MVP Profile: Marshall Faulk, 2001

Running Back, St. Louis Rams

Age: 28

8^th season in pro football, 3^rd with Rams

College: San Diego State

Height: 5’10” Weight: 211

Prelude:

Taken in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft (second overall) by the Indianapolis Colts, Faulk had a Rookie of the Year season with 1282 rushing yards and 52 catches for 522 more, establishing himself as an outstanding combination runner/receiver. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as well and was chosen again following a 1995 performance in which he rushed for 1078 yards and had 56 catches. Injuries, and a subpar offensive line, reduced his production significantly in 1996 and he ran for 1054 yards and caught 47 passes for a 3-13 team in ’97. Faulk returned to Pro Bowl form in 1998 as he rushed for 1319 yards and gained 908 yards on 86 pass receptions to lead the NFL with 2227 yards from scrimmage. He was traded to the Rams in the offseason for two draft picks and in 1999 became the key to a championship offense as he again led the league in yards from scrimmage (2429) with 1381 on the ground and 1048 through the air on 87 catches. Faulk thus became the second running back to gain a thousand yards both rushing and receiving in a season and, in addition to being chosen to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time, was a consensus first-team All-Pro. He followed up with another strong season in 2000, receiving MVP consideration while setting a new record for touchdowns (26) and gaining 1359 rushing yards plus 830 more on 81 catches for a total of 2189 yards from scrimmage. Faulk was a consensus first-team All-Pro for a second straight year and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive time and fifth overall.

2001 Season Summary

Appeared and started in 14 of 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 260 [14]

Most attempts, game - 30 (for 202 yds.) at Carolina 12/23

Yards – 1382 [5]

Most yards, game – 202 yards (on 30 carries) at Carolina 12/23

Average gain – 5.3 [3]

TDs – 12 [2, tied with Antowain Smith, 1st in NFC]

200-yard rushing games – 1

100-yard rushing games – 5

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 83 [13, tied with Joe Horn & Jerry Rice]  

Most receptions, game – 9 (for 80 yds.) at Detroit 10/8

Yards – 765

Most yards, game - 128 (on 6 catches) at Atlanta 12/2

Average gain – 9.2

TDs – 9 [5, tied with seven others]

100-yard receiving games – 1

Passing

Attempts – 1

Completions – 0

Interceptions – 0

All-Purpose Yards – 2147 [1]

Scoring

TDs – 21 [1]

2-pt PATs – 1

Points – 128 [1]

Postseason: 3 G

Rushing attempts – 64

Most rushing attempts, game – 31 (for 159 yds.) vs. Philadelphia, NFC Championship

Rushing yards – 317

Most rushing yards, game – 159 (on 31 att.) vs. Philadelphia, NFC Championship

Average gain rushing – 5.0

Rushing TDs – 3

Pass receptions – 14

Most pass receptions, game – 6 (for 47 yds.) vs. Green Bay, NFC Divisional playoff

Pass receiving yards – 114

Most pass receiving yards, game – 54 (on 4 rec.) vs. New England, Super Bowl

Average yards per reception – 8.1

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Kickoff returns – 1

Kickoff return yards – 1

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: PFWA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News

NFL Offensive Player of the Year: AP

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

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Rams went 14-2 to finish first in the NFC West and gain the top seed in the conference for the playoffs while leading the NFL in total offense (6690 yards), passing yards (4663), scoring (503 points), and touchdowns (62). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Green Bay Packers (45-17) and NFC Championship over Philadelphia Eagles (29-24). Lost Super Bowl to New England Patriots (20-17).

Aftermath:

Faulk had one last Pro Bowl season in 2002 (his 7^th overall), but injuries and accumulated wear-and-tear were reducing his production. While he played until 2005, he never again gained over a thousand yards rushing or two thousand yards from scrimmage. For his career, he rushed for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns and caught 767 passes for 6875 yards and another 36 TDs. At the time, his 19,190 total yards ranked sixth all-time and 136 TDs placed fourth. Faulk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2011.

