MVP Profile: Walter Payton, 1976

Running Back, Chicago Bears

Age: 23

2^nd season in pro football & with Bears

College: Jackson State

Height: 5’10” Weight: 203

Prelude:

Payton was a two-time All-American in college, rushing for 3563 yards and 66 touchdowns, and his 464 points set a NCAA record. Chosen by the Bears in the first round of the 1975 NFL draft, he played hurt during his rookie season (and missed the only game of his career) as he accumulated 679 rushing yards.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 311 [1]

Most attempts, game - 36 (for 97 yds.) vs. Oakland 11/7

Yards – 1390 [2, 1st in NFC]

Most yards, game – 183 yards (on 27 carries) at Seattle 12/5

Average gain – 4.5 [13]

TDs – 13 [2, tied with Chuck Foreman, 1st in NFC]

100-yard rushing games – 7

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 15      

Most receptions, game – 4 (for 42 yds.) at Minnesota 10/10

Yards – 149

Most yards, game - 42 (on 4 catches) at Minnesota 10/10

Average gain – 9.9

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1  

Yards – 0

TDs – 0

All-Purpose Yards – 1539 [4]

Scoring

TDs – 13 [3, tied with Steve Grogan]

Points – 78

Awards & Honors:

NFC Player of the Year: Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Pro Football Weekly

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

1^st team All-NFC: AP, UPI, Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Bears went 7-7 to finish second in the NFC Central, their best record since 1968.

Aftermath:

Payton followed up his breakout 1976 season by rushing for a league-leading 1852 yards, including a then-record 275 in a single game in ’77. He garnered MVP honors as well as being a consensus first-team All-NFL selection for the second year. Payton continued to be not only a highly productive rusher for a total of 13 seasons in the NFL, but was also an outstanding blocker and receiver out of the backfield, as well as an accomplished passer on option plays (he was even the club’s emergency quarterback). He led the NFC in rushing for five straight years, despite being part of a lackluster offense that had opposing teams keying on him, and totaled 10 thousand-yard rushing seasons. Payton was a consensus first-team All-Pro five times and was chosen to nine Pro Bowls. The even-tempered player known as “Sweetness” was also an unselfish team leader and hard worker, and was popular not only with Bears fans, but throughout the league. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards and also topped the list in carries (3838) and rushing TDs (110); his total of 125 touchdowns ranked second. Payton also caught 492 passes for 4538 yards and exceeded 2000 yards from scrimmage in four seasons. The Bears retired his #34 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1993. 

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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). 

Rookie of the Year: Marshall Faulk, 1994

Running Back, Indianapolis Colts

Age: 21

College: San Diego State

Height: 5’10” Weight: 200

Prelude:

Faulk was a three-time consensus first-team All-American, the first in San Diego State history, as he rushed for a total of 4589 yards, including 386 in a single game, and scored 62 touchdowns. Choosing to turn pro after his junior year, Faulk was taken in the first round of the 1994 NFL draft (second overall) by the Colts and quickly established himself as an outstanding combination runner/receiver.

1994 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 314 [7]

Most attempts, game - 27 (for 129 yds.) at Seattle 12/4

Yards – 1282 [5]

Most yards, game – 143 yards (on 23 carries) vs. Houston 9/4

Average gain – 4.1 [9]

TDs – 11 [3]

100-yard rushing games – 4

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 52      

Most receptions, game – 8 (for 127 yds.) vs. Washington 10/23

Yards – 522

Most yards, game - 127 (on 8 catches) vs. Washington 10/23

Average gain – 10.0

TDs – 1

100-yard receiving games – 1

All-Purpose Yards – 1804 [6]

Scoring

TDs – 12 [4, tied with Natrone Means, 1st in AFC]

Points – 72

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: Sporting News

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA

AFC Rookie of the Year: UPI

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

1^st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Colts went 8-8 to finish third in the AFC East.

