Past Venue: Franklin Field

Philadelphia, PA



Year opened: 1922
Capacity: 60,658 when Eagles played there, up from 30,000 at opening and 52,593 currently

Names:
Franklin Field, 1922 to date

Pro football tenants:
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), 1958-70
Philadelphia Bell (WFL), 1975

Postseason games hosted:
NFL Championship, Eagles 17 Packers 13, Dec. 26, 1960
USFL First Round playoff, Stars 28 Generals 7, June 30, 1984
USFL Eastern Conf. Championship, Stars 20 Stallions 10, July 8, 1984

Other tenants of note:
Univ. of Pennsylvania, 1922 to date
Philadelphia Atoms (NASL), 1976

Notes: Replaced earlier stadium of the same name that was built in 1895 and demolished and rebuilt into present facility. Hosted one home game of NFL Frankford Yellow Jackets, 1927. Hosted two USFL playoff games because of a scheduling conflict for use of Veterans Stadium with baseball’s Phillies. Hosted a CFL game between Hamilton and Ottawa, 1958. Hosted Army vs. Navy football game, 1922, 1932-35 (13 games in the series were played at the predecessor stadium). Hosted annual Philadelphia City Title high school championship game, 1938, 1940-41, 1943-72. Hosts annual Penn Relays track meet. Constructed and owned by the Univ. of Pennsylvania, it was named for Penn’s founder, Benjamin Franklin. Stadium was dedicated during halftime of Penn vs. Navy football game on Oct. 28, 1922 with President Warren G. Harding presiding. Upper deck was completed three years later. Site of first radio broadcast of a football game, 1922. NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack during a game between the Eagles and Steelers, Oct. 11, 1959. Lights installed in 1970 and venue hosted first Eagles appearance on Monday Night Football. Original grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf in 1969 and Sprinturf in 2004.

Fate: Still in use.



(View above shows stadium with additional temporary end zone seating. View below is a more modern depiction)

1953: Browns and Colts Conclude 15-Player Trade

On March 26, 1953 the Baltimore Colts and Cleveland Browns completed one of the largest trades in NFL history. It involved 15 players, most of whom were reserves or newly-drafted rookies. Cleveland was one of the league’s best teams, having appeared in its seventh straight league title game in 1952 including a string of four consecutive All-America Football Conference championships and a NFL title in 1950. The Colts were returning to the NFL after the original team of that name (also previously in the AAFC) folded following the ’50 season - they were replacing the failed Dallas Texans franchise of 1952, which in turn had taken the place of the New York Bulldogs/Yanks of 1949-51, and thus there were players passed along from both of those clubs involved in the transaction.

Of the 15 players involved, 10 were sent by the Browns to Baltimore and included:

QB Harry Agganis, first-round draft choice in 1952 out of Boston University who had not played for the Browns while pursuing a baseball career; S Bert Rechichar (pictured above), Cleveland’s other first-round pick in ’52 out of Tennessee who intercepted six passes as a rookie; HB Don Shula (pictured below), ninth-round pick in 1951 from John Carroll, who intercepted four passes in his first year and went into the military; HB Carl Taseff, 22nd-round draft choice in ’51, also out of John Carroll and just out of the military - he ran the ball 13 times for 49 yards as a rookie on offense; G Ed Sharkey, a veteran of three AAFC seasons and two in the NFL, the most recent with the Browns; G Elmer Wilhoite, 12th-round draft choice out of USC in 1953; E Art Spinney, from Boston College who played for the original Colts in 1950 and spent two years in the military; E Gern Nagler, 14th-round draft choice from Santa Clara in ’53; T Stu Sheets, co-captain at Penn State and 17th-round pick in 1952; and T Dick Batten, 18th-round choice out of College of the Pacific for 1953.


The Colts, building upon the carcass of the Texans franchise and desperate for new talent, gave up five players:

C Tom Catlin, All-American from Oklahoma drafted in the fourth-round for 1953; DT Don Colo, a three-year pro who had been with the original Colts in 1950 and moved on to the Yanks and Texans; OT Mike McCormack, third-round draft choice in 1951 by the Yanks who had played one season for them; HB John Petitbon, formerly of Notre Dame and taken by the Yanks/Texans in the seventh round for 1952, intercepting five passes in his first year; and G Herschel Forester, an eighth-round draft choice out of SMU in 1952 who was in the military.

