Highlighted Year: Mike Ditka, 1962

Tight End, Chicago Bears

Age: 23 (Oct. 18)

2^nd season in pro football & with Bears

College: Pittsburgh

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 230

Prelude:

Ditka was a three-sport athlete in college (baseball and basketball were the others). He led the team in pass receiving three times and was a consensus first-team All-American as a senior. Ditka also played linebacker and defensive end with distinction and punted, setting the tone for his later pro career with his competitive fury and hard-nosed playing style as well as being a skillful performer. He was chosen by the Bears with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft (he was chosen by the Houston Oilers of the AFL, also in the first round) and quickly became a key player on offense at tight end with his ability as a receiver as well as blocker. He caught 56 passes for 1076 yards (19.2 avg.) and 12 touchdowns in ’61 and, in addition to receiving Rookie of the Year honors from UPI and The Sporting News, was also a first-team All-NFL selection of NEA and The Sporting News and was chosen to the Pro Bowl.

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 58 [5, tied with Tommy McDonald & Johnny Morris]    

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 132 yds.) vs. San Francisco 10/14

Yards – 904 [10]

Most yards, game – 155 (on 6 catches) vs. LA Rams 12/9

Average gain – 15.6 [19]

TDs – 5 [18, tied with five others]

100-yard receiving games - 4

Scoring

TDs – 6

Points – 36

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: UPI, NEA

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

1^st team All-Western Conference: Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Bears went 9-5 to finish third in the NFL Western Conference.   

Aftermath:

Ditka was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the next three seasons and was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection in 1963, when the Bears won the NFL Championship, and ’64, when he caught a career-high 75 passes. He did much to define the newly-evolved position of tight end with his outstanding combination of skills. After a contract dispute fouled his relations with Chicago’s owner and head coach, George Halas, Ditka was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1967, but accumulated wear-and-tear caused his production to drop off during two injury-plagued seasons. After catching 316 passes for 4503 yards and 34 TDs in six years with the Bears, he had just 39 receptions for 385 yards and four TDs in 20 games for the Eagles. Traded again to Dallas, Ditka split time in his last four seasons. He had 30 catches in 1971, a year in which he also caught a touchdown pass in a winning Super Bowl appearance. Ditka retired into coaching after the ’72 season, having caught a total of 427 passes for 5812 yards and 43 TDs. His greatest years came with the Bears, where he was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection twice, received at least second-team recognition after four other seasons, and was named to the Pro Bowl five straight times. He later became head coach of the Bears, leading them to a NFL title in 1985, and also was head coach of the Saints. Ditka’s #89 was retired by the Bears and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1988.

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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: Muhsin Muhammad, 1999

Wide Receiver, Carolina Panthers

Age: 26

4^th season in pro football & with Panthers

College: Michigan State

Height: 6’2”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

Muhammad caught 50 passes for 867 yards (17.3 avg.) and three touchdowns in 1995, his last college season, and was chosen by the Panthers in the second round of the ’96 NFL draft. While hampered by a hamstring injury as a rookie, he showed promise, catching 25 passes for 407 yards (16.3 avg.) and impressing with his size as well as speed. Following another injury-plagued season in 1997, Muhammad started every game in ’98 and broke out with 68 receptions for 941 yards (13.8 avg.) and six TDs.

1999 Season Summary

Appeared in 15 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 96 [3, 1^st in NFC]    

Most receptions, game – 11 (for 126 yds.) vs. San Francisco 12/18

Yards – 1253 [7]

Most yards, game – 151 (on 8 catches) at Washington 10/3

Average gain – 13.1

TDs – 8 [12, tied with Az-Zahir Hakim, Kevin Johnson & Keyshawn Johnson]

100-yard receiving games – 5

Scoring

TDs – 8

Points – 48

Awards & Honors:

Pro Bowl

Panthers went 8-8 to finish second in the NFC West while ranking second in the NFL in passing yards (4161) and third in touchdowns (50).

