MVP Profile: Emmitt Smith, 1992

Running Back, Dallas Cowboys


Age: 23
3rd season in pro football & with Cowboys
College: Florida
Height: 5’9” Weight: 203

Prelude:
Taken by the Cowboys in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft, Smith had an immediate impact for the rebuilding club as he ran for 937 yards as a rookie and was selected for the Pro Bowl as well as Offensive Rookie of the Year (AP). In ’91, he led the league with 365 carries for 1563 yards and earned a second trip to the Pro Bowl.

1992 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 373 [2]
Most attempts, game - 30 (for 163 yds.) vs. Philadelphia 11/1
Yards – 1713 [1]
Most yards, game – 174 yards (on 24 carries) at Atlanta 12/21
Average gain – 4.6 [7]
TDs – 18 [1]
100-yard rushing games - 7

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 59
Most receptions, game – 12 (for 67 yds.) at Phoenix 11/22
Yards – 335
Most yards, game - 67 (on 12 catches) at Phoenix 11/22
Average gain – 5.7
TDs – 1

Scoring
TDs – 19 [1]
Points – 114 [6]

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 71
Most rushing attempts, game - 25 vs. Philadelphia, NFC Divisional playoff
Rushing yards – 336
Most rushing yards, game - 114 vs. Philadelphia, NFC Divisional playoff; at San Francisco, NFC Championship
Average gain rushing – 4.7
Rushing TDs – 3
100-yard rushing games - 3


Pass receptions – 13
Most pass receptions, game – 7 at San Francisco, NFC Championship
Pass receiving yards - 86
Most pass receiving yards, game - 59 at San Francisco, NFC Championship
Average yards per reception – 6.6
Pass Receiving TDs - 1

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: NEA
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Cowboys went 13-3 to top the NFC East while placing second to the 49ers in points (409) and touchdowns (48). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Philadelphia Eagles (34-10), NFC Championship over San Francisco 49ers (30-20), and Super Bowl over Buffalo Bills (52-17).

Aftermath:
Smith led the NFL in rushing for a third straight year in 1993 (1486 yards) as the Cowboys repeated as league champions, and he again received MVP recognition. He led the NFL once more in rushing (1773 yards in 1995) in the process of gaining over a thousand yards in 11 straight seasons. Smith also led the league in touchdowns scored on three occasions, including a then-record 25 in 1995. He was a consensus first-team All-Pro four times and was selected to eight Pro Bowls. Smith became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher while still with Dallas before finishing up with two seasons in Arizona. He ended up with 18,355 yards on the ground (17,162 of them with the Cowboys) and scored a total of 175 TDs. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2010.

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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).

[Updated 2/15/14]

Past Venue: City Stadium

Green Bay, WI
aka East Stadium



Year opened: 1925
Capacity: 25,000, up from 6000 at opening

Names:
City Stadium, 1925 to date

Pro football tenants:
Green Bay Packers (NFL), 1925-56

Postseason games hosted:
None

Other tenants of note:
Green Bay East High School, 1925 to date
Preble High School, 1960-2004

Notes: Often referred to as East Stadium or Old City Stadium and not to be confused with Lambeau Field, which was originally named City Stadium from 1957-64 and was often referred to as the New City Stadium during that time. Owned by Green Bay East High School. Also used for high school soccer matches and track & field. Initially, the stadium lacked both rest rooms and locker rooms - the Packers used the high school for locker room facilities – although these were eventually added (but there was never a visitors’ locker room – visiting teams either used the high school or suited up at the hotel before coming to the stadium). Beginning in 1933, Packers played some home games each year in Milwaukee (the practice continued through 1994).

Fate: While the structure was demolished in 1966, the field is still in use by the high school. An ornamental fence and monuments pertaining to the field’s pro football history have since been added.

1985: Stallions Edge Gamblers Thanks to 5 Field Goals by Danny Miller

The United States Football League Quarterfinal playoff game on June 29, 1985 matched the Birmingham Stallions, with the league’s second best defense, against the USFL’s highest scoring team, the Houston Gamblers.

