I just read where the Bears were playing the Lions who had shown their new "I" formation. Well, Butkus knocked the Center, QB and Fullback out of the game.
Holy cow, I just found out that Butkus passed away....I think a big piece of every football fan(especially Bears fans)died a bit as well...end of a era RIP to a great middle linebacker and a truly beloved icon!
16:53 I was at that Raiders-Saints game. It ended in a 21-21 tie. Archie started but was injured early in the game. However, he came back in the 4th quarter to help rally the Saints. I was 9 years old and that was probably my first NFL game at Tulane Stadium.
John Riggins Jets career seems to be almost forgotten. After all hye did with the Redskins nobody remembered that he ever played for the Jets, except maybe Jets fans.
Most of his time with the Jets was played without Namath actually playing due to injuries, so the yards that he gained were very tough yards. Thank you for commenting.
John Bulldozer Brockington was one of my first favorites to watch in those days. The Brock was all about one thing. Taking the ball and running through somebody. Talk about a patient career. Jim Plunkett would play on two really bad teams, Patriots, and 49ers, the emerged from that to win two Super Bowl rings with the Raiders. Jack Tatum played to his own whistle. His game was all about intimidation. Even if it meant poking somebody(Russ Francis) right in the eye.
@@markgardner9460In a game at the Met in 1971 Brockington ran all over the Vikes (149 yards) and Green Bay outgained Minnesota 301-87! But a tipped FG, a goal line stand inside the 2, Paul Krause's interception at the 3,a Krause recovery of Donny Anderson fumble at the 3,and probably the most egregious by the Pack was midway through the 4th quarter with the ball at the Vikings 8,Dan Devine wanted to play for a FG,but Scott Hunter threw a pass towards the left side into the end zone and Charlie West made a great play, cutting in front of the receiver intercepting the pass and somehow staying on his feet to run the ball all the way to midfield from where the Vikings somehow managed to get to the 18, and Fred Cox hit the 25 yard FG and Minnesota escaped 3-0
Thank you for your words on Archie Manning, one of the more unique quarterbacks ever to play. Fast, strong and could run like a cat. But he simply couldn't survive without more help. Archie was all that.
It's a shame that they couldn't get more talent on offense for him earlier in his career. Mid-way they got him Muncie and Galbreath, but he played quite a while before getting a super wide receiver in Wes Chandler.
The best player to come out of the 1971 draft came in the 3rd round: Kenny Anderson. 4-time NFL passing leader, 1981 league MVP, and considered by many to be the best player not in the Hall of Fame. He was the prototype for Bill Walsh’s development of the West Coast Offense. Anderson would be in the Hall of Fame and would likely have won a Super Bowl along the way if Paul Brown had chosen Bill Walsh instead of Bill “Tiger” Johnson to succeed him as Bengals coach upon Brown’s retirement.
I admire Ken Anderson's career very much and think that he should have been inducted into the Hall of Fame decades ago. When I watched him play for 10+ years, I thought that he was near the equal of any QB in the league during that time. It felt like I was watching a future Hall of Fame player.
Really good stuff, interesting especially in hindsight. Manning was tough as woodpecker lips and never had a whole lot of talent around him. Pastorini had a really special arm, never got over the hump-some very good oiler teams mid '70s. Plunkett finally produced in the right scheme. Riggo and Brockington a couple of punishing backs-Riggo a great back. Youngblood @ 20, what a great pick. Thanks brother you're appreciated. bd
@@markgardner9460 What an outstanding football player....not just a "D" lineman, which, for my limited lexicon, is the highest praise. Thanks again brother, I value your hard work and takes.
When I was a kid, I dug his '75 Topps card which was a close up of him in his criss-cross facemask that very few defensive lineman wore (John Zook comes to mind). After seeing his relentlessness during games on tv, he became my favorite defensive lineman. Thank you for your kind words - I really appreciate it!
@@markgardner9460Youngblood was indeed a fantastic pick by the Rams and at the other end of the spectrum: Leo Hayden! As a Viking fan that first round pick was absolutely abysmal! The Vikings totally screwed up there! And Toby Smith and Billy Parks for Too Tall Jones and Danny White?!Tne 70s Cowboys almost always made the right moves...
They even made the right move by shipping disgruntled Duane Thomas to the Patriots, but then he was returned to them and they ended up trading him to San Diego for WR Billy Parks and RB Mike Montgomery. Thomas never played for San Diego, so the Cowboys made the best out of what the situation was.
I like the Class of 1983 better as far as QB's go but besides the Patriots changing their location name from Boston to New England "AFTER" the draft, there was one historic moment in the '71 draft. During round 17, after Falcons coach Norm Van Brocklin had yelled to his staff "Do we want the roughest, toughest s.o.b. in the draft?!", the team drafted the then-64-year-old actor John Wayne, though saying he was from "Fort Apache State" (Wayne actually played football at USC); NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle rejected the selection. Talk about a reach, lol.
Another very excellent vid. It's interesting to see so many names that became familiar in one uniform actually got their start in strange garb (think Joiner, Riggins for example). Just as interesting (providing context to flesh out the picture) are the stories of guys like Profit (sp?) at 9:11. I'd never heard of him but he had his own type of significance I suppose. Thanks for putting this together!
I remember that one. So excited after reading about it. I heard Terry Bradshaw say, if Archie was with the Steelers, he would have been better then him. Plunkett seemed like a disappointment to me until he went with the Raiders. Brockington was great when I saw him. Can't beat Tatum. If he was around today they wouldn't let him play in Brady's NFL. Jack Youngblood was tougher than tough as the song goes.
I agree with every point that you made. Youngblood playing in the Super Bowl with a broken bone in his leg is how you maintain that tough guy persona. He was incredible. Hall of Fame Tackle Ron Yary used to have his handful every time they matched up,.
@@markgardner9460 I watched him in that Super Bowl and he played pretty good. Pain killers maybe. I don't know anyone else whose played with a broken leg.
Great history. Wow. Isaiah Robertson, Riggins, John Brockington, Youngblood. Rams did great. I'll remember Tatum as #32, and Pastorini's broken leg provided Plunkett the opportunity to win the first of two Super Bowls with the Raiders. Thanks for these memories.
I think that Robertson is borderline Hall of Fame material. Tatum was #31 his first 3 years with the Raiders, then #32 thereafter, but he was #28 for his one year stint with the Oilers.
