals – 1

Field goal attempts – 2

PATs – 0

PAT attempts – 0

Longest field goal – 17 yards

Awards & Honors:

NFC Rookie of the Year: UPI, Sporting News

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

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

Pro Bowl

Packers went 10-4 to finish first in the NFC Central while leading the league in field goals (33). Lost NFC Divisional playoff to Washington Redskins (16-3).

Aftermath:

Marcol booted 21 field goals in 1973 and was again a consensus All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection in ’74 as he led the league in field goals (25), field goal attempts (39), and scoring (94 points). However, an injury in the opening game of the 1975 season cost him the rest of the year. He came back and lasted another four full seasons for the Packers, although with lesser numbers, until he was let go during the 1980 season. Marcol had a brief stint with the Oilers in what was his final year. Overall, he kicked 121 field goals in 196 attempts (61.7 %) as well as 156 extra points. Combined with a touchdown scored in 1980 when he recovered a blocked field goal attempt, Marcol scored a total of 525 points.

[Updated 8/4/13]

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

MVP Profile: Rich Gannon, 2002

Quarterback, Oakland Raiders

Age: 37 (Dec. 20)

15^th season in pro football, 4^th with Raiders

College: Delaware

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 210

Prelude:

It was a long road to stardom for Gannon. Quarterback in a wing-T offense in college, Gannon was taken in the 4th round of the 1987 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, who wanted to convert him into a running back. Unwilling to make the change, he was traded to Minnesota and sat on the bench for three years, throwing a total of 21 passes. Finally getting an opportunity to start in 1990, Gannon had limited success and was allowed to depart as a free agent following the ’92 season. He was a backup with the Redskins in 1993, missed all of ’94 due to a rotator cuff injury, and moved on to Kansas City, where he was a backup for four years and saw his most significant action in his last year with the club in 1998. Signed as a free agent by Oakland in ’99, Gannon finally blossomed as he ran Head Coach Jon Gruden’s version of the West Coast offense, passing for 3840 yards and 24 TDs and gaining selection to the Pro Bowl. He had an even better year in 2000, gaining consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Pro Bowl recognition and winning the Bert Bell Award as NFL Player of the Year. Gannon had a third straight Pro Bowl season in 2001, throwing for 3828 yards and 27 TDs against just 9 interceptions, and thus leading the NFL with a 1.6 INT percentage.

2002 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 618 [1]

Most attempts, game – 64 at Pittsburgh 9/15

Completions – 418 [1]

Most completions, game – 43 at Pittsburgh 9/15

Yards – 4689 [1]

Most yards, game – 403 at Pittsburgh 9/15

Completion percentage – 67.6 [2]

Yards per attempt – 7.6 [3]

TD passes – 26 [5, tied with Trent Green]

Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Tennessee 9/29

Interceptions – 10

Most interceptions, game – 2 at Pittsburgh 9/15, at St. Louis 10/13

Passer rating – 97.3 [2]

400-yard passing games – 1

300-yard passing games – 10

200-yard passing games – 14

Rushing

Attempts – 50

Most attempts, game - 11 (for 29 yds.) at Buffalo 10/6

Yards – 156

Most yards, game – 29 yards (on 11 carries) at Buffalo 10/6

Yards per attempt – 3.1

TDs – 3

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points - 18

Postseason: 3 G

Pass attempts – 115

Most attempts, game - 44 vs. Tampa Bay, Super Bowl

Pass completions – 73

Most completions, game - 29 vs. Tennessee, AFC Championship

Passing yardage – 841

Most yards, game - 286 vs. Tennessee, AFC Championship

TD passes – 7

Most TD passes, game - 3 vs. Tennessee, AFC Championship

Interceptions – 6

Most interceptions, game - 5 vs. Tampa Bay, Super Bowl

Rushing attempts – 13

Most rushing attempts, game - 8 vs. Tennessee, AFC Championship

Rushing yards – 41

Most rushing yards, game - 41 vs. Tennessee, AFC Championship

Average gain rushing – 3.2

Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, NEA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News

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

1^st team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Raiders went 11-5 to finish first in the AFC West and gain the top playoff seed in the conference while leading the NFL in total offense (6237 yards) and passing offense (4475 yards). Won AFC Divisional playoff over New York Jets (30-10) and AFC Championship over Tennessee Titans (41-24). Lost Super Bowl to Tampa Bay Buccaneers (48-21).

