Past Venue: Providence Cycledrome

Providence, RI

Year opened: 1925

Capacity: 10,000

Names:

Providence Cycledrome, 1925-37

Pro football tenants:

Providence Steam Roller (NFL), 1925-31

Postseason games hosted:

None

Other tenants of note:

None

Notes: Constructed near the boundary between Providence and Pawtucket as a bicycle-racing venue (velodrome). The field was surrounded by a steeply-banked wooden track that cut into the end zones, reducing one to five yards in depth. Seating was permitted on the straightaway portions of the track, parallel to the field, and fans were so close to the action that plays going out of bounds could have players landing among the spectators. Lights were installed in 1930. Locker rooms, as such, provided very limited space and were only used by the home team – visitors had to dress for the game at their hotel. Largest crowd was 13,000 for Steam Roller vs. New York Giants.

Fate: Demolished in 1937 and replaced by a drive-in movie theater, which has since given way to a shopping plaza.

MVP Profile: Paul Hornung, 1961

Halfback, Green Bay Packers

Age: 26 (Dec. 23)

5^th season in pro football & with Packers

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 215

Prelude:

Despite Notre Dame posting a miserable 2-8 record in his senior year, the “Golden Boy” was an All-American quarterback for the second time and capped his college career by winning the Heisman Trophy. He was chosen by the Packers in the first round of the 1957 draft but lacked the passing accuracy to play quarterback in the NFL. Hornung was tried at fullback and floundered for his first two years on a losing team before the arrival of Vince Lombardi as head coach in 1959. Lombardi installed him as an option halfback and, together with his role as the team’s placekicker, Hornung became a scoring machine as well as part of an excellent rushing tandem along with FB Jim Taylor. In 1959, he led the NFL with 94 points and earned a Pro Bowl selection while rushing for 681 yards and in ’60, as the Packers won the Western Conference, he set a league scoring record that lasted until 2006 with 176 points, including a league-leading 13 rushing touchdowns. He received consensus first-team All-Pro recognition and again was chosen to the Pro Bowl.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared and started 12 of 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 127 [15]

Most attempts, game - 22 (for 94 yds.) at Chicago 11/12

Yards – 597 [13]

Most yards, game – 111 yards (on 11 carries) vs. Baltimore 10/8

Average gain – 4.7 [9]

TDs – 8 [3, tied with J.D. Smith, Jim Brown & Rick Casares]

100-yard rushing games - 1

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 15       

Most receptions, game – 3 (for 17 yds.) vs. Detroit 9/17, (for 28 yds.) vs. Baltimore 10/8

Yards – 145

Most yards, game - 34 (on 1 catch) at Chicago 11/12

Average gain – 9.7

TDs – 2

Passing

Attempts – 5

Completions – 3

Yards – 42

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 0

Kicking

Field goals – 15 [3, tied with Jim Martin & Lou Michaels]

Most field goals, game - 4 at Minnesota 10/22

Field goal attempts – 22 [10, tied with Tommy Davis]

Most field goal attempts, game – 4 vs. San Francisco 9/24, at Minnesota 10/22

Field goal percentage – 68.2 [2]

PATs – 41 [4]

PAT attempts – 41 [4, tied with Roger LeClerc]

Longest field goal – 51 yards at Chicago 11/12

Scoring

TDs – 10

Field Goals – 15

PATs – 41

Points – 146 [1]

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. NY Giants)

Rushing attempts – 20

Rushing yards – 89

Average gain rushing – 4.5

Rushing TDs – 1

Pass receptions – 3

Pass receiving yards - 47

Average yards per reception – 15.7

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Pass attempts – 2

Pass completions – 0

Passing yards – 0

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 0

Field goals – 3

Field goal attempts – 3

PATs – 4

PAT attempts – 4

Longest field goal – 22 yards

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: AP, UPI, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News, Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

Packers went 11-3 to finish first in the Western Conference while leading NFL in rushing yards (2350), scoring (391 points), and touchdowns (49). Defeated New York Giants for NFL Championship (37-0).