19:10: Leo Hayden. Truly an "F" pick and maybe one of the all time " What were they thinking about" first round picks. Hayden was one of the Ohio State "Super Sophs" on the 1968 team ( with John Brockington, Jack Tatum, Rex Kern, Ron Maciejowski and Jim Stillwagon) that morphed into the 1969 juggernaut that lost the famous game( and possible national championship) to Michigan. He was a primary halfback in a T formation offense that featured the fullback in the running game but did pass more and run more end sweeps than previous Woody Hayes " Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust" offenses. But the year ending loss to Michigan in which the QBs threw 6 interceptions caused Hayes to ditch the passing game and run his fullbacks even more and more in 1970. Hayden did run for over 700 yards and averaged almost 6 yards a carry as an almost afterthought to fullback John Brockington's 25 carries a game. But he did he show the makings of a first round draft pick? The only thing I can think of was the Vikings, coming off a 12-2 season ( but a loss in the playoffs to the 49ers) with few weaknesses felt they needed a speedier running back alternative to the threesome tandem of Dave Osborn, Clint Jones and Bill Brown who gained 1,300 yards collectively but all of whom averaged less than 3.3 yards a carry. But the running back pickings were slim by the time they drafted at #24, as players such as Brockington, Riggins and Joe Moore were already gone. He may have been the best of "Let's Take a Shot at It" alternative which of course did not work out. In looking at the draft, the only impact RBs drafted after that through round 4 were Jim Braxton ( definitely not a speedster) and Clarence Davis in the 4th round. The Vikings finally did get it right by drafting Chuck Foreman in 1973.
I think that's exactly what the Vikings were thinking - need a fast RB, but the best ones are taken. Looking back at it, they should have taken Clarence Davis who was quite fast, but at 5'10" and 195 pounds he wasn't as large as 6' 210 pound Leo Hayden. Metrics aren't everything. What's even more mind-boggling is that the Cardinals took a chance on Hayden and stuck with them for two years. Thank you for the great comments!
I guess it worked out for Plunkett...2 Super bowls; Super Bowl MVP and come back player of the year. Boy the Raiders resurrected his career - I guess the starter Pastorini) breaking his leg helped too.
They are phenomenal! Keep up the great sports journalism sir, somebody's gotta do it! These so called sports channels on the idiot box aren't even on the same planet as what you're providing. The perfect compendium for this time of year! Take a bow
Lee see more for Frank Lewis trade shows a lot about the difference from franchise to franchise in the NFL. The gap has certainly shrunk these days but back then it was enormous
That's right, along with Ron Shanklin. They started the first and third quarters while Swann and Stallworth started the second and fourth quarters. How crazy was that?
With the proviso that I was 11 years old, relying on what I vaguely remember, and only visited Michigan once a year to see my grandparents, I might be able to help answer your Bob Bell question...The Lions were one of the teams most prominent in the lockout/strike going on in the NFL in 1974, and the WFL was on the scene too. The Lions GM at the time was Russ Thomas, and he was notorious for being confrontational with Lions players on just about every issue, and on top of everything else going on that year, their head coach dropped dead in training camp and the guy that replaced him--Rick Forzano-- was one of those old school guys that tried to enforce "discipline" at all costs. I can't remember when exactly Bell was released, but I'm almost positive it was training camp, and my admittedly vague recollection about what was being said at the time was that Thomas viewed Bell as a malcontent and one of the leaders of the July strike on the Lions, and that Bell was let go in the exhibition season because Forzano couldn't deal with him and didn't like him. I'm not anywhere in the Detroit area, but this stuff was all over the papers at the time, and if someone has access to the Free Press archives, you should get a definitive answer to your question
Thank you for providing this awesome information! I think that Head Coaches and GM's who subscribed to that management style that you described didn't do anyone any favors. It's talent that wins games, not having a bunch of Eagle Scouts on your team. Thanks again!
I was 10 years old when my very excited dad told me that the Saints drafted Archie Manning. I didn't know who he was and then my dad told me about Archie's collegiate career particularly one game where he almost single-handedly beat a powerful Alabama team. Bear Bryant would say of Archie after that game that it was the single best performance he had ever seen in a game. My dad took me to see the Saints that year beat the Dallas Cowboys with Archie scoring the winning TD. The Cowboys would go on to win the Superbowl that year saying the loss to the Saints with a rookie QB was their turning point as they were so embarrassed by that loss. It's a damn shame that the Saints were so poorly coached back then and the front office was even worse as they never gave Archie any talent especially an offensive line that could protect him. He was constantly running for his life. Archie was such a humble and loyal player. He could have left and gone on to play for a winner but he wanted to help turn the Saints into one. One member of the Cowboys stated that if Archie had the Cowboys offensive line he would have been a Hall Of Famer because he had that kind of talent.
Thank you for your comments! Archie had so much talent - you are absolutely right about if the Saints had surrounded him with a solid offensive line that he could have really turned the Saints into winners. Also, he didn't have a whole lot of quality targets to throw to, either. Put Bradshaw on the Saints and Manning with the Steelers and let's see who makes the Hall Of Fame and who doesn't. Alas, that is the luck of the draw. That's so cool that you were able to see the Saints play back then.
Greatest QB that never had a team behind him, Archie manning was a mu h better athlete than both sons put together, but he haf no O-line...and never gave up on his team until traded to the oilers.
Rest in pieace,this week we lost Russ Francis & Dick Butkus,a couple real hard nose guys. Jim Plunkett was great @ Stanford & glad he had late success. Archie Manning,#18 for Ole Miss. I used to love College & Pro ball. Now I put on the reginal game(Tampa) & once in a while I look up from my computer & watch a minute..
When a terrible team goes for a big splash, rather than build an actual TEAM, the poor QB pays the price. SEE: Manning, Plunket, and later Carr. The numder one indicator for team success is o-line play. No QB is good enough to overcome a horrid o-line. Riggins is thouht of as a powerback but he was actually a track star as well.
I couldn't agree with you more. The Bengals drafted Center Bob Johnson with their first pick in '68, then went with DT Mike Reid #1 in '70, then Tackle Vern Holland in '71. In '70, they went with QB Greg Cook, he got injured and was never the same. That's the way it should be done, in my opinion: draft offensive and defensive linemen.
@babyblueLEGEND The Colts wanted to trade two first round picks (I assume from that year and 1972), TE John Mackey, and OT Sam Ball to the Pats for the #1 pick, and NE turned it down. NE could have had QB Lynn Dickey in 1971 and either Reggie McKenzie, Tom Casanova, Jim Bertelsen, or Lydell Mitchell in 1972.
After Joe Kapp burned them, they were desperate for a QB and I don't think that they wanted to let the Heisman Trophy winner slip through their hands.....especially with a new stadium being opened and needing to be filled. Looking back on it, they probably should have taken the trade, although Mackey wouldn't have helped them. Then they could have selected Dickey in the 2nd round.
The Steelers in '71 drafted Jack Ham, Gerry Mullins, Dwight White, Larry Brown and Mike Wagner. Each of whom would become starters and All-Pros and win 4 Super Bowl rings!
