1961: Colts Obtain Joe Perry from 49ers

On February 14, 1961 the Baltimore Colts gave up an undisclosed draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers for 34-year-old FB Joe Perry, who had spent 13 seasons with the 49ers going back to the All-America Football Conference.

“I’m not at all disgruntled,” said Perry in reaction to the trade. “The Colts can rest assured that when I report I’ll be in tip-top condition and I’ll give them my very best because that’s how I play football.”

Perry was the NFL’s career rushing leader at the time with 7246 yards on 1451 carries, averaging just short of five yards per attempt. He had not come out of a major college football program, having gone into maritime service during World War II and thus playing service football and at Compton Junior College. He attracted the attention of the 49ers, then in the AAFC, and signed with them in 1948. An in-between runner at 6’0”, 200 pounds who lacked the power of a classic fullback or the outside finesse of a halfback, Perry nevertheless had great speed (hence his nickname “The Jet”). He shared the fullback job with Norm Standlee as a rookie, rushed for 562 yards, and topped the league in rushing touchdowns with 10. In ’49, he was the AAFC’s leading ground gainer with 783 yards while averaging 6.8 yards-per-carry.

The 49ers moved to the NFL in 1950 and Perry remained their top ball carrier, and he was also an effective receiver out of the backfield on screen passes. The addition of HB Hugh McElhenny in 1952, a potent outside threat, made Perry even more effective and he was a Pro Bowl selection for the first of three straight seasons. He also led the NFL in rushing with 1018 and 1049 yards in 1953 and ’54, becoming the first back in league history to have thousand-yard totals in consecutive seasons, and he was a consensus first-team All-NFL choice after each of those years and received MVP recognition from UPI in 1954.

The yardage totals were lower thereafter, although still solid and with high average gains, and Perry began to show some signs of wear, appearing in all 12 games only once more. He remained a key component of the offense until 1960, when he ran the ball just 36 times for 95 yards and a TD. San Francisco began jettisoning veteran talent in an effort to re-tool, ultimately including McElhenny and QB Y.A. Tittle, and the Colts were in the marketplace for a fullback.

Baltimore had won back-to-back NFL titles in 1958 and ’59, and in addition to the passing of QB Johnny Unitas and outside ball-carrying and receiving of flashy HB Lenny Moore, FB Alan Ameche provided the power running between the tackles. However, an Achilles tendon injury that required surgery had sidelined Ameche during the 1960 season and, with his future in doubt (he would in fact be forced to retire), the Colts were in need of a replacement. The Colts dropped their last four games, missing out on a potential third straight title and finishing at 6-6, and the lack of a dependable inside running game was a key component in the collapse.

While there was skepticism initially as to how much Perry could resolve the problem at his age and lesser size, he did make an immediate impact in the opening game of the 1961 season when he rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries as the Colts came from 14 points behind to defeat the Rams 27-24. It proved to be his highest yardage total of the season, but he did compile two more hundred-yard efforts and provided reliability as well as a renewed durability and enthusiasm. For the year, he totaled 675 yards on 168 carries for a 4.0 average and three touchdowns. He also caught 34 passes for 322 yards, an average of 9.5 yards per reception, and scored another TD. Baltimore was better on offense (rising from eleventh in rushing yards to third), but problems on defense allowed for only a modest improvement to 8-6 for the year.

Perry suffered a knee injury that required surgery during a 1962 preseason game but made a remarkable recovery to appear in 12 games for the Colts, running for 359 yards on 94 attempts (3.8 avg.) and pulling in 22 passes for 194 yards (8.8 avg.). While Perry reported to the Baltimore training camp for 1963, he was finally slowing down at age 36 and was released. He returned to the 49ers, where he was a backup in his final year (and was able to qualify for a player pension).   

Jim Brown surpassed Perry as the NFL’s career rushing leader in 1963, but Perry retired at number two with 8378 yards. Adding in his AAFC totals, he gained 9723 yards on 1929 carries (5.0 avg.) with 71 touchdowns, and compiled another 2021 yards on 260 pass receptions (7.8 avg.) and 12 more TDs. Perry was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969.

