1964: Giants Trade Sam Huff to Redskins

The New York Giants had largely dominated the NFL Eastern Conference from 1956 through ’63, coming in first in six of those eight seasons and winning one championship. The string had begun under Head Coach Jim Lee Howell, who retired following the 1960 season, and continued under his successor, Allie Sherman. While the offense, guided by QB Y.A. Tittle, had been highly productive from 1961 to ’63, it was the strong and savvy defensive unit that had consistently made the Giants a contender.

Thus, it was shocking on April 10, 1964 when New York traded one of the key players on the defense, MLB Sam Huff, along with rookie defensive lineman George Seals to the lowly Washington Redskins for DE Andy Stynchula, HB Dick James, and a fifth round draft choice for 1965. Coming after the retirement of DE Andy Robustelli and trade of DT Dick Modzelewski to Cleveland, the deal was a shock to fans and players alike.

“It’s kind of like getting hit with a bomb,” said Huff in reaction. “It’s so unexpected I haven’t gotten over the shock.”

As Huff pointed out at the time of the trade, the Giants defense had been not only effective but a close-knit unit as well. The 6’1”, 230-pound West Virginia native had been one of the most visible and popular members of that platoon since joining the club as a third-round draft pick in 1956. With deceptive speed and great strength, he had been selected to four straight Pro Bowls from 1958 to ’61, was a consensus first-team All-Pro on two occasions, and received some first-team All-Pro recognition in two others. Moreover, he had appeared on the cover of TIME magazine and gained additional notoriety from a television documentary that aired in 1960 called “The Violent World of Sam Huff.” While there were complaints that Huff received more publicity than he was due and was not the equal of contemporary middle linebackers such as Detroit’s Joe Schmidt or Green Bay’s Ray Nitschke, he was a fan favorite, prone to making big plays, durable, and unquestionably talented – his one-on-one battles with the two greatest fullbacks of the era, Cleveland’s Jim Brown and Jim Taylor of the Packers, were particularly noteworthy.

However, Huff was 29 at the time of the trade and the defense was already developing holes during the offseason. Robustelli’s apparent retirement and the Modzelewski trade created concerns regarding the line, making Andy Stynchula attractive. A star at Penn State, the 6’3” and 250-pound Stynchula had played at defensive end in four years with the Redskins but was versatile enough to play tackle.

In addition, the running backs were aging and injuries had plagued the group in 1963. The 30-year-old Dick James (pictured at right) was an all-purpose halfback who had been with the Redskins for eight seasons and returned kicks as well as appeared in the backfield. He had never gained more than 384 yards rushing in a season – and never carried the ball more than 105 times – but was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1961. It was hoped he could provide needed depth.

“We felt we had to strengthen both our defensive line and our offensive backfield, and the price came high,” explained Sherman.

For Washington, it was the second major deal in ten days, following the exchange of QB Norm Snead for QB Sonny Jurgensen of Philadelphia. Head Coach/GM Bill McPeak was looking to obtain proven veterans in the hope of winning immediately – he was facing a “win-or-else” edict. In three seasons under his guidance, the Redskins had gone 9-30-3.

Linebacker had been a problem area for the Redskins, and together with Jimmy Carr, a defensive back that they intended to convert to outside linebacker who was obtained in the trade with the Eagles, Huff offered a major upgrade. Rod Breedlove, the starting RLB in ’63, was to compete with Bob Pellegrini and Allen Miller for the LLB starting spot (veteran John Reger was picked up prior to the season and filled the position capably). The 275-pound George Seals had been chosen by the Giants in the fourth round of the ’64 draft out of Missouri and was considered to be a defensive line prospect, replacing the departed Stynchula.