Aftermath:

Muhammad led the NFL with 102 catches in 2000, gaining 1183 yards (11.6 avg.) and scoring six touchdowns. Injuries and off-field problems caused his production to drop off significantly in 2001, but there was improvement in 2002 and ’03, and he had an 85-yard scoring reception in the Super Bowl loss to New England following the latter season. Muhammad had a big year in 2004, leading the NFL with 1405 yards and 16 TDs on his 93 pass receptions and receiving consensus first-team All-NFL honors as well as selection to the Pro Bowl. However, he was released by the Panthers in the offseason due to contract issues and moved on to the Chicago Bears in 2005, where with his diminished speed combining with inconsistency at quarterback, his numbers dropped off. He spent three years with the Bears before returning to Carolina for his last two seasons in 2008 and ’09. Overall, Muhammad caught 860 passes for 11,438 yards (13.3 avg.) and 62 touchdowns. Of those totals, 696 receptions for 9255 yards and 50 TDs came with the Panthers. Muhammad was a first-team All-NFL selection once and was named to two Pro Bowls.

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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 Percentage, 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

1983: Jim Kelly Signs with USFL

The Houston Gamblers, one of the United States Football League’s six expansion franchises for its second season, made a major acquisition on June 9, 1983 as prize QB Jim Kelly from the Univ. of Miami signed a contract.

Kelly had been chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the NFL draft as part of a much-heralded quarterback class that included Stanford’s John Elway and Dan Marino of Pittsburgh. While contract terms were not released at the time of the signing, it was later revealed to be a five-year fully-guaranteed deal for $3.3 million. While they were at it, the Gamblers also signed Kelly’s roommate at Miami, RB Mark Rush, who had been Minnesota’s fourth-round draft pick (he lasted five games with Houston before being released).

“Kelly is more ready to play pro football than some of the others because of the type of offense he was under in college,” explained Gene Burrough, Houston’s general manager.

Playing under Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger at Miami, who utilized a pro-style passing offense, Kelly set school records for pass completions (376), passing yards (5228), and TD passes (31), but his college career was curtailed when he suffered a separated shoulder against Virginia Tech in the third game of the 1982 season. Already given a clean bill of health, but with the USFL season not set to start until February of 1984, he would have that much more time to fully heal.

While the Gamblers were coached by Jack Pardee, the offensive coordinator was Darrel “Mouse” Davis, architect of the “run-and-shoot” offense at Portland State. Houston lost its opening game, 20-17 to the Tampa Bay Bandits, and Kelly passed for 229 yards and a touchdown while giving up two interceptions. But the following week, on a Monday night, the Gamblers blasted the San Antonio Gunslingers, another first-year club, and Kelly threw for 309 yards and a TD while running for two more. The Gamblers got off to a 3-1 start, stumbled for two losses, and then went on to a 13-5 record that placed first in the Central Division. Moreover, the offense was nothing short of sensational, averaging 34.3 points per game on the way to racking up 618 points, which were 79 more than the runner-up, and scoring 79 touchdowns over the course of 18 games.

Kelly significantly exceeded rookie expectations, topping the circuit in pass attempts (587), completions (370), yards (5219), and touchdowns (44), although also in interceptions (26). In addition, he rushed for 493 yards on 85 carries (5.8 avg.) and five TDs. Two of his receivers, Richard Johnson (115 catches, 1455 yards, 15 TDs) and Ricky Sanders (101 receptions, 1378 yards, 11 TDs) finished first and second in pass receptions. For his efforts, Kelly was a consensus first-team All-USFL selection and was named Player of the Year by the league. That the Gamblers fell short in the first round of the playoffs against the Arizona Wranglers took little luster off of the season of accomplishments.

