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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Dr. Z's New York Post All-Pro Teams

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney
I first became familiar with Paul Zimmerman's work in 1979, especially when he chose who All-Pro team for Sports Illustrated after that season. I was perplexed because I didn't see the familiar names that were on the AP, PFWA and NEA All-Pro teams, the ones that were usually published in the NFL Record and Fact Book.

Every year after that I'd enjoy looking forward to seeing his teams. In his books he'd mentioned that began his practice of choosing his teams in the New York Post in 1969, I once called him to see if he kept copies of those teams, and he said, "You'd have to contact the Post".

Eventually, through the miracle of Interlibrary loan and microfilm, I was able to get those teams. I first published them in 1999 in All-Pros: The Modern Years.
Zim was proud of picking a guy a year before the rest of the football writers and eliminating those who were All-Pro at the end of a long string, thinking that sometimes a player got honors a year or two after he's lost his effectiveness.

I once sent him a list of his selections that seemingly preceeded the rest of the All-Pro world catching up, here are those from 1969-78:

1969
Randy Rasmussen

1970
Rayfield Wright
Larry Little
Chuck Walton
Ed Flanagan

1971
George Kunz
Cedrick Hardman
Isiah Robertson

1973
Jack Youngblood
Bob Kuechenberg
Otis Sistrunk
Lemar Parrish

1974
John Hannah
Wally Chambers
Dave Elmendorf

1975
Blaine Nye
Vern Den Herder
Jerry Sherk
Robert Brazile

1976
Tom Jackson
Charlie Waters

1977
Steve Nelson
Louis Wright

1978
Lee Roy Selmon
Jim Youngblood
Pat Thomas

Since Sports Illustrated and MMQB is celebrating Paul Zimmerman this week, we though we'd add our two cents. Here are his selections from 1969-78. (1979 to the end is available in Sports Illustrated Vault)

New York Post 1969 All-AFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense:
WR      Don Maynard, NYJ
WR      Warren Wells, Oak
TE       Bob Trumpy, Cin
OT       Jim Tyrer, KC
OT       Winston Hill, NYJ
OG      Ed Budde, KC
OG      Randy Rasmussen, NYJ
C         E.J. Holub, KC
QB      Daryle Lamonica, Oak
RB       Floyd Little, Den
RB       Matt Snell, NYJ
  
Defense:
DE       Rich Jackson, Den
DE       Gerry Philbin, NYJ
DT       John Elliott, NYJ
DT       Tom Keating, Oak
MLB   Willie Lanier, KC
OLB    Bobby Bell, KC
OLB    Larry Grantham, NYJ
CB       Willie Brown, Oak
CB       Butch Byrd, Buf
S          Dave Grayson, Oak
S          Johnny Robinson, KC

New York Post 1970 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense:
WR      Gene Washington, SF
WR      Marlin Briscoe, Buf
TE       Charlie Sanders, Det
OT       Winston Hill, NYJ
OT       Rayfield Wright, Dal
OG      Larry Little, Mia
OG      Chuck Walton, Det
C         Ed Flanagan, Det
QB      Fran Tarkenton, NYG
RB       Larry Brown, Was
RB       Ron Johnson, NYG

Defense
DE       Rich Jackson, Den
DE       Deacon Jones, LA
DT       Alan Page, Min
DT       John Elliott, NYJ
MLB   Dick Butkus, Chi
OLB    Andy Russell, Pit
OLB    Larry Stallings, StL
CB       Jimmy Johnson, SF
CB       Willie Brown, Oak
FS        Spider Lockhart, NYG
SS        Jerry Logan, Bal

New York Post 1971 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Paul Warfield, Mia
WR      Otis Taylor, KC
TE       Charlie Sanders, Det
OT       George Kunz, Atl
OT       Rockne Freitas, Det
OG      John Niland, Dal
OG      Larry Little, Mia
C         Forrest Blue, SF
QB      Len Dawson, KC
RB       John Brockington, GB
RB       Larry Csonka, Mia
  
Defense
DE       Carl Eller, Min
DE       Cedrick Hardman, SF
DT       Alan Page, Min
DT       Bob Lilly, Dal
MLB   Willie Lanier, KC
OLB    Ted Hendricks, Bal
OLB    Isiah Robertson, LA
CB       Jimmy Johnson, SF
CB       Willie Brown, Oak
FS        Bill Bradley, Phi
SS        Ken Houston, Hou

New York Post 1972 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Harold Jackson, Phi
WR      John Gilliam, Min
TE       Ted Kwalick, SF
OT       Rayfield Wright, Dal
OT       Winston Hill, NYJ
OG      Larry Little, Mia
OG      Tom Mack, LA
C         Forrest Blue, SF
QB      Joe Namath, NYJ
RB       Larry Brown, Was
RB       Larry Csonka, Mia

Defense
DE       Claude Humphrey, Atl
DE       Jack Gregory, NYG
DT       Joe Greene, Pit
DT       Bob Lilly, Dal
MLB   Willie Lanier, KC
OLB    Chris Hanburger, Was
OLB    Dave Wilcox, SF
CB       Willie Brown, Oak
CB       Jim Johnson, SF
FS        Bill Bradley, Phi
SS        Dick Anderson, Mia