Hopes that Allie Sherman’s deal-making would put the Giants over the top in 1964 were shattered as the team collapsed instead. Andy Robustelli came out of retirement for one more year as a player-coach, but like many of his aging teammates on both sides of the ball, was no longer a stellar performer. Lou Slaby, in his first season after spending’63 on the taxi squad, filled in surprisingly well at middle linebacker, but was not of Huff’s caliber (and did not prove long-lasting). Stynchula started but, likewise, did not remind anyone of Modzelewski. Dick James was the primary punt returner, averaging 7.3 yards on his 21 returns, and ran back 23 kickoffs for a 22.4-yard average, but gained just 189 yards on 55 carries (3.4 avg.) and caught 12 passes for 101 more.

New York fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 2-10-2 record and Sherman’s trades were heavily criticized, especially since Modzelewski helped to solidify the defensive line for the Browns, who went on to win the ’64 NFL Championship, and Huff was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Indeed, Huff provided both the outstanding play and leadership that had been anticipated. He intercepted passes in each of the first three games and the defense overall improved from last (14^th) in the NFL in 1963 to seventh. They also defeated the Giants for the first time in seven seasons. While Washington was still a losing team, the record was an improved 6-8 (Bill McPeak was able to hold on for another year).

The Giants were unable to fully right the ship during the remainder of Sherman’s coaching reign, which ended following the 1968 season. The club had three 7-7 records during that time, but the trades of the 1963-64 offseason haunted him to the end. Andy Stynchula handled some of the placekicking as well as starting on the defensive line in 1965, his last in New York. He was dealt to the Colts prior to the 1966 season. Dick James didn’t make it that far as he was rendered expendable by a rising group of young running backs (called the “Baby Bulls” and led by HB Steve Thurlow and FB Ernie Wheelwright) and finished up his career in Minnesota in ’65.

Sam Huff played another three years for the Redskins, retired following the 1967 season, and then was coaxed back into action for one last year in 1969 when Vince Lombardi arrived as head coach and general manager. He played well with Washington, perhaps partly motivated by the bitterness that he maintained toward the Giants organization for trading him – reportedly, he called the field goal unit onto the field to add a final three-point nail in New York’s coffin near the end of a wild 72-41 Washington victory in 1966.

Huff was eventually enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, gaining admission in 1982. While arguments persisted as to how much the publicity he received in New York enhanced his reputation, there could be no question that his departure was keenly felt by the Giants defense and his play in Washington remained at a high level.

As footnotes, George Seals was moved to offensive tackle in 1964 and then was traded to Chicago just before the ’65 season, where he played for seven years and appeared both at guard on offense and tackle on defense. The 1965 fifth round draft choice that the Giants obtained along with Stynchula and James was used to take Frank Lambert, an end/punter out of Mississippi who spent two years as a punter for the Steelers.

Past Venue: Legion Field

Birmingham, AL

Year opened: 1927

Capacity: 71,594, up from 21,000 at opening

Names:

Legion Field, 1927 to date

Pro football tenants:

Birmingham Americans (WFL), 1974

Birmingham Vulcans (WFL), 1975

Alabama Vulcans (AFA), 1979

Alabama Magic (AFA), 1982

Birmingham Stallions (USFL), 1983-85

Birmingham Fire (WLAF), 1991-92

Birmingham Barracudas (CFL), 1995

Birmingham Thunderbolts (XFL), 2001

Postseason games hosted:

WFL Semifinal playoff, Americans 22 Hawaiians 19, Nov. 27, 1974

WFL Championship, Americans 22 Blazers 21, Dec. 5, 1974

USFL First Round playoff, Stallions 36 Bandits 17, July 1, 1984

USFL Quarterfinal playoff, Stallions 22 Gamblers 20, June 29, 1985

USFL Semifinal playoff, Stars 28 Stallions 14, July 7, 1985

WLAF Semifinal playoff, Dragons 10 Fire 3, June 1, 1991

Other tenants of note:

Univ. of Alabama-Birmingham (college football), 1991 to date

Notes: Hosted Dixie Bowl, 1948-49. Hosted annual Hall of Fame Classic, 1977-85. Hosted annual All-American Bowl, 1986-90. Hosts annual BBVA Compass Bowl, 2006 to date (originally Papajohns.com Bowl). Hosted one home game of AFL Boston Patriots, 1968. Hosted annual Alabama vs. Auburn football game, referred to as “Iron Bowl”, 1948-88. Frequently used for home games by the Univ. of Alabama and Auburn Univ. Owned by City of Birmingham and named in honor of the American Legion. Grass surface replaced by PolyTurf in 1970, restored to grass in 1996 and replaced by FieldTurf in 2006. Lights added in 1969. Upper deck removed in 2005. First game was college contest between Howard College (later Samford University) and Birmingham-Southern College, Nov. 19, 1927.

Fate: Still in use.

1976: Larry Csonka Signs with Giants

On April 7, 1976 and following some five hours of intense negotiations, the New York Giants announced that they had signed star FB Larry Csonka, formerly of the Miami Dolphins and World Football League’s Memphis Southmen, who was now available due to the demise of that short-lived entity.

The 29-year-old Csonka had originally planned to continue the search and sit down with other teams, including the Dolphins, Colts, and Browns, after meeting with the Giants. In all, 15 teams were known to have expressed interest in signing Csonka now that he was a free agent, with six serious offers, according to his agent.

The Dolphins had hoped that the 6’5”, 235-pound fullback would return to Miami once the WFL folded. Csonka had originally said he would let the Dolphins match any offer he received, but was angered by comments made by owner Joe Robbie to the effect that Csonka’s asking price was unrealistic. In the end, the Giants gave him the multiyear deal he was seeking, with three years for around $2 million.

The Syracuse All-American had gotten off to a slow start as a pro in his first two years with the struggling Dolphins. Taken in the first round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft, he gained a total of 1106 yards for the 8-18-2 recent expansion team and had problems with injuries as well as adjustment to the pro game. Things changed dramatically for both Csonka and the Dolphins upon the arrival of Don Shula as head coach in 1970. The team made it to the postseason with a 10-4 record and the running game, led by Csonka and his 874 yards with a 4.5 average gain, was a big part of the turnaround.

Miami won three straight AFC titles from 1971-73 and back-to-back Super Bowls in the latter two years, including an undefeated record in 1972. A straight-ahead runner with battering-ram effectiveness between the tackles, Csonka was a consensus first-team All-Pro in 1971 and ’73 and was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from ’70 through ’74. In all, he rushed for 5900 yards on 1286 carries (4.6 avg.) and 41 touchdowns in the regular season and added another 871 yards on 215 attempts (4.1 avg.), including four hundred-yard games and recognition as MVP of Super Bowl VIII, in the postseason.

However, going into the 1974 season, in which the Dolphins again reached the postseason before losing a close-fought game to Oakland in the Divisional round, it was already known that Csonka and two of his teammates were lame ducks in Miami. In a sensational development Csonka, HB Jim Kiick, and WR Paul Warfield signed with the Toronto Northmen of the WFL. The Northmen became the Memphis Southmen by the time the franchise took the field in ‘74, and, after playing out their Miami contracts, it was there that the celebrated trio played in 1975. The league went under after 11 weeks and Csonka, limited to seven games by injury, rushed for 421 yards on 99 carries (4.3 avg.) and one TD.

The head coach of the Giants, Bill Arnsparger, had been Miami’s defensive coordinator when Csonka was with the club. While New York had suffered through three straight losing seasons and had not reached the postseason since 1963, Csonka indicated that he didn’t consider the Giants to be in a rebuilding mode. “I’m too old to be starting from scratch. I don’t think I could endure rebuilding years now. I think the New York Giants are pretty well rebuilt.”