Archie was the leading Heismann candidate when he broke his arm. He created a huge buzz in the city of New Orleans in 1971 and was widely thought of as the savior of the woeful Saints. A popular bumper sticker that year read "Archie Who?" I hated to see his career end the way it did (he should have retired as a Saint, not a Viking), but he stayed loyal to New Orleans and was a beloved color commentary man on Saints radio throughout the 80s and 90s, when the Saints were legitimate contenders for the first time. His three sons were all quarterbacks born and raised in New Orleans. Cooper's career ended before it began when he was diagnosed in high school with a neck condition that prevented him from playing safely. Peyton wore #18 in the pros in honor of Cooper. Given their father's legacy (and brutal career with the 1970s Saints!), I can understand why neither Ely or Peyton wanted to play for the Saints. Between them, they won 4 Super Bowls, while their dad Archie never even played for a winning team. I thought it was poignantly ironic that the Saints beat the Manning-led Colts to win their only Super Bowl so far.
That does make ya think, doesn't it (the Saints beating the Manning-led Colts)? The beating that Archie took from the Bears in Chicago during the 1984 season was hard to watch. I can't believe that the coaching staff kept putting him out there to take the pounding that he did.
@jtdavis62 Me and this other guy were saying that Bum Phillips should have kept Archie Manning and put a winner around him (when he came in 1981) instead of trading him away. He was younger than Stabler, who was washed up, and should have retired in 1980.
@@markgardner9460 Archie played hurt most of his career. He had unbelievable grit and intestinal fortitude. He was loyal to his team and teammates, thus (he) took some viscous poundings.
I recall many years after Archie retired and his son Peyton was at the top of his game, Archie admitted he didn't understand much of the technical aspects Peyton did, as Archie said during his own playing days that he _winged it_ about 50 percent of the time on the field-of-play.
That's interesting to hear. I heard Staubach recall a conversation with the 49ers John Brodie where Brodie admitted to winning it much of the time, too.
Like they did with Roy Jefferson, the Steelers gave away a top receiving talent in Frank Lewis. Isaiah Robertson was the guy Earl Campbell butted and ran over in the Astrodome when it took 5 Rams to haul him down.
Roy Jefferson was coming off back to back 1,000 yard receiving seasons and the Steelers traded him to the Dolphins for receiver Willie Richardson and a 1971 fourth round draft pick (DE Dwight White) . Richardson never played a down for the Steelers and was traded to the Dolphins for a fifth round draft pick@@markgardner9460
A legendary QB to not even play in the playoffs, or have a winning season. It sure sucks to not win games while you're the only one that is a legend in the NFL.
You got a chuckle out of me, but that's right. Isn't that what they're paid to do? Make a tackle or defend a pass? Just get back to the huddle and concentrate on the next play.
I was a Travis Williams fan give me a speed merchant with mercury Morris type juke moves over Brockington any day, but he never really got a chance in the backfield, but made Brock special was they had useless Scott hunter no threat in the passing game, so they stacked up against Brock, but he still bludgeoned his way to 4+ yards a carry
The Pack had to feed The Gold Dust Twins, although The Road Runner did lead 'em in rushing with over 500 yards in '69. Hunter went to Alabama where Starr did - was there some type of connection or special relationship there cuz I didn't see Hunter as much of a QB.
In 1977, on a dismal 3-11 Ain'ts (i.e., Saints) team Manning who started 9 games and went 1-8, threw 8 TDs and ran for 5 TDs. By contrast, his son Eli ran for 7 TDs in his entire 16 year career.
Not only that, but the Saints were the first team to lose to the expansion Buccaneers, who had begun their history 0-26 bridging the 1976-77 seasons until they defeated Manning's Saints. I think the "immortal" Gary Huff quarterbacked the Bucs to victory that afternoon!
Ya the 49ers gave up the house for a guy that was just a shell of his former self. Shows how desperate things had gotten in the bay area. OJ was another bust but at least he played, albeit brokedown but he played. Was happy though how Jim Plunketts career turned out. Never forget when he came in against SD in 1980 and on the first play threw a td pass after Dan Pastarini had his "unfortunate" injury. In reality, he was screwing one of his offensive lineman's wife. Real smart Dan. I guess nobody ever told him about not crapping where you eat.
With all the draft picks that the Niners essentially wasted on Plunkett and O.J., it was amazing that they were able to become so dominant so soon ('81)
Montgomery was a solid player, but the Broncos should have drafted Lynn Dickey in Round 2. However, if they didn't take Dwight Harrison, they don't end up with Haven Moses (it's a crazy story).
@@markgardner9460 Exactly! In 1973, Houston thought WR Billy Parks would be a big time player for them. He had scored a crucial TD in the playoff game at SF and his stock was high. Like a good poker player, Dallas was bluffing.
Plunkett, Manning and Pastorini were three pretty awful QBs. And you gave them all an “A” grade? I can’t wait for your review of the 1998 NFL draft when you have to assign a grade to Ryan Leaf.
I don't think that too many informed fans would state that they were "awful". If that's the case, why did they teams start them for so many years? Also, I am not assigning a grade to a particular player; it's assigned to the team in terms of the value assigned to that draft pick. So, in Plunkett's case, the actual draft pick/player was parlayed into four later draft picks that paid handsome dividends.
Brockington was rather hit or miss for my hometown Packers. He drove my dad crazy I kind of like MacArthur Lane better and Isaiah Robertson got an F from Earl Campbell so did David Elmendorf on the greatest run in NFL history
Poor old Archie Manning I'm surprised he still even knows where he is and has all of his wits at this point that poor dude got beat to death for 11 straight seasons on that sucky New Orleans team
O.J. was wasted his first 3 years with Buffalo because they didn't give him the ball enough. They had more of a financial vested interest in him than Hill, so it makes sense to me that Hill never became a big time receiver with them.
The 1971 draft ranks as "meh." Just five HoF members: Ham, Youngblood, Dierdorf, Carmichael (the only great receiver from 1971) and Riggins. I've read of support for Ken Anderson, but he belongs in the "Hall of the Very Good." My underrated choice for Canton is Isiah Robertson: two 1st-team All-Pro (plus three 2nd-team) and six Pro Bowls, 25 INTs (which ties Ted Hendricks for fourth among LBs during his career [1971-82]). Too many folks who remember those days will recall the tattooed sternum Isiah received from Earl Campbell on that failed tackle attempt. Is that why he receives no recognition? I watched it live and admit it changed my opinion of Robertson, and it shouldn't have.
@@markgardner9460 Gray flourished under Don Coryell, and if he had followed him to the Chargers, he might have had Charlie Joiner numbers. Gray turned out to have fewer receiving TDs than Harold Jackson (a Cliff-Branch quality deep threat) over the same career years due to being stuck in the worst organization in the NFL at the time. Tatum is black-balled thanks to the Darryl Stingley hit, and maybe he should be. But Tatum never made All-Pro, has just three Pro Bowls and fewer picks than Jake Scott, Lemar Parrish and Ken Riley over his career years. "The Assassin" doesn't even belong in that 2nd-level Hall of Fame by my accounting. Thanks to Stathead for providing the numbers and Pro Football Reference for the rest. You have gained a new subscriber and hope to debate more things NFL in future.