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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 2/4/14]
[Updated 11/29/14]

1985: Breakers Beat Express for First Win in Portland

On March 2, 1985 the United States Football League’s Portland Breakers played their first regular season home game in their third different host city in as many years. The franchise started off as the Boston Breakers in 1983, playing in the 20,535-seat Nickerson Field, and then moved to New Orleans and the significantly larger Louisiana Superdome for ’84. However, the USFL’s planned move to the fall for 1986 forced the franchise to uproot again and head for the Pacific Northwest, which had last hosted a World Football League team in 1974 and ’75.

The Breakers had an offense-minded coach in Dick Coury, but coming off a disappointing 8-10 record in ’84 they were without retired veteran QB John Walton and had just lost RB Marcus Dupree with a season-ending knee injury in the opening contest. The capable RB Buford Jordan (pictured above) was still available, however, and QB Doug Woodward, backup to Walton, inherited the starting role behind center. The Breakers lost at Arizona in a low-scoring 9-7 game in Week 1.

Their opponent for the first Portland home game was the Los Angeles Express. The headliner for Head Coach John Hadl’s team was QB Steve Young, who had signed a huge contract to join the club as a rookie in 1984 and had an immediate good effect on the offense. With a good stable of running backs, plus the USFL’s fifth-ranked defense over the course of the previous year, the Express appeared to be in good shape entering the season. LA barely lost to the Houston Gamblers by a 34-33 score in the opening week.

There were 25,232 fans in attendance at Civic Stadium, which had a capacity of 32,500, on a cool and clear Saturday evening. They saw the lead change four times in the low-scoring contest. With just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Express got on the board first thanks to a Tony Zendejas field goal from 31 yards out.

On the first play of the second quarter, RB Vince Williams took a handoff and pitched the ball back to Doug Woodward who then threw to WR Frank Lockett all alone in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown. It was Portland’s first touchdown pass of the young season.

Later in the period, LA regained the lead by 10-7 thanks to a nine-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Steve Young running for an eight-yard TD. Despite the ability of the Express to move the ball well, that was it until five seconds into the fourth quarter when Buford Jordan ran off tackle for a four-yard touchdown.

LA threatened twice in the final minutes of the game. LB David Howard recovered a Jordan fumble at the Portland 26 with 4:32 remaining on the clock, but RB Robert Alexander fumbled the ball back shortly thereafter with safety Joe Restic of the Breakers recovering at the eight. Getting one last shot, time ran out as WR Duane Gunn caught a pass from Young for a 21-yard gain to the Portland four.  The Breakers held on to win by a score of 14-10.

Los Angeles led in total yards (399 to 323) and first downs (21 to 16). However, the Express also turned the ball over four times, to one suffered by the Breakers.

Doug Woodward completed 11 of 20 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Buford Jordan ran effectively, gaining 110 yards on 17 carries and scoring the game-winning TD. Frank Lockett was the top receiver with three catches for 94 yards and a score.

For the Express, Steve Young was successful on 15 of 26 throws for 203 yards with no TDs and one interception but also rushed for 110 yards on 13 attempts that included a score. Duane Gunn had 4 pass receptions for 95 yards.

“We beat ourselves,” said John Hadl. “We made entirely too many mistakes when we were inside the 20 yard line. We can’t rely on Steve Young running the ball every time to save us.”

There were plenty of positive reactions to the new Portland fan base.

“This is a big-league city,” said Dick Coury. “People don’t realize it, but they should.”

“I loved it because the stadium echoed a lot,” said an enthused Buford Jordan of the home crowd. “It sounded like a lot more than 25,000.”

“They had a great crowd tonight,” added Steve Young. “It seems they might have a lot of fun here with this team.”

Things did not go so well overall for the Breakers, who continued to have difficulty putting points on the board and ended up fifth in the Western Conference with a 6-12 record. The high hopes of the Express faded into oblivion. A rash of injuries, combined with financial problems that made it difficult to replenish the depleted roster as the season wore on, caused LA to drop to the bottom of the conference at 3-15.