The confident words proved to be inaccurate. While the Giants had a capable quarterback in Craig Morton, the receiving corps was nothing special, the running game no better than fair, and the offensive line was mediocre. The defense was strong at linebacker but nowhere else. Morton had completed 51.2 % of his passes for 2359 yards and 11 TDs in ‘75, but he also threw 16 interceptions and was sacked on 47 occasions. The top rushers were FB Joe Dawkins (129 carries, 438 yards, 3.4 avg.), HB Doug Kotar (122 carries, 378 yards, 3.1 avg.), and HB Ron Johnson, once a star but now on the downside (116 carries, 351 yards, 3.0 avg. plus 34 catches for 280 yards). Dawkins and Johnson were both gone before the ‘76 season.

The addition of a solid fullback addressed one of the team’s needs, but there were too many other holes to fill. A change of venue, with the move to a newly-constructed stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands, didn’t help. The Giants sank to 3-11 in 1976, losing their first nine games before finally registering a win. Csonka played in 11 games before being knocked out for the remainder of the year with a knee injury and gained just 569 yards on 160 carries (3.6 avg.) and four touchdowns – Kotar ended up leading the club with 731 yards on the ground.

Bill Arnsparger was dismissed as head coach halfway through the season and his successor was John McVay, who coincidentally had been Csonka’s coach in Memphis of the WFL. Morton was also gone, dealt to Denver where he revived his career. While two mediocre veterans, Steve Ramsey and Dennis Shaw, were brought in to compete for the vacant quarterback position, a rookie, Jerry Golsteyn, won the job but was soon replaced by another NFL newcomer by way of Canada, Joe Pisarcik. Csonka had another rough year on an offensively-challenged club, this time ranking third on the Giants with 464 yards on 134 attempts (3.5 avg.) and one TD.

The nadir for Csonka and the team was reached in 1978. While the record actually improved to 6-10 and several of the defeats were by close margins, a loss to Philadelphia at home came to epitomize the team’s futility and set the stage for a huge shakeup of the organization. The key play, which became a part of pro football folklore and was celebrated as “the Miracle of the Meadowlands” by Eagles fans and called simply “The Fumble” by morose Giants backers, came in the final seconds. With possession of the ball and time running out, Pisarcik was instructed to run a play rather than take a knee - an attempted handoff to Csonka resulted in a fumble, and the Eagles scored on the recovery to win the game in stunning fashion.

The Giants won only one more contest the rest of the way, negating what had been a promising 3-1 start. Along with the coaching staff and GM Andy Robustelli, Csonka was gone after the ’78 season. It was his least productive pro year as he rushed for only 311 yards on 91 carries for an average gain of just 3.4 yards and six touchdowns.

In three seasons with New York, Csonka ran the ball 385 times for 1344 yards (3.5 avg.) and 11 TDs. Never noted as a pass receiver, he added 15 catches for 132 yards and no scores. It was far less than had been anticipated when the big fullback joined the team.

Csonka returned to Miami for one last year in 1979, and had a solid performance with 837 yards on 220 carries for a 3.8-yard average and 12 touchdowns. It capped a career in which he gained 8081 yards in the NFL and he ultimately was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. But it was the great performances with winning Miami teams that sealed his reputation – the brief WFL sojourn and three seasons with the Giants were mere footnotes.

1993: Reggie White Agrees to Join Packers

The most significant name in the free agent field following the 1992 season, 31-year-old DE Reggie White concluded a 37-day tour of interested NFL suitors on April 6, 1993 by agreeing to a contract with the Green Bay Packers – the NFL’s smallest market and one that even White admitted he had not considered to be a good fit at the beginning of the process.

To be sure, many other teams had shown interest in White, most notably the Redskins, 49ers, Jets, and Browns. The Packers signed him for four years at $17 million, with $9 million guaranteed in the first year (half salary and half signing bonus).

 “A lot of people will say I went for the money and money does play a part of it,” said White. The ordained minister expressed an interest in using his wealth to invest in inner city programs.