Head Coach Paul Brown of Cleveland was especially annoyed with players who had indicated that they would play pro football only if they first failed to make it as baseball players. He said of Agganis, a star quarterback at Boston University, that, “we are not waiting to see whether or not (he) makes a baseball team. We prefer to make our plans now and can afford to do so since we do not have a quarterback problem.”

Agganis, known as “The Golden Greek”, chose to sign with baseball’s Boston Red Sox for a reported $35,000 and was forbidden to play football. Colts Coach Keith Molesworth, needing a quarterback, hoped he could be persuaded to change his mind and Agganis was a key player in the deal for Baltimore. “The Golden Greek” stuck with baseball, however, and showed the potential to become a star at the major league level. Tragically, Agganis died of a pulmonary embolism at age 26 in 1955.

Molesworth (and his successor, Weeb Ewbank) had better outcomes with some of the other players. Rechichar, Shula, and Taseff all moved into the starting lineup in the defensive backfield while Spinney started at defensive end before being shifted to guard on offense. Of that group, Rechichar had the biggest immediate impact, garnering second-team All-Pro honors in ’53 and eventually being selected to three Pro Bowls. While he was at it, he booted a league-record 56-yard field goal in the 1953 opening-game win over the Bears.

Rechichar was with the Colts, but past his prime, when they won back-to-back NFL titles in 1958 and ’59. Taseff and Spinney were still in the starting lineup, however. Shula was gone by then, but would gain far greater fame as a head coach (starting with Baltimore).

Of the others, Sharkey played one year for the Colts as a reserve before moving on to Philadelphia in 1954. None of the remaining players involved saw action with the team, although Nagler was with the Chicago Cardinals for five seasons and Pittsburgh for one before ending up back in Cleveland as a tight end.

For Cleveland’s part, Paul Brown was concentrating on strengthening his team at tackle and linebacker. While McCormack and Forester were in military service and would not be available until after 1953, Brown saw them as an investment in the future. Colo was expected to contribute right away, especially with DT Bob Gain leaving for the military, and he did, moving into the starting lineup in ’53 and staying there until 1958 while achieving selection to the Pro Bowl three times during that period.


McCormack (pictured at right) joined the club in ’54, started as a middle guard on defense that year, and then moved to right offensive tackle, where he remained a fixture for eight seasons. He garnered first- or second-team All-Pro honors in every one of those years and went to six Pro Bowls. The lineman that Paul Brown acquired as a future consideration was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. Forester, while far less accomplished, put in four seasons with the Browns.

Catlin played at linebacker in Cleveland and also stayed for four years before moving on to the Eagles. Of the five players the Browns received, Petitbon contributed the least, playing one year at safety in 1955 after spending time in the service.

Overall, the huge trade garnered benefits for both teams. Cleveland, filling in some holes on an already-sound club, topped the Eastern Conference in ’53 and added NFL titles in 1954 and ’55 (and regularly contended well beyond). The Colts, looking to build for the future, didn’t become a winner right away (they were 3-9 in 1953), but methodically developed into a championship team by the last two years of the decade.

MVP Profile: Bobby Hebert, 1983

Quarterback, Michigan Panthers



Age: 22
1st season in pro football
College: Northwestern Louisiana State
Height: 6’4” Weight: 208

Prelude:
The unheralded Hebert was chosen by the Panthers in the third round of the inaugural USFL draft in ’83. “The Cajun Cannon” had a good arm and immediately moved into the starting lineup for the new team, although he and the Panthers got off to a slow start until some veteran offensive linemen with NFL experience were added to the roster.

1983 Season Summary
Appeared in all 18 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 451 [3]
Most attempts, game – 45 at Philadelphia 6/5
Completions – 257 [3]
Most completions, game – 25 at Philadelphia 6/5
Yards – 3568 [3]
Most yards, game – 314 at Philadelphia 6/5
Completion percentage – 57.0 [3]
Yards per attempt – 7.9 [1]
TD passes – 27 [1]
Most TD passes, game – 5 at Chicago 6/26
Interceptions – 17 [5]
Most interceptions, game – 3 vs. Denver 4/4, vs. Chicago 4/17
Passer rating – 86.8 [1]
300-yard passing games – 1
200-yard passing games – 8

Rushing
Attempts – 28
Most attempts, game - 5 (for 7 yds.) at Boston 5/1
Yards – 35
Most yards, game – 11 yards (on 2 carries) at New Jersey 4/10
Yards per attempt – 1.3
TDs – 3

