OPPONENT FUMBLE RECOVERIES 1970-2024: "If You Are Not Taking the Ball Away"

By TJ Troup 

The research project is complete! Took about 6 months to research and list every opponent fumble recovery for all 26 teams that were playing in 1970. No doubt all of you know that the total number is 18,027 times a team has lost the ball to their opponent by fumble. 

One of the challenges of this project were the errors made by Elias, The Sporting News, and the league itself, thus the many of the box scores at Pro Football Reference are not accurate. That is why film study and Game books tied together tell the tale of accuracy. When you check teams' media guides, most teams do not even list who holds the team record for recoveries in a season, and career, or have it dead plumb wrong! Shame on them! 

Had earlier researched as many opponent fumble recoveries as possible for 1945 through 1969 with the goal being who achieved the double take-away of an interception and a fumble recovery in the same game. 

The first player that really stood out to me was Baltimore Colt Bert Rechichar, who intercepted 3 Chicago Bear passes, and recovered a fumble in the opening day victory in 1953. Oh yeah, he also managed to kick a field goal in the game. Let's return, though to the era that was just completed. The hours of poring over gamebooks and watching film was a joy simply because of the education I received on players that knew more by name than by performance. Far too many to list; and even more so, the men who were back-ups on either offense or defense but were key members of special teams. Again, too many to name, yet one player really stood out was Preston Riley of the 49ers.

 How many men recovered an opponent's fumble on special teams five times over the course of 21 games? Taking the ball away was important for the 1950 New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, and taking the ball away for the 2000 Baltimore Ravens was significant. 

Oh, you are going to ask why these teams are significant? Well, grab a cup of coffee or a Dr. Pepper and will regale you with the story. Seventeen teams have recovered at least 20 opponent fumbles in a victory during a season. The list is eye-popping because so many of these teams were either champions or went to the playoffs. 

When the Browns met the Giants in the famous frozen field play-off game in 1950 it is the only time historically that two teams that recovered at least 20 opponent fumbles in victory squared off in a play-off game! Although we could spend hours on all seventeen teams, the fateful question remains: who was the last team to do this? 

The Baltimore Ravens of 2000 rank amongst the best/greatest defenses of all-time, and they recovered 23 of 26 in victory. The list of men who achieved the double take-away is a who's who of defenders historically, yet there is also another category that is sure fun to research. What is that you ask? Who recorded a sack and an opponent fumble recovery in the same game? 

Jason Taylor

While anyone can chart this from 1982 to the present, the man who no doubt stands out is going to be Jason Taylor. Finally, there is the "hat trick" achievement of an interception, fumble recovery, and sack in the same game. 

When you read the play-by-play for the closing game in '61 between the Cardinals and Steelers, a young wiry safety for St. Louis achieved the "hat trick". 

The title of this narrative comes from coach Shula of the Rams, and he ends his statement with "you are not a great defense". Believe there was another Shula would understood defense?

Happy 100th Birthday (Early) to Marv Levy !

 by Jeffrey J. Miller  

  Marv Levy turns 100 on August 3.  Tributes will pour in from all corners of the football world when the momentous day comes.  If you are a regular reader of the Pro Football Journal, I will pay you the respect of assuming that you are fully aware of Coach Levy’s history and accomplishments.  To be sure, I could fill this article listing the many things he has done, but since every major sports media outlet will be publishing them, I think to do so here would be an exercise in redundancy.*  Instead, I’d like to relate the story of how, back in 2009, I had the honor of writing a book with the oldest living member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

   I had recently written Rockin’ The Rockpile and was looking for a new project when I began reading The 50 Greatest Plays in New York Giants Football History by my friend John Maxymuk.  I thoroughly enjoyed not only John’s excellent authorship but also the format.  After doing a little research, I found out that the publisher, Triumph Books of Chicago, was doing a series of 50 Greatest books, which also included versions for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. 

   Duly inspired, I fired off an email to Triumph’s acquisition department informing them of my previous work and my desire to write a Buffalo Bills version of 50 Greatest.  To my surprise, I received a positive response from Adam Motin, Development Editor at Triumph Books, just a few days later in which he expressed their interest in my proposal.  There was one catch, however.  Triumph had some sort of commitment to do a book with Marv Levy.  Would I mind collaborating with the Hall-of-Famer and greatest coach in Buffalo Bills history?

