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…
Willie Anderson came into the National Football League with high expectations when he was drafted 10th Overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1996. Arguably, it took Anderson awhile before he lived up to what was hoped for him, but the Offensive Tackle may very well have exceeded expectations when it was all said and done.
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…
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…
A 15th Round Pick from Widener, Billy "White Shoes" Johnson would become one of the most exciting players in the National Football League almost as soon as he arrived. Chosen by the Houston Oilers, Johnson played at Wide Receiver (accumulating 4,211 Yards with 25 Touchdowns over his career), but it was as a Returner where he excelled and made magic…
Ruben Brown played the majority of his career with the Buffalo Bills, where the 1st Round Pick would be named to the All-Rookie team and followed that up with eight more seasons in Buffalo, all of which would see the Left Guard named to the Pro Bowl.
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…
Steve Tasker may have been listed as a Wide Receiver but with only 51 career receptions it is hard to think of him as a successful wide out. Tasker did however make the Prow Bowl but it was not because of his offensive capabilities but from his prowess on the Special Teams.
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.
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…
Are there enough Green Bay Packers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Jessie Tuggle went undrafted out of Valdosta State, but the home state Atlanta Falcons would sign him, and it would lead to a 209 Game career, all of which were in the Peach State. Tuggle was at Inside Linebacker for years before moving to Middle Linebacker, but regardless of where he was in the interior, few NFL players could tackle…
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…
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.
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.
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…
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…
There was a time where Joey Browner was considered to be the best Cornerback in the National Football League, and this was not just an opinion in the state of Minnesota...it was thought throughout the entire country.