Highlighted Year: Marion Barber, 2006

Running Back, Dallas Cowboys

Age: 23

2^nd season in pro football & with Cowboys

College: Minnesota

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 218

Prelude:

Son of a former running back for the Jets of the same name (his brother Dominique also played in the NFL as a safety with the Houston Texans), Barber teamed up with RB Laurence Maroney in college to create an effective tandem. He gained 4495 all-purpose yards, 3276 via rushing. Barber entered the 2005 NFL draft after his junior year and was chosen by the Cowboys in the fourth round. Backing up RB Julius Jones, he rushed for 538 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. With his ability to break tackles, Barber proved to be a good complement to the injury-prone Jones and became the preferred short-yardage runner in a two-back arrangement.

2006 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 135

Most attempts, game – 16 (for 83 yds.) vs. Tampa Bay 11/23

Yards – 654

Most yards, game – 83 yards (on 16 carries) vs. Tampa Bay 11/23

Average gain – 4.8 [11]

TDs – 14 [3, 1^st in NFC]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 23

Most receptions, game – 5 (for 23 yds.) vs. Detroit 12/31

Yards – 196

Most yards, game – 28 (on 2 catches) at Washington 11/5

Average gain – 8.5

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 16 [3, tied with Steven Jackson, Maurice Jones-Drew & Willie Parker, 1^st in NFC]

Points – 96

Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at Seattle)

Rushing attempts – 3

Rushing yards – 4

Average gain rushing – 1.3

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 3

Pass receiving yards – 23

Average yards per reception – 7.7

Pass receiving TDs – 0

Cowboys went 9-7 to finish second in the NFC East and qualify for the postseason as a Wild Card while leading the conference in touchdowns (52). Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to Seattle Seahawks (21-20).

Aftermath:

Barber continued to be used in combination with Julius Jones in 2007 and rushed for 975 yards and 10 TDs while also catching 44 passes. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and, with the departure of Jones, moved into the starting lineup in ’08. Still a potent power runner, he was also bothered by a toe injury and, rushing for 885 yards, his yards-per-carry dropped from 4.8 to 3.7. Still, he achieved a career high with 52 pass receptions for 417 yards and scored a total of nine touchdowns. Barber ran for 932 yards in 2009 but showed signs of wear and RB Felix Jones saw more action. The toll taken by his hard-charging running style caused a quick drop in Barber’s production in 2010 as his rushing total fell to 374 yards and his career came to an end as a backup with the Chicago Bears in 2011. Overall, Barber rushed for 4780 yards and 53 touchdowns on 1156 carries (4.1 avg.), with 4358 of those yards and 47 TDs coming with Dallas. He also caught 179 passes for 1330 yards and six more TDs.

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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: Tom Colella, 1946

Halfback, Cleveland Browns

Age: 28

5^th season in pro football, 1^st in AAFC & with Browns

College: Canisius

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 187

Prelude:

The versatile Colella was a three-time Little All-American in college and the Detroit Lions chose him in the fifth round of the 1942 NFL draft. Following two seasons as a tailback in Detroit, he was traded to the Cleveland Rams and was a member of the 1945 NFL Championship team, having been shifted to halfback in the T-formation offense while still performing in the defensive backfield and punting. Rather than move with the Rams to Los Angeles, Colella jumped to the Browns of the new AAFC for 1946.

1946 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions

Interceptions – 10 [1]

Int. return yards – 110 [3]

Int. TDs – 0

Rushing

Attempts – 30

Yards – 118

Average gain – 3.9

TDs – 2

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 1

Yards – 12

TDs – 1

Punting

Punts – 47 [4]

Yards – 1895 [5]

Average – 40.3 [6]

Punts blocked – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1

Yards – 29

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 8 [13, tied with Cliff Lewis, Walt Clay & Ace Parker]

Yards – 172 [9]

Average per return – 21.5

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Postseason: 1 G (AAFC Championship vs. New York)

Rushing attempts – 4

Rushing yards – 14

Average gain rushing – 3.5

Rushing TDs – 0

Punts –2

Yards – 77

Average – 38.5

Blocked – 0

Longest punt – 41 yards

Browns went 12-2 to finish first in the AAFC Western Division while leading the league in interceptions (41), fewest passing yards allowed (1317), fewest touchdowns allowed (19), and fewest points allowed (137). Won AAFC Championship over New York Yankees (14-9).  