Aftermath:

Faulk was selected to the Pro Bowl 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. Traded to the Rams in the offseason for two draft picks, he was a key (along with unsung QB Kurt Warner) in lifting St. Louis to a NFL title as he again led the league in yards from scrimmage (2429), rushing for 1381 and catching 87 passes for 1048 more yards. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and also received MVP honors for the first time. Faulk followed up with another strong season in 2000, again 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. In 2001 he received MVP recognition for the third straight year as he gained 2147 yards overall, with 1382 rushing and 765 on 83 catches. He scored 21 touchdowns to lead the NFL in scoring for a second consecutive season with 128 points. Faulk was a consensus first-team All-Pro for a third straight year and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth consecutive time. He 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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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie of the Year in the NFL (including NFC/AFC), 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 12/2/14]

1983: Bryant Runs for 177 Yards as Stars Defeat Stallions

The Philadelphia Stars were off to a 2-0 start in the inaugural United States Football League season as they took on the Birmingham Stallions on March 21, 1983. Rookie RB Kelvin Bryant had quickly established himself as the key player in the ball control offense that was directed by QB Chuck Fusina while the defense was proving to be very tough and was coming off a shutout of the New Jersey Generals.

The Stallions were 1-1, having won the USFL’s first overtime game the previous week. Coached by Rollie Dotsch, formerly an assistant with the NFL Steelers and used to winning, Birmingham invested heavily in young players, most notably QB Reggie Collier, a mobile rookie out of Southern Mississippi who had signed a big contract to start right away in the new league.  

There was a disappointing crowd of 12,850 fans in attendance at Legion Field on a cold and damp Monday night in Birmingham, with temperatures near freezing; a brief snow shower arrived just prior to the kickoff

The Stars took the early lead by driving 73 yards in 10 plays on their first possession. RB Allen Harvin ran around left end for the final two yards and a touchdown and David Trout added the extra point.

The teams traded interceptions, following which Birmingham came back with a score later in the opening period. The big play was a pass from Reggie Collier to WR Sylvester Moy that covered 45 yards to the Philadelphia 13. Collier carried for a four-yard TD to cap the five-play, 58-yard series and Scott Norwood tied the game with the extra point.

Less than two minutes into the second quarter, Trout put the Stars back in front with a 23-yard field goal, finishing off a 51-yard possession that took seven plays. The 10-7 lead held up through the remainder of the half.

Philadelphia started the third quarter with Harvin returning the second half kickoff 67 yards to the Birmingham 21. Five plays later, and on his fifth straight carry, Kelvin Bryant scored a touchdown from a yard out and Trout added the PAT to make it a ten-point margin.

To make matters worse for the Stallions, a hip pointer knocked Collier out of the game for the second half. Still, with backup QB Bob Lane behind center, the home team responded by driving from their 41 to the Philadelphia two. The Stars held at that point but Norwood made it a seven-point game with a 19-yard field goal.

Philadelphia was unable to build on its lead and Lane nearly led the Stallions to a potential tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Birmingham had a first down at the Philadelphia 12, but three straight passes fell incomplete to end the threat and seal the 17-10 win for the Stars.

The Stallions had the edge in total yards (312 to 227) and first downs (20 to 13), with 200 of Philadelphia’s total coming on the ground. However, Birmingham also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Stars.

Kelvin Bryant had his biggest game yet, rushing for 177 yards on 27 carries that included a touchdown. Chuck Fusina had a rough outing, completing 8 of 15 passes for just 56 yards and being picked off once. WR Willie Collier was the team’s most productive receiver with 28 yards on two catches. FS Mike Lush intercepted two passes on defense.

For the Stallions, Reggie Collier was successful on 7 of 14 throws for 95 yards and tossed two interceptions before having to leave the contest. Bob Lane was 15 of 24 for 134 yards and had one pass intercepted. Sylvester Moy had 8 catches for 115 yards (he had just three more catches and 88 more yards over the remainder of the season). RB Ken Talton led the rushers with 37 yards on 8 attempts and RB Billy White contributed 31 yards on his 14 carries.

“I’m glad to get out of here with a win,” said a relieved Philadelphia Head Coach Jim Mora. “It wasn’t a great game on our part but our guys played hard and we won.”