The Gamblers were without “Mouse” Davis in 1985, who became the head coach of the Denver Gold, but it did not slow down Kelly and the offense. In the opening game against the Los Angeles Express and another heralded young quarterback, Steve Young, Kelly had a remarkable performance in a 34-33 come-from-behind win. His 574 passing yards not only far exceeded the existing USFL record but also the NFL mark of 554 set in 1951 by Norm Van Brocklin of the Rams. He went to the air 54 times, completed 35, and five were good for touchdowns.

Kelly maintained high production through another outstanding season until he was sidelined for the last four games with a knee injury, yet he still topped the USFL in pass attempts (567), completions (360), yards (4623), and TD passes (39). He again received consensus first-team All-USFL honors. And while Kelly returned for the postseason, Houston was once more eliminated in the first round.

The 1985 season proved to be the end of the line for the USFL. A planned move to the autumn in 1986 was aborted when an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL led to a favorable ruling but, essentially, no cash award (one dollar, times three), something that was desperately needed by the USFL. The Gamblers had been merged with the New Jersey Generals during the offseason in a move that was to put Kelly in the same backfield with star RB Herschel Walker, but it was not to be. He left the USFL having thrown for 9842 yards and 83 TDs in just two seasons and 32 games.

Kelly went on to the NFL and the Buffalo Bills, who retained his rights. He stayed with Buffalo for eleven years, passing for 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns, and performing well in a fast-paced, no-huddle offense that was similar to the one he had so much success with in the USFL. The club won four straight AFC Championships between 1990 and ’93 and Kelly, who received consensus first-team All-NFL honors once and was chosen to five Pro Bowls, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.    

1966: Rams Obtain Irv Cross from Eagles

On June 8, 1966, while the main focus of pro football followers was on the announcement of the AFL-NFL merger, the Philadelphia Eagles parted ways with Pro Bowl CB Irv Cross, who was sent to the Los Angeles Rams for DB Aaron Martin and HB/flanker Willie Brown.

It was the second trade by the Eagles to the Rams of a disgruntled defensive Pro Bowler during the turbulent offseason as discontent rose against Head Coach/GM Joe Kuharich. LB Maxie Baughan’s demand to be sent elsewhere was accommodated several weeks earlier. The 26-year-old Cross had been with the Eagles for five seasons, but threatened to quit unless traded.

Drafted by the Eagles in the seventh round out of Northwestern in 1961, Cross was thrust into the starting lineup when star CB Tom Brookshier suffered a broken leg in the eighth game. He intercepted two passes, recovered two fumbles, and suffered three concussions during the season. Cross remained in the starting lineup in 1962 and showed improvement as he intercepted five passes. By 1964, he was chosen to the Pro Bowl for the first of two consecutive seasons and was noted for his tackling ability as well as coverage skills. Thus far with the Eagles, he had intercepted 15 passes, one of which he returned for a 94-yard touchdown. He also was Philadelphia’s primary kick returner in ’65, running back 25 kickoffs for a 26.5-yard average and 14 punts at a 5.6-yard rate.

As for the players the Eagles received for Cross, Willie Brown was 24 and a third-year player who was drafted by the Rams in the third round in 1964 out of USC. He had primarily been used to return kicks and, as a halfback, rushed for 133 yards on 44 carries in ‘65. The Eagles had hopes of using him as a flanker. Aaron Martin, also 24, went undrafted out of North Carolina College and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 1964, who tried him on offense, but was released during the preseason after which the Rams picked him up. He started the ’65 season at cornerback and intercepted two passes before suffering a broken left arm in the fourth game that sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

The Rams, coming off of a 4-10 record (their seventh straight losing season) had a new head coach in the defense-minded George Allen, formerly an assistant under George Halas with the Bears (who did not let him go without a court battle). Allen inherited an excellent defensive line but the remainder of the unit needed bolstering. The addition of Baughan at outside linebacker was a plus and it was hoped that Cross could help in a defensive backfield that had one star in FS Ed Meador and inexperienced players at the other positions. 