Aftermath:

Colella again led the AAFC with six interceptions in 1947, one of which he returned for a touchdown. After one more season with Cleveland, Colella was traded to the Buffalo Bills in 1949, which was his last season. Overall, he intercepted 26 passes, five in the NFL and 21 in the AAFC, with 18 of those coming with the Browns. He also averaged 37.4 yards on 197 punts, with 97 of those kicks averaging 37.6 yards with Cleveland. 507 of his 753 rushing yards came in the NFL, as did 10 of 18 pass receptions. Colella was a charter member of the Canisius College Athletics Hall of Fame and was later inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

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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

2001: Antowain Smith Signs with Patriots

On June 7, 2001 the New England Patriots took a step toward improving their running game by signing RB Antowain Smith to a one-year contract. The 29-year old, who started college late and was thus a comparative latecomer to the NFL, had spent the previous four years with the Buffalo Bills.

Smith didn’t play football until he was a high school senior, but excelled when he did, achieving both all-district and all-conference honors. After working for two years to support the grandparents who raised him, he moved on to Eastern Mississippi and then the University of Houston, where he ran for 1847 yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons.

Smith was chosen by the Bills in the first round of the 1997 NFL draft and backed up RB Thurman Thomas as a rookie but still managed to rush for 840 yards. He followed up with 1124 yards in ’98 as he became the starting tailback. However, injuries, which would become a recurring problem, dropped Smith’s production to 614 yards in 1999, although he performed well in the postseason loss at Tennessee (14 carries for 79 yards and two TDs). In 2000 he appeared in 11 games, starting only three of them, as he found himself out of favor with offensive coordinator Joe Pendry.

With a new front office and coaching staff taking over, the Bills released Smith. He joined a New England squad that had yet to suitably replace star RB Curtis Martin, who departed for the Jets following the 1997 season. J.R. Redmond, a third-round draft choice in 2000, had been the latest disappointment. He started five games and ran for 406 yards in an injury-plagued year while Kevin Faulk, better suited to a part-time role, led the club with 570 yards on the ground. The team as a whole dropped to 5-11 in the first season under Head Coach Bill Belichick and was seeking to retool. Smith was the sort of player that New England was rebuilding with – another club’s misfit who nevertheless was also a highly-motivated, team-oriented type and played with passion.

Smith moved into the lineup and became part of a surprising turnaround by the Patriots that culminated in a NFL Championship. While the biggest story was the injury to QB Drew Bledsoe that opened the door for the unsung Tom Brady, Smith helped by having his best season. A slow start gave way to a 94-yard, two-TD performance against the Colts in the third contest and he had three hundred-yard performances in four weeks at midseason. He reached a high of 156 yards on 26 carries against Miami in the next-to-last game and ended up with 287 rushes for 1157 yards (4.0 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. In the playoffs, Smith gained another 204 yards that included 92 on 18 attempts in the Super Bowl upset of the Rams.

Smith spent two more seasons with the Patriots, rushing for 982 yards in 2002 and catching a career-high 31 passes for 243 yards, although he scored only six touchdowns on the ground and, at age 31, appeared to be wearing down. While New England again reached the top in ’03, Smith was less productive and was released in the offseason. His last hundred-yard game for the Patriots was an even 100 on 22 carries against the Colts in the AFC Championship game, and he rushed for 83 yards on 26 attempts in the Super Bowl vs. Carolina, his final game with the club.

Smith played another two years, with Tennessee in 2004 and New Orleans in ’05, and finished up with 6881 rushing yards on 1784 carries (3.9 avg.) and 54 TDs. Never much of a receiver out of the backfield, he had 136 pass receptions for 982 yards (7.2 avg.) and three TDs. Not a breakaway threat, he was a solid power runner who was at his best carrying the ball between the tackles and wearing defenses down. In 2001, most notably, his performance helped to take pressure off of a promising young quarterback, who could typically stick to a conservative passing game, with excellent results.