Rookie of the Year: Joe Cribbs, 1980

Running Back, Buffalo Bills

Age: 22

College: Auburn

Height: 5’11” Weight: 190

Prelude:

Buffalo’s running game had been subpar in 1979 with Terry Miller as the feature back, and the Bills took Cribbs in the second round of the ’80 NFL draft. Small but versatile – and having gained 4561 all-purpose yards and scored 34 touchdowns in college - it was anticipated that he would at least initially return kicks, but he quickly moved into the starting lineup as well.

1980 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 306 [4]

Most attempts, game - 30 (for 90 yds.) vs. Oakland 9/28, (for 118 yds.) vs. New England 10/26

Yards – 1185 [6, tied with Tony Dorsett]

Most yards, game – 128 yards (on 18 carries) at San Francisco 12/21

Average gain – 3.9

TDs – 11 [3, tied with Tony Dorsett & Curtis Dickey]

100-yard rushing games – 3

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 52      

Most receptions, game – 9 (for 71 yds.) vs. Miami 9/7

Yards – 415

Most yards, game - 71 (on 9 catches) vs. Miami 9/7

Average gain – 8.0

TDs – 1

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 2

Yards – 39

Average per return – 19.5

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 29 [18, tied with Keith Wright]

Yards – 154

Most yards, game – 46 (on 3 ret.) at NY Jets 11/9

Average per return – 5.3

TDs – 0

Longest return – 16 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1793 [5]

Passing

Attempts – 1

Completions – 1

Yards – 13

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 12 [5]

Points – 72

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff at San Diego)

Rushing attempts – 18

Rushing yards – 53

Average gain rushing – 2.9

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 4

Pass receiving yards - 36

Average yards per reception – 9.0

Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

1^st-team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Bills went 11-5 to finish first in the AFC East with their first winning season in five years. Lost AFC Divisional playoff to San Diego Chargers (20-14).

Aftermath:

Cribbs followed up his outstanding rookie season by gaining 1700 yards from scrimmage in 1981 (1097 rushing, 603 receiving) and was again selected to the Pro Bowl. Due to a contract holdout, he missed the first two games of the strike-shortened ’82 season but was effective upon the resumption of play with 633 rushing yards in seven games, although his productivity as a receiver out of the backfield dropped considerably. Cribbs rebounded in 1983 with 1131 rushing yards and 524 more yards on 57 pass receptions, garnering a third Pro Bowl selection. He jumped to the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL in 1984 and led the spring league in rushing with 1467 yards while also catching 39 passes for 500 yards. He gained a further 1047 rushing yards and caught 41 passes in 1985. With the demise of the USFL, Cribbs returned to the Bills during the ’85 season before moving on to San Francisco for two years in a part-time role. His career came to an end in a 1988 season split between the Colts and Dolphins. In the NFL, Cribbs rushed for 5356 yards and 27 TDs on 1309 carries (4.1 avg.) and caught 224 passes for 2199 yards and 15 touchdowns. With the USFL, he rushed for 2514 yards on 564 attempts (4.5 avg.) and 15 TDs and had 80 catches for 787 yards and six TDs.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/4/14]

1964: Eagles Hire Joe Kuharich as Head Coach

After having won the 1960 NFL Championship and contending strongly in ’61, the Philadelphia Eagles endured last-place finishes in 1962 and ’63. In January of 1964, 37-year-old construction executive Jerry Wolman’s purchase of the franchise was approved by the league and he immediately fired Head Coach Nick Skorich. Saying that he would “hire the best professional coach available”, Wolman conducted an extensive coaching search over the next several weeks. Among those rumored as possibilities for the job were ex-Eagles QB Norm Van Brocklin, who was the head coach in Minnesota; Paul Brown, who had been inactive since being fired by the Browns following the ’62 season; Otto Graham, former star quarterback in Cleveland who was coaching collegiately at the Coast Guard Academy; Weeb Ewbank, ex- Colts head coach now in the AFL with the New York Jets; and a former Eagles coach, Jim Trimble, who was currently coaching in Canada. 

