Highlighted Year: Ben Agajanian, 1947

Placekicker, Los Angeles Dons

Age: 28

6^th season in pro football, 1^st in AAFC & with Dons

College: New Mexico

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 210

Prelude:

Agajanian suffered the loss of four toes on his right (kicking) foot in a workplace accident while in college, but went on to have a long career as a pioneering placekicking specialist. After gaining honorable mention All-American honors as a college senior, he played minor league pro football with the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League in 1942 and, while enlisted in the military, was stationed in California and thus able to play with teams in the PCPFL and (minor-league) AFL in 1943 and ’44. He also played end during this time in addition to kicking. In 1945 he joined the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL who in turn dealt him to the Steelers after two games and, while still considered an end, he suffered a broken arm with Pittsburgh that caused him to become a placekicker exclusively. He was successful in all four of his field goal attempts in ’45 but returned to the PCPFL in 1946.

1947 Season Summary

Appeared in 13 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 15 [1]

Most field goals, game – 3 at Brooklyn 11/23

Field goal attempts – 24 [1]

Field goal percentage – 62.5 [1]

PATs – 39 [2, tied with Lou Groza]

PAT attempts – 40 [4]

Longest field goal – 53 yards at Baltimore 10/19

Scoring

Field Goals – 15

PATs – 39

Points – 84 [2]

Dons went 7-7 to finish third in the AAFC Western Division.

Aftermath:

Agajanian had a lesser year with the Dons in 1948, succeeding on just 5 of 15 field goal tries, but then returned to the NFL and the New York Giants in ’49, where he was good on 8 of 13 attempts for a league-leading percentage of 61.5. He retired to tend to his business interests but came back with the Los Angeles Rams in 1953 and then to the Giants for four seasons (1954 to ’57) where he kicked 38 field goals in 71 attempts (53.5 %) and was part of the 1956 NFL Championship team. Sitting out the next two seasons, he again returned to pro football with the Los Angeles Chargers of the new AFL in 1960 and booted 13 field goals in 24 attempts. He moved on to the Dallas Texans for three games in 1961 and finished out the year back in the NFL with the Packers. Stints with the Raiders in 1962 and Chargers in ’64 closed out his career at age 45, having been one of two players to see action in the AAFC, NFL, and AFL (the other was LB Hardy Brown). Overall in those three leagues, Agajanian kicked 104 field goals in 204 attempts (51.0 %) and converted 343 of 351 extra point tries to compile 655 points . He went on to become kicking coach for the Dallas Cowboys and also mentored many placekickers at all levels over the ensuing years.

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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

Rookie of the Year: Lem Barney, 1967

Cornerback, Detroit Lions

Age: 22 (Sept. 8)

College: Jackson State

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 202

Prelude:

Recruited as a quarterback, Barney was shifted to cornerback and intercepted 26 passes in three college seasons and received All-Southwestern Conference honors after each. Although relatively unknown coming out of a small college, he was chosen by the Lions in the second round of the 1967 NFL draft and moved directly into the starting lineup.

1967 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 10 [1, tied with Dave Whitsell]

Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. Minnesota 12/17

Int. return yards – 232 [1]

Most int. return yards, game – 75 (on 3 int.) vs. Minnesota 12/17

Int. TDs – 3 [1]

Fumble recoveries – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 5

Yards – 87

Average per return – 17.4

TDs – 0

Longest return – 25 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 4

Yards – 14

Average per return – 3.5

TDs – 0

Longest return – 6 yards

Punting

Punts – 47 [15]

Most punts, game – 9 vs. Chicago 11/5, vs. LA Rams 11/23

Yards – 1757 [15]

Average – 37.4 [15]

Best average, game – 41.0 (on 6 punts) at San Francisco 10/29

Punts blocked – 0

Longest punt – 55 yards

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA, NY Daily News

Pro Bowl

Lions went 5-7-2 to finish third in the Central Division of the NFL Western Conference while surrendering the fewest TD passes (11).

