Football
Football
In this era of sports specialization, it is hard to imagine that football players used to change positions regularly. Pete Retzlaff played various offensive positions, but he could always be counted on to catch the ball.
You would think that the All-Time Leader in NFL receptions would have been at least been a finalist for the Hall of Fame. Of course, Billy Howton was the all-time leader when he retired in 1963. He has dropped considerably since then.Billy Howton was one of the top receivers for the Green Bay Packers throughout the 1950s. He was a…
Dwight Freeney was one of the best players to come out of the University of Syracuse and he wasted no time after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round (11th Overall) showcasing that he was an excellent pass rusher as he would lead the National Football League in Tackles for Loss and Forced Fumbles as a rookie, which…
Richmond Webb proved his merit immediately as the 9th overall Draft Pick in 1990 as the Left Tackle was a Pro Bowl, All-Rookie Selection, and UPI even went as far as naming him the Rookie of the Year. That year was no flash in the pan as Webb would go on to be named to six more Pro Bowls (all…
You never had to wonder what was on Ricky Watters's mind. He would tell you whether it was good or bad, and that brashness made him a very polarizing figure in the NFL. It is also possible that this is why the Hall of Fame has yet to look his way. Ricky Watters was one of the most consistent Running…
From the football factory of SMU, Jerry Mays elected to stay in his home state with the Dallas Texans, who drafted him in the 5th Round of the 1961 Draft. The Minnesota Vikings of the NFL chose him in the 11th Round.
James Harrison went undrafted from Kent State in 2002 and while he played well there he did not gain a lot of looks from NFL scouts who feared that he was to short (6’ 0) and too light (240 lbs) to be an effective Linebacker at football’s highest level. The Steelers gave him a shot and he was and on…
Harold Jackson had two great seasons in Philadelphia leading the league in receiving yards in 1969 and 1973. It is too bad that Jackson was the only one playing well for those dreadful Eagles teams.
Ottis Anderson had one of the best rookie seasons ever for a Running Back gaining over 1,600 yards on the ground. Too bad he did for a bad St. Louis Cardinals team that was barely on the National radar.Anderson would prove he was not a one-season wonder. Although he would never again equal his rookie numbers he still posted decent…
In the upstart American Football League, the San Diego Chargers possessed one of the most dominating Offensive Lines in football. A big part of that was Walt Sweeney, who patrolled the Right Guard position.
London Fletcher was a tackling machine that had accumulated over 2,000 Tackles in the National Football League. This is where Fletcher’s best chance for the Hall lies as he was only a four-time Pro Bowl selection, a number that right or wrong does matter. Fletcher, however, does hold a resume with all those tackles, longevity, a Super Bowl Ring with…
Len Dawson was one of the great Quarterbacks of the American Football League, but a big reason he was able to do what he did was that Ed Budde helped him stay upright.
Jake Scott played the first six seasons of his NFL career playing for the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1975, and as you can imagine, since he was a Dolphin in that era, he was accustomed to winning.
Usually, when you speak of a five-year career in any sport, you can't be talking about a great player. Not very many people had a five-year run like Cecil Isbell.
Although Quarterback sacks have always taken place in football, it was not an official statistic in the NFL until 1982. The first true “sackmaster” of American football would have to be the flamboyant and somewhat controversial Mark Gastineau who terrorized Quarterbacks; and not because he had sex with Brigitte Neilsen.
Considering that Todd Christensen was drafted as a Running Back, it is impressive that he developed into one of the most successful Tight Ends of the 1980s.
It is one thing to be highly touted out of college and rack up serious statistics in the National Football League. It is quite another to do that when you go undrafted. Rod Smith lit up the league when nobody saw it coming.
From the University of Mississippi, Larry Grantham was a second round pick by the New York Titans in 1960 (he was a 15th rounder in the NFL) and a member of the original team.
A member of the 100 Sack club (133.5 exactly), John Abraham was a pounding Defensive End who terrorized Quarterbacks for years. Eight times he would exceed ten sacks in a season and was a very popular figure during his time with the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons. A very intriguing candidate, Abraham is as of this writing in…