Aftermath:

Missing time due to military service and injury, Hornung had a lesser year in 1962 as the Packers repeated as champions. A suspension for gambling cost him all of 1963, and when he returned in ’64 his performance suffered, in particular his placekicking. He lasted another two injury-plagued years, with a clutch five-TD performance against the Colts in ’65, as well as a solid rushing game in that season’s NFL Championship game, among the last major highlights of his career. Hornung was taken by the New Orleans Saints in the 1967 expansion draft but, due to a chronic pinched nerve in his neck, retired during training camp. He finished with 3711 rushing yards on 893 carries, 1480 yards on 130 pass receptions, five TD passes, 62 touchdowns, 66 field goals, 190 extra points, and 760 total points, which put him among the Top 10 career scoring leaders in NFL history at the time. An all-around talent who was at his best in scoring territory, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1986.

--

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]

1967: Bears Trade Mike Ditka to Eagles for Jack Concannon

In the offseason following the 1966 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles lost star TE Pete Retzlaff to retirement while the Chicago Bears were seeking a quarterback due to the retirement talk surrounding 35-year-old QB Rudy Bukich (he stayed on for one more season as a backup). On April 26, 1967 the Eagles traded QB Jack Concannon and an unspecified 1968 draft pick to the Bears for TE Mike Ditka.

Ditka (pictured above) had quickly established himself as one of the premier tight ends in pro football after coming to the Bears as a first draft choice in 1961. He received Rookie of the Year recognition as he caught 56 passes for 1076 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first year and was selected to the Pro Bowl following each of the first five. A hard-nosed player who combined the strong blocking skills expected in the position with excellent pass receiving ability, he was one of the stars of the 1963 NFL Championship-winning team and topped out statistically with 75 catches for 897 yards in ‘64.

However, the 27-year-old Ditka was on the verge of becoming a free agent. He had refused to sign a contract for 1966 and played out his option. He also infuriated owner/Head Coach George Halas by accepting a $50,000 bonus to sign a three-year contract and jump leagues to play for the AFL’s Houston Oilers – a deal that was tossed out once the AFL/NFL merger was agreed to (although he got to keep the bonus).

Having obtained his rights, the Eagles were successful in signing Ditka to a contract. Ditka had often been a critic of the front office while with the Bears, but was diplomatic upon leaving. “I bear no animosity to the Bear team,” he stated. “It’s been a great six years in Chicago and I hope the next six years will be as great.”

The 24-year-old Concannon was Philadelphia’s second-round draft choice out of Boston College in 1964. At 6’3” and 205 pounds, he was known for his flashy running ability as a quarterback in college and showed off the same form in the NFL – at least, on the rare occasions when he played. Backing up veteran QB Norm Snead (along with King Hill) as a rookie, he was given a late-season start against Dallas and passed for two touchdowns while also rushing for 99 yards in just 8 carries. It was enough to make him a fan favorite, but did not guarantee him more playing time.

After mostly sitting on the bench for the next two years, sometimes relieving at quarterback and occasionally returning punts, Concannon got two late-season starts in 1966 (as part of Head Coach Joe Kuharich’s odd three-man starting quarterback rotation), and they were wins. Against the Steelers, he set a club single-game rushing record for a quarterback with 129 yards that lasted until 2010. However, he showed his erratic tendencies in the Playoff Bowl, tossing a costly interception in defeat. For all the excitement he generated, he appeared in just 18 games, completed only 43.7 % of his passes with four touchdowns and eight interceptions, but also rushed for 433 yards on 50 carries for an 8.7-yard average gain. He had a knack for making big plays, but was very much a work in progress.

Philadelphia reportedly gave the Bears their choice of any of the three veteran quarterbacks on the roster, including Snead and Hill. It was considered something of a surprise that Halas went with Concannon (Concannon himself expressed surprise that the Bears didn’t choose one of the others when reacting to the trade).

Ditka played for two seasons in Philadelphia, but they were not the best of his Hall of Fame career. In 1967, foot and hamstring injuries limited him to nine games, and he caught 26 passes for 274 yards and two TDs. The output was even less in ’68 (13 receptions for 111 yards and two scores) due not only to a knee injury but his being suspended by Kuharich for making critical comments regarding his management of the team. In a dreadful 2-12 season in which there was much dissension, Ditka’s voice was just one of those expressing dissatisfaction. Kuharich was relieved as GM and head coach following the year, and Ditka was traded to the Cowboys. He played effectively for four seasons and was part of another championship team in 1971. Ultimately, he reconciled with Halas and the Bears and became a successful head coach of the team, leading it to a Super Bowl victory following the 1985 season.

