1960: Oakland Hires Eddie Erdelatz as First Head Coach

On February 9, 1960 the last of the new American Football League franchises to name a head coach for the inaugural season did so. Eddie Erdelatz, a native Californian who had been successful at Navy for nine years, was introduced as the new head coach of the as yet unnamed Oakland football team.

The 46-year-old Erdelatz (he turned 47 prior to the ’60 season) played college football at St. Mary’s and became an assistant coach there and at the Univ. of San Francisco afterward. Following service in World War II in which he was a naval officer, he was an assistant coach at Navy before first entering the professional ranks as defensive coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the AAFC. He returned to the Naval Academy, this time as head coach, in 1950.

The Midshipmen had posted losing records prior to his arrival, winning a total of just five games in the preceding four years. By 1952, the third year under Erdelatz’s direction, they had a 6-2-1 record, and they didn’t post a losing tally for the remainder of his tenure. Overall, Navy went 50-26-8 under Erdelatz, including wins in the Sugar and Cotton Bowls.

Erdelatz abruptly resigned in April of 1959 due to a dispute that had developed with the athletic department. He sat out the ‘59 season and had recently been passed over for the head coaching position at the Univ. of California, where he was considered a leading candidate, losing out to Marv Levy.

“We’re just getting started and I don’t know any more about this than the next guy,” said Erdelatz, whose signing was viewed as a step toward gaining credibility for the fledgling club.

The Oakland franchise had not yet been named, did not have a home field, and had not signed any players. They were a latecomer to the new circuit, having replaced the team that was originally slated to play in Minnesota but was lured away by the NFL (to begin play in 1961). As a result, the franchise’s draft choices had gone unpursued. To help the late-starting team fill out its roster, it was allowed to choose five unprotected players from each of the other seven AFL clubs. Oakland had an eight-member ownership group, the leader of which, Chet Soda, attempted to foist the name Senors on the new club before it was named the Raiders. Finding a place to play in the Oakland area proved more difficult, as the regents of the Univ. of California turned down a request to use that school’s stadium and the Raiders were forced to share San Francisco’s Kezar Stadium with the 49ers.

Oakland lost its first two games, including the opener at Kezar Stadium against the Houston Oilers with only 12,703 fans in attendance (which proved to be the season high). However, the Raiders then beat the Oilers in the rematch at Houston and that was the first of three wins in four contests to get them to .500. They were 5-5 before losing three straight games, including back-to-back defeats by lopsided scores to the Chargers, and finished at 6-8 which, all things considered, was viewed as a respectable result and put them in third place, ahead of Denver, in the Western Division.

Veteran Babe Parilli and newcomer Tom Flores from the Univ. of the Pacific alternated at quarterback, and Flores led the AFL in completion percentage at 54.0. The offense was ground-oriented and topped the circuit in rushing yards with 2056. HB Tony Teresa led the way with 608 yards on 139 carries (4.4 avg.) and six touchdowns. FB Billy Lott contributed 520 yards on 99 attempts for a healthy 5.3-yard average gain and also led the club in pass receiving with 49 catches for 524 yards. End Gene Prebola and flanker Al Goldstein were the best of the receivers.

Several rookies that the Raiders were able to sign made good on the offensive line, including center Jim Otto out of the Univ. of Miami (pictured below), who moved directly into the starting lineup and ended up being an All-AFL selection. G Don Manoukian was another first-year player who started, garnering second-team All-AFL honors, and while the other guard, Wayne Hawkins, didn’t receive any honors in ’60, he did as a mainstay on the line over the remainder of the decade.

The defense was far less impressive. While there were capable performers at defensive end in Charley Powell and Carmen Cavalli, the tackles were undersized and had difficulty stopping the run. MLB Tom Louderback was steady and CB Eddie Macon, who intercepted nine passes, and safety Alex Bravo were ex-NFL and CFL players who did well in the backfield. But only the Broncos gave up more yards than Oakland’s 4983 and the Raiders surrendered 28 touchdown passes, tying with Houston in that category for the most in the league.