   Pregnant pause.

   Well, I cannot remember my exact response, but I am sure it went something like “No freakin’ way!”  Not really.  It was probably more of a restrained “yeah, sure!” as I tried to mask the excitement of being offered a chance to work with someone of Coach Levy’s stature. Sure, I was confident in my ability, but at this point, I had only written two football books (Buffalo’s Forgotten Champions and Rocking the Rockpile), so this was a huge step.  But one I welcomed gleefully!

   A couple of days later, I came home from work and saw the little red light flashing on my answering machine.  I pushed the button and the first message that sprang forth went something like this … “Hello Jeff, this is Marv Levy.  I understand we are going to be writing a book together.  Please give me a call at (his private number) and we can discuss the particulars.”

   For a solid week I played that message for anyone who happened to drop by the house for a visit.  Come on ... who wouldn't?        

   I returned Marv’s call straight away.  We had a nice chat in which he expressed excitement at writing this book with me.  He informed me that he had a heavy schedule of commitments that will limit his availability and that I will “have to play quarterback” for this project and let him know what particular plays from the team’s history I wanted him to write about, and proofread the chapters he sends to me.  Not a problem!

   The initial idea was, as stated above, to produce a book consistent with Triumph’s 50 Greatest series.  Within a very short time, Marv and I were corresponding daily via email, phone and fax (this was the dark ages of 2009, after all).  We eventually compiled a tentative list of the plays we planned to cover.  We agreed that Marv would write about the plays that occurred during his time as the Bills’ head coach, while I would tackle any of the selected plays that happened before or after his tenure.  Marv even sent me a few hand-drawn sketches of some of the plays we intended to feature in the book.  Thank goodness I saved those faxes!

   Here are a few ...

Fax received from Marv February 6, 2009,

indicating some of the plays he had sent. 

Marv's hand-drawn diagram of the play known 

as the "Kelly Keeper" that defeated the 

Miami Dolphins in the 1989 season opener.

Marv's sketch of the play known infamously to Bills fans as 

"The Drop" in which halfback Ronnie Harmon dropped a 

last-ditch pass in the end zone in the Bills' 34-30 loss

to the Cleveland Browns in the 1989 Divisional Playoff.

   However, after just a few weeks, we were notified that Triumph was shifting gears and was going to be discontinuing the 50 Greatest series in favor of a new series called Game Changers:  The Greatest Plays in (insert team name here) Football History.  The good news was that Marv and I would still be collaborating.  The unhappy news was that it would not be the style of book I had envisioned.  But that was not really a big deal.    

   Though we never met face-to-face during the writing portion of this book, we corresponded several times each week, even several times in a day in some stretches.  Marv would send me his chapters and ask my opinion or that I go through and check for typos, etc.  In some cases, his chapters were very long and I had the responsibility of having to whittle away some content to make it fit into the available space.  My friend Jeff Mason (my former high school history teacher who has proofread nearly everything I have ever written over the years) proofread the finished manuscript for any misspellings, typos, grammatical errors, and so on.      

   Our book was officially published in October 2009.  In all, we included 36 plays or events from Buffalo Bills history.  The hard-bound book was lavishly illustrated and presented as a nice coffee table style book for die-hard Bills fans.

Game Changers, pub. 2009 by Triumph Books

   Triumph did a nice job promoting this book, too, hiring a publicist who set up several signing events in which Marv and I appeared side-by-side in front of large numbers of fans.  Admittedly, 90 percent were there to meet Marv.  Clearly, he was a bit of a sex symbol, as many middle-aged ladies pushed their way behind the signers’ table to have a picture taken with the man.  In some cases, I was pushed aside by women wanting just them and Marv in the shot.  Some would run their fingers through his hair!  It was like being on stage with Tom Jones!  They were unaware (or maybe just unconcerned?) that Marv’s wife Fran was present during some of these events, sitting not more than ten feet off to the side. 