The host Stallions, coached by Rollie Dotsch, had finished first in the Eastern Conference with a 13-5 record. The defense, which featured DT Doug Smith, LB Herb Spencer, and FS Chuck Clanton (16 interceptions), allowed opponents to score just 299 points during the season. To be sure, the offense was effective as well, led by QB Cliff Stoudt, the league’s second-ranked passer (91.2), and including WR Jim Smith, who caught 87 passes for 1322 yards and 20 TDs; RB Joe Cribbs, the USFL’s leading rusher in 1984 who contributed another 1047 yards on the ground in ’85; and All-League guards Buddy Aydelette and Pat Saindon.

Houston, under Head Coach Jack Pardee, featured a run-and-shoot offense that could generate plenty of points – 618 in 1984 and 544 in ’85. QB Jim Kelly, who had a sensational rookie season in ’84, missed the last four games with a knee injury but still ended up as the USFL’s top-rated passer (97.9) and also paced the league by throwing for 4623 yards and 39 touchdowns. WR Richard Johnson was the leading receiver for the second straight year (103 catches) and gained 1384 yards with 14 TDs; WR Clarence Verdin ranked fourth with 84 receptions that added up to 1004 yards and 9 scores. The team faltered with Kelly out of the lineup, but still finished in third place in the Western Conference at 10-8, and Kelly would be behind center against the Stallions, although wearing a knee brace that would hinder his mobility.

There were 18,500 fans in attendance at Legion Field on a 90-degree day in Birmingham. Stallions PK Danny Miller started off the scoring with 39-yard field goal four minutes into the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Birmingham DB Ted Walton knocked the ball away from Verdin and DB Dennis Woodberry recovered for the Stallions at the Houston 34. Four plays later, the Stallions added to their lead with Stoudt’s eight-yard TD pass to Jim Smith.

Kelly showed no rust following the injury layoff, and completed his first seven passes. His 23-yard scoring throw to WR Gerald McNeil cut Birmingham’s lead to 10-7, and that was the tally after one quarter of play.

The teams traded field goals in the second quarter, although it had appeared that the Gamblers were on their way to another touchdown with the ball deep in Birmingham territory. But a goal-line stand by the Stallions, in which RB Todd Fowler was twice stopped short while attempting to dive into the end zone, caused Houston to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Toni Fritsch. Miller booted a 26-yard field goal for Birmingham and the Stallions took a 13-10 lead into halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Miller kicked his third field goal of the day from 41 yards out. However, a short time later, Johnson got between the safeties and hauled in a Kelly pass, skidding through the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown. With the successful conversion, Houston had its first lead of the game at 17-16.

Birmingham came right back, driving 35 yards in 10 plays that culminated in Miller booming a 57-yard field goal near the end of the period, and took a 19-17 margin into the fourth quarter. In what was turning into a see-saw battle of field goals, the Gamblers responded with another of their own, of 46 yards by Fritsch with just over nine minutes left to play.

The Stallions drove to midfield on their next possession and, forced to punt, veteran Bob Parsons kicked one that was downed on the Houston one. The Gamblers moved to their 20 before having to punt in turn, and the field position advantage was strongly in the Stallions’ favor as they took over at the Houston 48. Playing conservatively, the offense drove 29 yards in six plays (four runs, including a 21-yard bootleg by Stoudt, and an incomplete pass) to set up Miller’s fifth field goal, which was successful from 35 yards with just under two minutes remaining (pictured at top).

Houston had one last shot, and it didn’t appear that the two-point lead would hold up when Kelly hit McNeil for a 21-yard gain on a fourth-and-18 play to the Birmingham 32 with five seconds remaining. The Gamblers had gone 58 yards in nine plays and now stood to win as the 39-year-old Fritsch, a 13-season pro veteran, attempted a 49-yard field goal. But the portly Austrian placekicker known as La Machine hooked the kick to the left and Birmingham came away with the 22-20 win.