Beyond what happened on the field, the Raiders averaged a league-low of 9875 in attendance at each home game. It was hoped that a move to Candlestick Park for 1961 would help (it would be another year before a temporary home was finally constructed in Oakland). The situation was not helped by disarray in the front office and ongoing financial problems. Only six of the 30 draft choices were signed for ’61. Commissioner Joe Foss stepped in to broker a consolidation of the ownership syndicate down to three people.

The Raiders traded Babe Parilli to the Patriots, making Tom Flores the unchallenged starting quarterback. However, any optimism regarding the ability of the Raiders to build upon their 1960 foundation was quickly quashed when Oakland lost its first two games by a combined score of 99-0 (55-0 to Houston and 44-0 to the Chargers). Erdelatz suffered the distinction of being the first AFL head coach to be fired and assistant Marty Feldman took over. It didn’t help, as the club finished at 2-12.

Erdelatz ended up with a 6-10 record as coach of the Raiders in what was his last coaching job. After failing to land head coaching positions with Army and the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL for 1962, he left football for a business career that ended with his death from cancer just four years later.

The Raiders would sink to 1-13 in 1962 before the hiring of Al Davis as head coach and general manager in ’63 brought about a turnaround in the troubled franchise’s fortunes.

Highlighted Year: Jamal Anderson, 1998

Running Back, Atlanta Falcons

Age: 26 (Sept. 30)

5^th season in pro football & with Falcons

College: Utah

Height: 5’11” Weight: 234

Prelude:

Anderson was chosen by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft and was strictly a backup during his first two seasons who also returned kickoffs in ’95. He broke out in 1996, beating out Craig Heyward, the starter for the previous two seasons, and gaining 1528 yards from scrimmage, with 1055 yards on 232 carries and 473 yards on 49 catches. A powerful runner and at his best between the tackles, he also could be graceful and had the ability to burst to the outside. Anderson was hindered by an ankle sprain in ’97 but still rushed for 1002 yards and caught 29 passes for another 284 yards.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared and in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 410 [1]

Most attempts, game – 32 (for 104 yds.) at New England 11/8

Yards – 1846 [2, 1^st in NFC]

Most yards, game – 188 yards (on 31 carries) at St. Louis 11/29

Average gain – 4.5 [7]

TDs – 14 [2, tied with Fred Taylor]

100-yard rushing games – 12

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 27      

Most receptions, game – 4 (for 58 yds.) vs. Indianapolis 12/6

Yards – 319

Most yards, game – 58 (on 4 catches) vs. Indianapolis 12/6

Average gain – 11.8

TDs – 2

Passing

Attempts – 2

Completions – 0

Interceptions – 0

All-Purpose yards – 2165 [4]

Scoring

TDs – 16 [4]

2-pt PATs – 1 [6, tied with many]

Points – 98 [20, tied with Todd Peterson]

Postseason: 3 G

Rushing attempts – 70

Most rushing attempts, game – 29 vs. San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff

Rushing yards – 276

Most rushing yards, game – 113 vs. San Francisco, NFC Divisional playoff

Average gain rushing – 3.9

Rushing TDs – 2

Pass receptions – 10

Most pass receptions, game – 6 at Minnesota, NFC Championship

Pass receiving yards – 59

Most pass receiving yards, game – 33 at Minnesota, NFC Championship

Average yards per reception – 5.9

Pass Receiving TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:

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

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Falcons went 14-2 to finish first in the NFC West. Won NFC Divisional playoff over San Francisco 49ers (20-18) and NFC Championship over Minnesota Vikings (30-27). Lost Super Bowl to Denver Broncos (34-19).