Highlighted Year: Jeff Blake, 1995

Quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals

Age: 25 (Dec. 4)

4^th season in pro football (3^rd active), 2^nd with Bengals

College: East Carolina

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 202

Prelude:

Blake passed for 3073 yards and 28 touchdowns as a college senior in 1991 and led East Carolina to an 11-1 record. He was chosen in the sixth round of the ’92 NFL draft by the New York Jets and saw scant action in his first two seasons before being waived and moving on to the Bengals in 1994. When ineffective starting QB David Klingler suffered a knee sprain, Blake got his chance and was an immediate sensation. Smart, mobile, and with a quick release, he teamed well with wide receivers Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott on his long, high passes. His inexperience began to show as the season wore on, but he passed for 2154 yards and 14 TDs, against 9 interceptions, while topping the NFL with a 13.8 yards-per-catch average.

1995 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 567 [5, tied with Jim Everett]

Most attempts, game – 46 vs. Houston 9/24, at Cleveland 12/17

Completions – 326 [6]

Most completions, game – 30 vs. Chicago 12/10

Yards – 3822 [8]

Most yards, game – 356 vs. Houston 9/24

Completion percentage – 57.5

Yards per attempt – 6.7

TD passes – 28 [5, 1^st in AFC]

Most TD passes, game – 3 vs. Houston 9/24, vs. Miami 10/1, at Pittsburgh 10/19, vs. Pittsburgh 11/19

Interceptions – 17 [5]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at Tampa Bay 10/8, at Jacksonville 11/26

Passer rating – 82.1 [18]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 15

Rushing

Attempts – 53

Most attempts, game – 7 (for 49 yds.) at Houston 11/12, (for 15 yds.) vs. Pittsburgh 11/19, (for 46 yds.) at Jacksonville 11/26

Yards – 309

Most yards, game – 56 yards (on 5 carries) at Seattle 9/17

Yards per attempt – 5.8

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 2

2-pt conversions – 1 [6, tied with many others]

Points – 14

Awards & Honors:

Pro Bowl

Bengals went 7-9 to finish second in the AFC Central while leading the conference in touchdown passes (29).

Aftermath:

Blake had another strong season in 1996, passing for 3624 yards and 24 touchdowns, but was benched in favor of the returned veteran Boomer Esiason in ’97. Not a favorite of Head Coach Bruce Coslet, he was nearly traded after Neil O’Donnell won the starting job in the 1998 preseason and threw only 93 passes during the season. Blake returned to throw for 2670 yards and 16 TDs in ’99 and signed with New Orleans as a free agent in 2000. He got off to a good start with his new team, passing for 2025 yards and 13 TDs in the first 11 games before being sidelined with a broken foot. Aaron Brooks took over the starting job with favorable results and Blake was relegated to the bench in 2001. He moved on to the Ravens in ’02, where he started ten games, and Arizona in 2003 before finishing his career as a backup for the Eagles in 2004 and Bears in ’05. Overall, Blake threw for 21,711 yards and 134 touchdowns, with 15,134 of those yards and 93 TDs coming with Cincinnati. He also rushed for 2027 yards, 1499 with the Bengals. His Pro Bowl selection in 1995 was the only one of his 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

Highlighted Year: Kevin Butler, 1985

Placekicker, Chicago Bears

Age: 23

1^st season in pro football

College: Georgia

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

Butler kicked 77 field goals in college, which was a SEC career record, and his 60-yard game-winning field goal against Clemson was one of 11 over fifty yards. He was chosen by the Bears in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL draft and beat out veteran Bob Thomas.

1985 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 31 [2, tied with Morten Andersen, 1^st in NFC]

Most field goals, game – 4 at Minnesota 9/19, at San Francisco 10/13, at NY Jets 12/14

Field goal attempts – 37 [3]

Most field goal attempts, game – 6 at Minnesota 9/19

Field goal percentage – 83.8 [4]

PATs – 51 [2, tied with Bob Thomas]

PAT attempts – 51 [4]

Longest field goal – 46 yards at Dallas 11/17

Scoring

Field Goals – 31

PATs – 51

Points – 144 [1]

Postseason: 3 G

Field goals – 4

Most field goals, game – 3 vs. New England, Super Bowl

Field goal attempts – 7

Most field goal attempts, game – 3 vs. NY Giants, NFC Divisional playoff; vs. New England, Super Bowl

PATs – 11

Most PATs, game – 5 vs. vs. New England, Super Bowl

PAT attempts – 11

Longest field goal – 34 yards vs. LA Rams, NFC Championship

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Bears went 15-1 to finish first in the NFC Central with the conference’s best record while leading the NFC in scoring (456 points). Won NFC Divisional playoff over New York Giants (21-0), NFC Championship over Los Angeles Rams (24-0), and Super Bowl over New England Patriots (46-10).