Aftermath:

Injuries curtailed Gannon’s 2003 season and he appeared in a total of just 10 games in ’03 and ’04, after which he retired. A fiery leader and precision passer, he ended up throwing for 28,743 yards and 180 TDs with 104 interceptions, and ranked in the Top 20 all-time at the end of his career with a passer rating of 84.7.

[Updated 8/4/13]

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). 

1984: Zendejas Field Goals Give Express Win Over Gamblers in OT

On April 30, 1984 two of the United States Football League’s top rookie quarterbacks went head-to-head as the Houston Gamblers hosted the Los Angeles Express in a Monday night game at the Astrodome. The Gamblers, coached by Jack Pardee in their first season in the USFL, were off to a 6-3 start and had a chance to take sole possession of first place in the Central Division since both the Michigan Panthers and Oklahoma Outlaws had lost the previous day. QB Jim Kelly was performing very well operating in a run-and-shoot offense and had fine targets to throw to in wide receivers Richard Johnson and Ricky Sanders.

The Express, meanwhile, had gotten off to a miserable 2-5 start but improved to 4-6 for the most part thanks to the addition of QB Steve Young (pictured above). Head Coach John Hadl’s team had averaged just 10.7 points per game prior to the mobile lefthander taking over at quarterback, and his presence was making a difference in the team’s offensive production.

There was a crowd of 30,727 fans on hand for the nationally-televised contest. The Gamblers took the opening kickoff and drove 57 yards in eight plays, reaching the end zone on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Kelly to Richard Johnson.  On their initial possession, the Express came right back with an 86-yard series that ended with a four-yard scoring pass from Young to RB Tony Boddie.

Late in the second quarter, DT Eddie Weaver returned a fumble 22 yards for a TD to put LA in front. Houston responded by driving 90 yards in eight plays. Kelly threw to Ricky Sanders for a 14-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left on the clock and, with all extra point attempts successful, the score remained 14-14 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Express drove to the Houston one but, on fourth down, Coach Hadl decided against a chip-shot field goal attempt and called for a quarterback sneak. While unsuccessful, an offside call on the Gamblers gave the Express another shot and RB Mel Gray carried and appeared to score, but officials ruled that he was short.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Houston took the lead on a four-yard touchdown carry by RB Todd Fowler.  It finished off a 67-yard drive that was helped along by a pass interference penalty. The home team was up by 21-14.

Three minutes later, LA got on the board when Young passed to WR JoJo Townsell for a 17-yard touchdown.  That capped a seven-play, 73-yard series. However, following a punt by the Express, the Gamblers went 87 yards. 39-year-old Toni Fritsch, the league’s oldest placekicker, booted a 26-yard field goal to again pull the Gamblers in front at 24-21.

With time running down, the Express put together a drive in which Young completed key passes to Boddie, the second for 19 yards, and scrambled for 15 yards for a first down at the Houston 28. Now down to four seconds left in regulation, Tony Zendejas kicked a 41-yard field goal to tie the score and send the game into overtime.

In the overtime period, a decisive turnover occurred when safety Troy West of the Express intercepted a Kelly pass and returned it 16 yards to the Houston 44. It seemed as though the Gamblers still might dodge the bullet, but an incomplete pass by Young on third down was negated when DE Pete Catan was flagged for roughing the quarterback. That kept the drive alive at the Houston 27. Turning conservative, three plays gained three yards and Zendejas then came on to boot the game-winning 42-yard field goal at 4:41 into the extra period. Los Angeles came away with a big 27-24 win.

The Gamblers outgained Los Angeles (412 yards to 373) and had more first downs (26 to 23). However, while the Express suffered no turnovers, Houston turned the ball over four times. LA’s defense also sacked Kelly seven times, to three sacks of Young.