To me, Tatum was more like another Linebacker on the field - great hitter and run-stopper, but I'm not sure that he was the greatest against the pass. I put him in the same class as Doug Plank and Gary Fencik of the Bears in that regard. I think that Dick Anderson of the Dolphins is far more deserving that Tatum for the Hall of Fame. Rams Safety Nolan Cromwell is more deserving, too, as he was a 4X Pro Bowler, 3X All-Pro and a member of the HOF All-1980's Team. If I recall correctly, he was named as the best defensive back three consecutive years by Football Digest, too, yet his name never comes up in discussions for the Hall of Fame that I've heard of. Thank you for subscribing and providing provocative comments!
@@markgardner9460 If I'm going on INTs alone, Jake Scott has the edge over Anderson 49-34. On that basis, Ken Riley and his 65 made him one of two DBs with 60+ (Dave Brown the other) not enshrined in Canton. That changed in 2023, nearly 40 years after his retirement. I wonder how many players from the modern era (post-1950) waited that long to get one of those rare but tacky yellow (not gold) jackets? I had the brief pleasure of being introduced to Cromwell when he and Dave Elmendorf (who I kinda knew) came into the bar I worked in Houston around early 1979. Dave was surprised the first time he came in that I knew who he was. This made me his second stop whenever he came in since was dating the most well-endowed waitress in the place. FYI, Houston was the location of the first breast augmentation clinic opened as a commercial business. Nolan and I exchanged pleasantries and asked him when he was going to play QB (his college position) for the Rams. He sorta laughed and acted like the two Rams had some place to go. Saw Dave as long as he dated "Charcie," which was the next few months. The long way to my agreement with you about Cromwell and his worthiness for the Hall.
Cool stories about Houston and the Rams players! While Scott has the edge in interceptions over Anderson, Anderson has the following notables: AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, 1973 Defensive Player of the Year, and Hall of Fame All 1970's Team. Based on that, I think Anderson has a better shot at the Hall of Fame.
It’s good you change it up every once in a while & I enjoy this format you’re doing with the draft picks. It’s all good & I’m sure you spend a lot of time putting it all together. A+. Perhaps you could surprise us every once in a while with a different music option sprinkled in there. Regardless, you still get a A+!!!
Yeah, regarding the music options, that's a hurdle because I don't want to pay for music. I hear what you're saying and am trying to utilize as many different tunes as possible, but I need to make those selections fit with the video footage. It's a slippery slope. Thanks for grade!!
@@markgardner9460 Brady sure could not have played into his forties, but there was still a fair amount of (legal) hitting at the beginning of his career as Drew Bledsoe can testify. A lot of fans suffer from a recency bias not acknowledging the 'Mel Blount' rule that went into effect in the mid-seventies. With bump and run limited to five yards from the scrimmage line, the TD to interception ratio started to change as did completion percentage. And I hated artificial turf, but I'm sure that the players hated it more.
In 1971, Dick Butkus (51) played on the 6-8 Bears and was selected for the Pro-Bowl at MLB. One of the NFL’s greats. Rest In Peace, big guy!
I just read where the Bears were playing the Lions who had shown their new "I" formation. Well, Butkus knocked the Center, QB and Fullback out of the game.
Holy cow, I just found out that Butkus passed away....I think a big piece of every football fan(especially Bears fans)died a bit as well...end of a era RIP to a great middle linebacker and a truly beloved icon!
Yes, he's one of the biggest NFL icons of all-time and will be missed. He was a really nice guy, too.
@@markgardner9460big icon that never even played in a postseason game😂😂
16:53 I was at that Raiders-Saints game. It ended in a 21-21 tie. Archie started but was injured early in the game. However, he came back in the 4th quarter to help rally the Saints. I was 9 years old and that was probably my first NFL game at Tulane Stadium.
Archie was 0 for 2 with one interception in that game. He must have been knocked out of the game, do you recall?
John Riggins Jets career seems to be almost forgotten. After all hye did with the Redskins nobody remembered that he ever played for the Jets, except maybe Jets fans.
Most of his time with the Jets was played without Namath actually playing due to injuries, so the yards that he gained were very tough yards.
Thank you for commenting.
I remember. I am a Cowboys fan. He was good with the Jets.
We Jet fans remember because he was our first back to rush for 1000 yards
Not by me … I am Muscogean . We cheered the guy
I remember the 70 NFL well - i had all the topps cards
These are the BEST 70- great era - Alot of HOFs
videos - love em thanks
The '70's were definitely the best for the Topps cards! My favorite sets were from '72, '74 and '76.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
John Bulldozer Brockington was one of my first favorites to watch in those days. The Brock was all about one thing. Taking the ball and running through somebody.
Talk about a patient career. Jim Plunkett would play on two really bad teams, Patriots, and 49ers, the emerged from that to win two Super Bowl rings with the Raiders.
Jack Tatum played to his own whistle. His game was all about intimidation. Even if it meant poking somebody(Russ Francis) right in the eye.
Great comments - Brockington was something else! Basically, he was a much faster Csonka.
@@markgardner9460 To honor #51. Maybe do a review of the 1965 draft next. RIP Dick Butkus
Yes, I will take that into consideration and balance it against the other ones that I've been suggested. Thanks!!
A video tribute to Butkus is a great idea!
@@markgardner9460In a game at the Met in 1971 Brockington ran all over the Vikes (149 yards) and Green Bay outgained Minnesota 301-87! But a tipped FG, a goal line stand inside the 2, Paul Krause's interception at the 3,a Krause recovery of Donny Anderson fumble at the 3,and probably the most egregious by the Pack was midway through the 4th quarter with the ball at the Vikings 8,Dan Devine wanted to play for a FG,but Scott Hunter threw a pass towards the left side into the end zone and Charlie West made a great play, cutting in front of the receiver intercepting the pass and somehow staying on his feet to run the ball all the way to midfield from where the Vikings somehow managed to get to the 18, and Fred Cox hit the 25 yard FG and Minnesota escaped 3-0
Those Eagles jerseys and helmets were great 😊 😊
Yes! They're my favorite. Super clean!
Worn from 1970-1973 the Eagles were horrible in those years
I would of loved to draft the blond at 4:25 haha. Seriously great job again, loved the NFL back then!
Definately worth a 1st round pick! Thank you!!
Thank you for your words on Archie Manning, one of the more unique quarterbacks ever to play. Fast, strong and could run like a cat. But he simply couldn't survive without more help. Archie was all that.
It's a shame that they couldn't get more talent on offense for him earlier in his career. Mid-way they got him Muncie and Galbreath, but he played quite a while before getting a super wide receiver in Wes Chandler.
Archie Manning would have been one of the best quarterbacks ever if he had been with a team who had a good offensive line and a good running game.
He definately had all of the tools - that's for sure!
He was great at Qb, but unfortunately, his whole team were awful and went down.
That’s an excuse if I were 6 ft 4 I’d be tall😆
The best player to come out of the 1971 draft came in the 3rd round: Kenny Anderson. 4-time NFL passing leader, 1981 league MVP, and considered by many to be the best player not in the Hall of Fame. He was the prototype for Bill Walsh’s development of the West Coast Offense. Anderson would be in the Hall of Fame and would likely have won a Super Bowl along the way if Paul Brown had chosen Bill Walsh instead of Bill “Tiger” Johnson to succeed him as Bengals coach upon Brown’s retirement.