Book signing event at the Buffalo Bills 

Quarterback Club.

   One particular incident sticks out that underscores just what a gentleman and decent human being Marv is.  We were doing a signing event at the local Barnes & Noble Bookseller, starting at 7:00 on a Friday evening.  The store manager was kind enough to let some members of my family in a bit early to get their copies signed, just in case the supply ran out.  I dutifully introduced Marv to my wife and son, nieces and nephews, sisters and brothers, including my brother Joe.  Soon came the throng of Bills fans, lined up down aisles and snaking out into the parking lot!  We signed over 400 books that night.  The signing was scheduled to go until 9:00, but we did not finish until after 9:30 … two and a half hours.  As we were walking out, my brother Joe was standing by the exit and said goodbye and thanks to Marv.  Without missing a beat, Marv turned to him and said, “Same to you Joe.  It was nice meeting you.” 

Book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Amherst, NY.
That's my seven-year-old son Benjamin in front.

   Wow … after more the two and a half hours, hundreds of fans and 400 books signed, Marv remembered my brother’s name!  That, I thought, was very impressive.

   I will always cherish this episode in my writing career.  Working with Marv Levy was quite a thrill!  I was honored when he agreed to write the foreword for my next book (“100 Things Bills Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die”), which affirmed for me that he enjoyed the collaboration as well. 

   HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Coach Levy! 

Making the Case for Butch Byrd

by Jeffrey J. Miller 

Butch Byrd

The Buffalo Bills won back-to-back championships in 1964 and ’65, and made it to a third championship game in 1966. The universally recognized strength of that outstanding AFL-era team was its defense, which at one point went 17 straight games (16 regular season and one post-season) without giving up a rushing touchdown—a record that stands to this very day.  Yet for how great that team and its defense was, only one player from that period has been deemed worthy of enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  That player was guard Billy Shaw, who, though arguably one of the greatest guards of all time, played his entire career on the OFFENSIVE side of the ball.

It says here that there are several players from that team deserving consideration by the Hall of Fame selectors.  Linebacker Mike Stratton, for instance, played in six AFL All-Star games, was selected First-Team All-AFL three times, won two AFL championships, and delivered the most famous tackle in AFL history when he dusted San Diego’s Keith Lincoln for “The Hit Heard ‘Round The World in the 1964 Title Game.  Defensive end Ron McDole is the NFL’s all-time leader in interceptions among defensive linemen with 12, and ranks third all-time in blocked kicks with 21.  And don't get me started on Big Ses ...

This article, however, will focus on the career and credentials of defensive back George “Butch” Byrd, who was a cornerstone of the Bills' defense for seven seasons from 1964 through 1970. 

The Bills selected Byrd out of Boston University in the fourth round of the 1964 college draft.  A two-way star at BU, Byrd led the Terriers in rushing in both his junior and senior years and was an All-East selection in 1963.  The Dallas Cowboys of the NFL selected him in the seventh round, but Butch signed with Buffalo because the Cowboys had already chosen Mel Renfro in the first round, and he realized his chances at a starting job were better with the Bills.

            It turned out to be a good move for both Byrd and the Bills, as the six-foot, 211-pounder made an immediate impact, winning the starting right corner position in his first training camp and holding it down for the next seven seasons as the final piece of the Bills' championship puzzle.  He recorded his first interception in just his third game as a pro, picking off Tobin Rote of the Chargers and racing 75 yards for a score.  In all, Byrd intercepted seven passes during his rookie season, setting a Bills record and earning an invitation to the AFL All-Star Game, the first of five in his career.  Along the way he gained a reputation as not only one of the best, but also one of the most aggressive defensive backs in the league.  He was also very durable, missing only one start during his time in Buffalo.  He'd go on to rack up a team-record 40 career interceptions (five of which he returned for scores, also a club record) and appear in three AFL title games with the Bills (1964, ’65 and ’66).  

Byrd returning an interception during the 1965 AFL Title Game, 

December 26, 1965.

    In fact, he seemed to come up biggest in the big games, recording an interception in both the 1964 and 1965 championships.  His 74-yard punt return in the 1965 Title Game set an AFL post-season mark that stood until the AFL-NFL merger.