Aftermath:

After setting a NFL record for rushing attempts in 1998, Anderson’s 1999 season ended in the second game with a knee injury that required surgery. He came back in 2000 and, following a slow start, rushed for 1024 yards and caught 42 passes for another 382 yards. However, another major knee injury in 2001 proved to be career-ending. Overall, Anderson rushed for 5336 yards on 1329 carries (4.0 avg.) and caught 156 passes for 1645 yards (10.5 avg.), scoring a total of 41 touchdowns (34 rushing, 7 receiving).

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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

1969: Vince Lombardi Introduced as Head Coach of Redskins

On February 6, 1969 the owner of the Washington Redskins, Edward Bennett Williams, introduced Vince Lombardi as the team’s new head coach, executive vice-president, and part-owner at a press conference held at the Sheraton-Carlton Hotel, two blocks from the White House.

The 55-year-old Lombardi was hardly an unknown quantity to the assembled media, and his quip that “to set the record straight, I can’t walk across the Potomac even when it’s frozen” reflected the high esteem to which he was held, as well as the high expectations that accompanied his arrival in Washington. He had led the Green Bay Packers to an 89-29-4 record from 1959 through ’67, winning six Western Conference titles in those nine seasons and five NFL Championships. Three of those league titles were consecutive and the last two were topped by victories in the first two Super Bowls. He stepped down as head coach at that point, although he remained the team’s general manager in 1968.

Restless in a front office role, Lombardi was open to a return to coaching, and while rumors had him going to any one of several teams with coaching vacancies, he had hit it off well with Williams, who offered an ownership share in the team in addition to complete control over personnel. There had been a delay in the hiring due to the Packers being slow in agreeing to release Lombardi from his contract, which had five years left to run, but the way was finally cleared for him to move on (Phil Bengtson, who had succeeded Lombardi as head coach, took over the GM duties as well). 

Green Bay had been a losing team in the decade preceding his arrival, and now Lombardi would be taking over a Washington club that had not finished with a winning record since 1955. Most recently, they had gone 17-22-3 in three years under the guidance of Lombardi’s predecessor, Otto Graham, and the best record was 7-7 in the first of those seasons. The team had featured the passing game, with QB Sonny Jurgensen throwing to an excellent group of receivers that included split end Charley Taylor, flanker Bobby Mitchell, and TE Jerry Smith. But Jurgensen was coming off of a sub-par, injury-plagued season in ’68 and Mitchell, moved back to his original position of halfback, was less productive while Smith was shifted to flanker. Moreover, Jurgensen would be 35 by the opening of the 1969 season and Mitchell 34, and there was much speculation as to how the paunchy quarterback, known for his after-hours carousing, would get along with the strict head coach, who nevertheless spoke highly of him during the introductory press conference.

In his remarks to the assembled media, Lombardi also emphasized the need to improve the running game, and Washington’s had been mediocre in recent years.  In 1968, HB Gerry Allen led the club with 399 yards while averaging 3.2 yards per attempt. The line had talent, most notably Pro Bowl center Len Hauss. The defense gave up 4683 yards and 358 points in ‘68, but had able performers at linebacker and in the backfield. OLB Chris Hanburger was outstanding, and Lombardi coaxed 35-year-old MLB Sam Huff out of retirement to lend his veteran presence. Pat Fischer and Rickie Harris were capable cornerbacks, and SS Brig Owens intercepted eight passes.   

“As of now everybody turns out fresh and with a new start,” summed up Lombardi regarding the personnel that he was inheriting. “That’s the only decent thing to do. This is a new regime.”

The Redskins got off to a 4-1-1 start in 1969 before giving up 41 points apiece in losses to the Colts and Cowboys, with a tie against Philadelphia in between. The end result was 7-5-2, a notable improvement and similar to the 7-5 record in Lombardi’s first year in Green Bay.

Sonny Jurgensen was healthy and benefited from Lombardi’s coaching, leading the league in overall passing in addition to attempts (442), completions (274), completion percentage (62.0), and yards (3102), although he was also sacked 40 times. While Bobby Mitchell retired during training camp, ex-Packer Bob Long caught 48 passes for 533 yards (11.1 avg.) in his place at flanker. Charley Taylor was solid once again with 71 receptions for 883 yards (12.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns and Jerry Smith was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection at tight end with his 54 catches for 682 yards (12.6 avg.) and nine TDs.