Highlighted Year: Jimmy Conzelman, 1922

Back, Rock Island Independents/Milwaukee Badgers

Age: 24

3^rd season in pro football, 2^nd with Independents

College: Washington (MO)

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 175

Prelude:

Conzelman spent two years in the Navy during World War I and was a member of the Great Lakes Navy team that won the 1919 Rose Bowl. He returned to Washington Univ. in St. Louis, where he had started out prior to the war, for the 1919 season and joined his Great Lakes teammate George Halas with his newly-organized Decatur Staleys team in the fledgling NFL (then the APFA) for 1920. A natural leader, Conzelman became player-coach of the Rock Island Independents during the 1921 season and, while he stayed on in ’22, he joined the Milwaukee Badgers after Rock Island had played out its schedule, also serving as player/coach.

1922 Season Summary

Appeared in 7 games with Rock Island, 3 with Milwaukee

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

TDs – 3 [1]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 7 [1]

Receiving TDs – 0

Other TDs – 0

Total TDs – 7 [1, tied with Guy Chamberlin]

Field Goals – 2 [6, tied with four others]

Extra Points – 0

Points – 48 [2]

Independents went 4-2-1 to finish fifth in the NFL while leading the league in rushing TDs (19, tied with Canton) and ranking second in total TDs (22) and scoring (154 points).

Badgers went 2-4-3 to finish eleventh in the NFL.

Aftermath:

Conzelman spent another season with the Badgers in 1923, who finished in fourth place. He received first-team All-NFL honors from the Canton Daily News and was a second-team choice of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Conzelman was a player only in ’24 and became owner of his own franchise, the Detroit Panthers, in 1925. Conzelman sold the Panthers and became player/coach of the Providence Steam Roller in ’27, leading them to the NFL Championship in 1928. A knee injury curtailed his playing time and his playing career ended in 1929. As a player, he appeared in 104 games, scored 26 touchdowns, and kicked three field goals and four PATs for a total of 169 points. Conzelman coached at the minor league and college level until returning to the NFL as head coach of the Chicago Cardinals in 1940. He left after three seasons to work for major league baseball’s St. Louis Browns, but returned to the Cards and led them to two Western Division titles and the 1947 NFL Championship. His NFL coaching record was 87-63-17 and his teams won two league titles. Conzelman was a multi-talented individual who at various times was an actor, author, songwriter, sportswriter, playwright, orator, and baseball player and executive. For his pro football exploits, most notably his coaching, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1964.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Cliff Battles, 1932

Tailback/Defensive Back, Boston Braves

Age: 22

1^st season in pro football

College: West Virginia Wesleyan

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 198

Prelude:

A multi-sport star in college who was also a Phi Beta Kappa student, Battles put up significant numbers playing football for a small school. In 1930, he rushed for 354 yards, totaled 469 all-purpose yards, and scored seven touchdowns in a game against Salem College, and in another contest had three scoring runs of over 80 yards. While the team didn’t do so well when taking on stronger competition, Battles drew interest from several NFL teams and signed with the first-year Braves.

1932 Season Summary

Appeared in 8 of 10 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 148 [1]

Yards – 576 [1]

Yards per attempt – 3.9 [5]

TDs – 3 [2, tied with five others]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 4

Yards – 60

Yards per catch – 15.0

TDs – 1 [10, tied with fourteen others]

Passing

Attempts – 20 [16, tied with Bob Campiglio & Hap Moran]

Completions – 2

Yards – 42

Completion percentage – 10.0

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 2 [13, tied with eight others]

All-Purpose yards – 636 [1]

Scoring

TDs – 4 [5, tied with five others]   

Points – 24 [6, tied with four others]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: Collyers Eye

Braves went 4-4-2 to finish fourth in the NFL.

Aftermath:

Battles ranked second in rushing to teammate FB Jim Musick with the re-named Redskins in 1933, gaining 737 yards that included 215 in a single game, making him the first NFL player to reach the 200-yard rushing threshold in a single contest. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection for his efforts. Running with a long stride, Battles had excellent cutting ability as well as speed, and was adept at returning kicks. He received primarily second-team All-NFL honors in 1934 and ’35 but was a consensus first-team selection in 1936 as he rushed for 614 yards and the Redskins finished first in the Eastern Division, although he was injured early in the NFL Championship loss to Green Bay. The franchise was shifted to Washington for 1937 and Battles set a league rushing record with 874 yards. The Redskins won the NFL title but, when owner George Preston Marshall refused to give his star runner a raise, Battles retired. Overall, he rushed for 3511 yards on 839 carries (4.2 avg.), caught 38 passes for 546 yards (14.4 avg.), and scored a total of 31 touchdowns. He received consensus first-team All-NFL honors three times and at least some first-team or second-team recognition after three other seasons. Battles, who initially became an assistant coach at Columbia, was later head coach of the AAFC’s Brooklyn Dodgers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1968.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Keith Bostic, 1987