Byrd returns an interception of Joe Namath 53 yards for a score,

 versus New York Jets, September 29, 1968. 

Byrd was also a pioneer in race relations among AFL players.  “My roommate was Mike Stratton,” he recalled.  “Mike and I were the first mixed couple. That honor usually goes to Gale Sayers and Bryan Piccolo, but I believe we were ahead of them.  I think Mike and I were the first white and black ballplayers to room together, and that was controversial.  There were some ballplayers on our team that didn’t like it.  Ballplayers came from all parts of the country, and they brought with them their own baggage.  I really can’t tell you why or how it happened—he thought it was a good idea or I thought it was a good idea—I can’t even remember who raised the subject.  Maybe we just found ourselves in the same room by accident, and decided to keep it that way.”  The two remained close friends until Stratton’s passing in March 2020.  

The Bills traded Byrd to the Denver Broncos prior to the 1971 season, but he played just one season for the Broncos before calling it a career. 

            Byrd is one of the most decorated members of the AFL-era Bills, beginning with being named to the All-Time AFL Team (second squad) by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee in 1970.  He received the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Distinguished Service Award for “service to the Bills’ organization and the Western New York community during his career” in 1994.  He was honored with induction into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.  He and his cornermate from the Bills glory days—Booker Edgerson—were corecipients of the team’s the Kent Hull Hard Working Man Award in 2010.

        He was enshrined in Boston University’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980. 

 Career Highlights:

2-time AFL Champion

5 AFL All Star Games

3-time First Team All-AFL

1-time Second Team All-AFL

40 career regular season interceptions (remains a Buffalo record)

5 interceptions returned for touchdowns (a Buffalo record)

4 fumble recoveries

2 career post-season interceptions

2 punts returned for touchdowns (1 regular season, 1 post-season)

Laramie Tunsil and the League's Most Penalized in 2024

Flagged Down: Analyzing 2024 NFL Penalty Trends

by Nick Webster

The 2024 NFL season has seen its share of yellow flags, and a closer look at the data reveals some intriguing insights, particularly concerning the league's most penalized players. While overall penalty trends vary as the league adds new “points of emphasis”, the individual players consistently drawing laundry from officials have consistently fallen into two key position groups: offensive linemen and defensive backs.

The top of the penalties committed list is overwhelmingly dominated by offensive tackles. Laremy Tunsil of the Houston Texans leads the league with 19 penalties, closely followed by Tyler Guyton (Dallas Cowboys) with 18, and Jawaan Taylor (Kansas City Chiefs) with 17. This prevalence indicates that infractions like holding, false starts, and illegal use of hands remain persistent challenges for players tasked with protecting the quarterback and creating running lanes.

A deeper dive into the numbers for offensive linemen shows another issue: these players are frequently involved in plays that either stall a drive or result in negated yardage. While the "Null Yds" (nullified yards due to penalty) column highlights the often-costly nature of these fouls, the "Stalled Dr" (stalled drive) metric underscores their direct impact on offensive momentum. 

For example, Laremy Tunsil's 19 penalties resulted in 120 nullified yards and stalled 11 drives, indicating the significant negative ripple effect of his flags.  Maybe those who say Tunsil was moved to Washington only due to ‘personality issues’ are wrong, or perhaps it’s even those same personality issue and attention to detail that drive this level of penalties for Tunsil whose 19 flags were made up of 12 false starts and 3 illegal formations.  When Bill Belichick himself speak of controlling the controllable its precisely things like dead ball penalties he’s addressing.

 

Beyond the trenches, defensive backs also feature prominently among the most penalized. Players like Joey Porter Jr. (Pittsburgh Steelers), Patrick Surtain II (Denver Broncos), Terrion Arnold (Detroit Lions), D.J. Reed (New York Jets), Marlon Humphrey (Baltimore Ravens), and Nate Wiggins (Baltimore Ravens) all land in the top 20. For defensive backs, penalties like defensive holding, illegal contact, and pass interference are typically the culprits. The data indicates that these penalties often result in first downs for the opposing team ("1D"), directly extending drives and giving offenses new life. Terrion Arnold, for instance, has amassed 167 penalty yards, contributing to 10 first downs in what was a challenging Rookie season for the Lion Cornerback.