Aftermath:

Barney followed up by achieving consensus first-team All-NFL honors as well as gaining selection to the Pro Bowl in 1968 and ’69. Physical as well as fast, he was an instinctive ball hawk and excellent in man-to-man coverage. He also had a kick return TD in each of the next three seasons. A contract dispute followed by an ankle injury led to a lesser performance in 1970, and while he still intercepted 7 passes, his tendency to gamble for the big play caused him to get burned often as well. He came back to regain Pro Bowl stature four more times in a career that lasted until 1977, all with the Lions. Overall, Barney intercepted 56 passes, seven of which were returned for touchdowns, and he also averaged 9.2 yards on 143 punt returns and 25.5 yards running back 50 kickoffs. Used less as a punter, he had a 35.5-yard average on 113 kicks. Barney had 11 TDs in all, a testament to his big-play ability, and five of them came on plays that covered over 50 yards. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro twice, received at least second-team recognition on three other occasions, and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times. Barney was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1992.

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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). 

2000: Fire Edge Claymores in Low-Scoring World Bowl

The World Bowl, championship game of NFL Europe that was played on June 25, 2000, featured the Rhein Fire, winners of the title two years earlier, against the Scottish Claymores, champions in 1996 but coming off of two straight losing campaigns. The teams split their meetings during the regular season.

The Fire, coached by Galen Hall for the sixth year, had the developmental league’s second-rated passer in QB Danny Wuerffel, who topped the circuit with 25 touchdowns and 2042 yards while giving up just seven interceptions for a rating of 107.2. They finished at the top of the standings with a 7-3 record.

The Claymores went 6-4 under Head Coach Jim Criner, also in his sixth season at the helm. While they had the lesser record, they had RB Aaron Stecker (pictured above), the league’s MVP and leading rusher with 774 yards who also paced the team in pass receiving with 36 catches, and QB Kevin Daft had edged Wuerffel for the passing title with a 107.3 rating while tossing for 19 TDs against just three interceptions.

The game was held at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany with 35,860 fans in attendance. The Fire struck first on their initial possession of the game, driving 51 yards in 11 plays before finally being stopped at the four yard line. The series resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Manfred Burgsmuller. The Claymores responded in rapid fashion, taking just three plays to travel 75 yards. Aaron Stecker gained nine yards, Kevin Daft threw to H-back Willy Tate for 30, and then Stecker ran 36 yards for a touchdown. With Rob Hart’s extra point, Scotland held a 7-3 lead.

In the second quarter, the Claymores put together a 12-play, 52-yard series , and Hart’s field goal made it 10-3. Rhein came back with an eight-play possession that was also capped by a field goal, this one by Burgsmuller covering 23 yards. The score at halftime was 10-6.

The game settled into a defensive stalemate in the second half, with neither team scoring in the third quarter. The tough Claymore defense continued to hold, and when the Fire got the ball with 5:07 remaining on the clock, the situation appeared dire. However, Rhein then put together a 43-yard drive in eight plays that resulted in a one-yard TD carry by RB Pepe Pearson (pictured below). Burgsmuller added the extra point to give the Fire a three-point lead.

There was still time for the Claymores to come back, and Daft completed four passes as they drove into Rhein territory. But with eight seconds left, a 40-yard field goal attempt by Hart sailed wide to the left to clinch the 13-10 win for the Fire.

“It was a great feeling when I scored,” said Pepe Pearson of his game-winning touchdown. “Our offensive line did the job and I got it in the end zone.”

“I’m so proud of our team and our coaches,” said Galen Hall. “I thought it would come down to the last seconds, and it certainly did.”

QB Danny Wuerffel completed just 12 of 30 passes for 90 yards and no touchdowns while giving up two interceptions, but was sharp on the game-winning drive. For the Claymores, Aaron Stecker rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries that included a TD and Kevin Daft was successful on 16 of 29 throws for 177 yards and one interception.

Wuerffel, a former Heisman Trophy winner, was currently a free agent hoping to parlay his NFL Europe success into a NFL contract. He was signed by Green Bay, saw no action, and moved on to the Bears and Redskins, where he was reunited with his college coach, Steve Spurrier, and started four games in his last pro season.

Aaron Stecker, who had been loaned to the Claymores by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spent four seasons with the Bucs before moving on to New Orleans for five years and finishing up with the Falcons. A career backup in the NFL, he rushed for 1526 yards, gained another 1175 yards on 166 pass receptions, and averaged 23.1 yards on 170 kickoff returns.