Gerry Allen and FB Henry Dyer were the starting running backs in the season-opening game, but they were replaced by HB Larry Brown and FB Charley Harraway in the second half, and it was Brown and Harraway the rest of the way. Brown, a rookie eighth round draft choice out of Kansas State, excelled once Lombardi recognized that a hearing problem caused him to be habitually late off the snap count and had him fitted with a hearing aid. He led the team with 888 yards on 202 carries (4.4 avg.), which was the highest rushing total for a Washington running back in 18 years, and added another 302 yards on 34 catches. Harraway, who had spent his first three seasons with Cleveland, gained 428 yards on the ground and caught 55 passes for 489 yards while proving to be an able blocker.  

Len Hauss again went to the Pro Bowl, but the offensive line lacked overall consistency. The defense, while improved, still had holes, giving up 319 points. The pass rush was lacking but, on the upside, Chris Hanburger was joined by rookie Harold McLinton at linebacker, with good results, and the backfield remained a strong suit, with Pat Fischer and Mike Bass at the corners and Brig Owens and Rickie Harris at safety. 

Unfortunately for the Redskins, and tragically for Lombardi, there would be no second season to build upon the initial success. The legendary coach was diagnosed with cancer the following June and died on September 3, 1970. Bill Austin, an assistant coach in Green Bay who reunited with Lombardi in Washington following a head coaching stint with the Steelers, guided the club to a 6-8 record in ’70 and it would be another coach, George Allen, who would take the Redskins to the playoffs in 1971 and the NFC Championship in ‘72. Larry Brown, Charley Harraway, and Harold McLinton, as well as Charley Taylor, Jerry Smith, Len Hauss, Pat Fischer, Brig Owens, and Chris Hanburger, would be part of those playoff teams (so would Sonny Jurgensen, but as an injury-plagued backup to Bill Kilmer). In his brief stay in Washington, Vince Lombardi managed to lay groundwork that Allen would be able to build upon.

Highlighted Year: Jim Bakken, 1964

Placekicker, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  24 (Nov. 2)

3^rd season in pro football & with Cardinals

College: Wisconsin

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 200

Prelude:

A quarterback in high school, Bakken played defensive back in addition to placekicking in college. He was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the 1962 NFL draft, was waived prior to the season, and picked up by the Cardinals. Bakken saw some action in the defensive backfield and missed his only field goal attempt, but he became the team’s placekicker in ’63 and was successful on 11 of 21 field goal attempts and all 44 of his extra points.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 25 [1]

Most field goals, game – 5 vs. Philadelphia 12/13

Field goal attempts – 38 [1, tied with Paul Hornung]

Most field goal attempts, game – 6 vs. Philadelphia 12/13

Field goal percentage – 65.8 [3]

PATs – 40 [4, tied with Fred Cox]

PAT attempts – 40 [5]

Longest field goal – 51 yards at Cleveland 9/20

Scoring

Field Goals – 25

PATs – 40

Points – 115 [2, tied with Lou Groza]

Cardinals went 9-3-2 to finish second in the NFL Eastern Conference.

Aftermath:

Bakken went on to kick for another 15 seasons, all with the Cardinals. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl in 1965 after leading the NFL in field goal percentage (67.7) as he connected on 21 of 31 attempts. Bakken led the league in number of field goals (a career-high 27), field goal percentage (69.2), and scoring (117 points) in 1967, a year in which he set a single-game record with 7 field goals in 9 attempts against the Steelers, and received first-team All-Eastern Conference honors from The Sporting News as well as again being selected for the Pro Bowl. He remained a steady performer, only twice dropping below a field goal percentage of 60 between 1967 and ’77 and remaining effective in his mid-thirties after the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zone in 1974. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection in 1975 and ’76, connecting on career-highs of 79.2 and 74.1 percent of his field goal attempts, respectively. Bakken’s performance finally dropped off in 1977 and ’78, his last two seasons. At the time of his retirement, he ranked second in NFL history in scoring (1380 points) and was tied for third in career field goals (282) with his contemporary, Fred Cox. His overall field goal percentage was 63.1. He also ranked third all-time in extra points (534, out of 553 attempts). Bakken was twice a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and was chosen to the Pro Bowl four times. One of the best of the old-school straight-ahead placekickers, he was chosen to the All-1960s team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was a second-team selection for the ‘70s.