Porter Jr. is renowned for being ‘handsy’, a reputation he’s had since his undergrad days as a Nittany Lion. But the season really got away from him in Week 13 at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium when Joey was flagged 6-times, a single-game high in the league in 2024.  And while 2 were declined, the penalties almost single handedly kept the Bengals in the game. 

Surtain II was also quite highly flagged in 2024, but this didn’t keep him from taking home the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award. But it is one of the reasons we were slightly less high on Surtain than the media – his All-Pro running mate Derek Stingley Jr. was flagged just twice last season, for example.

The high number of penalties for these two position groups isn't entirely surprising. Offensive linemen are constantly engaged in physical battles at the line of scrimmage, where minor infractions can quickly draw a flag. Similarly, defensive backs operate in a tight, high-stakes environment where any slight misstep in coverage can lead to illegal contact or pass interference calls, especially in an era that generally favors offensive production.

When Walter Camp Involved Himself in Professional Football - And Decided a Championship

 by Jeffrey J. Miller

       Professional football was a fairly provincial sport before to the founding of the American Professional Football Association (precursor to the National Football League) in 1920.  Prior to that time, pro teams banded together in unofficial leagues or associations, usually limited by city or state boundaries. In the city of Rochester, New York, for example, the municipal title was traditionally competed for between the Jeffersons and the cross-town rival Scalpers.  The Scalpers had won it in 1913 and ’14, while the Jeffs took the crown in 1915 and ’16.  The victory in 1916 gave the Jeffs a chance to compete for the much larger title of New York State champions.    

The 1916 Rochester Jeffersons.  Team Manager Leo Lyons is seated third from the left in the middle row.

There is no existing book of rules (at least for New York State) explaining exactly how it was determined which teams qualified to play in a championship game, and this often led to disputed title claims.  Some teams claimed overall record, while others contended head-to-head play, while still others might argue strength of competition in a team's schedule.  Even the outcome of a game could be grounds for debate.  The battle that took place for the championship of the Empire State in 1916 is a case in point, and one that required the intervention of Walter Camp—the recognized authority on college football—to settle.

Camp, the former head coach at Yale and Stanford, served on various collegiate football rules committees that developed the framework of American football and authored numerous books and articles on the subject.  He is credited with the creation of the sport's line of scrimmage, the system of downs, the reduction of the number of players per side from 15 to 11, the standardized offensive configuration of seven linemen (two ends, two tackles, two guards and a center) and four backs (quarterback, two halfbacks and a fullback), and much more.  In addition, Camp's Yale teams of 1888, 1891, and 1892 have been recognized as national champions. For these reasons and more,  Camp is considerded by historians to be the "Father of American Football."  Though this title was based on his role at the collegiate level, Jeffs owner and manager Leo Lyons asked Camp to insert himself into the dispute over a single play in the 1916 championship game that would decide the final outcome and, consequently, the winner of the state title.

            The Jeffs’ season, which culminated in the city title, earned them the honor of facing a team from Buffalo, called All-Buffalo, for the New York State crown.  The Bison City eleven had earned their appointment with a 5-3-1 record.  The game was scheduled for Sunday, December 3, at Buffalo.  When the teams arrived at Ryan’s Park in Buffalo that afternoon, they found the gridiron a sea of mud from early December precipitation.  Despite the conditions, the game got off to a fast start with All-Buffalo claiming a disputed touchdown midway through the first quarter.  The Jeffs had stopped an All-Buffalo drive and forced a punt by halfback Doug Jeffrey.  As the kick sailed toward the Rochester end zone, All-Buffalo quarterback Gene Dooley raced downfield and caught the pigskin before it hit the ground or could be fielded by a Rochester player.  He then carried the ball into the end zone for what the Buffalo side thought was a touchdown.  Referee Rip Benzoni, however, ruled the play was off-side and disallowed the score, resulting in vehement protests from the All-Buffalo players.  After conferring with the team captains, Benzoni awarded the ball to All-Buffalo at the Rochester 20-yard line, but no points.  Play resumed, but the Jeffersons held and the first quarter ended in a scoreless tie.   The Jeffs found the end zone in the second period when Dutch Irwin returned another All-Buffalo punt 80 yards for a touchdown, putting his team in front 6-0, or so they thought.  During the halftime intermission, Benzoni and his crew met and ruled to restore the six points All-Buffalo insisted they had scored on Dooley’s disputed play in the first quarter. 

