Football
Football
Erich Barnes came out of Purdue when the Chicago Bears drafted him in 1958. The Cornerback played there for three seasons and went to the Pro Bowl in 1959. After that, Barnes had the best run of his career where he played for the New York Giants for four years and was named a Pro Bowl in each of them…
There was a time when a case could be made that Wilber Marshall was the best Linebacker in football. In 1985, he was a member of the most dominating team of the decade, the Super Bowl XX Champion, Chicago Bears. The year after, he was a First Team All-Pro, led the league in Approximate Value (23), and was a Pro…
Playing his entire career with the Washington Redskins, Jerry Smith was one of the new breed of Tight Ends who was redefining the position. Smith was a more than adequate blocker, but he was catching passes at the same rate of Wide Receivers, a trait that was not common in the 1960s and 1970s. Smith would help the Redskins reach…
Jack Kemp was a late-round (17th) pick in 1957 by the Detroit Lions, but he never played a down for them and would find back-up work with the Pittsburgh Steelers that year. Kemp would later be on the taxi squad for both the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants but would not see any action, though this would change…
It was fitting that Harvey Martin played his entire pro career with the Dallas Cowboys. Martin was born in Dallas, played at East Texas State, and was drafted in the 3rd Round by the Cowboys in 1973 and joined and immediately contributed to what was already a dominating defensive unit.
A beast at Temple University, Francis Joseph "Bucko" Kilroy may not have been drafted but his hometown Philadelphia Eagles knew there was something special there and he made the team; albeit in a combined effort as in 1943 the Eagles merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the depletion of talent due to World War II.
Rick Casares was drafted in the 2nd Round by George Halas' Chicago Bears in 1954, and after he served a year in the military, he would become one of the elite Fullbacks of the National Football League. Casares was a straight-forward rusher who was finished in the top ten in Rushing Yards in his first six seasons (1955-60), the first…
Are there enough Green Bay Packers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Tom Nalen would play his entire career in the National Football League with the Denver Broncos, where he started all 187 Games at Center. Early in his career, Nalen would win two Super Bowls with John Elway as his Quarterback, and during those ring acquisitions, he was in the midst of a four-year streak of Pro Bowls with two First…
If it seemed like Jim Hart was the St. Louis Cardinals Quarterback forever it is because in football terms, he practically was. Hart started 180 games for them from 1967 to 1983, but for such a long tenure it went largely unnoticed. Playing for bad teams will generally do that.
Spending all but one of his professional seasons with the Chicago Bears, Olin Kreutz was chosen to represent Chicago six consecutive seasons in the Pro Bowl. The former Center was a mainstay on Chicago’s Offensive Line for years and was selected to the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team. As a star Center, he might have an interesting case for the Professional…
One of the best football players, regardless of the position that Central Michigan ever produced, has to be Joe Staley.
It is a shame how Steve McNair’s tragic ending may overshadow what was a very productive (and one tackle away from a Super Bowl) career. Unfortunately, professional sports have far too many of these stories.
Playing his entire twelve year career with the Chicago Bears, Lance Briggs was often in the shadow of teammate, Brian Urlacher but he was nevertheless a star in the National Football League. Briggs would make seven consecutive Pro Bowls, had a verstaile skillset, but his name is never mentioned in Canton circles. It is morel likely that the Hall will…
Selected in the 2nd Round out of the University of Arkansas in 1938, Jim Benton would go onto be one of the first great receivers in the history of the Rams franchise. Benton led the NFL in Yards per Reception as a rookie and was named to the Pro Bowl in his second season. He took 1941 off and returned…
Priest Holmes may have played for the high-profile Texas Longhorns in college, but that did not result in a draft selection. Undrafted in 1997, Holmes would sign with the Baltimore Ravens. The Running Back would see no action as a rookie but would rush for 1,008 Yards in 1998 and did well until Jamal Lewis supplanted him as the lead…
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From Rice University, Tobin Rote was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, but in '50 the Pack was not very good, and wouldn't be for years. The ineptitude of Green Bay was no fault of Rote, who proved to be an excellent QB, but didn't have a lot of teammates around him at his level. He was also a solid…
Pat Fischer was not a tall man, standing at only 5' 9", which was likely why the multi-talented star at Nebraska fell to the 17th Round. It was the St. Louis Cardinals who chose him, and after initially using him as a Returner, he would force his way to become a starting Cornerback and would be named to the Pro…
The Cardinals franchise may have a long and storied history of great players. Jay Novacek may have played five seasons there, but it was not until he hit “Big D” did he become a star and was used to the best of his ability.