Jack Concannon (pictured above) ran into injury problems in Chicago, although the club went 5-1-1 in the second half of 1967 with him behind center to finish at 7-6-1. However, it was the same story as in Philadelphia – while he could make big plays and ran for 279 yards, he was still erratic throwing the ball, completing 49.5 % of his passes for 1260 yards and tossing far more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (6). The presence of star HB Gale Sayers made the greater impact on the offense’s output.

A fractured shoulder limited Concannon to seven games in 1968 and backup QB Virgil Carter yielded better results in relief. But from a 7-7 record, the Bears collapsed to 1-13 in ’69 and Concannon found himself competing with rookie Bobby Douglass as well as Carter. It seemed as though Douglass – another quarterback who was better at running than passing – would supplant the veteran, but when the young lefthander went down early in the 1970 season with a broken wrist, Concannon put together his best pro season, throwing for 2130 yards with 16 TDs against 18 interceptions. Chicago bounced back to 6-8. But he was lost to injury in ’71, the team committed to Douglass, and Concannon exited for Dallas, where he was never activated over the course of two years, finishing up with brief appearances with Green Bay and Detroit before retiring.

In all with the Bears, Concannon completed 51.1 % of his passes for 5222 yards with 31 TDs and 52 interceptions, rushed for 586 yards, and provided his share of excitement. However, he lacked the passing ability and consistency to be truly successful as a quarterback in the NFL. 

Past Venue: Civic Stadium

Portland, OR 

aka Multnomah Stadium, Jeld-Wen Field

Year opened: 1926

Capacity: 22,000, down from 32,500 when it was used for pro football

Names:

Multnomah Stadium, 1926-65

Civic Stadium, 1966-2000

PGE Park, 2001-10

Jeld-Wen Field, 2011 to date

Pro football tenants:

Portland Rockets (AFL), 1944
Portland Loggers (ContFL), 1969
Portland Storm/Thunder (WFL), 1974-75

Portland Breakers (USFL), 1985

Postseason games hosted:

None

Other tenants of note:

Portland Beavers (minor league baseball), 1956-93, 2001-10

Portland Mavericks (minor league baseball), 1973-77

Portland Timbers (NASL), 1975-82

Portland Rockies (minor league baseball), 1995-2000

Portland State Univ. (college football)

Portland Timbers (MLS), 2001 to date

Notes: Constructed by Multnomah Athletic Club on site of earlier athletic fields, dating back to 1893. Sold to the City of Portland in 1966 and renamed Civic Stadium. Underwent major renovation in 2001, at which point the naming rights were bought by Portland General Electric. Grass surface replaced with AstroTurf in 1969, Nexturf in 2001, and FieldTurf in 2011. Hosted occasional home games of Univ. of Oregon and Oregon State Univ. Hosted matches of Women’s World Cup, 1999 and 2003. Also used for greyhound racing, after Oregon legalized para-mutuel betting, 1933-55. First football game was Univ. of Washington vs. Univ. of Oregon, Oct. 9, 1926. Hosted NFL preseason game in 1955 between New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams in which sudden-death overtime was first used on an experimental basis.

Fate: Still in use.

[Updated 2/3/14]
[Updated 2/16/15]

1984: Bandits Stifle Punchless Panthers

The Michigan Panthers, champions of the United States Football League’s first season in 1983, had gotten off to a 6-0 start in ’84. Head Coach Jim Stanley’s team, featuring the passing combination of QB Bobby Hebert to WR Anthony Carter, looked as though it was on its way to another title until Carter suffered a season-ending broken arm in the sixth game. The Panthers lost the two that followed and were not the same without the second-year wide receiver, who was also an outstanding punt returner.

On April 23, 1984 Michigan hosted the Tampa Bay Bandits at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Bandits, coached by Steve Spurrier, were 5-3 and had won their previous two contests after losing three straight. 34-year-old veteran QB John Reaves directed the attack and had outstanding targets in WR Eric Truvillion and TE Marvin Harvey. RB Gary Anderson, in his first full year with the club, was proving to be a productive all-purpose back.