Scoring
TDs – 3
2-pt conversions – 1
Points - 20

Postseason: 2 G
Pass attempts – 66
Most attempts, game - 39 vs. Philadelphia, USFL Championship
Pass completions – 38
Most completions, game - 20 vs. Philadelphia, USFL Championship
Passing yardage – 609
Most yards, game - 314 vs. Philadelphia, USFL Championship
TD passes – 4
Most TD passes, game - 3 vs. Philadelphia, USFL Championship
Interceptions – 2
Most interceptions, game - 1 vs. Oakland, USFL Semifinal playoff, vs. Philadelphia, USFL Championship

Rushing attempts – 3
Most rushing attempts, game - 2 vs. Oakland, USFL Semifinal playoff
Rushing yards – 28
Most rushing yards, game - 20 vs. Philadelphia, USFL Championship
Average gain rushing – 6.7
Rushing TDs – 1

Awards & Honors:
USFL Player of the Year: Sporting News
1st team All-USFL: League, Sporting News, College & Pro Football Newsweekly, Pro Football Weekly

Panthers went 12-6 to win the USFL Central Division while leading the league in touchdowns (57) and finishing second in scoring (451 points). Won Semifinal playoff over Oakland Invaders (37-21) and USFL Championship over Philadelphia Stars (24-22).

Aftermath:
The Panthers got off to a 6-0 start in 1984 but slumped after a season-ending broken arm to WR Anthony Carter, Hebert’s most productive target. The team still made it to the postseason, finishing second in the division and qualifying for a wild card slot, and Hebert passed for 3758 yards with 24 TDs, although with 22 interceptions. With the merging of the Michigan and Oakland franchises for ’85, Hebert became starting QB of the Invaders and passed for 3811 yards and 30 TDs. The team topped the Western Conference but lost the final USFL title game to the Stars. With the demise of the league, Hebert, who had gone undrafted by the NFL, signed with the New Orleans Saints to return to his native Louisiana. After splitting time with Dave Wilson in 1985 and suffering a broken foot in ’86, he took over as the starting quarterback full-time in 1987 and the Saints posted their first winning record and capped the year with their first postseason appearance as well. Hebert and the Saints followed up with winning seasons in 1988 and ’89, although they missed the playoffs. Hebert sat out in 1990 due to a contract dispute and returned to the club in ’91, regained the starting job, and the team won the NFC West. In 1992 he achieved a NFL career high in passing yards (3287) and New Orleans again returned to the postseason, although again failed to win a playoff contest. Hebert signed with Atlanta as a free agent in ’93 and achieved his only Pro Bowl selection as he passed for 2978 yards and 24 TDs. He played sparingly as backup to Jeff George in 1994 and ’95 and, in his final year in 1996, threw for 3152 yards but also a league-leading 25 interceptions. Overall, he was the USFL’s career passing yardage leader with 13,137. In the NFL, he passed for 21,683 yards and 135 TDs and, with the Saints, compiled a 49-26 record in his starts.

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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 2/9/14]

Past Venue: Downing Stadium

New York, NY



Year opened: 1936
Capacity: 22,000

Names:
Randall’s Island Stadium, 1936-48
Triborough Stadium, 1948-55
Downing Stadium, 1955-2002

Pro football tenants:
New York Yankees (AFL), 1936-37
New York Yankees/Americans (AFL), 1940-41
Brooklyn Dodgers (ContFL), 1966
New York Stars (WFL), 1974

Postseason games hosted:
None

Other tenants of note:
New York Cosmos (NASL), 1974-75

Notes: Both the Yankees and Yankees/Americans of the second and third AFL split their home games between Yankee Stadium and the then-Randall’s Island Stadium. Originally built as a WPA project and opened in conjunction with the Triborough Bridge. Facility opened with trials for 1936 US Olympic team. Eventually named for John J. Downing, a director of the NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation. Venue also used for baseball, track & field, and soccer. Site of first televised college football game, Waynesburg vs. Fordham, 1939. Lights from Ebbets Field were moved there following that stadium’s demolition.

Fate: Demolished in 2002 and replaced by Icahn Stadium.