Houston outgained the Stallions (385 yards to 248) and also had more first downs (25 to 18). But as Cliff Stoudt summed up afterward, “The only stat that counts is who got the W and who got the L. I feel real bad for Toni Fritsch - well, I don't feel real bad.”

Stoudt was successful on 13 of 26 passes for 156 yards and was not intercepted. Joe Cribbs gained 70 yards on 16 attempts, playing with an injured hand and bruised ribs. WR Joey Jones caught four passes for 59 yards while Jim Smith also caught four for 45.

While Danny Miller’s kicking statistics during the regular season were fairly ordinary (13 field goals in 20 attempts, five missed PATs), it was the second year in a row that he booted five field goals in a playoff game.

For the Gamblers, Jim Kelly completed 23 of 40 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Richard Johnson caught 7 passes for 120 yards. Todd Fowler ran for 36 yards on 9 carries and Sam Harrell had 29 yards on five attempts.

The end came for the Stallions the following week, as they lost in the Quarterfinal round to the eventual league champions, the Baltimore Stars. In their three seasons of existence, they made it to the postseason twice, advancing to the second round both times. Houston, a 1984 expansion team, went to the playoffs twice and lost in the first round in both instances.

MVP Profile: Gino Cappelletti, 1964

Flanker/Placekicker, Boston Patriots



Age: 30
5th season in pro football & with Patriots
College: Minnesota
Height: 6’0” Weight: 190

Prelude:
A quarterback in college, Cappelletti was undrafted by the NFL and played semi-pro football in Canada before failing in a preseason tryout with the Detroit Lions. After sitting out all of 1959, he made the Patriots of the new AFL as a defensive back and placekicker. In 1961, Cappelletti moved to split end on offense and led the AFL in scoring (147 points) and field goals (17). Slow but sure-handed, he caught 45 passes for 768 yards and 8 TDs and was named to the AFL All-Star game. He scored 128 points in 1962 and again led the league with 113 in ’63 (and also again in field goals with 22). He was named an AFL All-Star for the second time.

1964 Season Summary
Appeared in all 14 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 49 [10, tied with Don Norton]
Most receptions, game – 7 (for 147 yds.) at NY Jets 10/31
Yards – 865 [9]
Most yards, game - 147 (on 7 catches) at NY Jets 10/31
Average gain – 17.7 [9]
TDs – 7 [9, tied with four others]
100-yard receiving games - 2

Rushing
Attempts – 1
Yards – 7
Average gain – 7.0
TDs – 0

Kicking
Field goals – 25 [1]
Most field goals, game - 6 at Denver 10/4
Field goal attempts – 39 [1]
Most field goal attempts, game – 7 at San Diego 9/20
Field goal percentage – 64.1 [2]
PATs – 36 [4]
PAT attempts – 36 [4]
Longest field goal – 51 yards vs. Denver 11/20

Scoring
TDs – 7 [13, tied with four others]
Field Goals – 25
PATs – 36
2-point PATs – 1
Points – 155 [1]

Awards & Honors:
AFL Player of the Year: AP, UPI
2nd team All-AFL: NEA, UPI
AFL All-Star Game

Patriots went 10-3-1 to finish second in the AFL Eastern Division and ranked third in the league in points scored (359).

Aftermath:
Cappelletti led the AFL in scoring over the next two seasons (132 points in 1965, 119 in ’66) and had the league’s best field goal percentage in 1965 (63.0). He was named to the league All-Star game after ’65 and ’66. Cappelletti played a total of 11 seasons, all with the Patriots, and scored a total of 1130 points (his 1100 points in the AFL alone were the most in league history), with 42 TDs, 176 field goals, and 342 extra points. One of 20 players who were in the AFL for all ten seasons, he also finished with 292 pass receptions for 4589 yards.

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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).