With the win over the Claymores, Galen Hall became the first coach in the developmental league’s history to win two championships. Both head coaches departed for the short-lived XFL in 2001, Hall with the Orlando Rage and Jim Criner coaching the Las Vegas Outlaws.

Neither team qualified for the World Bowl in 2001. Rhein went 5-5 to finish third and the Claymores sank to 4-6 and fifth place. The Fire returned to first place in ’02 but lost the Championship game to Berlin. For the Claymores, the World Bowl appearance in 2000 was the team’s last. 

Highlighted Year: Ockie Anderson, 1921

Back, Buffalo All-Americans

Age: 27 (Oct. 15)

2^nd season in pro football & with All-Americans

College: Colgate

Height: 5’9”   Weight: 165

Prelude:

Anderson was a three-sport star in college (basketball and track were the others) and, in football, a first-team Walter Camp All-American in 1916. He served two years in the military during World War I and then returned to his native Erie, Pennsylvania where he became athletic director in the city’s school system. He joined the new Buffalo team of the APFA (later NFL) in 1920. With several other former college stars on the squad, the team became known as the All-Americans and the fast and elusive Anderson was the featured back. Unofficially, since individual statistics weren’t yet being compiled by the new league, he led the team in touchdowns (11) and scoring (69 points) in ’20.

1921 Season Summary

Appeared in all 11 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 5 [2, tied with Frank Bacon & Jim Laird]

Receiving TDs – 1 [8, tied with many]

Punt Ret. TDs – 1 [1, tied with Paddy Driscoll]

Total TDs – 7 [1, tied with Fritz Pollard]

Points – 42 [2, tied with Fritz Pollard]

All-Americans went 9-1-2 to finish second in the APFA while leading the league in scoring (211 points).

Aftermath:

Anderson’s pro career came to an end during the 1922 season due to a knee injury. Over the course of three seasons and 29 games, he officially scored 8 touchdowns for a total of 48 points, but adding in the unofficial numbers from 1920, it comes to 19 TDs and 117 points.

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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

Rookie of the Year: Charles Woodson, 1998

Cornerback, Oakland Raiders

Age: 22 (Oct. 7)

College: Michigan

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 197

Prelude:

Woodson was a versatile college performer, prone to making big plays, who won the 1997 Heisman Trophy as a primarily defensive player. He intercepted 18 passes while also catching 25 for 402 yards on offense and excelling as a punt returner (8.7-yard average on 47 returns). Entering the draft following his junior year, Woodson was taken by the Oakland Raiders in the first round (fourth overall) and moved quickly into the starting lineup.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 5 [14, tied with nine others]

Most interceptions, game – 1 on five occasions

Int. return yards – 118 [9]

Most int. return yards, game – 46 (on 1 int.) at Arizona 10/4

Int. TDs – 1 [10, tied with many others]

Sacks – 0

Fumble recoveries – 0

Forced fumbles – 2

Tackles – 61

Assists – 3

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

Pro Bowl

Raiders went 8-8 to finish second in the AFC West.

Aftermath:

Woodson was chosen to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. Outstanding in all facets of the cornerback position, he also was a consensus first-team All-Pro in 1999. Injuries began to become an issue, however, and he missed time during each of the next four years as a result while also drawing criticism for inconsistent play despite his great ability. Joining the Packers as a free agent in 2006, he revived his career, intercepting 8 passes, and he was once again a Pro Bowl selection in ’08 despite playing with a broken toe. In 2009, Woodson garnered NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors from the Associated Press after leading the league with 9 interceptions and three returns for touchdowns. He had Pro Bowl seasons in 2010 and ’11, again leading the NFL in interceptions in the latter year with 7. He compensated for declining cover skills with fine playmaking ability, but missed most of 2012 due to injury. Woodson considered retirement, but returned to the Raiders in 2013 and started at free safety, recording a career-high 97 tackles. Through 2013, he has intercepted 56 passes, returning 11 of them for touchdowns, and has been a consensus first-team All-Pro three times and selected to eight Pro Bowls.