On February 27, 1964 Wolman introduced Joe Kuharich as the new head coach of the Eagles (Kuharich shown at left in picture at top, with Wolman to his right). The hiring raised questions from the start. The 46-year-old Kuharich had most recently been the NFL’s supervisor of officials in 1963, a year after he had left the head coaching job at Notre Dame, where he had compiled a losing record of 17-23 in four seasons.

Kuharich, a guard, had played collegiately at Notre Dame and professionally with the Chicago Cardinals before entering the coaching ranks. He was most successful with the University of San Francisco, where his 1951 team went undefeated,  before moving on to the Chicago Cardinals, Washington Redskins, and Notre Dame. In one season with the Cards, they went 4-8, and while the Redskins had an 8-4 record in 1955, overall Washington was 26-32-2 in five years under Kuharich’s direction.  The unprecedented losing record with the Fighting Irish made his future coaching prospects appear dim.

NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle had been public relations director at the University of San Francisco during Kuharich’s tenure there, where they had become friends, and it was widely rumored that Rozelle had pressured Wolman to hire Kuharich when the coaching job became available. While the rumor was denied by all parties, it poisoned the atmosphere for Kuharich in Philadelphia from the start.

Kuharich was initially hired to a four-year contract. When asked if he was concerned about not being Wolman’s first choice, the new coach indicated that “it doesn’t concern me in the least.” Holdover Vince McNally was to remain as general manager, but he resigned just prior to the ’64 regular season.

Kuharich’s teams had featured strong running games, but he indicated from the start that he wanted the Eagles to adopt a more wide-open style.  He also made a series of major trades that radically reconstructed the roster. Gone were QB Sonny Jurgensen, flanker Tommy McDonald, FB Clarence Peaks, HB Ted Dean, OT J.D. Smith, DB Jimmy Carr, and LB Lee Roy Caffey. In their place arrived QB Norm Snead from the Redskins, C Jim Ringo and FB Earl Gros from Green Bay, flanker Red Mack and DB Glenn Glass from the Steelers, DE Don Hultz and split end Ray Poage from Minnesota, and veteran all-purpose kicker Sam Baker from the Cowboys, who was accompanied by DT John Meyers and offensive lineman Lynn Hoyem in the McDonald trade. In the deal that sent Smith to Detroit, the Eagles obtained promising DT Floyd Peters and aging HB Ollie Matson, who had played for Kuharich at USF. In addition, the Eagles had drafted OT Bob Brown out of Nebraska in the first round and also added highly-mobile QB Jack Concannon from Boston College in the second.  There was some fine holdover talent in HB Timmy Brown, who had set records for all-purpose yards in each of the previous two seasons, TE Pete Retzlaff, and MLB Dave Lloyd, among others.

The refurbished Eagles started the 1964 season off with an impressive 38-7 win over the declining Giants on their way to a 6-8 record. Snead had a decent year, although when given a late-season opportunity to start against the Cowboys, Concannon put on an exciting show with his flashy running ability while tossing two TD passes. When Timmy Brown went down with an injury, Matson played well in relief. 17^th round draft pick Mike Morgan moved into the starting lineup at outside linebacker and undrafted free agent safety Joe Scarpati was a pleasant surprise. Baker even set a new club record with 16 field goals.

While the Eagles failed to beat anyone of consequence, they were an improved team and a satisfied Jerry Wolman took the step of signing Kuharich to a 15-year contract as general manager. It was another eyebrow-raising move that would become a point of derision in the years ahead.

The team dropped to 5-9 in 1965 as the often-productive offense was offset by a defensive line that, while benefiting from the play of Peters at tackle, was poor at rushing the passer and necessitated a heavy blitzing scheme to compensate, thus putting additional pressure on the backs. The All-Pro linebacker Baughan complained and was dealt to the Rams after the season, soon followed by star CB Irv Cross. The deals highlighted the growing friction between Kuharich and talented veterans with strong personalities that led to questionable trades.