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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

1991: Kelly Rallies AFC to Win in Pro Bowl

There were 50,345 fans in attendance at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu for the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl on February 3, 1991, where the game was being held for the 12^th consecutive year. Coaches were Art Shell of the Raiders for the AFC and San Francisco’s George Seifert for the NFC.

The AFC had the game’s first possession and went 71 yards in eight plays. QB Warren Moon of the Oilers completed a pass to Buffalo WR Andre Reed that covered 38 yards to the NFC 30. A 17-yard run by RB Thurman Thomas of the Bills got the ball to the 13 before the drive stalled and Kansas City’s Nick Lowery kicked a 26-yard field goal.

Later in the period, and following an exchange of punts, the NFC had an opportunity to tie the score on a series highlighted by a pass from Philadelphia QB Randall Cunningham to his Eagles teammate, TE Keith Jackson, who then lateraled to RB Earnest Byner of the Redskins for a total pickup of 59 yards. However, the Nationals came up empty when Morten Andersen of the Saints missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.

Following a long AFC series that extended into the second quarter, Lowery also missed a field goal, from 28 yards. The NFC responded with a long drive of 80 yards in 17 plays. QB Jim Everett of the Rams, an injury replacement for San Francisco’s Joe Montana, completed all six of his passes and rookie RB Johnny Johnson of the Cardinals dove into the end zone from a yard out with 43 seconds left on the clock before halftime. Andersen added the point after and the NFC led by 7-3 at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the NFC had the ball first and put together another promising series. Cunningham, again at quarterback, completed passes to RB Barry Sanders of the Lions for five and 19 yards and 28 yards to Jackson to reach the AFC 15. However, two of the next three plays resulted in sacks and a 48-yard field goal attempt by Andersen was blocked by Buffalo DE Bruce Smith, who had also recorded one of the sacks.

The AFC responded by driving 36 yards in eight plays to a 43-yard field goal by Lowery that narrowed the NFC’s margin to 7-6. Late in the third quarter, and following another exchange of punts, San Francisco WR Jerry Rice caught a pass that was nearly intercepted by CB Rod Woodson of the Steelers and gained 49 yards to the AFC nine yard line. From there, Johnson ran for his second TD and, with the successful extra point by Andersen, the NFC was ahead by 14-6 heading into the final quarter.

Buffalo QB Jim Kelly (pictured at top) threw to WR Anthony Miller of the Chargers for 33 yards on the last play of the third quarter, and as the contest moved into the final period, he combined with other Bills teammates to advance the AFC to another score. Following three straight tosses to Thomas that totaled 20 yards, Kelly completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Reed, threading the ball between two defenders. Lowery converted and the AFC was down by only a point.

Everett came out throwing for the NFC on the next possession. He connected on three passes to WR Gary Clark of the Redskins, the longest for 19 yards, and Sanders ran for a 22-yard touchdown to cap the 80-yard, 11-play series. Andersen kicked the point after and, with 5:11 to go, the NFC was leading by 21-13.

The AFC came back with another scoring drive, with the big play a pass from Kelly to Cincinnati RB James Brooks that covered 49 yards. Lowery kicked a 34-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 21-16.

The NFC went three-and-out and had to punt. With just over two minutes remaining to play, Kelly threw to TE Ferrell Edmunds of the Dolphins for 27 yards and, two plays later, he completed a 13-yard pass to WR Ernest Givins of the Oilers for a touchdown with the clock down to 1:49. Lowery added the extra point to make it a two-point lead for the AFC.