Safety, Houston Oilers

Age: 26

5^th season in pro football & with Oilers

College: Michigan

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 223

Prelude:

An All-Big Ten performer in college, Bostic was chosen by the Oilers in the second round of the 1983 NFL draft. He moved into the starting lineup at strong safety during his rookie season and accounted for two interceptions and three sacks. Bostic proved to be a steady player in his first four seasons, noted for his aggressive play and teaming well with FS Bo Eason. The two combined for 162 solo tackles in 1985, a season in which Bostic reached a career high with five sacks. Coming into the 1987 season, Bostic had started 60 games, intercepted six passes, and registered 12 sacks.

1987 Season Summary

Appeared in 12 of 15 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions – 6 [2, tied with four others, 1^st in AFC]

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. LA Rams 9/13

Int. return yards – -14

Most int. return yards, game – 7 (on 1 int.) at San Francisco 11/8

Int. TDs – 0

Sacks – 3

Most sacks, game – 1 vs. Atlanta 10/25, at Pittsburgh 11/15, vs. San Diego 12/6

Fumble recoveries – 1

Postseason: 2 G

Interceptions – 0

Fumble recoveries – 1

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: NEA

2^nd team All-NFL: AP

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

Pro Bowl

Oilers went 9-6 in the strike-shortened season (three games were played with replacement players) to finish second in the AFC Central and qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card. Won AFC Wild Card playoff over Seattle Seahawks (23-20). Lost AFC Divisional playoff to Denver Broncos (34-10).

Aftermath:

Bostic spent one more season with the Oilers, and was a Pro Bowl alternate, before departing as a free agent in 1989. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts but was waived during the preseason and, after a brief tenure with the Browns in 1990, his career came to an end. Overall, he played in 96 games over seven seasons, as well as four postseason contests, and compiled 13 interceptions and 17 sacks, all with the Oilers.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1993: AFC Wins First Overtime Pro Bowl

The AFC-NFC Pro Bowl on February 7, 1993 was played before 50,007 fans at Aloha Stadium on a sunny day with intermittent clouds. It marked the 14^th consecutive year that the game was played in Honolulu. Coaches were Don Shula of the Dolphins for the AFC and San Francisco’s George Seifert for the NFC.

The NFC took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in 14 plays. QB Steve Young of the 49ers scrambled for eight yards in a third-and-three situation and completed five passes, the longest to his San Francisco teammate, TE Brent Jones, for 17 yards. The advance finally stalled at the AFC 10 and Morten Andersen of the Saints kicked a 27-yard field goal.

The AFC punted following their first series but got the ball back four plays later when a Young pass was intercepted by Denver FS Steve Atwater at the AFC 29. Miami QB Dan Marino completed consecutive throws to WR Anthony Miller of the Chargers for 16 yards and Houston WR Haywood Jeffires for 11 to get the ball into NFC territory, but a holding penalty moved them back, and on third down Marino was sacked by Minnesota DE Chris Doleman for a 15-yard loss, resulting in a punt.

The AFC managed to get on the scoreboard when, on the first play of the second quarter, LB Junior Seau of the Chargers intercepted a Young pass and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. Kansas City’s Nick Lowery added the extra point to give the AFC a 7-3 lead. The NFC responded with a 10-play, 58-yard possession. An illegal blitz (an infraction specific to the Pro Bowl) on the AFC converted a third down and Dallas RB Emmitt Smith broke away for a 23-yard gain to the AFC 34. The NFC converted another third down before the drive came to an end at the AFC 20 and Andersen kicked a 37-yard field goal to narrow the score to 7-6.

QB Troy Aikman of the champion Cowboys (pictured at right) was behind center for the next NFC series and came out throwing, hitting on three straight passes to pick up 25 yards, two of them to his Dallas teammate, WR Michael Irvin. The nine-play drive covered 54 yards and ended with Aikman passing to Irvin once more for a nine-yard TD. Andersen converted and the NFC took a 13-7 lead.

The AFC went three-and-out and punted, and with 56 seconds remaining in the first half, Aikman again went to the air, connecting with Atlanta WR Andre Rison for 18 yards, RB Barry Sanders of the Lions for 19, and Rison again for 11 yards. But Aikman’s next two passes fell incomplete, with a Sanders run for no gain in between, and Andersen’s field goal try was blocked by DE Leslie O’Neal of the Chargers and returned by Miami LB Bryan Cox to the NFC 35.