The win over the Stallions set the Stars up for a battle of unbeaten against the Tampa Bay Bandits the next week, which they lost, but they recovered to go 15-3, top the Atlantic Division, and advance to the USFL Championship game, where they fell to the Michigan Panthers by two points. The defense continued to be a key to the team’s success as well as Kelvin Bryant, who rushed for 1442 yards and was named MVP by the league. Birmingham finished at the bottom of the Central Division with a 9-9 record. 

MVP Profile: Jack Lambert, 1976

Linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers

Age: 22

3^rd season in pro football & with Steelers

College: Kent State

Height: 6’4”   Weight: 220

Prelude:

Lambert was a two-time All-Mid-American Conference linebacker in college and the Steelers chose him in the second round of the 1974 NFL draft. Injuries to MLB Henry Davis opened an opportunity for Lambert to start right away, and his addition was to make an already sound defense more complete. The Steelers won the Super Bowl and Lambert followed up his outstanding rookie season by gaining Pro Bowl recognition for the first of nine straight seasons in 1975, which also ended in a NFL Championship.

1976 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 2

Most interceptions, game – 1 at Minnesota 10/4, vs. Cincinnati 10/17

Int. return yards – 32

Most int. return yards, game – 22 (on 1 int.) vs. Cincinnati 10/17

Int. TDs – 0

Fumble recoveries – 8

Postseason: 2 G

Sacks – N/A

Interceptions – 0

TD – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL Defensive Player of the Year: AP

1^st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly

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

Pro Bowl

Steelers went 10-4 to finish first in the AFC Central Division while leading the NFL in fewest yards allowed (3323), fewest rushing yards allowed (1457), and fewest points allowed (138). Won AFC Divisional playoff over Baltimore Colts (40-14). Lost AFC Championship to Oakland Raiders (24-7).

Aftermath:

Lambert followed up with his third straight Pro Bowl season in 1977. A terrific run-stuffer with outstanding range and the ability to drop back effectively into pass coverage, he became a key contributor to the “Steel Curtain” defense that helped make the Steelers a contender for the rest of the decade and included two more Super Bowl victories. In addition to his Pro Bowl selections, Lambert received consensus first-team All-NFL honors six times – including five consecutive from 1979 to ’83 – and had at least some first- or second-team recognition in two other years. He missed only six games due to injury in his first ten seasons (three of them in 1977), but a severe toe injury forced Lambert’s retirement following the 1984 season. Overall, he intercepted 28 passes and recovered 17 fumbles. Lambert was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1990. Three other players drafted by the Steelers in 1974 – Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster – would also be enshrined in Canton.

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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.

1984: Fourth Quarter FGs Give Express Narrow Win Over Gunslingers

Two United States Football League teams that were having difficulty generating offense in the early going met on March 17, 1984 in San Antonio. The visiting Los Angeles Express were off to a 1-2 start while the San Antonio Gunslingers remained winless at 0-3.

The Express, under Head Coach John Hadl, had made a change at quarterback from Tom Ramsey to Frank Seurer and there was hope for the future in rookie Steve Young out of Brigham Young, who had recently signed a mammoth $40 million contract. However, Young was not yet ready to play and would not be suiting up against the Gunslingers.

San Antonio, one of six expansion teams for the USFL’s second season and coached by Gil Steinke, had quarterback problems of its own. The Gunslingers were without their prize rookie, QB Rick Neuheisel, as well as backup QB Mike Ford due to injuries. 34-year-old Karl Douglas was behind center for the game against the Express.

There were 9821 fans in attendance for the Saturday contest at Alamo Stadium. As could be expected, they didn’t see much scoring, especially in the first half. The Express got on the board when Frank Seurer threw to WR Ricky Ellis for a 15-yard touchdown. Tony Zendejas added the extra point, and that was it for the scoring in the first thirty minutes.

San Antonio’s offense may have been feeble, but the defense was tough and in the third quarter LB Putt Choate intercepted a Seurer pass and returned it 45 yards for a TD. However, Nick Mike-Mayer’s extra point attempt was blocked by LB Howard Carson and the Express remained ahead by 7-6.

Later in the period, a blocked punt led to points for San Antonio. DB Peter Raeford blocked the kick by Jeff Partridge and DB Maurice Tyler recovered for the Gunslingers at the LA 32 and returned it to the six yard line. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Gunslingers scored when RB Scott Stamper ran two yards for a TD. But once again San Antonio failed to add points after a touchdown when the pass for a two-point conversion failed.