The NFC still had a chance to win and Everett tossed a third-and-18 pass to TE Steve Jordan that gained 29 yards to get into field goal position. However, Andersen’s 46-yard try with seven seconds on the clock was blocked by Miami DE Jeff Cross to preserve the 23-21 win for the AFC.

The NFC finished with a slight edge in total yards (368 to 358), with both teams gaining 90 yards on the ground, and also had more first downs (22 to 17). There were no turnovers.

Jim Kelly, who was named the game’s MVP, completed 13 of 19 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns while Warren Moon was 6 of 11 for 72 yards. Thurman Thomas led the AFC with 38 rushing yards on 7 carries and had four catches for 36 yards. James Brooks was right behind in the ground-gaining department with 36 yards on five attempts and Andre Reed also had four pass receptions, gaining 80 yards and scoring a TD.

For the NFC, Jim Everett (pictured at left) was successful on 13 of 18 throws for 138 yards and Randall Cunningham went to the air 11 times, completing 6 for 168 yards. Barry Sanders rushed for 35 yards on 7 attempts and Johnny Johnson gained 32 yards on 10 carries that included the two TDs. Gary Clark caught 6 passes for 65 yards and Jerry Rice gained 62 yards on his three receptions. Morten Andersen had a rough day, having two field goal attempts blocked and missing another from 40 yards.

“Man, I’m glad the kick went our way today,” said Jim Kelly, referencing his team’s one-point loss in the Super Bowl the previous week against the Giants when Scott Norwood missed a potential game-winning field goal at the end.

The win for the AFC was the first in three years and cut the NFC’s advantage to 12-9 since the all-star contest had switched to the AFC vs. NFC format.

Highlighted Year: Fred Besana, 1983

Quarterback, Oakland Invaders

Age: 29 (Mar. 9)

6^th season in pro football, 1^st in USFL & with Invaders

College: California

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 210

Prelude:

Son of a former minor league pitcher and baseball scout, Besana backed up Steve Bartkowski and Joe Roth as a college quarterback. He was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 1977 NFL draft. While active for two games during his rookie season, Besana saw no action and was released at the end of the preseason in ’78. He was signed by the New York Giants late in the year and again was active for two games but didn’t play. Released by the Giants during the ’79 preseason, Besana played three years with the Twin Cities Cougars of the minor league California Football League while running a beer distributorship. The Cougars were champions all three seasons and Besana was twice named to the league All-Star team. He threw for 1433 yards and 15 TDs in 1980 and led the circuit in passing in ’82 by throwing for 1767 yards and 19 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Besana was signed by the Invaders of the new USFL just before training camp for their inaugural Spring season.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in all 18 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 550 [2]

Most attempts, game – 47 at Tampa Bay 5/21

Completions – 345 [1]

Most completions, game – 27 at Tampa Bay 5/21

Yards – 3980 [1]

Most yards, game – 341 at Michigan 3/19

Completion percentage – 62.7 [1]

Yards per attempt – 7.2 [4]

TD passes – 21 [2]

Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Washington 5/16

Interceptions – 16 [6, tied with Alan Risher & John Reaves]

Most interceptions, game – 2 on five occasions

Passer rating – 96.7

300-yard passing games – 2

200-yard passing games – 13

Rushing

Attempts – 41

Most attempts, game – 6 (for 12 yds.) vs. Birmingham 3/13, (for 31 yds.) vs. Tampa Bay 5/8

Yards – 139

Most yards, game – 31 yards (on 6 carries) vs. Tampa Bay 5/8

Yards per attempt – 3.4

TDs – 3

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Postseason: 1 G (Semifinal playoff at Michigan)

Pass attempts – 35

Pass completions – 23

Passing yardage – 258

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 2

Rushing attempts – 1

Rushing yards – 1

Average gain rushing – 1.0

Rushing TDs – 1

Invaders went 9-9 to finish first in the USFL Pacific Division. Lost USFL Semifinal playoff to Michigan Panthers (37-21).