His many malapropisms, such as “We’re planning not only for the future, but for the ensuing seasons, too” and “It’s a horse of a different fire department”, combined with his tendency to talk in circles when answering questions from reporters added to the negative perception of the coach.

The Eagles put together a surprising 9-5 record in 1966 which belied several glaring weaknesses. First, Kuharich’s handling of quarterbacks, always a source of concern, came to a head as Snead, who had problems with consistency even in his best years, struggled and was benched in favor of backups King Hill and Concannon. Insisting that he had “three starting quarterbacks”, Kuharich often kept the trio in the dark up until game time as to which would be starting. While the running game was effective, with a fine stable of backs supplemented by the exciting Concannon when he was in the lineup, the passing attack suffered accordingly. And while Scarpati enjoyed a good season at free safety, the Eagles were vulnerable defensively to teams with strong passing attacks. Despite the winning record, they were outscored 326 to 340. They earned an appearance in the Playoff Bowl, the postseason exhibition game between second place teams in each conference, and lost to the Colts.

Kuharich made more major trades in the offseason, dealing Concannon to the Bears for TE Mike Ditka and Earl Gros to Pittsburgh for flanker Gary Ballman. Snead responded with an outstanding year, but spent much of it on his back as injuries depleted the offensive line, most notably the star tackle Bob Brown. While split end Ben Hawkins had a breakout year, leading the league in pass receiving yards (1265), and FB Tom Woodeshick more than adequately replaced Gros as the starting fullback, the Eagles ended up back under .500 with a 6-7-1 record.

The Eagles crashed in an ugly 1968 season that culminated in a 2-12 record and had Kuharich at odds with many of the players, most notably Ditka and Ballman. “Joe Must Go” buttons were worn by disaffected fans who booed the beleaguered coach unmercifully, and the local sportswriters, with whom the coach always had an uneasy relationship, were quick to fan the flames. In the meantime, Wolman had gone bankrupt and was forced to sell the club to local trucker Leonard Tose. Tose fired Kuharich, who had 11 years left on his contract.

Joe Kuharich’s overall record in five years coaching the Eagles was 28-41-1 and contained just the one winning season. His legacy of questionable trades and poor handling of personnel overshadowed any successes he had. 

MVP Profile: Derrick Brooks, 2002

Linebacker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age:  29

8^th season in pro football & with Buccaneers

College: Florida State

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 235

Prelude:

The Buccaneers took Brooks in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft, and he moved into the lineup at OLB and was second on the team with 79 tackles as a rookie. Steady and solid, with outstanding range, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first of 10 straight years in his third season. He was used effectively both against the run and in pass coverage and regularly led the team in tackles. The defense fueled Tampa Bay’s rise into a contender, although Brooks was coming off a 2001 season in which he played hurt for most of the season.

2002 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Sacks – 1

Interceptions – 5 [10, tied with five others]

Most interceptions, game – One on 5 occasions

Int. yards – 218 [3]

Most int. return yards, game – 97 (on 1 int.) at Baltimore 9/15

Int. TDs – 3 [1]

Fumble recoveries – 1

Fumble recovery TDs – 1

Forced fumbles – 1

Tackles – 88

Assists – 31

Scoring

TDs – 4

Points – 24

Postseason: 3 G

Sacks – 0.5

Interceptions – 2

Int. return yards – 44

TD – 1

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

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

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Buccaneers went 12-4 to finish first in the NFC South while leading the NFL in total defense (4044 yards allowed), passing defense (2490 yards), fewest points allowed (196), and touchdowns allowed (18). Won NFC Divisional playoff over San Francisco 49ers (31-6), NFC Championship over Philadelphia Eagles (27-10), and Super Bowl over Oakland Raiders (48-21).