I admire Ken Anderson's career very much and think that he should have been inducted into the Hall of Fame decades ago. When I watched him play for 10+ years, I thought that he was near the equal of any QB in the league during that time. It felt like I was watching a future Hall of Fame player.
Really good stuff, interesting especially in hindsight. Manning was tough as woodpecker lips and never had a whole lot of talent around him. Pastorini had a really special arm, never got over the hump-some very good oiler teams mid '70s. Plunkett finally produced in the right scheme. Riggo and Brockington a couple of punishing backs-Riggo a great back. Youngblood @ 20, what a great pick. Thanks brother you're appreciated. bd
Getting Youngblood that late was the perfect pick for the Rams cuz Deacon was done by then.
@@markgardner9460 What an outstanding football player....not just a "D" lineman, which, for my limited lexicon, is the highest praise. Thanks again brother, I value your hard work and takes.
When I was a kid, I dug his '75 Topps card which was a close up of him in his criss-cross facemask that very few defensive lineman wore (John Zook comes to mind). After seeing his relentlessness during games on tv, he became my favorite defensive lineman. Thank you for your kind words - I really appreciate it!
@@markgardner9460Youngblood was indeed a fantastic pick by the Rams and at the other end of the spectrum: Leo Hayden! As a Viking fan that first round pick was absolutely abysmal! The Vikings totally screwed up there! And Toby Smith and Billy Parks for Too Tall Jones and Danny White?!Tne 70s Cowboys almost always made the right moves...
They even made the right move by shipping disgruntled Duane Thomas to the Patriots, but then he was returned to them and they ended up trading him to San Diego for WR Billy Parks and RB Mike Montgomery. Thomas never played for San Diego, so the Cowboys made the best out of what the situation was.
Wasn't it Pastorini that was injured at Oakland that paved the way for Plunkett to start?
Yes, he broke his leg early in the year.
A terrible trade for both teams. Stabler's arm was shot and Dante had absorbed too many hits in the pre-Campbell era in Houston.
I like the Class of 1983 better as far as QB's go but besides the Patriots changing their location name from Boston to New England "AFTER" the draft, there was one historic moment in the '71 draft. During round 17, after Falcons coach Norm Van Brocklin had yelled to his staff "Do we want the roughest, toughest s.o.b. in the draft?!", the team drafted the then-64-year-old actor John Wayne, though saying he was from "Fort Apache State" (Wayne actually played football at USC); NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle rejected the selection. Talk about a reach, lol.
Yeah that was a very unique draft choice by Atlanta! Thank you for providing your comments.
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Great job guys.
In '67, the Falcons selected 16 picks in the draft, but none of the players ever played for them.......not one. Incredible.
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Wow, I did not know that. That's crazy. Thanks for the info. 👍
Another very excellent vid. It's interesting to see so many names that became familiar in one uniform actually got their start in strange garb (think Joiner, Riggins for example). Just as interesting (providing context to flesh out the picture) are the stories of guys like Profit (sp?) at 9:11. I'd never heard of him but he had his own type of significance I suppose.
Thanks for putting this together!
I'm glad that you enjoyed it - thank you!
Those QBs really took a beating in this era before the rules were changed to favor more protection for the QB.
That's right - for a QB to play an entire year back then was nothing short of miraculous.
When my brothers used to tease me when I was a kid they would yell “Vataha.” It made me cry 😭 for some reason! 😆
I haven't seen you in a long time. Welcome back!
I remember that one. So excited after reading about it. I heard Terry Bradshaw say, if Archie was with the Steelers, he would have been better then him. Plunkett seemed like a disappointment to me until he went with the Raiders. Brockington was great when I saw him. Can't beat Tatum. If he was around today they wouldn't let him play in Brady's NFL. Jack Youngblood was tougher than tough as the song goes.
I agree with every point that you made. Youngblood playing in the Super Bowl with a broken bone in his leg is how you maintain that tough guy persona. He was incredible. Hall of Fame Tackle Ron Yary used to have his handful every time they matched up,.
@@markgardner9460 I watched him in that Super Bowl and he played pretty good. Pain killers maybe. I don't know anyone else whose played with a broken leg.
He'd almost had to have played with some type of pain killers. He was still probably biting the bullet all game long.
The good old days
Great history. Wow. Isaiah Robertson, Riggins, John Brockington, Youngblood. Rams did great.
I'll remember Tatum as #32, and Pastorini's broken leg provided Plunkett the opportunity to win the first of two Super Bowls with the Raiders.
Thanks for these memories.
I think that Robertson is borderline Hall of Fame material.
Tatum was #31 his first 3 years with the Raiders, then #32 thereafter, but he was #28 for his one year stint with the Oilers.
19:10: Leo Hayden. Truly an "F" pick and maybe one of the all time " What were they thinking about" first round picks. Hayden was one of the Ohio State "Super Sophs" on the 1968 team ( with John Brockington, Jack Tatum, Rex Kern, Ron Maciejowski and Jim Stillwagon) that morphed into the 1969 juggernaut that lost the famous game( and possible national championship) to Michigan. He was a primary halfback in a T formation offense that featured the fullback in the running game but did pass more and run more end sweeps than previous Woody Hayes " Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust" offenses.
But the year ending loss to Michigan in which the QBs threw 6 interceptions caused Hayes to ditch the passing game and run his fullbacks even more and more in 1970. Hayden did run for over 700 yards and averaged almost 6 yards a carry as an almost afterthought to fullback John Brockington's 25 carries a game. But he did he show the makings of a first round draft pick?
The only thing I can think of was the Vikings, coming off a 12-2 season ( but a loss in the playoffs to the 49ers) with few weaknesses felt they needed a speedier running back alternative to the threesome tandem of Dave Osborn, Clint Jones and Bill Brown who gained 1,300 yards collectively but all of whom averaged less than 3.3 yards a carry. But the running back pickings were slim by the time they drafted at #24, as players such as Brockington, Riggins and Joe Moore were already gone. He may have been the best of "Let's Take a Shot at It" alternative which of course did not work out. In looking at the draft, the only impact RBs drafted after that through round 4 were Jim Braxton ( definitely not a speedster) and Clarence Davis in the 4th round. The Vikings finally did get it right by drafting Chuck Foreman in 1973.
I think that's exactly what the Vikings were thinking - need a fast RB, but the best ones are taken. Looking back at it, they should have taken Clarence Davis who was quite fast, but at 5'10" and 195 pounds he wasn't as large as 6' 210 pound Leo Hayden. Metrics aren't everything.
What's even more mind-boggling is that the Cardinals took a chance on Hayden and stuck with them for two years.
Thank you for the great comments!
That's a excellent analysis!
