Highlighted Year: Raymond Chester, 1983

Tight End, Oakland Invaders

Age: 34

13^th season in pro football, 1^st in USFL & with Invaders

College: Morgan State

Height: 6’3”   Weight: 232

Prelude:

In the market for a tight end, the Raiders took Chester in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft (24^th overall), impressed with the speed he brought to the position. He moved directly into the starting lineup and responded by catching 42 passes for 556 yards (13.2 avg.) and seven touchdowns, receiving Rookie of the Year honors from NEA and second-team All-AFC as well as Pro Bowl recognition. Chester went to the Pro Bowl after the 1971 and ’72 seasons, after which he also received first-team All-AFC honors, 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 the Colts, 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 after sitting out a year he signed with the Invaders of the new USFL for the Spring of ’83.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in all 18 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 68 [4] 

Most receptions, game – 7 (for 101 yds.) at Michigan 3/19, (for 120 yds.) at Denver 3/28, (for 100 yds.) at Los Angeles 4/3

Yards – 951 [7]

Most yards, game – 120 (on 7 catches) at Denver 3/28

Average gain – 14.0 [17]

TDs – 5 [10, tied with eight others]

100-yard receiving games – 3

Scoring

TDs – 5

Points – 30

Postseason: 1 G (USFL Semifinal playoff at Michigan)

Pass receptions – 4

Pass receiving yards – 41

Average yards per reception – 10.3

Pass Receiving TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-USFL: League, Sporting News, College & Pro Football Newsweekly, Pro Football Weekly

Invaders went 9-9 to finish first in the USFL Pacific Division. Lost USFL Semifinal playoff to Michigan Panthers (37-21).

Aftermath:

Chester retired following his lone USFL season. For his 12-year NFL career, he caught 364 passes for 5013 yards (13.8 avg.) and 48 touchdowns and was chosen to four Pro Bowls.

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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: Don Geyer, 1937

Halfback/Fullback, Cincinnati Bengals

Age: 23

1^st season in pro football

College: Northwestern

Height: 5’10” Weight: 192

Prelude:

Geyer was a member of the Northwestern team that won the Big Ten title in 1936 and was selected to the East-West Shrine and College All-Star games. He joined the Bengals (no relation to the current NFL franchise, other than being the namesake), who entered the second major-league American Football League in its second season.

1937 Season Summary

Appeared in all 7 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Scoring

TDs – 4 [5, tied with Butch Beatty, Al Nichelini & Jerry Donnell]

Field Goals – 4 [1]

Extra Points – 5

Points – 41 [1]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-AFL: League

Bengals went 2-3-2 to finish fourth in the AFL.

Aftermath:

Geyers’ pro football career was brief as the league folded following the 1937 season (although the Bengals continued on as an independent team in ‘38). He was an assistant coach at the Univ. of Cincinnati and later enlisted in the Navy during World War II.

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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: Bill Kellagher, 1947

Fullback/Defensive Back, Chicago Rockets

Age: 27

2^nd season in pro football & with Rockets

College: Fordham

Height: 5’11” Weight: 205

Prelude:

Kellagher was a member of the Fordham team that appeared in the 1941 Cotton Bowl. Following service as a Marine during World War II, he joined the Rockets of the new AAFC in 1946. As a fullback on offense, he rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns and caught two passes.

1947 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 42

Yards – 243 [20]

Yards per attempt – 5.8

TDs – 0

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 3

Yards – 22

Yards per catch – 7.3

TDs – 0

Interceptions

Interceptions – 6 [1, tied with Tom Colella & Len Eshmont]

Return yards – 77 [7]

TDs – 0

Rockets went 1-13 to finish fourth in the AAFC Western Division.

Aftermath:

Kellagher played one more season for the Rockets, gaining 97 yards on 33 carries and scoring a TD, and had no interceptions on defense. He moved to the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1949 but was a late preseason cut and spent his final season with the Bethlehem Bulldogs of the minor league AFL, rushing for 158 yards. For his three years in the AAFC, Kellagher gained 518 yards on 124 rushing attempts (4.2 avg.) and caught five passes for 58 yards, scoring four touchdowns. His six interceptions in 1947 were also his AAFC career total.

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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

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