The second half devolved into a defensive battle with neither team able to muster a viable offense in the muck.  The game ended in either a 6-0 triumph for Rochester or a 6-6 tie, depending on whose side of the field one stood.  After time had expired, however, All-Buffalo—feeling they were owed the opportunity to try for the extra point they were deprived as a result of Benzoni’s original ruling—took the field and executed a successful conversion, and thus claimed a 7-6 victory.

So, who won?  The Buffalo papers, of course, sided with the local favorites.  Wrote the Buffalo Courier: “Resurrecting the on-side kick from the football archives where it was laid by the lawmakers several years ago, the All-Buffalos defeated the Jeffersons of Rochester yesterday at Ryans’ Park by a score of 7 to 6 in the final game of the year.”

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle disagreed, writing: “Harry Irwin wasn’t very well known [in Buffalo] before this afternoon.  But he impressed his name very firmly upon local football annals when he caught a punt and ran eighty yards through a broken field to score the touchdown which gave the Rochester Jeffersons a 6 to 0 victory over All-Buffalo and took the state championship from here to Rochester.”

Neither team was backing down, and that indisposition could not be left unresolved as far as Leo Lyons was concerned.  He met with referee Benzoni the Tuesday following the championship game, but he did not record the nature or content of their conversation.  Perhaps he felt he could convince Benzoni to reverse his decision of allowing the All-Buffalo touchdown, or maybe make a definitive ruling as to the winner of the state title?  That bit of information, unfortunately, appears to be lost to history.

Unsatisfied with things as they stood, Lyons devised a bold plan to resolve the matter once and for all.  He decided to seek the counsel of none other than Walter Camp, the man considered the foremost authority on football matters in the country.  Who, he felt, would dare refute the patriarch of the gridiron game?

The next day, Lyons fired off a letter to Camp hoping he could adjudicate the legality of All-Buffalo’s on-side kick and, ultimately, the winner of the big game. On Monday, December 11, Lyons received Camp’s reply affirming the Jeffs’ claim:    

Letter from Walter Camp to Leo Lyons, 

December 8, 1916. (From the Leo V. Lyons Collection)

 

   Wrote Camp:  "If the quarterback and end were ahead of the kicker when he punted from behind the scrimmage line, when they were both offside and could not legally touch the ball until it had been touched by an opponent.  If they touched it inside the ten-yard line it would go as a touchback to the opponents.  If they touched it when offside out in the field of play it would go to the opponents at the spot where they touched it.  Hence, the officials were perfectly right in calling the play you describe illegal, and the ball went properly to the Jeffersons.

   Now, as to the rest of the matter, there is no provision or precedent so far as I know of continuing the game after a decision of this kind and then going back and beginning the game over again at such a point, after one side has left the field and discontinued play."

         

    There it was.  Camp’s word was law when it came to matters of the gridiron.  The Rochester Jeffersons were the rightful champions of New York State!   

            A celebratory banquet was held December 19, with the team being presented a silver football-shaped trophy upon which was etched “JEFFERSON FOOTBALL TEAM – CHAMPIONS OF NEW YORK STATE.”  The trophy was donated by Harry “Spike” Wilson, a local businessman and avid supporter of the team, and became one of Lyons’ most prized possessions.  He displayed it proudly in his office for the rest of his life. 

Leo Lyons, circa 1970, with trophy signifying the 

New York State Championship of 1916.

(From the Leo V. Lyons Collection) 

            And it was all owed to the Father of American Football, Walter Camp. 

 Images from the Leo V. Lyons Collection cannot be reproduced without the express written permission of the collection's owner, John D. Steffenhagen.