Steve Young completed 17 of 28 passes for 211 yards with two touchdowns and and also rushed for 56 yards on 6 carries. RB Kevin Nelson gained 89 yards on 18 rushing attempts. JoJo Townsell caught 5 passes for 75 yards and a TD. Tony Zendejas missed two field goal attempts but redeemed himself with the two clutch kicks.

For the Gamblers, Jim Kelly was successful on 37 of 50 throws for 380 yards and two TDs but also had two interceptions. Richard Johnson (pictured below) set a league record with 15 pass receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown and Ricky Sanders added another 10 catches for 98 yards and a score. Todd Fowler was the leading ground gainer with 32 yards on 11 attempts.

“I don’t like to miss, and I got a chance to redeem myself,” said Tony Zendejas. “I have a lot of pride, and I feel like every time I go out there I should make it.”

“The win is going to create some momentum,” said John Hadl. “We beat a division-leading team on the road. And we beat a great team with a great quarterback in Jim Kelly.”

Coach Hadl’s words proved to be correct – the Express went on to win six of the next eight games to top the Pacific Division with a 10-8 record. They upended the defending-champion Michigan Panthers in triple overtime of their epic First Round playoff game but lost the Western Conference title game to the Arizona Wranglers. Meanwhile, the defeat kept the Gamblers from taking sole possession of first place in the Central Division, but they eventually did prevail with a 13-5 tally. They were upset in the First Round by Arizona.

Steve Young, in the course of 12 games, passed for 2361 yards and also ranked second among USFL quarterbacks with 515 rushing yards on 79 carries. He passed for 10 touchdowns and ran for 7.

Tony Zendejas, a rookie out of Nevada-Las Vegas, was successful on 21 of 30 field goal attempts and all 33 of his extra point tries.

Jim Kelly had a phenomenal rookie season, leading the league in pass attempts (587), completions (370), yards (5219), and touchdown passes (44), although also interceptions (26). He received MVP and All-League honors from the USFL.

Richard Johnson also received All-League honors as he led the USFL in pass receptions (115) and scoring receptions (15) and was second in yards (1455). His record for catches in a game was broken by Gill Stegall of Denver, who had 16 in a game, also against the Express, in 1985.

1981: Redskins Obtain Joe Washington from Colts

Just prior to the annual NFL draft, on April 28, 1981, the Washington Redskins obtained RB Joe Washington from the Baltimore Colts for a second-round draft pick. It was part of a busy day for Washington GM Bobby Beathard, who was active on the trading front, not only obtaining the 5’10”, 179-pound running back but making deals that led to the drafting of linemen Russ Grimm and Mark May. May, the Outland Trophy winner, was taken in the first round and Grimm was grabbed in the third round thanks to a deal with the Rams. Both would be significant contributors as members of the esteemed offensive line that would come to be known as “The Hogs”.

Joe Washington had been taken with the fourth overall pick by the Chargers in 1976 out of Oklahoma. His pro career did not start out auspiciously when he missed the entire season with a knee injury. As a spot player for San Diego in ’77, he gained 461 yards from scrimmage – 244 on 31 pass receptions and 217 on 62 carries. Prior to the 1978 season, Washington was dealt to the Colts for RB Lydell Mitchell, a veteran with similar skills as a classic halfback, and broke out in a big way. He gained 1869 all-purpose yards that broke down to 956 rushing yards on 240 carries, 377 receiving yards on 45 catches, 490 yards on 19 kickoff returns that included a game-winning 90-yard TD, and 37 yards on 7 punt returns. In addition, he tossed two touchdown passes.

In 1979, Washington was selected to the Pro Bowl following a season in which he ran for fewer yards (884) but led the NFL with 82 pass receptions, for 750 yards and a total of 1333 yards from scrimmage.  However, the total dropped to 996 yards in 1980 (502 rushing, 492 receiving) as he lost his starting job to rookie Curtis Dickey. Washington had been unable to come to terms on a new contract with owner Robert Irsay and requested a trade. The Colts were reluctant to part with him, but they sent the second round draft pick they received from the Redskins on to the Minnesota Vikings as part of a transaction that gave them two choices in the first round. The Vikings in turn used it to take undistinguished RB Jarvis Redwine.