The 6’5”, 290-pound White, aka The Minister of Defense, had come out of Tennessee and played his first two pro seasons with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL. The Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the first round of the 1984 supplemental NFL draft, and thus gained his services in ’85 following the demise of the spring league. Joining the Eagles late, White made an immediate impression by recording 13 sacks in as many games.

White remained with Philadelphia for eight seasons and established himself as an elite player, formidable against both the run and the pass. He recorded 124 sacks in 121 regular season games with the Eagles, was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls through ’92 and was a consensus first-team All-Pro for six consecutive years. He nearly set a new single-season record for sacks during the strike-shortened 1987 season with 21, and again led the NFL with 18 in ’88.

Moreover, White was not only an immensely talented player but a natural leader on the team, and highly popular with the fans. During the coaching reign of the brash, defense-oriented Buddy Ryan from 1986 to ’90, the star end became the cornerstone of an aggressive defense that was one of the best in the NFL, culminating in a 1991 season in which the Eagles led the league not only in total defense, but were best against both the run and the pass.

By that point Ryan was gone, having clashed with team owner Norman Braman, and not helped by his failing to win any postseason games (they qualified three times). White became a vocal critic of the front office by his last year with the team, and the Eagles made no serious effort to retain him once he became a free agent.

Green Bay, meanwhile, had been in the doldrums for an extended period. Since Vince Lombardi stepped down as head coach following a third consecutive NFL title in 1967, the Packers had made it to the postseason just twice in 25 years, the last time in 1982. Prior to ’92, they had recorded only one winning season in the past six. However, that situation was beginning to change with the coming of a new head coach in 1992, Mike Holmgren. A new starting quarterback, Brett Favre, also began to show promise, and after getting off to a 3-6 start, the Packers won six of their last seven games to finish at 9-7, just missing the playoffs.

If the Eagles were beginning to look shaky, Green Bay seemed to be moving in the right direction, as White acknowledged. He liked what Holmgren was doing to build the team up, the manner in which defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes directed his unit, and the organization’s apparent commitment to winning and providing improved facilities. A bonus was that the Packers played on a grass field, a big improvement after the notoriously poor artificial surface at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium.

    

One area of weakness for the Packers in ‘92 had been the pass rush as the club ranked 21^st in the NFL with 34 sacks. While LB Tony Bennett had a healthy 13.5 to lead the club, the best total among the linemen was four by DE Matt Brock. White offered a significant upgrade and another newcomer, NT Bill Maas, was also added as a free agent.

“I think we can now compete for the division title and that's what we're in this for,” said Green Bay GM Ron Wolf. “With Reggie now, we are going to be considered a serious contender.”

The team did continue to move forward in 1993, again going 9-7 but qualifying for the postseason as a wild card entry. White recorded 13 sacks, becoming the first Green Bay defensive lineman to make it to double digits in that category since DE Ezra Johnson in 1983 (15.5).

While there had been whispers when the Packers acquired White that he was on the downside of his career, and he seemed to wear down during the second half of the ’93 season, that talk ended as he continued to play at a high level during the remainder of his career in Green Bay, which lasted for six seasons. He accumulated 68.5 sacks with the Packers and was still an annual Pro Bowl selectee (he ended up being chosen 13 straight times). Moreover, he continued to be a team leader and helped to improve the overall play of the defense. The Packers reached the postseason in every year that the Minister of Defense was with the team, and in 1996 they won their first NFL Championship since the Lombardi era.

White retired from the Packers following a 1998 season in which he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press – a tribute to his continuing ability at age 37, even if he was no longer as consistently dominating. He came out of retirement to play one last season in 2000 with the Carolina Panthers and then left for good with 198 career NFL sacks, in addition to 23.5 in the USFL. White was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 – sadly, almost two years after his sudden death on Dec. 26, 2004 from respiratory failure.