Aftermath:

Following his impressive 1983 season, Besana and the Oakland offense got off to a rough start in ’84. The team was 0-9 before catching fire with a seven-game winning streak. Besana ended up throwing for 2792 yards and 14 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. The Invaders were merged with the Michigan Panthers for 1985 and Besana lost his starting job to Bobby Hebert. He threw just 58 passes, completing 34 for 494 yards and six TDs along with four interceptions. The demise of the USFL brought an end to Besana’s career. For his three USFL seasons, Besana completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 7266 yards and 41 touchdowns while giving up 32 interceptions and being sacked 140 times.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Jim “King” Corcoran, 1974

Quarterback, Philadelphia Bell

Age: 31

9^th season in pro football, 1^st in WFL

College: Maryland

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

The flamboyant Corcoran had a long and successful career as a minor league pro quarterback, achieving a near-legendary status due to his performance on the field and eccentric behavior off of it. He spent the better part of his first six seasons in the Atlantic Coast Football League. With Wilmington in 1966, he led the ACFL in pass attempts (247) and with Waterbury in 1967 topped the circuit in attempts (309), completions (141), yards (2065), and TD passes (19). Corcoran was cut by the AFL’s Denver Broncos during both the 1966 and ’67 preseasons and was signed to the New York Jets’ taxi squad. He started the 1968 season with Bridgeport, which acted as a minor league team for the Jets, and after he was sold to another AFL club, the Boston Patriots, continued in the ACFL with Lowell, Boston’s minor league affiliate. Corcoran again led the league in pass attempts (333), completions (166), yards (2158), and TD passes (20). He also played in two games for the Patriots, throwing seven passes, two of which were intercepted. In 1969, after failing to catch on with the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, Corcoran joined the Pottstown Firebirds for two seasons and led them to an 11-1 record in ’70, a year in which he topped the ACFL in pass attempts (297), completions (164), completion percentage (55.2), yards (2129), and TD passes (24), although an injury caused him to miss the league championship game, which the Firebirds won. He was named to the ACFL All-Star team. After another failed trial with the Eagles in 1971, Corcoran returned to the ACFL and the Norfolk Neptunes, leading the league in completion percentage (52.6) and TD passes (17) as the club won the championship. He joined the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL for 1972 but quit rather than be a third-string quarterback and moved on to Chambersburg of the Seaboard Football League, but was injured midway through the season. He spent the ’73 season with Flint of the Midwest Football League. Corcoran joined the Bell of the new WFL for 1974, reuniting with Head Coach Ron Waller, who had been an assistant with Pottstown and head coach at Norfolk, as well as a number of other players who had been teammates with both of those clubs.        

1974 Season Summary

Appeared in 19 of 20 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 545 [1]

Completions – 280 [1]

Yards – 3631 [2]

Completion percentage – 51.4 [6]

Yards per attempt – 6.7

TD passes – 31 [1]

Interceptions – 30 [1]

Rushing

Attempts – 23

Yards – 26

Yards per attempt – 1.1

TDs – 3

Scoring

TDs – 3

Action Points - 1

Points – 22

(Note: Touchdowns counted for 7 points in the WFL)

Postseason: 1 G (WFL First Round playoff at Florida)

Pass attempts – 32

Pass completions – 11

Passing yardage – 127

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 2

Bell went 9-11 to finish third in the WFL Eastern Division. Lost WFL First Round playoff to Florida Blazers (18-3).

Aftermath:

Corcoran returned to the Bell in 1975 but lost his starting job to Bob Davis. He completed 45 of 99 passes for 440 yards and three TDs with six intercepted before the WFL folded in October. Corcoran retired, “the minor league Joe Namath” having passed for 14,528 yards and 134 touchdowns over the course of his checkered and colorful career. 

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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