MVP Profile: Steve McNair, 2003

Quarterback, Tennessee Titans



Age: 30
9th season in pro football & with Oilers/Titans
College: Alcorn State
Height: 6’2” Weight: 229

Prelude:
Chosen in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft by the Oilers, “Air McNair” was brought along slowly, starting six games in his first two seasons. Very mobile, he had to polish his passing skills, but took over as the full-time starter in ’97, the team’s first in Tennessee. He rushed for 674 yards in 1997 and 559 in ’98 while improving on his passing numbers. In 1999, he missed five games due to a back injury but the team was 9-2 with him behind center and reached the Super Bowl, barely losing to the Rams. McNair was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2000 as he completed 62.6 % of his passes for 2847 yards and 15 TDs and rushed for 403 yards. Tennessee’s fortunes dipped in ’01, but bounced back in 2002 as McNair achieved new highs with 3350 and 3387 yards through the air, respectively, and 21 TD throws followed by 22 in ’02 – and despite being hindered by injuries that kept him out of practice, but not games, during the last five weeks of the year.

2003 Season Summary
Appeared and started in 14 of 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 400 [19]
Most attempts, game – 45 at New England 10/5
Completions – 250 [18]
Most completions, game – 25 vs. Oakland 9/7
Yards – 3215 [15]
Most yards, game – 421 vs. Houston 10/12
Completion percentage – 62.5 [9]
Yards per attempt – 8.0 [1]
TD passes – 24 [7, tied with Trent Green & Aaron Brooks]
Most TD passes, game – 3 at Pittsburgh 9/28, vs. Houston 10/12
Interceptions – 7
Most interceptions, game – 2 at NY Jets 12/1
Passer rating – 100.4 [1]
400-yard passing games – 1
300-yard passing games – 2
200-yard passing games – 8

Rushing
Attempts – 38
Most attempts, game - 6 (for 18 yds.) at New England 10/5
Yards – 138
Most yards, game – 30 yards (on 2 carries) at Carolina 10/19
Yards per attempt – 3.6
TDs – 4

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 1
Yards – 4
Yards per catch – 4.0
TDs - 0

Scoring
TDs – 4
2-pt PAT – 1
Points - 26

Postseason: 2 G
Pass attempts – 49
Most attempts, game – 26 at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
Pass completions – 32
Most completions, game - 18 at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
Passing yardage – 369
Most yards, game - 210 at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
TD passes – 2
Most TD passes, game - 1 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff, at New England, AFC Divisional playoff
Interceptions – 4
Most interceptions, game - 3 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff

Rushing attempts – 6
Most rushing attempts, game - 4 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff
Rushing yards – 27
Most rushing yards, game - 16 at Baltimore, AFC Wild Card playoff
Average gain rushing – 4.5
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL Co-MVP: AP
2nd team All-NFL: AP
Pro Bowl

Titans went 12-4 to finish second in the AFC South and qualify for the postseason as a wild card team. Won AFC Wild Card playoff over Baltimore Ravens (20-17). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to New England Patriots (17-14).

Aftermath:
Injuries limited McNair to eight games in 2004 and, while he had another Pro Bowl season in ’05, the Titans went 4-12. He was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for 2006 and, although he performed ably for a 13-3 team that made the playoffs, he made it into only six contests in ’07 and retired. Overall, McNair passed for 31,304 yards and 174 TDs, against 119 interceptions, with an 82.8 rating and rushed for 3590 yards on 669 carries, a 5.4-yard average gain.

--

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 2/9/14]

1983: Besana and Ex-Raiders Lead Invaders to Win Over Panthers

On March 19, 1983 the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League made their home debut against the Oakland Invaders. Both teams came into the contest at 1-1. Coached by Jim Stanley, the Panthers had scored just one touchdown in the first two contests (they won their opening game over the Birmingham Stallions by a 9-7 score thanks to three Novo Bojovic field goals). Rookie QB Bobby Hebert, a largely unknown quantity from out of Northwest Louisiana State, had won the starting job but was off to a slow start, as was the far-more-heralded rookie WR Anthony Carter from the Univ. of Michigan, who had been the team’s biggest preseason signing.

Oakland was coached by John Ralston, formerly of Stanford and the Denver Broncos, and had its own unheralded starting quarterback in Fred Besana, a 29-year-old who had last been behind center for the Twin Cities Cougars of the semi-pro California Football League. Backup to Steve Bartkowski and the ill-fated Joe Roth at California, he had failed to make the cut with the NFL Giants and Bills, but was making the most of his opportunity in the new USFL. He had already found a favorite target in WR Wyatt Henderson. The Invaders, who had skimped on talent coming out of college, also featured TE Raymond Chester and HB Arthur Whittington (pictured above), veteran ex-Raiders, on offense.

There were 28,952 in attendance at the Pontiac Silverdome for the Saturday night game. Hebert started poorly, completing only one of his first seven passes, and was relieved by backup Whit Taylor. Still, the Panthers led by 3-0 after one quarter of play thanks to a 44-yard field goal by Bojovic.