Houston QB Warren Moon completed a pass to Jeffires and it appeared that time had run out in the half before the receiver got out of bounds. Players began to head to the locker room and technicians started to pull sets for the halftime show onto the field. But the officials ruled that there were still two seconds remaining and the field was cleared. On the final play of the half, Lowery booted a 42-yard field goal and the NFC margin was narrowed to 13-10 at halftime.

The AFC started the third quarter off with a short series and punted. On the NFC’s third play, Aikman threw to Dallas TE Jay Novacek for 26 yards, but after Sanders ran twice to gain another 14 yards, Aikman’s next pass was picked off by SS Henry Jones of the Bills, who returned it 32 yards to the NFC 42. With Pittsburgh RB Barry Foster (pictured at top) running effectively and his teammate with the Steelers, QB Neil O’Donnell, completing a pass, the AFC reached the 11 before settling for a 29-yard Lowery field goal to tie the score at 13-13.

Atlanta CB Deion Sanders returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards and the NFC started with good field position near midfield. QB Brett Favre of the Packers was in the game and misfired on his first three passes before connecting with San Francisco WR Jerry Rice for 48 yards to the AFC two. RB Ricky Watters of the 49ers lost two yards on first down and, while Rice picked up three yards on a short toss from Favre, the AFC defense held as Favre was stuffed for no gain on a quarterback sneak and, on fourth down, Watters dove for the end zone and came up short.

The AFC had possession as the game headed into the fourth quarter. O’Donnell completed passes to Houston WR Ernest Givins for six yards and WR Andre Reed of the Bills for nine, but the AFC had to punt. RB Johnny Bailey of the Cardinals returned the kick but fumbled when hit by Buffalo WR Steve Tasker, the AFC’s special teams representative, and punter Rohn Stark of the Colts recovered at the AFC 39. However, on the next play O’Donnell’s pass was intercepted by Phoenix SS Tim McDonald.

The NFC punted for the first (and only) time following a short series and a 20-yard return by Indianapolis WR Clarence Verdin had another 15 yards tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Starting at the NFC 37, the AFC netted a yard in three plays and Lowery missed a 54-yard field goal attempt.

Favre threw to WR Fred Barnett of the Eagles for 16 yards on first down and the NFC maintained possession when an apparent interception was nullified by a pass interference penalty. Favre was sacked by DE Howie Long of the Raiders on third down and that set up another big play for the AFC on special teams. A field goal try by Andersen was blocked by Tasker and CB Terry McDaniel of the Raiders recovered and ran 28 yards for a touchdown. Lowery converted and the AFC was back in front by 20-13 with eight minutes left in regulation.

Young was back at quarterback for the NFC and he threw to Irvin for 19 yards and ran for eight. Sanders ran for six yards and it was Young to Irvin again for 12 to the AFC 35, but a holding penalty backed the NFC up and the next two passes were incomplete before Young was intercepted by Buffalo CB Nate Odomes.

The AFC punted following the next series and the NFC took over at its 22 with less than three minutes remaining on the clock. Young threw to Rice for 16 yards but was sacked by DE Neil Smith of the Chiefs for a loss of eight. Two plays later, he passed to Brent Jones for 16 yards and a first down and, after another sack, connected with Rison for 18. Throws to Novacek and Rison got the ball to the AFC 20, but the next two passes were incomplete and Young was sacked by Cox on third down. Facing fourth down and with time running out, a scrambling Young completed a throw to RB Rodney Hampton of the Giants at the goal line for a 23-yard touchdown with ten seconds remaining in regulation. Andersen tied the score at 20-20 with the point after and, with the score tied at 20-20 at the end of four quarters, the game went into overtime.

The NFC won the toss and had the first possession in overtime, but Young fumbled when caught from behind by Kansas City LB Derrick Thomas while scrambling and Long recovered for the AFC at the NFC 28. Foster ran the ball four times to reach the NFC 16 before Lowery came on to kick the game-winning 33-yard field goal at 4:09 into OT. The AFC won the first overtime Pro Bowl game by a final score of 23-20.

The NFC far outgained the AFC (472 yards to 114) and also had big margins in first downs (30 to 9) and offensive plays (90 to 50). However, the NFC turned the ball over six times, to one suffered by the AFC, and the AFC had both an interception and blocked field goal returned for touchdowns.