MVP Profile: Mel Hein, 1938

Center/Linebacker, New York Giants

Age:  29

8^th season in pro football & with Giants

College: Washington State

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 225

Prelude:

An All-American in college who excelled at tackle and guard as well as center, Hein was highly sought by pro teams and, after almost signing with the Providence Steamroller, joined the Giants for the 1931 season. Backing up veteran C George Murtaugh, he saw little action in the preseason and started off the regular season as a reserve, but when Murtaugh went down with an injury he made the most of the opportunity. Playing in a single-wing offense that made dependable long-snapping a key skill, Hein was considered to be the best in the league, and he also was outstanding as a run and pass blocker with his speed and mobility – pioneering traits for a center at the time. Hein became the team captain and was a consensus first-team All-Pro in 1934 and ’35.

1938 Season Summary

Appeared in all 11 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions

Interceptions – N/A

Return yards – N/A

TDs – 1 [1, tied with eight others]

Scoring

TDs – 1         

Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Green Bay)

Interceptions – N/A

Int. return yards – N/A

TD – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: Joe F. Carr Trophy

1^st team All-NFL: League, INS, UPI, NY Daily News

2^nd team All-NFL: PFWA

Pro All-Star Game

Giants went 8-2-1 to finish first in the Eastern Division while leading the division in rushing yards (1550), scoring (194 points), and touchdowns (26). Defeated Green Bay Packers for NFL Championship (23-17).

Aftermath:

Hein was a consensus first-team All-Pro in both 1939 and ’40 and, in addition to those seasons, was selected to the NFL All-Star Game in 1941 as well. He retired following the ’42 season to become head coach at Union College, but due to the World War II manpower shortage continued to play for the Giants on weekends. He retired for good after the 1945 season, having appeared in 170 games, and played every down as a single-platoon player – an impressive display of durability. The Giants retired his #7 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Charter Member in 1963.

--

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: Veterans Stadium

Philadelphia, PA

Year opened: 1971
Capacity: 65,386

Names:
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium, 1971-2004 

Pro football tenants:
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), 1971-2002
Philadelphia Stars (USFL), 1983-84

Postseason games hosted:
NFC Wild Card playoff, Eagles 27 Bears 17, Dec. 23, 1979
NFC Divisional playoff, Eagles 31 Vikings 16, Jan. 3, 1981
NFC Championship, Eagles 20 Cowboys 7, Jan. 11, 1981
NFC Wild Card playoff, Giants 27 Eagles 21, Dec. 27, 1981
USFL Semifinal playoff, Stars 44 Blitz 38, July 9, 1983
NFC Wild Card playoff, Rams 21 Eagles 7, Dec. 31, 1989
NFC Wild Card playoff, Redskins 20 Eagles 6, Jan. 5, 1991
NFC Wild Card playoff, Eagles 58 Lions 37, Dec. 30, 1995
NFC Wild Card playoff, Eagles 21 Buccaneers 3, Dec. 31, 2000
NFC Wild Card playoff, Eagles 31 Buccaneers 9, Jan. 12, 2002
NFC Divisional playoff, Eagles 20 Falcons 6, Jan. 11, 2003
NFC Championship, Buccaneers 27 Eagles 10, Jan. 19, 2003

Other tenants of note:
Philadelphia Phillies (MLB – NL), 1971-2003
Philadelphia Atoms (NASL), 1973-75
Philadelphia Fury (NASL), 1978-80
Temple Univ. (college football), 1978-2002

Notes: The Vet was of an octorad shape (i.e., having eight radii) and the final design came about after much haggling between the Eagles and MLB Phillies. Hosted Army vs. Navy football game, 1980-82, 1984-88, 1990-92, 1994-96, 1998-99, 2001. Hosted annual Philadelphia City Title high school football championship, 1973-77 and 1979. Original AstroTurf surface, which became infamous over time, was replaced with NexTurf in 2001. Improper installation of the NexTurf surface caused the cancellation of a preseason game between the Eagles and Baltimore Ravens in 2001. During the 1998 Army vs. Navy football game, a railing collapsed and several West Point cadets were injured. Two auxiliary scoreboards were in use for football (as opposed to a more elaborate system for baseball) until a large Phanavision screen was installed. Original seating color scheme of orange, yellow, and brown was replaced by all blue in 1976. First football game was a preseason contest between the Eagles and Buffalo Bills, Aug. 16, 1971.