Washington had a productive first season with the Redskins, even while missing some time due to injury, gaining 1474 yards from scrimmage. He had 916 yards on 210 carries and caught 70 passes for another 558. In combination with power-running John Riggins, it gave the Redskins a potent backfield and marked the first time in franchise history that two backs gained over 700 rushing yards in the same season (Riggins ran for 714). The team, in its first year under Head Coach Joe Gibbs, got off to a 1-6 start but rallied in the second half to finish at 8-8. It set the stage for two NFC titles and a Super Bowl victory over the next two years.

Washington was overshadowed by Riggins in the strike-shortened 1982 season, especially during the playoffs leading to the Super Bowl, and his numbers were modest. In the one-back, two-tight end offense that Gibbs employed, Washington was typically used in place of Riggins in passing situations. He was more of a factor in 1983, rushing for 772 yards and catching 47 passes for another 454 as the Redskins set a new league record for scoring on their way to the top of the conference.

It was Washington’s last significant season with the Redskins. He appeared in just seven games in 1984 and gained a paltry 266 yards from scrimmage. Dealt to the Atlanta Falcons during the ’85 draft, he finished up his career as a situational back spelling Gerald Riggs.

In all, during four seasons with the Redskins, Washington rushed for 2070 yards on 455 carries (4.5 avg.) and caught 149 passes for 1220 yards, scoring a total of 16 touchdowns. He had two hundred-yard rushing games, with a high of 147 against Detroit in 1981, plus a 10-catch, 124-yard pass receiving performance vs. the Cowboys, also in ’81. For his nine-season career, he gained 8252 yards from scrimmage and was equally dangerous as a runner and receiver out of the backfield, ably complementing John Riggins with the Redskins. 

Rookie of the Year: Jevon Kearse, 1999

Defensive End, Tennessee Titans

Age: 23 (Sept. 3)

College: Florida

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 265

Prelude:

Looking to upgrade their pass rush, the Titans chose Kearse in the first round (16^th overall) of the 1999 NFL draft. With his exceptional speed and wide wingspan, he earned the nickname “The Freak” in college. He quickly moved into the starting lineup with Tennessee.

1999 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 14.5 [4, 1st in AFC]

Most sacks, game – 3 vs. Cleveland 9/19

Multi-sack games – 3

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

Forced fumbles – 8

Tackles – 48

Assists – 9

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 4 G

Sacks – 3

Most sacks, game – 2 vs. Buffalo, AFC Wild Card playoff

Interceptions – 0

Safety – 1

TD – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

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

1^st team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly

Titans went 13-3 to finish second in the AFC Central and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card entry while ranking third in the league with 54 sacks. Won AFC Wild Card playoff over Buffalo Bills (22-16), AFC Divisional playoff over Indianapolis Colts (19-16), and AFC Championship over Jacksonville Jaguars (33-14). Lost Super Bowl to St. Louis Rams (23-16).

Aftermath:

Following his outstanding first season in which he set a rookie record for sacks, Kearse received Pro Bowl recognition after the 2000 and 2001 seasons as well. He accumulated 11.5 and 10 sacks, respectively, while facing increased double-teaming. A foot injury suffered in the first contest of the ’02 season limited him to just four games and he missed time in 2003 with foot and ankle injuries that significantly reduced his performance during the second half of a year in which he registered 9.5 sacks. Kearse joined the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in 2004 and, with his versatility, was a good fit in the blitz-heavy scheme the Eagles employed. But while he stayed healthy, his play lacked consistency and his sack total was only 7.5. He underachieved in 2005, with another 7.5 sacks, and a major knee injury limited him to two games in ’06. After one more year in Philadelphia during which he lost his starting job, Kearse returned to Tennessee in 2008 for his last two seasons. In all, over the course of 11 years he accumulated 74 sacks. While a feared pass rusher with tremendous athleticism early in his career, injuries ultimately wore him down.

[Updated 8/4/13]
[Updated 11/29/14]

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).