[Updated 2/15/14]

Past Venue: Tiger Stadium

Detroit, MI
aka Briggs Stadium



Year opened: 1912
Capacity: 52,416

Names:
Navin Field, 1912-37
Briggs Stadium, 1938-60
Tiger Stadium, 1960-2008

Pro football tenants:
Detroit Tigers (APFA), 1921
Detroit Tigers/Panthers (NFL), 1925-26
Detroit Lions (NFL), 1938-74

Postseason games hosted:
NFL National Conf. playoff, Lions 31 Rams 21, Dec. 21, 1952
NFL Championship, Lions 17 Browns 16, Dec. 27, 1953
NFL Championship, Lions 59 Browns 14, Dec. 29, 1957

Other tenants of note:
Detroit Tigers (MLB – AL), 1912-99
Detroit Cougars (NPSL/NASL), 1967-68

Notes: Lions split home games between Briggs Stadium and Univ. of Detroit’s Titan Stadium in 1938 and ’39. Hosted one home game of NFL Cleveland Bulldogs in 1927. Hosted Little League baseball games, 2002. Stadium replaced an earlier ballpark, Bennett Field, which had stood on the same spot but was significantly smaller. Originally named for Frank Navin, long-time president of the Tigers, and was renamed for owner Walter O. Briggs after he gained a controlling interest in the franchise.

Fate: Demolished in 2008-09 after efforts to preserve the structure failed.

1981: Bob Griese Retires from Dolphins

A significant era in Miami Dolphins history came to an end on June 25, 1981 as 36-year-old Bob Griese announced his retirement at a press conference. The 6’1”, 190-pound quarterback, who seemed smaller, had overcome leg injuries and a significant vision problem that forced him to wear glasses on the field over the course of his career, but was unable to sufficiently recover from a lingering shoulder injury suffered during the ’80 season that made it impossible for him to throw, and thus chose to walk away after 14 eventful seasons.

“I think that's one of the things I've always done is not to look at how long I can do something, but how well I can do it,” said Griese. “That's the way I came into the league and I was as shocked as anybody to play for as long as I have.”

“This is a somewhat emotional moment in the history of the Miami Dolphins," team owner Joe Robbie, standing next to Griese, told reporters. “He has been with us 14 or 15 years. Bob has been more important than any of us to this franchise.” Head Coach/GM Don Shula was unable to attend the press conference, but referred to Griese as “the most unselfish player I’ve ever been around.”

Having one year remaining on his $400,000 per year contract, Griese agreed to remain with the club as an assistant to Shula in addition to doing public relations work for the team.

A two-time All-American at Purdue, where he kicked as well as played quarterback, he placed second to Florida’s Steve Spurrier in the 1966 Heisman Trophy balloting. The Dolphins, coming off of their first season as an AFL expansion team that had gone through several quarterbacks along the way, chose Griese in the first round of the ’67 AFL/NFL draft. When starting QB John Stofa went down with a season-ending broken ankle in the opening game, it didn’t take long for the rookie to move into the starting lineup (after overcoming his first pro injuries, a concussion and sprained shoulder). Mobile as well as a good passer (even if his arm was not the strongest), he finished fifth in passing in the AFL and went through one stretch of 122 throws without an interception.

Griese was named to the AFL All-Star Game after each of his first two seasons, but the Dolphins still had plenty of holes and were not yet a winning team – his record as a starter from 1967 to ’69 was 10-20-2 and he led the league by being sacked 33 times in 1969.

All of that changed with the arrival of Shula as head coach in 1970. The team went 10-4 and made it into the playoffs as a wild card entry in the newly-restructured NFL. Griese began to become a more disciplined quarterback, less likely to scramble and more adept at throwing long – particularly thanks to the addition of WR Paul Warfield. With a strong running game led by FB Larry Csonka, HB Jim Kiick, and HB Eugene “Mercury” Morris, Griese threw less but won more, and his skills developed accordingly. His interceptions dropped from 17 in 1970 to 9 in ’71, a season in which he led the NFL in percentage of touchdown passes (7.2 on his 19 scoring throws) and the Dolphins advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time. The fifth-year veteran was a consensus first team All-Pro selection and received MVP honors from the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

In 1972, the Dolphins were even better, although Griese suffered a broken leg five games into the season. Veteran backup QB Earl Morrall guided the club through the remainder of the undefeated regular season and into the playoffs. However, when he struggled in the AFC Championship game against Pittsburgh, Griese came off the bench in the third quarter and led the offense on two touchdown drives to secure the win (his pass completion to Warfield that covered 52 yards highlighted the first one). He was behind center for the Super Bowl victory over the Redskins.