I guess it worked out for Plunkett...2 Super bowls; Super Bowl MVP and come back player of the year. Boy the Raiders resurrected his career - I guess the starter Pastorini) breaking his leg helped too.
They believed in him and were richly rewarded. By most people's take, he looked to be completely finished by the time his time with the 49ers ended.
Oh the old Raiders on man trash is another mans treasure.@@markgardner9460
The had so many successful stories of transforming other teams' cast offs.
They sure did. Al Davis knew something back then.@@markgardner9460
Jim Plunket was a big-time quarter Back.2 time world champion 🏆
He could really throw the deep ball well and he would really stand in the pocket well under pressure.
Great subject matter on this one Mark! Good analysis and footage
Thank you - I appreciate that! Thank you for watching my videos, too.
They are phenomenal! Keep up the great sports journalism sir, somebody's gotta do it! These so called sports channels on the idiot box aren't even on the same planet as what you're providing. The perfect compendium for this time of year! Take a bow
The pretty girl at the Saints game looked like she was on a cell phone.
I didn't notice.
Tatum's such a bad ass even his Topps fb card photo looks like a mug shot
definitely looks like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
Lee see more for Frank Lewis trade shows a lot about the difference from franchise to franchise in the NFL. The gap has certainly shrunk these days but back then it was enormous
Great point!!
Frank Lewis was actually one of the starting wide receivers in Superbowl 9.
That's right, along with Ron Shanklin. They started the first and third quarters while Swann and Stallworth started the second and fourth quarters. How crazy was that?
With the proviso that I was 11 years old, relying on what I vaguely remember, and only visited Michigan once a year to see my grandparents, I might be able to help answer your Bob Bell question...The Lions were one of the teams most prominent in the lockout/strike going on in the NFL in 1974, and the WFL was on the scene too. The Lions GM at the time was Russ Thomas, and he was notorious for being confrontational with Lions players on just about every issue, and on top of everything else going on that year, their head coach dropped dead in training camp and the guy that replaced him--Rick Forzano-- was one of those old school guys that tried to enforce "discipline" at all costs. I can't remember when exactly Bell was released, but I'm almost positive it was training camp, and my admittedly vague recollection about what was being said at the time was that Thomas viewed Bell as a malcontent and one of the leaders of the July strike on the Lions, and that Bell was let go in the exhibition season because Forzano couldn't deal with him and didn't like him. I'm not anywhere in the Detroit area, but this stuff was all over the papers at the time, and if someone has access to the Free Press archives, you should get a definitive answer to your question
Thank you for providing this awesome information! I think that Head Coaches and GM's who subscribed to that management style that you described didn't do anyone any favors. It's talent that wins games, not having a bunch of Eagle Scouts on your team. Thanks again!
I was 10 years old when my very excited dad told me that the Saints drafted Archie Manning. I didn't know who he was and then my dad told me about Archie's collegiate career particularly one game where he almost single-handedly beat a powerful Alabama team. Bear Bryant would say of Archie after that game that it was the single best performance he had ever seen in a game. My dad took me to see the Saints that year beat the Dallas Cowboys with Archie scoring the winning TD. The Cowboys would go on to win the Superbowl that year saying the loss to the Saints with a rookie QB was their turning point as they were so embarrassed by that loss. It's a damn shame that the Saints were so poorly coached back then and the front office was even worse as they never gave Archie any talent especially an offensive line that could protect him. He was constantly running for his life. Archie was such a humble and loyal player. He could have left and gone on to play for a winner but he wanted to help turn the Saints into one. One member of the Cowboys stated that if Archie had the Cowboys offensive line he would have been a Hall Of Famer because he had that kind of talent.
Thank you for your comments! Archie had so much talent - you are absolutely right about if the Saints had surrounded him with a solid offensive line that he could have really turned the Saints into winners. Also, he didn't have a whole lot of quality targets to throw to, either. Put Bradshaw on the Saints and Manning with the Steelers and let's see who makes the Hall Of Fame and who doesn't. Alas, that is the luck of the draw.
That's so cool that you were able to see the Saints play back then.
That's awesome stuff! Thank you for providing. I always enjoy stories like this. Thank you for watching.
Great stuff, as usual. Thanks.
Thank you - I'm glad that you liked it!
Keep it going, Great job.
Thank you - I appreciate that; I will.
Greatest QB that never had a team behind him, Archie manning was a mu h better athlete than both sons put together, but he haf no O-line...and never gave up on his team until traded to the oilers.
He was a phenomenal athlete and I agree with you regarding your statement about his sons.
Rest in pieace,this week we lost Russ Francis & Dick Butkus,a couple real hard nose guys. Jim Plunkett was great @ Stanford & glad he had late success. Archie Manning,#18 for Ole Miss. I used to love College & Pro ball. Now I put on the reginal game(Tampa) & once in a while I look up from my computer & watch a minute..
Plunkett basically sat out the entire '79 season - he played a little bit, but for him to make such a huge comeback is nothing short of remarkable.
And exactly one week after Butkus passed away Walt Garrison passed away
When a terrible team goes for a big splash, rather than build an actual TEAM, the poor QB pays the price. SEE: Manning, Plunket, and later Carr. The numder one indicator for team success is o-line play. No QB is good enough to overcome a horrid o-line. Riggins is thouht of as a powerback but he was actually a track star as well.
I couldn't agree with you more. The Bengals drafted Center Bob Johnson with their first pick in '68, then went with DT Mike Reid #1 in '70, then Tackle Vern Holland in '71. In '70, they went with QB Greg Cook, he got injured and was never the same. That's the way it should be done, in my opinion: draft offensive and defensive linemen.
@babyblueLEGEND The Colts wanted to trade two first round picks (I assume from that year and 1972), TE John Mackey, and OT Sam Ball to the Pats for the #1 pick, and NE turned it down. NE could have had QB Lynn Dickey in 1971 and either Reggie McKenzie, Tom Casanova, Jim Bertelsen, or Lydell Mitchell in 1972.
After Joe Kapp burned them, they were desperate for a QB and I don't think that they wanted to let the Heisman Trophy winner slip through their hands.....especially with a new stadium being opened and needing to be filled. Looking back on it, they probably should have taken the trade, although Mackey wouldn't have helped them. Then they could have selected Dickey in the 2nd round.
Jack Tatum should be in the HOF
Only 3 Pro Bowl teams and one 2nd Team All-Pro designation leaves him short in the minds of voters, in my opinion.
The Steelers in '71 drafted Jack Ham, Gerry Mullins, Dwight White, Larry Brown and Mike Wagner. Each of whom would become starters and All-Pros and win 4 Super Bowl rings!
That was a great draft for them - no doubt!