Oakland took the lead in the second quarter as Besana connected with Henderson on a fly pattern for a 45-yard touchdown. Bojovic kicked another 44-yard field goal but Kevin Shea was successful from 32 yards and the Invaders were up by 10-6 at the half.

Oakland scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter, with Besana tossing another TD pass to Henderson, this time of 22 yards, and Whittington running for a 14-yard score. The extra point was missed after the latter TD, but it hardly seemed to matter as the Invaders held a commanding 23-6 lead.

The Panthers were down but not out, however, and Hebert returned to the game to spark a furious rally. It began with a touchdown pass to WR Derek Holloway that covered 48 yards and, with the successful extra point, made it 23-13 heading into the fourth quarter.

Besana extended Oakland’s lead by finding the 13-year veteran Chester along the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown, and this time the PAT was successful. But Hebert brought Michigan back once more as he threw long to Carter for a 58-yard gain that set up another scoring pass to Holloway, this time covering 22 yards.

Nursing a ten-point lead, the Invaders drove to another score. Kevin Shea’s 24-yard field goal extended their margin to 33-20 with 4:25 to go. The Panthers came back one more time, as Hebert connected for a third time with Holloway, who made a leaping grab in the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown, but time finally ran out on Michigan. Oakland came away the winner by a score of 33-27.

The Invaders outgained the home team (460 to 375) and had more first downs (23 to 20) as well as a big lead in time of possession (38:06 to 21:54). Oakland rolled up 169 rushing yards to just 55 on 14 carries by the Panthers, who were playing catch-up during the second half. Besana was sacked seven times (four of them by LB John Corker, the eventual USFL leader in that category) while Oakland’s defense dumped Michigan quarterbacks on four occasions. However, the Invaders suffered no turnovers while the Panthers gave up the ball twice (both on fumbles).

Fred Besana completed 24 of 30 passes for 341 yards with three touchdowns and none intercepted. While Wyatt Henderson scored two of those TDs among his three catches for 93 yards, Raymond Chester was Oakland’s top receiver as he pulled in 7 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. Arthur Whittington also had a big day, rushing for 109 yards and a TD on 26 carries and adding 4 catches for 46 more yards.

For the Panthers, following the shaky start Bobby Hebert ended up completing 13 of 23 throws for 289 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. Derek Holloway caught three passes – all for touchdowns – and gained 108 yards. RB Ken Lacy was the team’s leading ground gainer with 23 yards on 8 attempts. Anthony Carter had a mixed performance, pulling in two passes for 85 yards that included the one long bomb that set up Holloway’s second TD. However, he also fumbled two punts, one of which led to an Oakland score.


The loss dropped the Panthers to 1-2 and they would fall to 1-4 before turning the season around. In the end, they finished first in the Central Division with a 12-6 record and narrowly won the USFL Championship over the Philadelphia Stars. In the first round of the playoffs they defeated the Invaders, who had a mediocre 9-9 record but were still able to top the weak Pacific Division.

Things got much better for Bobby Hebert and Anthony Carter. Hebert led the league in passing, yards per attempt (7.9), and TD passes (27). Carter caught 60 passes for 1181 yards (19.7 avg.) and 9 touchdowns.

Raymond Chester concluded his accomplished pro football career by catching 68 passes for 951 yards (14.0 avg.) and five TDs and garnering All-League honors. Arthur Whittington was dogged by injuries but nevertheless rushed for 1043 yards on 282 carries (3.7 avg.) and had 66 receptions for 584 more yards. Fred Besana led the USFL in passing yards with 3980 and Wyatt Henderson, who got off to the fast start on the scoring end of Besana’s passes, finished with 54 receptions for 801 yards and 9 TDs.

1994: Rams Trade Jim Everett to Saints

The Los Angeles Rams, who had paid a big price in players and draft choices in 1986 to obtain QB Jim Everett, dealt him to the New Orleans Saints on March 18, 1994 for a seventh-round draft choice. Everett and the Rams had suffered through three difficult years after appearing in the NFC Championship game following the ’89 season. He was benched for a time during ’93 and was nearly cut outright by the team after the season.

It was a long fall for a player who had come out of Purdue with great promise. Originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in the first round of the ’86 draft (third overall), Everett was traded to the Rams after the season had begun when a contract couldn’t be worked out. The price was DE William Fuller, G Kent Hill, 1987 and ’88 first round draft choices, and a 1987 fifth round pick. It seemed worth it to the Rams, a good team that had suffered regularly due to instability at the quarterback position. The 6’5”, 212-pound Everett seemed like the sort of player who could change all of that, especially when he tossed three touchdown passes in his LA debut.