With just under nine minutes on the clock, Zendejas booted a 36-yard field goal to make it a 12-10 contest. The Express got a break as time was running down when a poor punt by San Antonio’s Ken Hartley into a stiff wind gave them good field position. Zendejas kicked another field goal, this time from 39 yards with 1:09 remaining to play to put LA ahead by a point. It was enough as the Express held on to win by a final score of 13-12.

In a game in which both offenses struggled, Los Angeles led in total yards (287 to 227) and first downs (15 to 12). The Gunslingers managed only 52 net yards through the air and were penalized 10 times, at a cost of 66 yards, to 7 flags thrown on the Express. San Antonio also turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by the Express. The failure to convert, by kicking or passing, following the two touchdowns ultimately proved fatal to the Gunslingers.

Frank Seurer completed 11 of 17 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown while giving up one interception. Tom Ramsey saw action and was 8-of-12 for 83 yards and also tossed an interception. RB Kevin Nelson rushed for 43 yards on 19 carries. Ricky Ellis had four catches for 32 yards and a TD and WR Malcolm Moore also had four receptions, gaining 30 yards. WR Anthony Allen led in receiving yards with 83 on his three catches. Tony Zendejas made the two key field goals in the fourth quarter that produced the win.

For the Gunslingers, Scott Stamper (pictured at left) was the star on offense with 87 yards on 20 carries that included a touchdown. Karl Douglas was successful on only three of ten throws for 25 yards, giving up two interceptions, while his replacement J Torchio was three-of-nine for 52 yards and was intercepted once. WR Jerry Gordon was the top receiver with three catches for 31 yards.

The Express lost another low-scoring game the next week, but Steve Young took over at quarterback two weeks later, and the results were beneficial. Los Angeles topped the Pacific Division with a 10-8 record and reached the Western Conference title game.

As for the Gunslingers, Rick Neuheisel was back in action the following week and they won for the first time. The pattern of weak offense offsetting a solid defense continued as they went on to finish third in the Central Division at 7-11.

Rookie of the Year: Boyd Dowler, 1959

Offensive End, Green Bay Packers

Age: 22 (Oct. 18)

College: Colorado

Height: 6’5”   Weight: 225

Prelude:

Highly versatile, Dowler played quarterback in a single-wing offense in college and, while passing for 769 yards, he proved to be a proficient pass receiver with 41 receptions for 628 yards and 6 touchdowns and also handled the punting. The Packers chose him in the third round of the 1959 NFL draft with the intention of using him as an offensive end.

1959 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 32 [19, tied with Bill Barnes]  
Most receptions, game - 8 (for 147 yds.)  vs. Baltimore 11/15       

Yards – 549 [14]

Most yards, game – 147 (on 8 catches) vs. Baltimore 11/15

Average gain – 17.2 [11]

TDs – 4 [13, tied with eight others]

Rushing

Attempts – 1

Yards – 20

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 4

Points – 24

Awards & Honors:

NFL Rookie of the Year: UPI

Packers went 7-5 to tie for third in the NFL Western Conference in their first season under Head Coach Vince Lombardi, the team’s best record since 1945.

Aftermath:

Dowler followed up his fine rookie season by catching 30 passes for 505 yards as the Packers won the Western Conference in 1960 for the first of three straight years. With good speed as well as size, he proved to be a dependable short receiver who was capable of breaking away for long gains as a flanker or split end, becoming a fixture in the offense for the remainder of the decade. His punting ability also came into play, beginning in ’60. Dowler gained a career-high 901 yards, on 53 catches, in 1963 and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in ’65. His production dropped in an injury-filled 1966 season (which also knocked him out of the first Super Bowl), but Dowler bounced back with a career-best 54 catches, for 836 yards, in ’67 and again received Pro Bowl recognition. He played through 1969 before retiring to become an assistant coach under George Allen with the Rams and, following Allen to Washington, came out of retirement in 1971 when injuries depleted the receiving corps before quitting for good. Overall, Dowler caught 474 passes for 7270 yards (15.3 avg.) and 40 touchdowns (of that total, 448 catches, 6918 yards, and all of the TDs came with Green Bay). He also averaged 42.9 yards on 93 punts. He was chosen to the Pro Bowl twice.