Archie was the leading Heismann candidate when he broke his arm. He created a huge buzz in the city of New Orleans in 1971 and was widely thought of as the savior of the woeful Saints. A popular bumper sticker that year read "Archie Who?" I hated to see his career end the way it did (he should have retired as a Saint, not a Viking), but he stayed loyal to New Orleans and was a beloved color commentary man on Saints radio throughout the 80s and 90s, when the Saints were legitimate contenders for the first time. His three sons were all quarterbacks born and raised in New Orleans. Cooper's career ended before it began when he was diagnosed in high school with a neck condition that prevented him from playing safely. Peyton wore #18 in the pros in honor of Cooper. Given their father's legacy (and brutal career with the 1970s Saints!), I can understand why neither Ely or Peyton wanted to play for the Saints. Between them, they won 4 Super Bowls, while their dad Archie never even played for a winning team. I thought it was poignantly ironic that the Saints beat the Manning-led Colts to win their only Super Bowl so far.
That does make ya think, doesn't it (the Saints beating the Manning-led Colts)?
The beating that Archie took from the Bears in Chicago during the 1984 season was hard to watch. I can't believe that the coaching staff kept putting him out there to take the pounding that he did.
New Orleans is a deeply Catholic city, so Archie's epic suffering is one of the things that make him so revered even to this day.
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@@markgardner9460I just tuned in.. OMG did Archie ever get a ferocious beating in that game it was truly a terrible thing to watch 😮
@jtdavis62 Me and this other guy were saying that Bum Phillips should have kept Archie Manning and put a winner around him (when he came in 1981) instead of trading him away. He was younger than Stabler, who was washed up, and should have retired in 1980.
@@markgardner9460 Archie played hurt most of his career. He had unbelievable grit and intestinal fortitude. He was loyal to his team and teammates, thus (he) took some viscous poundings.
I recall many years after Archie retired and his son Peyton was at the top of his game, Archie admitted he didn't understand much of the technical aspects Peyton did, as Archie said during his own playing days that he _winged it_ about 50 percent of the time on the field-of-play.
That's interesting to hear. I heard Staubach recall a conversation with the 49ers John Brodie where Brodie admitted to winning it much of the time, too.
Like they did with Roy Jefferson, the Steelers gave away a top receiving talent in Frank Lewis. Isaiah Robertson was the guy Earl Campbell butted and ran over in the Astrodome when it took 5 Rams to haul him down.
The Steelers literally gave Frank Lewis away! They returned Tight End Paul Seymour to the Bills because his physical condition was so poor.
Roy Jefferson was coming off back to back 1,000 yard receiving seasons and the Steelers traded him to the Dolphins for receiver Willie Richardson and a 1971 fourth round draft pick (DE Dwight White) . Richardson never played a down for the Steelers and was traded to the Dolphins for a fifth round draft pick@@markgardner9460
Jefferson was actually traded to the Colts in 1970
A legendary QB to not even play in the playoffs, or have a winning season. It sure sucks to not win games while you're the only one that is a legend in the NFL.
He was football's equivalent to baseball's Ernie Banks of the Cubs.
Hi Mark - sad bc Butkus died - I ll throw on my 69 Redskins Samm Huff jersey in his honor
I hear you - there's a lot of memories being stirred up right now by a lot of his fans. I really like that Huff jersey!!
I used to appreciate a good end zone celebration, now players celebrate making a tackle or defending a pass like they won the SuperBowl..
You got a chuckle out of me, but that's right. Isn't that what they're paid to do? Make a tackle or defend a pass? Just get back to the huddle and concentrate on the next play.
@@markgardner9460 i love what Chuck Foreman did, handed the ball to the ref like "I've been here before!"
He conserved his energy so he could perform his next spin move and leave the defenders in the dust.
14:50: Elmo Wright. C- grade as a player, A for his end zone dances!
Yeah, he brought some dazzle to the sport that a lot of fans enjoyed. "A" for his "Quick Shuffle" or "Quick Stomp" dance.
I was a Travis Williams fan give me a speed merchant with mercury Morris type juke moves over Brockington any day, but he never really got a chance in the backfield, but made Brock special was they had useless Scott hunter no threat in the passing game, so they stacked up against Brock, but he still bludgeoned his way to 4+ yards a carry
The Pack had to feed The Gold Dust Twins, although The Road Runner did lead 'em in rushing with over 500 yards in '69.
Hunter went to Alabama where Starr did - was there some type of connection or special relationship there cuz I didn't see Hunter as much of a QB.
nice job here.
Thank you - I appreciate that.
RIP "51."
Oh, and yeah, that player at 4:57 is definitely Grade A.
Yep!!
First round draft choice!
If someone knew that Plunkett's first 2 touchdown passes went to Ron Sellers and Roland Moss they would be the king of trivia!
That was a killer trade for the Patriots! Some very good players for Jim Plunkett!
I actually kinda remember Joe Profit and with those stats I don't know how!
Always wonder what might have been for Archie Manning had he been drafted by a team other than the Saints.
Just about any other team would have been so much better for him.
The Plunkett trade is like Russell Wilson before Russell Wilson. 🤷🤷
No doubt - very good comparison.
In 1977, on a dismal 3-11 Ain'ts (i.e., Saints) team Manning who started 9 games and went 1-8, threw 8 TDs and ran for 5 TDs. By contrast, his son Eli ran for 7 TDs in his entire 16 year career.
Eli was scared of his own shadow.
Not only that, but the Saints were the first team to lose to the expansion Buccaneers, who had begun their history 0-26 bridging the 1976-77 seasons until they defeated Manning's Saints. I think the "immortal" Gary Huff quarterbacked the Bucs to victory that afternoon!
I'm glad Ken Anderson was drafted by the Bengals
Love the old unis
I do, too! Every team could go back to these and it would be fine with me.
@@markgardner9460 Not the Rams. I would like their 1973 ones instead.
I like the white and Navy Rams uniforms of 1966- 1972
I like both, along with the ones that Norm Van Brocklin wore in the '50's - I like the long sleeves
Great video!! But, wins and loses for QBs?😀🤣🤣🤣
Ya the 49ers gave up the house for a guy that was just a shell of his former self. Shows how desperate things had gotten in the bay area. OJ was another bust but at least he played, albeit brokedown but he played. Was happy though how Jim Plunketts career turned out. Never forget when he came in against SD in 1980 and on the first play threw a td pass after Dan Pastarini had his "unfortunate" injury. In reality, he was screwing one of his offensive lineman's wife. Real smart Dan. I guess nobody ever told him about not crapping where you eat.
With all the draft picks that the Niners essentially wasted on Plunkett and O.J., it was amazing that they were able to become so dominant so soon ('81)
@@markgardner9460thank that coaching change they made in '79 for that😉
That's a fact!!
@@plantfeeder6677 Yeah I seem to have heard of him!
Plunkett, Manning and Pastorini took a beating in their rookie seasons
That's right...and Manning and Pastorini continued to take beatings for years afterwards, too.
Jim Plunkett HOF LETS GO GET IT DONE!!!!!!!
2X Super Bowl champ. Same thing with Phil Simms?
Montgomery was a solid player, but the Broncos should have drafted Lynn Dickey in Round 2. However, if they didn't take Dwight Harrison, they don't end up with Haven Moses (it's a crazy story).