The strike-interrupted 1987 season was a difficult one for the Rams. In the midst of it star RB Eric Dickerson was traded to the Colts, putting even more of the burden on Everett. Head Coach John Robinson, used to a ground-oriented offense, brought in Ernie Zampese as offensive coordinator to bring the young quarterback along and install a new aerial attack that relied on quick timing patterns. LA finished strong as Everett got the hang of the new system and it set the stage for a breakout year in ’88.

1988 and ’89 were the high points for Everett with the Rams. He led the league in touchdown passes in each season (31 and 29, respectively), had his two best passer ratings (89.2 and 90.6), and passed for 3964 yards in ’88, followed by a career-high 4310 in 1989. LA went to the postseason both years, going 10-6 and losing in the Wild Card round and then 11-5 and climbing to the conference title game in 1989. Everett was also helped by the steady play of All-Pro WR Henry Ellard and, especially in ’89, the emergence of deep threat WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson, plus veteran TE Pete Holohan.

However, the seeds of Everett’s downfall were sown in the 1989 postseason. Following a fine clutch performance in an overtime win over the Giants, Everett looked bad in a dreadful 30-3 loss to the division-rival 49ers in the NFC Championship game. One play stood out in particular when, in a third-and-ten situation in the second quarter, he appeared to panic and went down without being hit. To be sure, Everett had plenty of company in looking bad against the eventual league champions – the defense was injury-riddled by the time the Rams faced the 49ers – but previously regarded as a tough competitor, the “self-sack” engendered second thoughts on that score.

Everett still went to the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career in 1990 as he fell just short of a second straight 4000-yard passing season (3989) and tossed 23 TD passes. However, the Rams sank to 5-11 and the questions regarding his toughness under pressure grew louder. It got worse in ’91 with LA collapsing further to 3-13 and Everett tossing more interceptions (20) than touchdown passes (11) while being sacked 30 times. John Robinson was replaced as head coach by Chuck Knox (back for his second stint in LA) and while the quarterback’s performance was better, the Rams were still only 6-10. But a fourth straight losing season in ’93 (5-11) in which Everett failed to complete half of his passes and lost his starting job to backup T.J. Rubley caused the team to part ways with the 31-year-old veteran.

As for the Saints, they were coming off of an 8-8 season in 1993, a disappointing result after making it to the playoffs the previous three years and starting out at 5-0. QB Bobby Hebert had been allowed to depart following the ’92 season and 34-year-old Wade Wilson took his place, with mixed results. Under Head Coach Jim Mora, New Orleans had finally become a contender, but depended on its solid defense more than the conservative offense, and had failed to win a postseason game.

Everett signed a two-year contract and agreed to a lower salary in order to play for the Saints (Wilson, whose salary was worth $4 million against the cap, was waived and re-signed for a lesser amount).

“This is the most exciting time of my life since getting drafted,” said an enthusiastic Everett. New Orleans had worked out several free agent quarterbacks and negotiated with Philadelphia QB Bubby Brister for a week before making the deal for Everett when the Rams agreed to a lower draft choice in return.

For the first year, Everett performed well (a club-record 64.1 % completion percentage and 3855 yards plus 22 TD passes and just 21 sacks). The offense was adjusted to his benefit and the receivers, led by wideouts Michael Haynes and Quinn Early, were adequate. Unfortunately, the running game was mediocre, the defense slipped, and the Saints dropped to 7-9.

The record was the same (as were the weaknesses) in 1995 despite another solid season from Everett, who passed for 3970 yards and 26 touchdowns, against 14 interceptions. But the quarterback and team collapsed in ’96. Everett’s production dropped across the board, he tossed more interceptions (16) than TD passes (12), and the Saints were 3-13. Mora was gone before the end and his successor for 1997, Mike Ditka, chose to bring in new quarterbacks. Everett was let go - he played one last year for the San Diego Chargers, throwing just 75 passes in four games.

Overall with New Orleans, Everett completed 61.0 % of his passes for 10,622 yards and 60 touchdowns with 48 interceptions. However, the team went just 17-30 in his starts and the questions about his competitiveness and toughness (despite his durability) were never fully quieted. An on-air scuffle with talk show host Jim Rome in 1994 only highlighted the issues. In the end, a promising career fell short of expectations despite a fair number of accomplishments.