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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 2/22/17]

MVP Profile: Otto Graham, 1955

Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

Age:  34 (Dec. 6)

10^th season in pro football & with Browns

College: Northwestern

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

A single-wing tailback in college, Graham chose to sign with the Browns of the new AAFC rather than the NFL Detroit Lions, who had drafted him in the first round in 1944, after coming out of the Navy. An outstanding athlete, he first played pro basketball before joining the Browns for the 1946 season. Mobile and an accurate passer, Graham threw for 1834 yards as a rookie and led the AAFC with 17 TD passes as the Browns won the league championship. He was the league’s MVP for the first time in ’47 as he led the AAFC in overall passing as well as completion percentage (60.6), yards (2753), TD passes (25), and yards per attempt (10.2). Graham was co-MVP with San Francisco’s Frankie Albert in ’48, a season in which he once more led the AAFC in passing yards (2713) while tossing another 25 TD passes and the Browns went undefeated. The Browns won the AAFC title for the fourth straight year in 1949, and Graham led the league in passing yards (2785) and yards per attempt (9.8). While no MVP was awarded by the league, he was a consensus first-team All-AAFC selection. Graham and the Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 and kept up their winning ways by achieving another championship. Graham was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was named league MVP by UPI in ’51 as the Browns went 11-1, although they lost the Championship game to the Rams. In 1952, Graham led the league in pass attempts (364), completions (181), yards (2816), and TD passes (20), as well as interceptions (24), and was once again named to the Pro Bowl. He received MVP honors from UPI again in ’53 after leading the league in passing yards (2722), yards per attempt (10.6), and completion percentage (64.7) and, while the Browns lost the NFL Championship game for a third straight year, they returned to the top in 1954 as Graham again led the NFL in completion percentage (59.2). He retired at that point, although when the Browns had difficulty in the 1955 preseason, he was coaxed back into action for one more year.

1955 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 185 [10]

Most attempts, game – 31 at NY Giants 11/27

Completions – 98 [8, tied with Charlie Conerly]

Most completions, game – 17 at NY Giants 11/27

Yards – 1721 [6]

Most yards, game – 319 at NY Giants 11/27

Completion percentage – 53.0 [1, tied with Bobby Layne]

Yards per attempt – 9.3 [1]

TD passes – 15 [3]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at NY Giants 11/27, vs. Chi. Cardinals 12/11

Interceptions – 8 [12]

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Washington 9/25, at Philadelphia 11/13

Passer rating – 94.0 [1]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 2

Rushing

Attempts – 68

Yards – 121

Yards per attempt – 1.8

TDs – 6 [4, tied with Ed Modzelewski & Lew Carpenter]

Scoring

TDs – 6 [17, tied with four others]

Points – 36

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at LA Rams)

Pass attempts – 25

Pass completions – 14

Passing yardage – 209

TD passes – 2

Interceptions – 3

Rushing attempts – 9

Rushing yards – 21

Average gain rushing – 2.3

Rushing TDs – 2

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: UPI, Sporting News

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

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

Browns went 9-2-1 to finish first in the NFL Eastern Conference while leading league in scoring (349 points) and touchdowns (45). Won NFL Championship over Los Angeles Rams (38-14).

Aftermath:

Graham retired for good following the 1955 season. Altogether, over 10 seasons (four in the AAFC, 6 in the NFL) he averaged 9.0 yards per attempt (a record 8.6 in the NFL alone) while throwing for 23,584 yards (10,085 in AAFC, 13,499 in NFL) with 174 TDs (86 in AAFC, 88 in NFL). He also ran for 882 yards and scored 44 TDs, with a high of 8 in 1954. Graham was a first-team All-league selection three times in the AAFC as well as three more times in the NFL and was chosen for the first five Pro Bowls. Perhaps most significantly of all, he quarterbacked Cleveland to a championship game in all ten years, winning seven of them. The Browns retired his #14 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).