(This story was excerpted from the new book, Leo Lyons, the Rochester Jeffersons and the Birth of the NFL, by Jeffrey J. Miller and John D. Steffenhagen.  Published June 2025 by McFarland & Company.)

Abner Haynes: The AFL's Gale Sayers?

By John Turney 

When a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is discussed, voters sometimes are reminded that "you can't write the history of the game" without that candidate. Former Dallas Texans' and Kansas City Chiefs' star Abner Haynes was never a Hall-of-Fame finalist, but that doesn't diminish his importance to pro football.

Because you can't write the saga of pro football’s wild, rebellious child -- the American Football League -- without Abner Haynes.

Sure, the Dallas Texans'/Kansas City Chiefs’ dynamo has never been a Pro Football Hall-of-Fame finalist, but don’t let that fool you. His mark on the game is indelible. The seniors’ committee ought to take a hard look at him, and soon. Because, as Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt put it when Haynes passed away last year, he left a legacy of “courage and leadership” off the field and sheer brilliance on it.

Exactly right.

From the moment Haynes donned a Dallas Texans' jersey in 1960, he was a revelation. The AFL’s inaugural year? Haynes owned it. Rookie of the Year? Check. Player of the Year? You bet. He bulldozed the league with 875 rushing yards, led it in rushing touchdowns (9) and punt return yards (211), and racked up a gaudy 2,100 all-purpose yards.

Consensus All-AFL pick? Naturally, he didn’t just play; he dominated, earning All-AFL honors the next two seasons, too. In 1962, he tied for the league lead in rushing scores and posted an AFL-record 19 touchdowns.

No one in the AFL’s history ever scored more touchdowns in a single season.

Then came the 1962 AFL championship, a double-overtime thriller against the Houston Oilers. Haynes punched in two scores, but he also sparked a quirky controversy. Winning the pvertime coin toss, he told officials that Dallas would “kick to the clock.” Only one problem: That wasn't the choice. You either picked the ball or the side. Not both. The Oilers cried foul, and officials flipped the call.

So Dallas kicked away from the clock and into a howling wind ... but it didn’t matter. Haynes and the Texans gutted out a 20-17 win over the defending league champions, sealed by a 25-yard field goal in the second overtime.

The Texans became the Chiefs in Kansas City in 1963, and Haynes kept rolling. Second-team All-AFL that year, he made his third straight AFL All-Star game—an event rocked by a boycott led by Haynes and other black players over racist nonsense in New Orleans. Their stand forced the game to Houston. 

That’s power.

In 1965, he was traded to Denver, where he led the AFL in kick returns. He later drifted to Miami in 1967 and closed out his career with three games for the Jets.

Short career? Maybe. Small impact? Not a chance. Haynes retired as the AFL’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards -- rushing, receiving and returns (12,065) -- with the league's fourth-most career touchdowns (69), most rushing scores (46) and third-most rushing yards (4,630).

In 1960 he led the new league with 2,100 all-purpose yards, making him only the third player in pro football history to do it. And through 1977, he was one of only eight players to have two seasons of 1,800 or more in one season.

And the Chiefs? He still owns their record books: Most touchdowns by a rookie (12), most scores in a game (5) and most rushing TDs in one game (4). Haynes was so extraordinary that some historians dubbed him the “AFL's Gale Sayers.”

High praise for a man who earned it.

Haynes may not have had the moves of Sayers, but he ended his career with more total yards, more total touchdowns and more receiving yards. Plus, Sayers never played in a league championship game, while Haynes not only played in one; he won it, hoisting the AFL’s third crown. No question, Sayers was a football god, one of the finest ever crafted, but don’t sleep on Haynes. He was every bit as electric.

Like Sayers, he could score from anywhere on the field with touchdown runs of 67, 59, 71, 46, 80, 47 and 65 yards and six touchdown catches of 52 or more yards, plus two long return touchdowns.

"He was a franchise player before they talked about franchise players," said former coach Hank Stram.

Abner was All-AFL three times, second-team All-AFL once and a member of the All-Time AFL team.

When Haynes was a modern candidate for the Hall of Fame, voters sniffed at his resume. Too short on elite seasons, they likely grumbled. Or maybe they sneered at the early AFL, convinced its talent pool was a shallow pond compared to the NFL’s deep water.