Cross proved to be a good fit at right cornerback for the Rams, who improved to 8-6 in their first year under Coach Allen. He paired up well with young CB Clancy Williams on the other side and, while he intercepted only one pass, he returned it 60 yards for a touchdown, and continued to impress with his tackling.

Cross was with Los Angeles for three seasons, and with the outstanding defense leading the way, the Rams went 11-1-2 in 1967, reaching the postseason for the first time since 1955, and 10-3-1 in ’68. He intercepted a total of six passes and was also used to return kicks, averaging 7.5 yards running back 29 punts and 30.1 yards on 16 kickoff returns.

Cross was traded back to the Eagles in 1969 in the deal that brought All-Pro OT Bob Brown to LA. He was a player/coach in his final season, and after retiring as a player was an assistant coach in 1970 before moving to the broadcast booth. He became a fixture on "The NFL Today" on CBS from 1975 to ’89.  

As for the Eagles, the result of the transaction was disappointing. Willie Brown lasted one year with the club, catching no passes and returning a handful of kicks with mediocre results. Aaron Martin spent two seasons with Philadelphia, intercepted two passes and returned a punt for a touchdown, but was nothing special in the defensive backfield.

Highlighted Year: Steve Christie, 1998

Placekicker, Buffalo Bills

Age: 31 (Nov. 13)

9^th season in pro football, 7^th with Bills

College: William & Mary

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 185

Prelude:

A native of Canada, Christie was a highly-sought soccer prospect coming out of high school but was recruited by William & Mary to be a kicker. He set school records for field goals (57), field goal percentage (68.7), and points (279) and was also an accomplished punter. For his efforts, he was a three-time All-ECAC selection. Undrafted out of college, Christie joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1990 and was successful on 23 of 27 field goal attempts. He received first-team All-NFC honors from UPI and Pro Football Weekly. After a second season with the Bucs, he signed with the Bills as a free agent in 1992. Christie connected on 24 of 30 field goal attempts in 1992 and was 9-of-10 in his first postseason, which included the game-winning kick in the dramatic come-from-behind win over the Oilers in the Wild Card round and five in the AFC Championship against Miami. A lesser year in ’93 was followed by his career high for field goal percentage (85.7) in 1994 as he made good on 24 of 28 attempts and kicked a Super Bowl-record 54-yard field goal in the postseason. He remained consistent and in 1997 was 24-of-30 on field goals (80 %) and was successful all 21 of his extra point attempts.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 33 [3]

Most field goals, game – 4 vs. San Francisco 10/4, at NY Jets 11/8, at Cincinnati 12/6

Field goal attempts – 41 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 5 vs. San Francisco 10/4

Field goal percentage – 80.5 [16]

PATs – 41 [7, tied with Ryan Longwell & Todd Peterson]

PAT attempts – 41 [8, tied with Todd Peterson]

Longest field goal – 52 yards at Cincinnati 12/6

Scoring

Field Goals – 33

PATs – 41

Points – 140 [2, 1^st in AFC]

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Wild Card playoff at Miami)

Field goals – 1

Field goal attempts – 1

PATs – 2

PAT attempts – 2

Longest field goal – 33 yards

Bills went 10-6 to finish third in the AFC East and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. Lost AFC Wild Card playoff to Miami Dolphins (24-17).  

Aftermath:

Christie spent two more seasons with Buffalo for a total of nine before a preseason groin injury in 2001 led to his being placed on injured-reserve and then released. He departed the Bills having achieved franchise records with 234 field goals out of 299 attempts (78.3 %) and 309 extra points, with four misses, for a total of 1011 points. Christie joined the San Diego Chargers during the 2001season and stayed on for another two years before finishing his career with the Giants in 2004. Overall, Christie was successful on 336 of 431 field goal attempts (78.0 %) and 468 of 473 PATs for a total of 1476 points.