Aftermath:

After setting a rookie scoring record in 1985, Butler followed up in ‘86 by leading the league in field goal attempts (41) but he connected on only 28 of them as his percentage dropped due to slumps. However, he performed well in clutch situations and ended up staying with the Bears for 11 seasons, through 1995. He made good on 243 of 332 field goal tries (73.2 %) and added 387 extra points out of 397 attempts, scoring a total of 1116 points, all of which set club records. Released by the Bears, Butler spent his last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, adding another 22 field goals and 26 extra points to give him career totals of 265 field goals, 413 PATs, and 1208 points. In 12 postseason games, he kicked another 17 field goals and 23 extra points, all with the Bears. Butler was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His son Drew has been a punter in the NFL.

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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

1992: Surge Edge Dragons in WLAF Playoff Game

The World League of American Football Semifinal playoff game in Sacramento on May 31, 1992 featured the Sacramento Surge, 8-2 winners of the North American West Division, and the Barcelona Dragons, who went 5-5 in placing first in the European Division.

The Surge were coached by Kay Stephenson and featured the WLAF’s Offensive Player of the Year in QB David Archer, a 30-year-old NFL journeyman.  RB Mike Pringle, who had been on Atlanta’s practice squad and would go on to a Hall of Fame career in Canada, and WR Eddie Brown from the CFL were the other key offensive stars. Future Seattle Seahawks star DE Michael Sinclair recorded 10 sacks on defense.

Barcelona had made it to the WLAF Championship game, the World Bowl, in ’91 but, after starting strong in 1992, lost five straight games to close out the regular season, although it didn’t cost the Dragons their division title. Former Boston College coach Jack Bicknell was the team’s head coach while QB Scott Erney (pictured above) directed the offense and WR Thomas Woods was the top receiver.

There were 23,640 fans in attendance on a hot midafternoon at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium. The first quarter was scoreless, with Barcelona’s defense effectively shutting down Sacramento’s attack, but less than three minutes into the second quarter the Surge took the lead on a 12-yard interception return by CB Louis Riddick. Cary Blanchard added the extra point.

That was it until the closing seconds of the half when Teddy Garcia kicked a 35-yard field goal for Barcelona that made the halftime score 7-3 in favor of Sacramento.

Early in the third quarter the Surge scored again (and again not on offense) when Eddie Brown returned a punt 86 yards for a TD. Blanchard successfully converted. Down by 14-3, the Dragons began to mount a comeback that started with a big play of their own. Scott Erney completed a pass to WR Dempsey Norman for a 90-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed, but the Surge’s lead was narrowed to 14-9.

Late in the period, Erney threw another scoring pass, this time to TE Demetrius Davis from nine yards out. Again the attempt to add two points failed, but Barcelona now was ahead by 15-14.

Barcelona failed to add points when Garcia was wide on a 43-yard field goal try with 7:43 left to play. In response, the offensively-stymied Surge put together their best series of the game and Blanchard kicked a 46-yard field goal that just made it over the crossbar with 3:54 remaining on the clock.

The Dragons still had an opportunity to pull the game out, but an apparent 60-yard touchdown on a pass from Erney to Thomas Wood was nullified by an illegal motion penalty on Davis. Sacramento held on to win by a 17-15 score.

Barcelona significantly outgained the Surge, 341 yards to 82, had 18 first downs to Sacramento’s eight, and dominated time of possession by 40:17 to 19:43. Each team had a turnover, but the Dragons were hurt by nine penalties, at a cost of 75 yards, to four flags thrown on the Surge.

David Archer completed only 9 of 26 passes for 76 yards and gave up an interception. RB Tony Burse was Sacramento’s top receiver, hauling in four catches for 34 yards. Eddie Brown, the Surge’s most productive receiver during the regular season, failed to catch any passes although he had the long punt return for a score. Mike Pringle led the equally anemic running attack with 18 yards on 7 carries.

For the Dragons, Scott Erney was successful on 24 of 45 throws for 271 yards and two touchdowns, giving up one interception. He also rushed for 27 yards on five carries while RB Joe Mickles led the club with 43 yards on 10 attempts. Thomas Woods and WR Tony Moss each had 6 pass receptions, for 44 and 26 yards, respectively, while Dempsey Norman, thanks to the long scoring catch, gained 104 yards on his three receptions.