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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). 

1997: Andre Rison Signs with Chiefs

On June 18, 1997, free agent WR Andre Rison signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, having earlier been released by the Packers. With ex-49er backup Elvis Grbac replacing Steve Bono as the starting quarterback, Kansas City was looking to upgrade the receiving corps.

Rison had originally been drafted out of Michigan State in the first round in 1989 by the Indianapolis Colts. He showed promise as a rookie, catching 52 passes for 820 yards, but was dealt to Atlanta as part of the trade for the first overall draft choice in 1990 that was used to obtain Illinois QB Jeff George. Rison was an excellent fit with the Falcons, who utilized a “run-and-shoot” offense (called, in this instance, the Red Gun). He was able to accelerate quickly and had excellent body control and receiving ability.

Typically utilized as an inside receiver, in the five seasons from 1990 to ’94 Rison caught 423 passes for 5633 yards (13.3 avg.) and scored 56 touchdowns. He had over a thousand receiving yards in all but one year (and in that one, 1991, he gained 976) and reached double-digits in TD catches in each of his first four years with a league-leading 15 in 1993. The leader of a productive group of receivers, Rison was chosen to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons in Atlanta and was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection in 1990.

To be sure, it was not always a perfect situation for Rison in Atlanta. Complaints about the brash wide receiver nicknamed “Bad Moon” ranged from lack of discipline in running his pass routes to being a disruptive presence off the field. The team as a whole was not so successful, finishing with just one winning record during the time Rison was there.

Rison signed a five-year, $17 million free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns in 1995 amid high expectations. The Browns, under Head Coach Bill Belichick, were coming off of an 11-5 playoff year and looking to contend, but it all turned sour, particularly in the second half of the season after it was announced that the franchise would be moving to Baltimore in ’96. Rison proved to be a poor fit in the conservative offense and his production dropped off accordingly – he caught just 47 passes for 701 yards and three TDs. Moreover, he frequently complained about the offense in general and QB Vinny Testaverde in particular, and drew further ire from the fans when he made critical comments about them as well.

Waived during the offseason, Rison signed with Jacksonville for 1996. However, he was released after 10 games and 34 catches for 548 yards, with Head Coach Tom Coughlin citing him for a lack of performance.  He caught on with the Packers to fill in for injured WR Robert Brooks and performed ably during Green Bay’s 8-0 run to a NFL Championship. Rison caught 13 passes for 135 yards and a TD in the last five games of the regular season and then added 7 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs, including the first score in Super Bowl XXXI on a pass from QB Brett Favre that covered 54 yards.

With Brooks returning for 1997, Rison no longer fit in Green Bay’s plans. After eight seasons, he had caught 569 passes for 7747 yards and been to the Pro Bowl four times, but had been more of a journeyman over the previous two years, playing for three different teams and quickly wearing out his welcome with two of them.

The 30-year-old Rison revived his flagging career with Kansas City. More low-key off the field, he produced more on it, catching 72 passes for 1092 yards (15.2 avg.) and seven touchdowns despite being heavily double-covered. The receiving total was his best since 1993 with the Falcons, and it was also his first thousand-yard season since that year. He had two hundred-yard receiving games along the way, with a high of 162 on eight catches against the Raiders, and added eight receptions for 110 yards in the playoff loss to Denver.  Rison was voted club MVP and received Pro Bowl honors.

The 1997 comeback proved to be something of a last hurrah for Rison. The Chiefs dropped to 7-9 in 1998 and Rison’s receiving numbers dropped to 40 catches for 542 yards and five TDs. After one last year in Kansas City, he moved on to the Oakland Raiders for his final NFL season in 2000 and then played two years for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, catching 15 passes for 178 yards in limited action.

Over the course of twelve years in the NFL, Rison ended up with 743 catches for 10,205 yards (13.7 avg.) and 84 touchdowns (scoring at least one with all seven teams for which he played), all Top 20 career numbers at the time. Most of that came in his first six seasons, especially when playing in Atlanta’s Red Gun offense, but the first year in Kansas City was a productive one. Rison’s flamboyance and off-field problems often distracted from his talent and ability as a wide receiver, but at his best, he was a significant performer at the position. 