Yep, Harrison was drafted in the 2nd round of the '71 draft, then in October of '72 they traded him to Buffalo for Moses.
Remember Joe Theisman was in the draft also.
Yes, in the 4th round by the Dolphins.
Once again the Cowboys parlaying their draft pick into game-changing players; Too Tall and Danny White in 1971, this time at the expense of Houston.
Lesson: NEVER trade with the Cowboys, In Oct of '89 the Vikings, too, would regret it.
@@markgardner9460 Exactly! In 1973, Houston thought WR Billy Parks would be a big time player for them. He had scored a crucial TD in the playoff game at SF and his stock was high. Like a good poker player, Dallas was bluffing.
and Tody Smith was damaged goods. To trade the 1st overall pick was bad enough, but then Houston threw in their #3 pick, too. Unbelievable.
Plunkett, Manning and Pastorini were three pretty awful QBs. And you gave them all an “A” grade? I can’t wait for your review of the 1998 NFL draft when you have to assign a grade to Ryan Leaf.
I don't think that too many informed fans would state that they were "awful". If that's the case, why did they teams start them for so many years?
Also, I am not assigning a grade to a particular player; it's assigned to the team in terms of the value assigned to that draft pick. So, in Plunkett's case, the actual draft pick/player was parlayed into four later draft picks that paid handsome dividends.
Brockington was rather hit or miss for my hometown Packers. He drove my dad crazy I kind of like MacArthur Lane better and Isaiah Robertson got an F from Earl Campbell so did David Elmendorf on the greatest run in NFL history
Mac could really run the screen pass play well. He'd hunt 'n peck his way to the opening, then turn on the jets.
He might of gotten lots of Superbowls if he was on another team. He was a famous QB to never reached the playoffs.
He would have been great on the Rams!
Plunkett was winning 2 Superbowls . At same time Manning was playing his last few miserable seasons
He took an absolute hammering while at Minnesota! He was very tough, I'll say that.
Poor old Archie Manning I'm surprised he still even knows where he is and has all of his wits at this point that poor dude got beat to death for 11 straight seasons on that sucky New Orleans team
It is amazing - tough dude.
The Bills wasted J.D. Hill's career by going to an all-OJ-all-the-time offense in Hill's 2nd season.
O.J. was wasted his first 3 years with Buffalo because they didn't give him the ball enough. They had more of a financial vested interest in him than Hill, so it makes sense to me that Hill never became a big time receiver with them.
The 1971 draft ranks as "meh." Just five HoF members: Ham, Youngblood, Dierdorf, Carmichael (the only great receiver from 1971) and Riggins. I've read of support for Ken Anderson, but he belongs in the "Hall of the Very Good." My underrated choice for Canton is Isiah Robertson: two 1st-team All-Pro (plus three 2nd-team) and six Pro Bowls, 25 INTs (which ties Ted Hendricks for fourth among LBs during his career [1971-82]). Too many folks who remember those days will recall the tattooed sternum Isiah received from Earl Campbell on that failed tackle attempt. Is that why he receives no recognition? I watched it live and admit it changed my opinion of Robertson, and it shouldn't have.
I think Robertson is deserving - Anderson, too. Others good players that fall short are Mel Gray, Tatum and Theiesmann.
@@markgardner9460 Gray flourished under Don Coryell, and if he had followed him to the Chargers, he might have had Charlie Joiner numbers. Gray turned out to have fewer receiving TDs than Harold Jackson (a Cliff-Branch quality deep threat) over the same career years due to being stuck in the worst organization in the NFL at the time. Tatum is black-balled thanks to the Darryl Stingley hit, and maybe he should be. But Tatum never made All-Pro, has just three Pro Bowls and fewer picks than Jake Scott, Lemar Parrish and Ken Riley over his career years. "The Assassin" doesn't even belong in that 2nd-level Hall of Fame by my accounting. Thanks to Stathead for providing the numbers and Pro Football Reference for the rest. You have gained a new subscriber and hope to debate more things NFL in future.
To me, Tatum was more like another Linebacker on the field - great hitter and run-stopper, but I'm not sure that he was the greatest against the pass. I put him in the same class as Doug Plank and Gary Fencik of the Bears in that regard. I think that Dick Anderson of the Dolphins is far more deserving that Tatum for the Hall of Fame. Rams Safety Nolan Cromwell is more deserving, too, as he was a 4X Pro Bowler, 3X All-Pro and a member of the HOF All-1980's Team. If I recall correctly, he was named as the best defensive back three consecutive years by Football Digest, too, yet his name never comes up in discussions for the Hall of Fame that I've heard of. Thank you for subscribing and providing provocative comments!
@@markgardner9460 If I'm going on INTs alone, Jake Scott has the edge over Anderson 49-34. On that basis, Ken Riley and his 65 made him one of two DBs with 60+ (Dave Brown the other) not enshrined in Canton. That changed in 2023, nearly 40 years after his retirement. I wonder how many players from the modern era (post-1950) waited that long to get one of those rare but tacky yellow (not gold) jackets?
I had the brief pleasure of being introduced to Cromwell when he and Dave Elmendorf (who I kinda knew) came into the bar I worked in Houston around early 1979. Dave was surprised the first time he came in that I knew who he was. This made me his second stop whenever he came in since was dating the most well-endowed waitress in the place. FYI, Houston was the location of the first breast augmentation clinic opened as a commercial business. Nolan and I exchanged pleasantries and asked him when he was going to play QB (his college position) for the Rams. He sorta laughed and acted like the two Rams had some place to go. Saw Dave as long as he dated "Charcie," which was the next few months. The long way to my agreement with you about Cromwell and his worthiness for the Hall.
Cool stories about Houston and the Rams players! While Scott has the edge in interceptions over Anderson, Anderson has the following notables: AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, 1973 Defensive Player of the Year, and Hall of Fame All 1970's Team. Based on that, I think Anderson has a better shot at the Hall of Fame.
Archie Who?
Both Manning and Plunkett were terrible so overrated
It’s good you change it up every once in a while & I enjoy this format you’re doing with the draft picks. It’s all good & I’m sure you spend a lot of time putting it all together. A+.
Perhaps you could surprise us every once in a while with a different music option sprinkled in there. Regardless, you still get a A+!!!
Yeah, regarding the music options, that's a hurdle because I don't want to pay for music. I hear what you're saying and am trying to utilize as many different tunes as possible, but I need to make those selections fit with the video footage. It's a slippery slope. Thanks for grade!!
Brady could not have played in that era. Too soft.
I agree. He would be looking for penalty flags that would not be thrown, too.
@@markgardner9460 Brady sure could not have played into his forties, but there was still a fair amount of (legal) hitting at the beginning of his career as Drew Bledsoe can testify. A lot of fans suffer from a recency bias not acknowledging the 'Mel Blount' rule that went into effect in the mid-seventies. With bump and run limited to five yards from the scrimmage line, the TD to interception ratio started to change as did completion percentage. And I hated artificial turf, but I'm sure that the players hated it more.