Dan Marino completed just three of nine passes for 31 yards and Neil O’Donnell had the most completed passes for the AFC, with four, out of seven attempts for 23 yards with one intercepted. Barry Foster rushed for 57 yards on 15 carries to lead the team by far (runner-up was RB Harold Green of the Bengals with nine yards on four attempts). Haywood Jeffires led the receivers with three catches for 26 yards and Anthony Miller contributed 23 yards on his two receptions. Steve Tasker (pictured below) was named the game’s MVP as he accounted for four tackles, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. Regularly recognized for his outstanding play on special teams, Tasker was appearing in his fourth of an eventual seven Pro Bowls.

For the NFC, Steve Young was successful on 18 of 32 throws for 196 yards and a TD, but gave up three interceptions and had the disastrous fumble in overtime. He also led the team in rushing with 34 yards on six carries. Troy Aikman was 10-of-15 for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception and Brett Favre, making his first Pro Bowl appearance, completed four of eight passes for 74 yards with no TDs or pickoffs. Andre Rison had 8 catches for 80 yards and Jerry Rice gained 78 yards on his four receptions while Michael Irvin scored a TD among his 5 catches for 59 yards.

The game marked the first time that the Pro Bowl went into overtime and reduced the NFC’s lead in the series to 13-10 since going to the AFC vs. NFC format following the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.

1991: Bill Belichick Becomes Head Coach of Cleveland Browns

On February 5, 1991 owner Art Modell of the Cleveland Browns introduced Bill Belichick at a press conference as the eighth head coach in franchise history (not counting interims). He received a five-year contract and, two months shy of his 39^th birthday, was the youngest head coach in the NFL at the time.

Belichick had most recently been defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, who had edged Buffalo in the Super Bowl less than two weeks previously. He beat out Mike White, the quarterback coach of the Los Angeles Raiders, to succeed to the job that Bud Carson was forced to vacate after nine games of his second season at the helm (Jim Shofner was the interim coach for the last seven contests).

The son of Steve Belichick, who played for one season in the NFL as a fullback for the Detroit Lions in 1941 and went on to become a highly regarded college scout, Belichick was a graduate of Wesleyan University in Connecticut. His first NFL assistant coaching job was with the Baltimore Colts in 1975 at age 23 as a low-paid special assistant, essentially studying game film and running errands. He moved on to more significant positions with the Lions and Broncos before joining the Giants in 1979. In New York, he started out coaching special teams under Head Coach Ray Perkins, added linebackers to his responsibilities, and, retained by Bill Parcells, moved up to defensive coordinator in 1985. The Giants won two Super Bowls during Belichick’s tenure and the defense was a key to the team’s success.

Belichick already had a reputation as a hard worker with strong organizational skills, who was also intense and a highly knowledgeable student of the game. He inherited a team that was coming off of a dismal 3-13 record in 1990 after five straight playoff seasons. In selecting his staff, Belichick retained one holdover assistant, offensive line coach Hal Hunter, and included Nick Saban as defensive coordinator and Gary Tranquill, a career college assistant, to coach the quarterbacks.

The Browns improved to 6-10 in ’91 and were noticeably more competitive. Veteran QB Bernie Kosar, who had taken a beating in recent seasons, was sacked 41 times but also passed for 3487 yards and 18 touchdowns while giving up nine interceptions. The big-back combination of FB Kevin Mack and RB Leroy Hoard was effective and the receivers, led by WR Webster Slaughter, were capable. DT Michael Dean Perry initially held out but came back to make the Pro Bowl for the third straight year while providing leadership to a young defensive line. 36-year-old LB Clay Matthews was utilized primarily for his skill as a pass rusher and did well although injuries decimated the defensive backfield, where SS Eric Turner, the team’s first draft choice, missed the first half of the season due to a stress fracture in his foot but came on strong when he finally took the field.

The record was slightly better at 7-9 in 1992, although the Browns were at 7-6 before losing their last three contests. Kosar was limited to seven games due to a broken ankle, and with backup QB Todd Philcox also going down, journeyman Mike Tomczak accumulated eight starts. Rookie FB Tommy Vardell joined the corps of power running backs while HB Eric Metcalf was outstanding as a third-down back and punt returner. There was retooling among the receivers, where WR Michael Jackson had a breakout season and ex-Giants TE Mark Bavaro was steady. On defense, Perry got off to a slow start and complained about his role but came on stronger as the season progressed. Matthews appeared to be ageless and he and DE Rob Burnett led the club with nine sacks apiece. Age and injuries were still an issue in the backfield.