New York Post 1973 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Harold Jackson, LA
WR      Harold Carmichael, Phi
TE       Charle Young, Phi
OT       Rayfield Wright, Dal
OT       Art Shell, Oak
OG      Reggie McKenzie, Buf
OG      Bob Kuechenberg, Mia
C         Jim Langer, Mia
QB      Roman Gabriel, Phi
RB       O.J. Simpson, Buf
RB       Larry Csonka, Mia

Defense
DE       Claude Humphrey, Atl
DE       Jack Youngblood, LA
DT       Joe Greene, Pit
DT       Otis Sistrunk, Oak
MLB   Willie Lanier, KC
OLB    Isiah Robertson, LA
OLB    Phil Villapiano, Oak
CB       Robert James, Buf
CB       Lemar Parrish, Cin
FS        Jake Scott, Mia
SS        Dick Anderson, Mia

New York Post 1974 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Cliff Branch, Oak
WR      Drew Pearson, Dal
TE       Rich Caster, NYJ
OT       Ron Yary, Min
OT       Art Shell, Oak
OG      Bob Kuechenberg, Mia
OG      John Hannah, NE
C         Jim Langer, Mia
QB      Ken Anderson, Cin
RB       Lawrence McCutcheon, LA
RB       Terry Metcalf, StL

Defense
DE       Claude Humphrey, Atl
DE       Bill Stanfill, Mia
DT       Joe Greene, Pit
DT       Wally Chambers, Chi
MLB   Bill Bergey, Phi
OLB    Ted Hendricks, GB
OLB    Jack Ham, Pit
CB       Robert James, Buf
CB       Roger Wehrli, StL
FS        Tony Greene, Buf
SS        Dave Elmendorf, LA

New York Post 1975 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Lynn Swann, Pit
WR      Mel Gray, StL
TE       Rich Caster, NYJ
OT       Dan Dierdorf, StL
OT       Art Shell, Oak
OG      Bob Kuechenberg, Mia
OG      Blaine Nye, Dal
C         Jim Langer, Mia
QB      Fran Tarkenton, Min
RB       O.J. Simpson, Buf
RB       Chuck Foreman, Min

Defense
DE       Jack Youngblood, LA
DE       Vern Den Herder, Mia
DT       Wally Chambers, Chi
DT       Jerry Sherk, Cle
MLB   Jack Lambert, Pit
OLB    Jack Ham, Pit
OLB    Robert Brazile, Hou
CB       Mel Blount, Pit
CB       Roger Wehrli, StL
FS        Paul Krause, Min
SS        Ken Houston, Was

New York Post 1976 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Cliff Branch, Oak
WR      Roger Carr, Bal
TE       Dave Casper, Oak
OT       Dan Dierdorf, StL
OT       Art Shell, Oak
OG      John Hannah, NE
OG      Gene Upshaw, Oak
C         Jim Langer, Mia
QB      Bert Jones, Bal
RB       O.J. Simpson, Buf
RB       Chuck Foreman, Min

Defense
DE       Jack Youngblood, LA
DE       Coy Bacon, Cin
DT       Wally Chambers, Chi
DT       Jerry Sherk, Cle
MLB   Jack Lambert, Pit
OLB    Jack Ham, Pit
OLB    Tom Jackson, Den
CB       Monte Jackson, LA
CB       Mike Haynes, NE
FS        Cliff Harris, Dal
SS        Charlie Waters, Dal

New York Post 1977 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Nat Moore, Mia
WR      Lynn Swann, Pit
TE       Dave Casper, Oak
OT       Art Shell, Oak
OT       Dan Dierdorf, StL
OG      Randy Rasmussen, NYJ
OG      George Buehler, Oak
C         Jim Langer, Mia
QB      Bob Griese, Mia
RB       Walter Payton, Chi
RB       Franco Harris, Pit

Defense
DE       Lyle Alzado, Den
DE       Harvey Martin, Dal
DT       Cleveland Elam, SF
DT       Larry Brooks, LA
MLB   Steve Nelson, NE
OLB    Jack Ham, Pit
OLB    Tom Jackson, Den
CB       Rolland Lawrence, Atl
CB       Louis Wright, Den
FS        Cliff Harris, Dal
SS        Charlie Waters, Dal

New York Post 1978 All-NFL Team
Selected by Paul Zimmerman
Offense
WR      Wesley Walker, NYJ
WR      Lynn Swann, Pit
TE       Dave Casper, Oak
OT       Dan Dierdorf, StL
OT       Leon Gray, NE
OG      John Hannah, NE
OG      Joe DeLamielleure, Buf
C         Mike Webster, Pit
QB      Jim Zorn, Sea
RB       Earl Campbell, Hou
RB       Walter Payton, Chi

Defense
DE       Al Baker, Det
DE       Lee Roy Selmon, TB
DT       Randy White, Dal
DT       Louie Kelcher, SD
MLB   Randy Gradishar, Den
OLB    Jack Ham, Pit
OLB    Jim Youngblood, LA
CB       Louis Wright, Den
CB       Pat Thomas, LA
FS        Thom Darden, Cle
SS        Charlie Waters, Dal


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