Sacramento advanced to the World Bowl and defeated the Orlando Thunder for the WLAF Championship. It was the end for the two-year-old franchise, as the developmental league went on hiatus and, when it returned in 1995, was a strictly European circuit. The Dragons were part of that revamped NFL Europe, appearing in three World Bowls and winning one of them, until folding following the 2003 season.

Highlighted Year: Jake Delhomme, 2005

Quarterback, Carolina Panthers

Age: 30

7^th season in pro football (5^th active), 3^rd with Panthers

College: Louisiana - Lafayette

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 215

Prelude:

Delhomme passed for 9216 yards and 64 TDs in college but went undrafted by the NFL in 1997. He was signed as a free agent by the New Orleans Saints and spent his first two seasons on the practice squad while being farmed out to the WLAF. He backed up Kurt Warner with the Amsterdam Admirals in 1998 and split the starting job with Pat Barnes for the Frankfurt Galaxy in ’99, passing for 1410 yards and 12 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Delhomme continued to be a backup with the Saints, seeing limited action, before moving on to Carolina as a free agent in 2003 where he became the starter and had surprising success. He passed for 3219 yards and 19 TDs and did remarkably well under pressure, engineering eight come-from-behind wins. The Panthers won the NFC Championship and narrowly lost to the Patriots in the Super Bowl, with Delhomme performing capably. He followed up by passing for 3886 yards and 29 TDs in ’04, which was otherwise a down year for the team. Lacking mobility and a strong arm, Delhomme made up for it by being intelligent and a good leader, well-suited to Carolina’s conservative offense.

2005 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 435 [15]

Most attempts, game – 38 at Chicago 11/20

Completions – 262 [13, tied with Mark Brunell]

Most completions, game – 22 at Chicago 11/20

Yards – 3421 [11]

Most yards, game – 341 vs. Minnesota 10/30

Completion percentage – 60.2

Yards per attempt – 7.9 [4]

TD passes – 24 [4, tied with Matt Hasselbeck, Drew Brees & Eli Manning, 1^st in NFC]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at Miami 9/25, vs. Minnesota 10/30

Interceptions – 16 [5]

Most interceptions, game – 3 at Detroit 10/16

Passer rating – 88.1 [12]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 10

Rushing

Attempts – 24

Most attempts, game – 4 (for 1 yd.) vs. Atlanta 12/4

Yards – 31

Most yards, game – 17 yards (on 2 carries) vs. New Orleans 9/11

Average gain – 1.3

TDs – 1

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 3 G

Pass attempts – 90

Most pass attempts, game – 35 at Seattle, NFC Championship

Pass completions – 54

Most pass completions, game – 24 at Chicago, NFC Divisional playoff

Passing yardage – 655

Most passing yards, game – 319 at Chicago, NFC Divisional playoff

TD passes – 5

Most TD passes, game – 3 at Chicago, NFC Divisional playoff

Interceptions – 4

Most interceptions, game – 3 at Seattle, NFC Championship

Rushing attempts – 5

Most rushing attempts, game – 3 at Seattle, NFC Championship

Rushing yards – 24

Most rushing yards, game – 15 at Seattle, NFC Championship

Average gain rushing – 4.8

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

Pro Bowl

Panthers went 11-5 to finish second in the NFC South while qualifying for the postseason as a Wild Card entry. Won NFC Wild Card playoff over New York Giants (23-0) and NFC Divisional playoff over Chicago Bears (29-21). Lost NFC Championship to Seattle Seahawks (34-14).

Aftermath:

Delhomme suffered through an inconsistent year in 2006, with a thumb injury causing him to miss three late-season games, and he was limited to three games in ’07 due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He came back strong in 2008 to pass for 3288 yards and 15 touchdowns as the team improved to 12-4, but faltered badly in a five-interception loss to the Cardinals in the postseason. A poor 2009 season brought an end to Delhomme’s tenure with the Panthers and he finished up with the Browns and Texans, who signed him during the 2011 season after injuries depleted the quarterback corps. Overall, Delhomme threw for 20,975 yards and 126 TDs in the NFL, with 19,258 of those yards and 120 touchdowns coming with Carolina.

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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