The 1993 season was highlighted by the dramatic, and controversial, decision to jettison Kosar from the team after seven games. The move was all the more stunning because Vinny Testaverde, the veteran obtained from the Buccaneers to back up Kosar, was injured and the team had to go with Philcox. The club lost four straight games, but Testaverde performed well when he took over the starting job and the Browns duplicated their ’92 record at 7-9. Vardell led the team in rushing and Metcalf was an All-Pro in his all-purpose role. WR Mark Carrier, another ex-Buc, teamed well with Jackson and the line, built around center Steve Everitt, was much improved. The defense was strongest on the line and in the backfield, but the linebackers were showing their age and lack of speed.

The pressure was on Belichick to show greater results in 1994, and the Browns responded by going 11-5 and reaching the playoffs. Testaverde’s performance was uneven but the play of other personnel on offense helped. When Vardell went down with a season-ending knee injury, Hoard ably stepped in and was named to the Pro Bowl along with Metcalf. Four starters on defense also made the Pro Bowl, including Perry, Burnett, Turner (who was also a first-team All-Pro by AP and the Pro Football Writers), and ex-Giants LB Pepper Johnson.  Both of the team’s first-round draft picks, CB Antonio Langham and WR Derrick Alexander, contributed significantly. Having finished second in the AFC Central, the Browns defeated New England in the Wild Card playoff round before losing to the division-rival Steelers at the Divisional level. It was a solid year and expectations were high for 1995.

Those high expectations failed to materialize. Cleveland got off to a 3-1 start, lost three straight, and was at 4-4 before the bottom fell out. Modell announced that the franchise would be moved to Baltimore in 1996 and the distracted club finished up at 1-7 for an overall record of 5-11. Testaverde was benched for four games and WR Andre Rison, who was brought in as a free agent from Atlanta at high cost to upgrade the receiving corps, proved a poor fit and became a negative presence in the locker room. The defense also slipped badly, and Turner was injured for half the season.

After five years, Belichick’s tenure with the Browns came to an end. His overall regular season record was 36-44 and 1-1 in the postseason. He took over a team in dire need of rebuilding and had steadily done so, making the greatest progress on the offensive line and the defense. The team had drafted well and, except in the notorious case of Rison, made good veteran pickups to fill holes.  Belichick had drawn criticism for his dour demeanor, which alienated the media and fans, and his intensity wore thin, not least with Modell, who initially had given the coach a vote of confidence to go with the team to Baltimore in ’96, only to dismiss him instead (Belichick was succeeded by one of his mentors, Ted Marchibroda, under whom he had served in his first assistant coaching job).

Belichick rejoined Bill Parcells, now head coach of the Patriots, in ’96 and went with him to the Jets the following year, acting as assistant head coach. He was set to replace Parcells with the Jets in 2000 but backed out to instead become head coach in New England. A year later, the Patriots won their first of six AFC titles and four Super Bowls (to date) under Belichick’s direction.

Highlighted Year: Frank Garcia, 1983

Punter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Age: 26

2^nd season in pro football, 1^st with Buccaneers

College: Arizona

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

A versatile player in high school who played quarterback and halfback as well as handling the placekicking and punting, Garcia performed well as a punter in college. He had difficulty catching on as a pro, however, failing to catch on with Atlanta in 1979, San Diego in ’80, and both Green Bay and Tampa Bay in 1981 before appearing in one game with Seattle after punter Jeff West was injured. He was let go by the Seahawks in ’82 and joined the Chicago Blitz of the USFL in the spring of 1983 but was cut once again after averaging 37.5 yards on 18 punts, with two touchbacks and eight inside the 20. Garcia got another shot with the Buccaneers and made the club.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 95 [1]

Most punts, game – 10 at Green Bay 10/2

Yards – 4008 [2]

Average – 42.2 [6, 1^st in NFC]

Best average, game – 48.4 (on 8 punts) at Minnesota 11/6

Punts blocked – 1 [3, tied with ten others]

Longest punt – 64 yards

Awards & Honors:

2^nd team All-NFC: UPI

Buccaneers went 2-14 to finish fifth in the NFC Central while generating the fewest total yards (4477) in the NFL.

Aftermath:

Garcia spent another four seasons with the Buccaneers and remained steady, if not outstanding. Typically, his net average ranked lower than his gross average. He was let go after a 1987 season in which his average dipped to a low of 38.9 yards with a poor net average of 28.3. Overall, he averaged 41.1 yards on 379 punts with Tampa Bay.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970