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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: Matt Stover, 2000

Placekicker, Baltimore Ravens

Age: 32

11^th season in pro football, 10^th active & with Browns/Ravens

College: Louisiana Tech

Height: 5’11” Weight: 178

Prelude:

Stover was successful on 64 of 88 field goal attempts in college, his longest coming from 57 yards, and he also punted during his senior year with a 34.1-yard average. He was chosen by the New York Giants in the 12^th round of the 1990 NFL draft but, following a good preseason, spent the ’90 regular season on injured reserve due to a quadriceps pull. Stover joined the Cleveland Browns in 1991 and was steady in his first active pro season, hitting on 16 of 22 field goal attempts, including a 55-yarder that was the longest in the AFC that year, and 33 of 34 PATs. He also adapted well to the field conditions and winds at Municipal Stadium. It proved to be the first of five seasons with the Browns, who became the Baltimore Ravens in 1996, and Stover continued on with the renewed franchise. Along the way he made good on 26 of 28 field goal tries in 1994 for a NFL-leading 92.9 percentage, earning second-team All-AFC honors from UPI. Through 1999 he had scored 884 points on 202 field goals and 278 extra points.

2000 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 35 [1]

Most field goals, game – 5 at Jacksonville 10/8

Field goal attempts – 39 [1]

Most field goal attempts, game – 5 at Cleveland 10/1, at Jacksonville 10/8

Field goal percentage – 89.7 [6]

PATs – 30 [17, tied with John Hall]

PAT attempts – 30 [17, tied with John Hall]

Longest field goal – 51 yards at Washington 10/15, vs. Pittsburgh 10/29

Scoring

Field Goals – 35

PATs – 30

Points – 135 [2, 1^st in AFC]

Postseason: 4 G

Field goals – 6

Most field goals, game – 3 at Oakland, AFC Championship

Field goal attempts – 8

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 at Oakland, AFC Championship

PATs – 11

Most PATs, game – 4 vs. NY Giants, Super Bowl

PAT attempts – 11

Longest field goal – 47 yards vs. NY Giants, Super Bowl

Awards & Honors:

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

1^st team All-AFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Ravens went 12-4 to finish second in the AFC Central and qualify for a Wild Card playoff slot. Won Wild Card playoff over Denver Broncos (21-3), AFC Divisional playoff over Tennessee Titans (24-10), AFC Championship over Oakland Raiders (16-3), and Super Bowl over New York Giants (34-7).   

Aftermath:

Stover, who was successful on 30 of 35 field goal attempts in 2001, continued on for another eight seasons with the Ravens through 2008. He departed as the franchise leader in field goals (354) and scoring (1464 points). Stover was signed by the Indianapolis Colts during the 2009 season due to an injury to PK Adam Vinatieri and, in ten games, was successful on 9 of 11 field goal attempts and all 33 PATs and finished up his 19-season career with a Super Bowl appearance. Overall, Stover kicked 471 field goals out of 563 attempts (83.7 %), which ranked fourth in NFL history at the time, and 591 extra points, with just three misses, for a total of 2004 points, also the fourth highest league total up to that point. He added another 25 field goals, out of 31 tries, and 31 PATs in 16 playoff games. Stover received first-team All-NFL recognition once and was chosen to one Pro Bowl.

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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: Down by 17, Monarchs Rally Past Knights in WLAF Playoff Game

The World League of American Football Semifinal playoff game on June 2, 1991 featured the London Monarchs, representatives of the European Division and the league’s winningest team with a 9-1 record, and the New York/New Jersey Knights, 5-5 finishers in the North American East Division.

The Monarchs, under Head Coach Larry Kennan, featured an efficient offense that rarely turned the ball over and an aggressive defense. QB Stan Gelbaugh (pictured above) was the league’s top-rated passer with a 92.8 rating and also topped the developmental circuit in passing yards (2656) and touchdown throws (17, tied with Orlando’s Kerwin Bell). RB Judd Garrett topped the WLAF in pass receptions with 71 and WR Jon Horton gained a league-high 931 yards on his 43 catches.