Fate: Demolished in 2004 the site is now used as a parking lot for Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field.

1976: Packers Obtain Lynn Dickey from Oilers

On April 2, 1976 a long-delayed trade between the Green Bay Packers and Houston Oilers was announced. The Packers sent QB John Hadl, CB Ken Ellis, and two draft choices (fourth round in ’76, third round in ’77) to Houston for QB Lynn Dickey.

Word of the impending deal had been leaked earlier in the week and it thus came as no surprise. It had been agreed to long before, but an embargo on trades due to litigation involving the allocation of players to the NFL’s two new expansion teams forced a delay. It was thus officially announced on the day that the embargo was lifted.

“After a great deal of consideration and thought, we thought the trade for Lynn Dickey would be in the best interests of the Green Bay Packers or we wouldn't have made it,” Bart Starr, all-time great quarterback and now general manager and head coach of the Packers, said when questioned about the cost to his team. “Any time you make an investment like this it's expensive, but I think if you break it down and analyze it, I think you can justify it.”

There was much critical comment, for the unproven Dickey (pictured above) had been unable to beat out Dan Pastorini in Houston and, considering the Packers had given up a great deal to get Hadl during the 1974 season (five draft choices), this seemed to compound the enormity of that action (that transaction had been swung by Starr’s predecessor as head coach/GM, Dan Devine).

The 6’4”, 210-pound Dickey threw just four passes in 1975. At Kansas State, he had broken most Big Eight passing and total yardage records. He was selected by the Oilers in the third round of the quarterback-rich 1971 draft while Pastorini was the team’s first-round draft choice. Dickey missed all of 1972 due to a broken hip suffered in the preseason and in four years of action had thrown a total of 294 passes, completing 155 of them for 1953 yards with 8 touchdowns and a big 28 interceptions (including 9 of his 57 attempts as a rookie). Dickey lacked mobility but had an outstanding arm and Starr could see his potential.

“I felt all along I could play, but I was told I would probably never get that opportunity,” said Dickey, glad to be away from Houston and with an opportunity to start.

Hadl had been an outstanding quarterback for the San Diego Chargers for 11 seasons, leading the AFL twice and NFL once in passing yards and gaining selection to four AFL All-Star Games and one Pro Bowl. He was dealt to the Rams in 1973, where he had an All-Pro year, but was traded to the Packers during the ’74 season and, at 36, appeared to be on the downside of his career. Dickey, on the other hand, was 26 and backup quarterbacks Don Milan and Carlos Brown were clearly not ready to move up.

The Packers were coming off a 4-10 record in Starr’s first year at the helm. The previously solid running game dropped off badly as star FB John Brockington slumped to just 434 yards on the ground. The team had been in the doldrums since the departure of Vince Lombardi as head coach in 1967, with a division title under Devine in 1972 the only highlight. Even in the division-winning year, quarterback was a problem area for the Packers, and Starr was hired in 1975 to bring the winning habit of the Lombardi era back to Green Bay and, as part of that, to bring improvement behind center. Hadl was hardly someone to rebuild around while Dickey could grow with the offense.

Houston, under Head Coach O.A. “Bum” Phillips, was on the rise and coming off a 10-4 record in 1975. Dan Pastorini was the unquestioned starter at quarterback and swapping Dickey for Hadl brought a savvy veteran who could provide both insurance if Pastorini went down as well as a mentor. Ken Ellis, a two-time Pro Bowl selectee, was 28. He had played out his option and was likely to sign elsewhere. The draft choices were used to take WR Steve Largent of Tulsa in 1976, who was traded in the preseason and went on to a Hall of Fame career with Seattle, and FB Tim Wilson out of Maryland in ’77, a capable player who mostly blocked for star RB Earl Campbell until 1982.