Miami won back-to-back Super Bowls following the 1972 and ’73 seasons, yet Griese threw a combined 18 passes in those two games, completing 14. He deftly guided the ball-control offense, was effective when he did throw, and as Shula said later, “He got as much of a thrill calling the right running play for a touchdown as he did throwing a bomb.”

Analytical and intense, Griese would go on to show, if there was any doubt, that he could excel throwing the ball. When Warfield, Csonka, and Kiick jumped to the World Football League following the ’74 season, the veteran quarterback became all the more important to the team. While he rose to the occasion when healthy, injuries became an issue over the next two years. He suffered a knee injury in 1975 that cost him six games, and a concussion in a ’76 season in which the Dolphins posted a losing record for the first time under Shula.

Wearing glasses for the first time in 1977, Griese recovered to have an outstanding year, throwing more passes (307) than he had since the pre-Shula 1968 season, completing 58.6 percent of them for 2252 yards and a league-leading 22 touchdowns (against 13 interceptions) while also pacing the NFL in passing (87.8 rating). There was no dominant running back (Benny Malone led the team with 615 yards) and the defense was in transition with several young players, but Miami bounced back to 10-4, narrowly missing the playoffs. Griese was a consensus first-team All-Pro for the second time, was selected to the Pro Bowl, and received the Bert Bell Trophy as NFL Player of the Year.

Injuries again took their toll thereafter, although Griese still performed well when he played. He missed a total of five games in ’78 but led the league’s passers in completion percentage (63.0) and was selected to the Pro Bowl once more.

Overall, Griese was selected to two AFL All-Star Games and, after the merger, six Pro Bowls and passed for 25,092 yards with 192 touchdowns. The Dolphins won nearly 70 percent of their regular season games (82-36-1) with Griese at quarterback after Shula took over as coach, and were 6-5 in the playoffs with two NFL Championships. The cerebral quarterback who made up for a lack of flamboyance with cool, precise play was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. His son, Brian, also was a quarterback in the NFL with the Broncos, Buccaneers, and Bears, as well as a year with the Dolphins.

1998: Vinny Testaverde Signs with Jets

On June 24, 1998 the New York Jets announced the signing of QB Vinny Testaverde, who had recently been waived by the Baltimore Ravens. It was the third stop for the 34-year-old veteran (he turned 35 during the ’98 season), who had 12 years of experience in the NFL.

Much had been expected when Testaverde was drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987. He starred at the University of Miami, winning the Heisman Trophy in ’86. At 6’5” and 218 pounds (he eventually filled out to 235), and with a strong arm, he had all the physical tools necessary to excel as a pro. However, the Bucs were not a good team and the young quarterback struggled, throwing 35 interceptions in 1988, his first full season as the starter, and leading the NFL again in ’89 with 22. Questions began to develop as to his decision-making ability, particularly under pressure.

After six disappointing years with Tampa Bay, Testaverde was dealt to the Cleveland Browns and replaced his former Miami teammate Bernie Kosar, who was abruptly released during the 1993 season. He had some better luck with the Browns, quarterbacking the team to the playoffs in ’94. When the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1996, Testaverde was still the starting quarterback and made the Pro Bowl after passing for 4177 yards and 33 TDs. However, his performance dropped off in ’97 and he was waived after the Ravens signed QB Jim Harbaugh.