New York/New Jersey was coached by Darrel “Mouse” Davis, the chief architect of the “run-and-shoot” offense, and had the league’s leading ground gainer in RB Eric Wilkerson. The Knights had lost both regular season contests against the Monarchs, but received a break in being able to host the Semifinal game rather than travel to London. Due to soccer matches scheduled at Wembley Stadium, the Monarchs were forced to go on the road despite having the better record.

There were 23,149 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The Knights ran into trouble early when center Pete Scott went out with a back injury, forcing changes on the offensive line, but they still managed to take an early lead when Kendall Trainor kicked a 33-yard field goal late in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, New York/New Jersey added to the lead as QB Jeff Graham threw to WR Kip Lewis for a 13-yard touchdown. Trainor added the extra point to make it 10-0.

It was Graham connecting with Lewis again a few minutes later, this time for a 49-yard TD and, with Trainor’s point after, the Knights held an improbable 17-0 lead. The Monarchs began to mount their comeback as Gelbaugh threw to WR Andre Riley for a six-yard touchdown to finally get on the board and then to RB Judd Garrett for a 21-yard TD. Both were followed by Phil Alexander conversions. On the final play of the first half, Trainor kicked a 48-yard field goal and New York/New Jersey took a 20-14 edge into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, London scored again on a one-yard touchdown toss from Gelbaugh to TE Pat Davis and Alexander’s extra point gave the Monarchs their first lead of the day at 21-20. Still in the third quarter, Gelbaugh fired his fourth scoring pass, this time to WR Jon Horton, who leaped to pull it in and went the distance for a 68-yard TD. With the successful conversion by Alexander, the visitors were now in front by 28-20.

The Knights had been moving the ball well and finally added points on a six-yard touchdown run by Eric Wilkerson. The attempt for a two-point conversion failed but London’s lead was cut to 28-26.

Down by two points in the fourth quarter, the Knights advanced into London territory but turned the ball over on a first down play at the 24 when Graham fumbled the snap and LB Marlon Brown recovered for the Monarchs. On their next series, once again the home team advanced into London territory and again turned the ball over. Facing third-and-four at the visitors’ 25, the Knights went to the air and Graham’s throw was intercepted by CB Corris Ervin at the seven with 3:38 remaining to play.

The Monarchs, having twice dodged bullets on their end of the field, responded with a touchdown on a pass from Gelbaugh to Horton that covered 78 yards. Alexander converted and it was more than enough to clinch the result, but London scored one more TD on a three-yard carry by RB David Smith with 51 seconds left on the clock to win by a final score of 42-26.

The Monarchs had the edge in total yards (518 to 418), first downs (25 to 21), and time of possession (34:05 to 25:55). While the Knights moved the ball well through the air, they also turned the ball over five times, to four suffered by London, and the Monarchs recorded nine sacks, to three by New York/New Jersey. The Monarchs missed scoring opportunities on three failed field goal attempts by Alexander while Trainor made good on two of three for the home team. There were many penalties, with 11 flags thrown on London at a cost of 78 yards and eight tossed against the Knights for 69 yards.

Stan Gelbaugh completed 25 of 41 passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions. Jon Horton, with the two long scoring catches, had 8 pass receptions for 225 yards. FB Jeff Alexander rushed for 123 yards on 21 carries.

For the Knights, Jeff Graham was successful on 19 of 35 throws for 399 yards and two TDs while also giving up three interceptions. Kip Lewis had a big performance in defeat with 9 pass receptions for 245 yards and the two early touchdowns. Eric Wilkerson led the club in rushing with 47 yards on 10 attempts.

The win over the Knights put London in the WLAF Championship game, the World Bowl, against the Barcelona Dragons. The Monarchs won a 21-0 shutout to achieve the league’s first title. New York/New Jersey came back with a better record at 6-4 in 1992, but failed to qualify for the postseason.