There were 31,443 fans in attendance for the Monday night contest. The visitors started out impressively, putting together an eight-play, 80-yard drive in their first possession. Reaves completed two key third down passes to Harvey along the way and finished the possession off by connecting with the tight end once more for a 12-yard touchdown.

Meanwhile, the Panthers were having difficulties moving the ball. But after two uninspiring possessions, Hebert woke up the crowd with a bomb to WR Walter Broughton, running a deep post pattern, that covered 80 yards. The score was tied at 7-7 after a quarter of play.

The Bandits got a break in the second quarter when Michigan RB John Williams fumbled the ball in his own territory and it was recovered by Tampa Bay LB James Harrell, who returned it 18 yards. Reaves quickly tossed another TD pass, this time of 17 yards to Truvillion in the left corner of the end zone, and Tampa Bay was back in front with 4:40 left in the half.

There was very little offense on display in the second half, but with the defense keeping the Panthers in check, the Bandits could afford to play for ball control. Zenon Andrusyshyn added field goals of 38 and 20 yards (he also missed twice, from 42 and 44 yards) and Tampa Bay coasted to an easy 20-7 win.

Michigan’s offense was stagnant throughout the game, with the long touchdown play the only highlight. The Panthers had just 44 rushing yards, 10 first downs, and turned the ball over five times. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay outgained Michigan by 342 yards to 295 and rolled up 20 first downs while dominating possession at 37:11 to 22:49.

John Reaves (pictured above) completed 22 of 37 passes for 251 yards with two touchdowns and an interception (Tampa Bay’s only turnover). Marvin Harvey caught 7 passes for 103 yards and a TD and Eric Truvillion contributed 6 receptions for 79 yards and the other touchdown. Gary Anderson and FB Greg Boone each carried the ball 16 times, with Boone gaining 67 yards to Anderson’s 43.

For the Panthers, Bobby Hebert went to the air 35 times and completed 18 for 262 yards with the one TD but was intercepted four times (twice by CB Warren Hanna). TE Mike Cobb had 7 receptions for 68 yards while, thanks to the long scoring play, Warren Broughton led the team in receiving yards with 96 on his two catches. RB Ken Lacy rushed for 34 yards on 9 carries and added 6 pass receptions for 52 yards.

“We felt that since they had lost two games in a row they would want to set up their running game,” said DE Mike Butler of the Bandits, a former Green Bay Packer. “So what we wanted to do was take that away from them from the beginning and that's what we accomplished.”

“It’s difficult to do the job when we get outplayed,” said a disappointed Coach Jim Stanley. “We didn’t get enough pressure on the quarterback. It appeared that we didn’t have enough heart and soul.”

The third straight defeat for Michigan put them in a three-way tie atop the Central Division with Houston and Oklahoma. They lost again the following week before ending the slide and ultimately made it into the postseason as a Wild Card entry with a 10-8 record, losing an epic overtime game to the Los Angeles Express.

The third straight win for Tampa Bay kept the club just behind the Birmingham Stallions and New Orleans Breakers in the Southern Division. The Bandits also ended up in the playoffs as a Wild Card at 14-4, losing to the Stallions in the first round.

John Reaves had an outstanding season, throwing for 4092 yards and 28 touchdowns. Eric Truvillion and Marvin Harvey each caught 70 passes and scored 9 TDs, with 1044 and 938 yards, respectively.

Bobby Hebert, dealing with the effects of a knee injury that hindered his mobility as well as the loss of his primary receiver, ended up with 3758 passing yards and 24 TD passes, but also gave up 22 interceptions, tying him for second in the USFL in that dubious category.

1995: Jaguars Obtain Mark Brunell from Packers

On April 21, 1995 the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars swung the first trade in franchise history. With the NFL draft looming, they dealt their third and fifth round selections to the Green Bay Packers for QB Mark Brunell.

The 24-year-old Brunell had played collegiately at the University of Washington, where he was successful until suffering a knee injury as a junior. Losing his starting job to Billy Joe Hobert, he regained it when Hobert received an NCAA suspension, but the injury damaged his draft status – he lasted until the fifth round in 1993. Behind the durable Brett Favre, Brunell saw no action as a rookie and appeared in two games in ’94. While there were concerns regarding his size (6'1”, 217) and passing accuracy, the mobile lefthander was considered a good prospect and was compared to San Francisco’s star QB Steve Young.