MVP Profile: Drew Brees, 2011

Quarterback, New Orleans Saints

Age:  32

11^th season in pro football, 6^th with Saints

College: Purdue

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 209

Prelude:

Chosen by the San Diego Chargers in the 2^nd round of the 2001 draft, Brees spent a year as backup to veteran Doug Flutie before taking over as starting quarterback in ’02. A good first year as starter was followed by a season in which he had difficulties, and the Chargers swung the deal that brought rookie Philip Rivers to San Diego in 2004. Brees bounced back that year with a Pro Bowl season in which his passer rating was 104.8. He badly injured his shoulder in the last game of the ’05 season, the final year of his contract, and with the team committing to Rivers, Brees signed with the New Orleans Saints and was a consensus first-team All-Pro who was selected to the Pro Bowl in ’06, leading the NFL with 4418 passing yards and guiding the Saints, with a high-powered offense, to the NFC Championship game. In 2007, Brees started poorly and the team didn’t do as well, but he recovered to lead the league in pass attempts (652) and completions (440) while throwing for another 4423 yards. He had another Pro Bowl year in ’08 in which he led the NFL in passing yards (5069), TD passes (34), pass attempts (635) and completions (413) and the Saints reached the top in 2009, with the quarterback leading the league in TD passes (34), completion percentage (70.6), and passing overall (109.6) while the club won the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Brees threw for 4620 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2010 and led the NFL in completion percentage (68.1). However, he also threw a career-high 22 interceptions and, while the team qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card with an 11-5 record, the Saints were upset in the first round of the playoffs by Seattle.

2011 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 657 [2]

Most attempts, game – 49 at Green Bay 9/8

Completions – 468 [1]

Most completions, game – 36 at Tennessee 12/11

Yards – 5476 [1]

Most yards, game – 419 at Green Bay 9/8

Completion percentage – 71.2 [1]

Yards per attempt – 8.3 [6]

TD passes – 46 [1]

Most TD passes, game – 5 vs. Indianapolis 10/23, at Minnesota 12/18, vs. Carolina 1/1

Interceptions – 14 [10, tied with four others]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at Tampa Bay 10/16

Passer rating – 110.6 [2]

400-yard passing games – 2

300-yard passing games – 13

200-yard passing games – 16

Rushing

Attempts – 21

Most attempts, game - 4 (for -1 yds.) vs. Houston 9/25

Yards – 86

Most yards, game – 21 yards (on 3 carries) at Tampa Bay 10/16

Yards per attempt – 4.1

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

2-pt PAT – 3 [1]

Points – 12

Postseason: 2 G

Pass attempts – 106

Most attempts, game - 63 at San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff

Pass completions – 73

Most completions, game - 40 at San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff

Passing yardage – 928

Most yards, game – 466 vs. Detroit, NFC Wild Card playoff

TD passes – 7

Most TD passes, game - 4 at San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff

Interceptions – 2

Most interceptions, game – 2 at San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff

Rushing attempts – 5

Most rushing attempts, game – 4 vs. Detroit, NFC Wild Card playoff

Rushing yards – 4

Most rushing yards, game - 5 at San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff

Average gain rushing – 0.8

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Offensive Player of the Year: AP

2^nd team All-NFL: AP, Pro Football Focus

Pro Bowl

Saints went 13-3 to finish first in the NFC South while leading the NFL in total yards (7474) and passing yards (5347). Won NFC Wild Card playoff over Detroit Lions (45-28). Lost NFC Divisional playoff to San Francisco 49ers (36-32).

Aftermath:

After setting a new single-season record in 2011, Brees had another 5000-yard passing season (5177) in 2012 and again topped the NFL in TD passes (43). He also broke the record long held by Johnny Unitas for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, a streak which finally ended at 54. However, he also led in interceptions (19) over the course of a difficult year for the club both on and off the field. New Orleans rebounded in 2013 and Brees led the NFC with 5162 yards and 39 TD passes. Through 2013, he had completed 65.9 percent of his career passes for 51,081 yards and 363 TDs and had been selected to the Pro Bowl eight times, including a current string of six straight.

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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).