Aftermath:

Brooks continued to excel and was a consensus first-team All-Pro again in 2004 and ’05. His career finally came to an end when he was released by the Bucs following the 2008 season – still having been chosen to the Pro Bowl for the 11^th time. Over the course of 14 seasons, Brooks had 13.5 sacks, 25 interceptions that he returned for 530 yards and 6 touchdowns, and over 1300 tackles.

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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). Also includes Associated Press NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

[Updated 2/4/14]

1985: Franco Kicks 5 Field Goals to Propel Bulls Over Stars

The Philadelphia Stars had appeared in the first two United States Football League Championship games, and won the second. For the 1985 season, they had become the Baltimore Stars in anticipation of the USFL’s move to the fall for ’86. While it created an awkward arrangement, with practice facilities in Philadelphia and home games shifted to Byrd Stadium at the University of Maryland, the Stars were still a strong team on both sides of the ball. The conservative offense continued to be directed by QB Chuck Fusina and featured RB Kelvin Bryant, and the defense was outstanding, having given up a league-lowest average of 12.5 points per game in ’84. Organizationally, under owner Myles Tannenbaum, President/GM Carl Peterson, and Head Coach Jim Mora, the Stars were the class of the league.

They opened the 1985 season on February 24 against the Jacksonville Bulls. Coming off a 6-12 record in their inaugural campaign, the Bulls had admirable fan support (an average attendance of 46,730 per game). Coached by Lindy Infante, the team had taken steps to improve the offense by dealing for 35-year-old veteran QB Brian Sipe, most recently of the New Jersey Generals, and adding RB Mike Rozier, whose rookie season was spent with the defunct Pittsburgh Maulers.   

A crowd of 51,045, the biggest of the USFL’s opening week, was on hand at the Gator Bowl. Near the end of the scoreless first quarter, Sipe went down with a shoulder separation after being hit from the blind side by CB Bill Hardee in the process of completing a seven-yard pass on a third-down play and backup Robbie Mahfouz took over for the Bulls. Sipe left the contest after having completed five of six passes for 51 yards.

Brian Franco got the Bulls on the board first with a 42-yard field goal. He and Baltimore’s David Trout traded three-pointers for the remainder of the period, with Franco connecting again from 24 yards in between Trout’s kicks from 30 and 27 yards. The score was 6-6 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, Fusina was picked off by Jacksonville safety Don Bessillieu. It set up Franco’s longest field goal of the day, from 51 yards, which barely cleared the crossbar. With 5:31 remaining in the period, and capping a 10-play, 69-yard drive, Mahfouz threw to FB Marvin Lewis for a two-yard touchdown. Jacksonville led by 16-6 after three quarters.

Franco added two more field goals in the final period, from 27 and 50 yards, the first following a second Fusina interception. The last field goal also followed a turnover when Bessillieu picked up a fumble by Stars FB David Riley and ran it 40 yards to the Baltimore 45. The score was 22-6 with 8:40 left in the contest.

Early in the fourth quarter, Fusina was sidelined with a thumb injury, bringing backup Tim Riordan into the game for the Stars. Now with one minute remaining in the contest, Riordan threw to WR Herbert Harris for a three-yard touchdown that he then followed with a pass to WR Willie Collier for a successful two-point conversion.

The ending turned dramatic as the Stars successfully executed an onside kick that was recovered by LB Larry McCoy. However, after advancing to the Jacksonville 32, Riordan was sacked for a ten-yard loss and Baltimore was able to run just two more plays before time ran out. Jacksonville won by a final score of 22-14.

The Stars had the edge in total yards (340 to 240) and first downs (23 to 12). They did well against Jacksonville’s running attack, holding the Bulls to 57 yards on 22 attempts while gaining 82 yards on their own 27 carries. However, the uncharacteristically sloppy defending champs also turned the ball over four times, to none suffered by the Bulls. Jacksonville also recorded four sacks, to none by Baltimore.

After replacing Brian Sipe, Robbie Mahfouz (pictured below) completed 17 of 24 passes for 132 yards with a TD and no interceptions. The team’s leading receiver was TE Mark Keel, who caught 6 passes for 54 yards. Mike Rozier rushed for 30 yards on 13 carries.  Brian Franco tied the USFL record with his five field goals in as many attempts.