A restricted free agent, the Packers had been in negotiations with the Philadelphia Eagles during the week prior to the draft. The Eagles offered a four-year, $3.8 million deal but the quarterback’s agent rejected it and Green Bay then swung the trade with the Jaguars, pending Brunell’s acceptance of a three-year, $3.1 million pact that offered incentives, which came about quickly.

Brunell joined Steve Beuerlein and Andre Ware on the roster as quarterbacks for Jacksonville, and USC’s Rob Johnson was drafted in the fourth round to add to the mix. Ware ended up being the odd man out, but it was the 30-year-old veteran Beuerlein behind center as the inaugural season got under way. The Jaguars had invested heavily in free agents (as had that year’s other expansion club, the Carolina Panthers) and expectations were higher than usual for a team in its first season. Following a disappointing 1-4 start, Brunell was inserted into the lineup.

The Jaguars, under tough Head Coach Tom Coughlin, were in flux during their first season. The receiving corps was uninspiring, but Brunell’s performance was impressive. He completed 58.1 % of his passes for 2168 yards with 15 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions. His passer rating was a solid 82.6 and he ranked fourth in the AFC with a 2.0 interception percentage. In addition, Brunell’s mobility paid off as he rushed for 480 yards and four TDs, averaging 7.2 yards per carry.

Things improved dramatically for both the young quarterback and the team in 1996. It didn’t start out that way – the Jaguars won only four of their first 11 games and Brunell had difficulties, throwing bad passes and giving up too many interceptions. But things came together in a 5-0 surge to finish off the regular season and qualify for the playoffs as a 9-7 wild card entry. RB Natrone Means played a big part in the winning streak, rushing for 364 yards and taking some of the pressure off of the quarterback. In addition, disappointing veteran WR Andre Rison was let go and replaced by Jimmy Smith, who paired with WR Keenan McCardell to provide a formidable pass receiving tandem. Brunell passed for a league-leading 4367 yards and 7.8 yards per attempt. He also led NFL quarterbacks with 396 rushing yards even though he also was sacked a league-leading 50 times. While he threw fewer touchdown passes (19) than interceptions (20), most of the pickoffs came when the club was struggling in the first half of the season. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl and also received a contract extension.

Jacksonville continued its streak into the postseason, stunning Buffalo in the Wild Card round and Denver in the Divisional playoff before finally succumbing to New England in the AFC Championship game.

The Jaguars followed up with a better record in 1997 (11-5) but didn’t get as far in the postseason, losing to Denver in the Wild Card playoff. Brunell suffered a knee injury in the preseason, missed two games, and had difficulty when he returned due to the diminished mobility. Still, he led the AFC in passing (91.2 rating), threw for 3281 yards with 18 TDs to just 7 interceptions, and again gained selection to the Pro Bowl.

The ’98 Jaguars benefited from the arrival of rookie RB Fred Taylor (1223 rushing yards) and put together another 11-5 record, advancing to the Divisional round of the playoffs. However, Brunell again missed time with injuries and his numbers slipped, although not badly – he ranked fourth in the conference with an 89.9 rating and had 20 touchdown passes to 9 interceptions.

The 1999 season marked a major high point for the club, as it put together an AFC-best 14-2 tally and reached the AFC title game. Brunell missed one game, threw for 3060 yards and was selected to his third Pro Bowl. But with expectations high for reaching the top in 2000, the team slipped badly to 7-9. While Brunell had another fine season statistically (3640 yards, 20 TDs), he was also sacked 54 times as the line sprang leaks due to injuries.

Things did not get better in 2001 and ’02 as salary cap problems and attrition overtook the club, with key offensive performers such as McCardell and OT Tony Boselli departing. Brunell’s numbers remained strong but his mobility was significantly diminished and he continued to take many sacks. Jacksonville posted back-to-back 6-10 records and Coach Coughlin was let go. Brunell lasted one more season (and went into it having been told by the front office that he would not receive a contract extension), giving way to rookie QB Byron Leftwich, the team’s first round draft pick, and moved on to Washington where he briefly enjoyed a resurgence before retreating to journeyman backup status.

