When you think of great San Francisco quarterbacks, you automatically think of Joe Montana and Steve Young. Before them, there was a very good one named John Brodie who put up great numbers without the supporting cast that Montana and Young had.
John Brodie was one of the game's early gunslingers, and most of the time he had to be. The 49ers of the 1960s were not a great team, and Brodie was often the main reason his team was competitive. By the time the 1970s rolled around, Brodie had a better team around him, and though he was finally playoff-bound, the Niners could not get past the Cowboys for three years in a row. Still, Brodie won the 1970 MVP and was given more respect around the league.
Because he had to take a lot of chances, John Brodie’s interception rate was fairly high, and he finished his career with more picks than touchdown passes. This could be why he has never been a semi-finalist for the Hall, and with the San Francisco 49ers reaching great heights in the 1980s, virtually every Niners star before them has been forgotten. John Brodie deserves better than that.
The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s won four Super Bowls and have ten members in the Football Hall of Fame, which would suggest that they are well-represented in Canton. However, many in Western Pennsylvania feel that there is a huge omission left in the black and yellow with L.C. Greenwood.
From the HBCU school of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Greenwood proved to be a steal as the 238th Pick in 1969. A Steeler his entire career, Greenwood was a member of the famous Steel Curtain and played a crucial role in the Steelers' success, helping them win four Super Bowls in a five-year period. With six Pro Bowl selections, he was a formidable opponent for quarterbacks and had a significant impact on the game. Although sacks were not yet an official statistic, Greenwood recorded five of them in his four Super Bowl appearances. He was a tall, speedy defender who seemed to be everywhere on the field, and engulfed everything he touched
Despite being a Hall of Fame finalist six times, Greenwood has not yet been inducted. If another player from the 1970s Steelers team is inducted, it has to be L.C. Greenwood. As for Pittsburgh, they have acknowledged Greenwood in their Hall of Honor and All-Time Team.
Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense is currently a popular football strategy. Despite its name, it was first executed by Ken Anderson in Cincinnati. Anderson spent his entire career with the Bengals, where he set passing records for the franchise. He was known for his incredible accuracy and mastery of the short-yardage pass. Anderson led the league in Quarterback Rating four times and in 1982, he set a season record (which he still holds) with a 70.6% highest completion percentage. Although he made it to the Super Bowl, his team lost, but he still played brilliantly.
Unfortunately, Anderson played during a time when flashy quarterbacks were more highly regarded, and despite his skills, he did not receive the recognition he deserved. He has only been a finalist for the Hall of Fame twice, which further illustrates this point. Considering that Anderson did not have the same calibre of weapons as other quarterbacks of his era, his stats are even more impressive than they might initially seem.