The Jets, coming off of a 9-7 record in their first year under Head Coach Bill Parcells, had endured a quarterback controversy in 1997. Neil O’Donnell, who signed a five-year free agent contract in ’96 after leading the Steelers to an AFC Championship, was 8-12 in his starts with the Jets and had not enjoyed Parcells’ favor. He lost the starting job to fourth-year backup Glenn Foley, who brought a gunslinging style to the position. While a knee injury put him out of action for the last few weeks, it was clear that Parcells wanted Foley to start in 1998.

When O’Donnell indicated that he was unwilling to restructure his contract, his fate was sealed and he was waived immediately upon the signing of Testaverde. Dropping O’Donnell and signing Testaverde, who accepted a one-year deal with an option for a second year, saved the Jets $2.75 million against the salary cap.

“Glenn Foley has the benefit of the doubt,” said Parcells (pictured above with Testaverde) in the immediate aftermath of the deal, “but if Vinny plays at a level which is clearly better, he would be the starter.”

Foley did start the season, but he suffered a rib injury that put Testaverde into the lineup. After starting off at 2-3, the Jets went 10-1 the rest of the way to win the AFC East with a 12-4 record and make it into the postseason for the first time since 1991. The veteran quarterback had an outstanding year, leading the AFC in passing (101.6 rating) while throwing for 3256 yards with 29 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

Testaverde was helped by another key acquisition on offense, RB Curtis Martin, who was signed away from the Patriots and rushed for 1287 yards, thus taking pressure off of the passing game. WR Keyshawn Johnson, the team’s first draft choice in ’96, blossomed in his third season, catching 83 passes for 1131 yards (10 for TDs) and gaining selection to the Pro Bowl. Less-heralded WR Wayne Chrebet contributed 75 receptions for 1083 yards and eight scores.

The Jets advanced to the AFC Championship game before succumbing to the Denver Broncos, 23-10. Still, for a team that had suffered through a miserable 1-15 season just two years before, it was a tremendous turnaround. It was also a turnaround for the often-maligned Testaverde, who showed consistency and received Pro Bowl recognition.

Unfortunately for Testaverde, the success did not last. He suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the 1999 opening game and missed the remainder of the season. The Jets slipped back to 8-8 with Ray Lucas and Rick Mirer starting at quarterback and Parcells resigned afterward (he remained in the front office for one year).

Testaverde came back in 2000, but with lessened mobility and without Parcells’ coaching. He returned to the old pattern of uneven performances, often struggling and prone to making mistakes while on other occasions getting into grooves in which his passing was nearly unstoppable. In the end, he went to the air a league-leading 590 times, completing 328 of those passes for 3732 yards, but throwing more interceptions (25, also a NFL-leading figure) than touchdown passes (21).

A new head coach, Herman Edwards, and offensive coordinator, Paul Hackett, arrived in 2001, and Testaverde found himself directing Hackett’s version of the West Coast offense. Foregoing the long ball for short passes, he averaged 6.2 yards per attempt and completed no throw longer than 40 yards, but he also cut his interceptions down to 14 (his TD passes totaled 15) and the Jets were 10-6.

Testaverde, who started slowly in ’02, gave way to Chad Pennington, and while the younger quarterback missed the first part of the season with a broken wrist in 2003, Testaverde, now pushing 40 years of age, went back to the bench when Pennington returned. In 2004, he reunited with Parcells in Dallas as a stopgap starting quarterback, returned to the Jets in ’05, and then sat on the bench behind Tom Brady in New England in 2006. When the Carolina Panthers ran into injury problems at quarterback in ’07, the old pro returned for one last campaign at age 44 and finally called it quits after 21 seasons in the NFL.

Overall, Testaverde passed for 46,223 yards with 275 touchdowns and 267 interceptions. While he could never fully overcome his early reputation for inconsistency, and particularly his penchant for forcing throws and making poor decisions that led to bad consequences, Testaverde also showed flashes of the outstanding ability that was expected of him – most notably in the 1998 season with the Jets.