In nine seasons with the Jaguars, he completed 60.4 % of his passes for 25,698 yards with 144 touchdowns and 86 interceptions. He also rushed for 2219 yards in 429 attempts (5.2 avg.) and exhibited outstanding leadership and toughness. The team’s record in his starts was 63-54, with the bulk of the wins coming from 1996 to ’99, although with somewhat disappointing results in the postseason.

As a footnote, Green Bay used the third and fifth round draft choices they received for 1995 to draft, respectively, North Carolina FB William Henderson and RB Travis Jervey out of The Citadel. Henderson played 12 years for the Packers, caught 320 passes out of the backfield, and was an All-Pro in 2004. Jervey made his mark on special teams in four years with Green Bay before moving on to the 49ers - he went to the Pro Bowl following the ’97 season as a Special Teams player.

MVP Profile: Sid Luckman, 1943

Quarterback/Defensive Back, Chicago Bears

Age:  27 (Nov. 21)

5^th season in pro football & with Bears

College: Columbia

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prelude:

The Bears traded up to the second spot in the 1939 NFL draft to take Luckman, who had been a star single-wing tailback in college. Following a difficult rookie season of transitioning to T-formation quarterback (he played at halfback for part of the year), he led the Bears to championships in 1940 and ’41 and was an All-Pro selection in 1941 and ’42. Luckman was intelligent and an excellent tactician on the field as well as an outstanding passer from any range.

1943 Season Summary

Appeared in all 10 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 202 [2]

Completions – 110 [2]

Yards – 2194 [1]

Completion percentage – 54.5 [2]

Yards per attempt – 10.9 [1]

TD passes – 28 [1]

Most TD passes, game – 7 at NY Giants 11/14

Interceptions – 12 [5, tied with Tony Canadeo]

Passer rating – 107.5 [1](Ranked 2nd by system used at time)

Rushing

Attempts – 22

Yards – -40

Yards per attempt – -1.8

TDs – 1

Punting

Punts – 34 [5]

Yards – 1220

Average – 35.9 [9]

Punts blocked – 1

Longest punt – 78 yards

Interceptions

Interceptions – 4 [10, tied with four others]

Return yards – 85 [7]

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1   

Yards – 7

Average per return – 7.0

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 4   

Yards – 46

Average per return – 11.5

TDs – 0

Longest return – 14 yards

Scoring

TDs – 1         

Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Washington)

Pass attempts – 26

Pass completions – 15

Passing yardage – 286

TD passes – 5

Interceptions – 0

Rushing attempts – 8

Rushing yards – 64

Average gain rushing – 8.0

Rushing TDs – 0

Interceptions – 2

Return yards – 39

TDs – 0

Punts – 5

Yards – 74

Average – 24.7

Punt returns – 2

Yards – 32

Average per return – 16.0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: Joe F. Carr Trophy

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, INS, Chicago Herald-American, Pro Football Illustrated, NY Daily News

Bears went 8-1-1 to win Western Division while leading the league in total yards (3961), passing yards (2310), scoring (315 points), and touchdowns (45). Defeated Washington Redskins (41-21) for NFL Championship.

Aftermath:

Having joined the Merchant Marine, Luckman missed part of the 1944 season but was still selected as a consensus first-team All-Pro for the fourth straight year. He came back to lead the NFL in passing yards (1727) and TD passes (14) in ’45 and did so again in 1946 with 1826 yards and 17 touchdowns along with a league-leading 8.0 yards per attempt. The Bears won the NFL Championship, their fourth with Luckman at quarterback. He was a first-team All-Pro for one last time in 1947 as he threw for a career-high 2712 yards and again led the league in yards per attempt (8.4) although he also led in interceptions (31, by far his career high). He played three more seasons, largely as a backup to Johnny Lujack, and retired in 1950. Overall, his passing totals of 14,686 yards and 137 TD passes seem modest by modern standards, but his 8.4 yards per attempt still rank second all-time and his record of 28 TD passes in ’43 remained the NFL standard until 1959. The Bears retired Luckman’s #42 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

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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]