By John Turney
The NFL's Finalist Lists for Wide Receivers for the NFL 100 All-Time Team was released last night. And as we mentioned the Top 10 may have been leaked. On it were a few old-timers like Elroy Hirsch, Don Hutson, and Raymond Berry.
We've seen some consternation on Twitter about the inclusion of these guys, to varying degrees. We'll comment more later, but it reminded of us this clip below, which is not an isolated on, of Raymond Berry all of 1985 pounds taking on 6-8, 265-pound Doug Akins in pass protection. And he does a good job.
Ends in that era were not always split or flanked they'd play tight. Smaller, fast guys like Berry or Del Shofner, or Hirsch had to block in the run game and in the passing game and it was not a gimmick, not a once-a-season kind of thing.
Enjoy (watch the bottom of the screen, #81 in black and #82 in white)—
So true, coach. So true.
Raymond Berry: the consummate pro....the premier route runner and pass "catcher" in history.....Hutson, Berry, Rice....Bambi....then the rest (and that's no knock on "the rest")
ReplyDeleteAgrred.
DeleteThat's why Hines Ward should be in the Hall...would hit or block ANYBODY.
ReplyDeleteWarfield was as smooth as silk, and blocked too...
Anyone who doesn't feel Berry belongs needs to go back to their bedrooms, their moms just cleaned, and see/read more about him.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know the down/distance here?
ReplyDeleteBerry displays a really impressive sense of balance against a MUCH stronger opponent.
Wasn't the best rush from Atkins either.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, the guys showed a clip of Jim Brown tossing back a flea flicker back to Plum or O'Connell, and taking the rest of the down off, but from what I have seen of Brown trying to pass block...He took Alot of downs off.