Pastorini slumped during an injury-plagued season, along with the rest of the Oilers, in 1976. The team fell to 5-9 after a promising 4-1 beginning. Hadl (pictured below) ended up starting four games, three of which were losses. He was successful on 60 of 113 pass attempts (53.1 %) for 634 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. He lasted one more year with the Oilers before retiring, seeing less action in ‘77.


Ellis didn’t remain long in Houston, as he was traded to the injury-depleted Miami Dolphins during the season and was converted to safety (the Oilers picked up two 1977 draft choices as part of the transaction).

As for Lynn Dickey in Green Bay, he showed promise – although performed unevenly – until being knocked out by a shoulder injury ten games into the season. Overall, he completed just 47.3 % of his passes for 1465 yards with 7 TDs and 14 interceptions. The running game was still substandard and the receiving corps nothing special, with WR Ken Payne and TE Rich McGeorge the most reliable of the group. Like the Oilers, the Packers ended up at 5-9.

Dickey’s road proved to be a difficult one in Green Bay. He came back in 1977 but suffered a badly broken leg in Week 9 that was such a severe injury he missed all of ’78 as well. The Packers contended in his absence, going 8-7-1, and a competitor arose in David Whitehurst. When Dickey finally came back in 1979, he was backing up his former backup, but Whitehurst failed to progress, the Packers slipped back into their losing ways, and Dickey outplayed him when he started the final three games.

Dickey finally started a full slate of games in 1980 and set team records in pass attempts (478), completions (278), and yards (3529) although he also was intercepted 25 times while throwing for 15 TDs. WR James Lofton, who arrived in ’78, was an outstanding target (71 receptions, 1226 yards) and TE Paul Coffman emerged to catch 42 passes as well. But the team’s record was only 5-10-1. Another quarterback, Rich Campbell out of California, was taken in the first round of the ’81 draft.


In 1981 the Packers picked up another receiver, WR John Jefferson, spectacular with the Chargers but unhappy with his contract, and paired him with Lofton to allow for a wide-open aerial game (#83 Jefferson & #80 Lofton pictured at left). Dickey finally tossed more touchdown passes (17) than interceptions (15), including five in a game against the Saints. However, he was also sacked 40 times, including nine in one game against the Jets, and missed three contests with a back injury. Still, after starting out a miserable 2-6, Green Bay finished up at 6-2.

In the strike-interrupted ’82 season, the Packers made it to the postseason for the first time in ten years with a 5-3-1 record. Lacking a reliable running game, it came down to Dickey throwing the ball to Lofton, Jefferson, and Coffman while trying to avoid being sacked. He threw four TD passes against the Cardinals for Green Bay’s first postseason win since the 1967 season and for 332 yards in a loss to Dallas in the next round (along with three interceptions).

It set the stage for high expectations that were not met in an 8-8 campaign in 1983, although Dickey passed for 4458 yards (third-highest in NFL history at the time) and 32 touchdowns, offset by a league-leading 29 interceptions. The explosive offense couldn’t overcome the porous defense, however, and it marked the end of Bart Starr’s coaching tenure (he was replaced by another Lombardi-era Packer, Forrest Gregg). Dickey lasted for another two years and remained productive, but an injury that prematurely ended his 1985 season ultimately finished off his career.

Overall, Lynn Dickey played 13 seasons in the NFL, appearing in every game just three times (including the 9-game ’82 season). With the Packers, he passed for 21,369 yards and 133 touchdowns, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt, with 151 interceptions. While the team had only one winning season, deficiencies in the running game, offensive line, and defense played more of a role in Green Bay’s lack of success than Dickey, who when healthy was able to combine with a fine receiving corps in productive fashion. Moreover, despite a string of major injuries that threatened to derail his career at several points, he showed great tenacity and toughness along the way.