For the Stars, Chuck Fusina was successful on 8 of 15 throws for 122 yards with no TDs but two interceptions before having to leave the game. Tim Riordan completed 13 of his 21 passes for 117 yards and one TD with none intercepted. Kelvin Bryant gained 53 yards on 13 rushing attempts. Willie Collier had 7 pass receptions for 112 yards and WR Scott Fitzkee contributed 64 yards on his 4 catches.

“Brian Franco had an incredible day,” exclaimed Coach Lindy Infante as he presented his kicker with a game ball.

“I have mixed emotions about this game,” added Infante, referencing the injury to Sipe. “Naturally, I’m upset we’ve lost a player of Brian’s ability, but we beat an awful good football team and I have to be happy about that.”

Franco had been cut by the Stars in favor of Trout two seasons before. He had also been cut by Jacksonville the previous year but was re-signed three games into the season. His opening-game performance ignited a fine season in which Franco was successful on 24 of 29 field goal attempts, was perfect on 45 extra points, and ended up with 117 points, which ranked fifth in the league and second among placekickers.

Sipe was diagnosed with a “complete shoulder separation” and was out for 12 weeks. In the meantime, veteran NFL backup QB Ed Luther took over the starting job. Robbie Mahfouz returned to the bench and ended up completing 24 of 38 passes for 205 yards with two TDs and an interception.

The Bulls put together a 9-9 record to finish sixth in the seven-team Eastern Conference. While the Stars continued to struggle during the first half of the season, they won five of their last six games and ended up in fourth place at 10-7-1. Having qualified for the postseason, they went on to retain the USFL title in the league’s last game.

Rookie of the Year: Raymond Chester, 1970

Tight End, Oakland Raiders

Age: 22

College: Morgan State

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

With veteran Billy Cannon coming up on his 11^th season and backup Roger Hagberg having died tragically in an auto accident, the Raiders were in the market for a tight end. They took Chester in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft (24^th overall), impressed with the speed he brought to the position. Cannon was let go, thus making room for the rookie in the starting lineup.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 42      

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 110 yds.) vs. Washington 10/19

Yards – 556

Most yards, game - 110 (on 8 catches) vs. Washington 10/19

Average gain – 13.2

TDs – 7 [9, tied with Fred Biletnikoff, Roy Jefferson & Jack Snow]

100-yard receiving games – 2

Scoring

TDs – 7 [18, tied with nine others]

Points – 42

Postseason: 2 G

Pass receptions – 4

Most pass receptions, game – 2 vs. Miami, AFC Divisional playoff; at Baltimore, AFC Championship

Pass receiving yards – 83

Most receiving yards, game – 47 vs. Miami, AFC Divisional playoff

Average yards per reception – 20.8

Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: NEA

2^nd team All-AFC: UPI

Pro Bowl

Raiders went 8-4-2 to finish first in the AFC West while leading the NFL in total offense (4829 yards). Won AFC Divisional playoff over Miami Dolphins (21-14). Lost AFC Championship to Baltimore Colts (27-17).

Aftermath:

Chester went to the Pro Bowl after the 1971 and ’72 seasons, although his numbers were below those of his first year. But while his output was 62 catches over those two seasons, 15 of them went for touchdowns. He was dealt to the Baltimore Colts for DE Bubba Smith in 1973 and, over the course of five seasons with them, caught 148 passes for 2122 yards and 11 TDs. Chester returned to the Raiders in 1978 and, in ’79, achieved NFL career highs in pass receptions (58) and yards (712) while earning a fourth Pro Bowl selection. His second stint with the Raiders came to an end in 1981, but in ’83 he played for the Oakland Invaders of the USFL and caught 68 passes for 951 yards and five TDs to earn All-League honors, after which he retired. For his 12-year NFL career, he had 364 pass receptions for 5013 yards (13.8 avg.) and 48 touchdowns.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year). 

[Updated 2/4/14]