But that excuse is crumbling. Short careers? They’re no longer a dealbreaker. Gold jackets are worn now by players with brief but blazing primes. And if today’s voters still squint at pre-Super Bowl AFL stars, they’d better adjust their glasses. Roll the film on those early AFL cats: They pop with size, speed, fluidity and power. And nobody -- nobody -- shone brighter than Abner Haynes.

Born in Dallas, he broke ground at North Texas State (now the University of North Texas), where in 1957 he and a teammate became the first black players in an integrated college game in Texas. A two-time all-conference star, he led North Texas as a senior to the 1959 Sun Bowl, earning All-American honors from Time magazine. He was the Eagles’ top rusher, receiver and all-purpose yardage leader all three years, twice leading the team in scoring and even picking off passes as a junior.

He could do it all.

In November, 1959, the AFL’s Minneapolis-St. Paul franchise (later the Oakland Raiders) drafted him, but Haynes signed with his hometown Dallas Texans a month later. The rest is legend.

Haynes in Denver

Haynes’ No. 28 is one of 10 retired by the Chiefs, and he’s enshrined in their Hall of Fame. North Texas inducted him into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986, and in 1985 he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. You can’t write the AFL’s story -- or pro football’s -- without Abner Haynes. And you shouldn’t try.

Pass the word to Canton.

Does Stanley Morgan Have the Goods for a Gold Jacket?

By John Turney 

Should former New England wide receiver Stanley Morgan be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? That’s a question worth chewing on, and the answer isn’t as simple as a yes-or-no snap judgment. What’s undeniable, though, is that Morgan’s career demands a serious look by the voters in Canton.

The man carved out an illustrious 14-year run with the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, piling up numbers that stack up against the best of his era -- 557 receptions, 10,716 yards, 19.2 YPC, 72 touchdowns. Those aren’t just stats; they’re a testament to a guy who was first a deep threat, then a chain-mover and a clutch performer when New England needed it most.

Compare that to some Hall of Famers from his time. He’s not just in the conversation; he’s banging on the door. Sure, the doubters might point to his lack of All-Pro nods or a thin post-season resume, but dig deeper: Morgan was a four-time Pro Bowler who played in an era stacked with elite wideouts, and he did it with a revolving door of quarterbacks.

Stanley Morgan’s career? It’s like he was the Certs of NFL receivers -- yeah, you know the classic breath mint with that old tagline, “Two, two, two mints in one.” Morgan wasn’t just a wideout; he was two receivers rolled into one, a dual-threat maestro who could burn you deep or, later in his career, grind out first downs. That’s a player who makes you sit up and wonder why his name doesn’t come up more when Canton’s calling.

Let’s rewind to the first act of Morgan’s career, from 1977-82 when he was torching secondaries as one of the most lethal deep threats the game’s ever seen. But don’t take my word for it. Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman, the dean of football scribes, called him out as elite. Or trust your eyes. If you caught him streaking down the sidelines at Schaefer Stadium, would’ve backed that up.

And the numbers? They scream it. Over those six years, Morgan racked up 4,869 receiving yards. Only four players -- Steve Largent, Charlie Joiner, James Lofton and Harold Carmichael -- had more. Notice a pattern? All four are in the Hall of Fame.

But here’s where Morgan separates himself. He did it with fewer catches and bigger plays. In the first half of his career, the Patriots were a running team with a play-action passing attack. The idea was to suck defenses up to play a potent run game, then throw over the top ... and Morgan was just the guy to do it.

His average of 22.5 yards per catch over that span was a full two yards better than the next guy on the list. The four Hall of Famers ahead of him? They ranged from 15.8 to 18.1 yards per catch. That’s not just a gap; it’s a chasm.

For players with 200 or more receptions through 1982, nobody -- not Bob “Bullet” Hayes, not Homer Jones, not even Paul Warfield -- could touch Morgan’s yards-per-catch mark. Three words: Best. Deep. Threat.

"Stanley Steamer does not go for anything short," wrote one reporter. "He goes for it all .. he gets down in a sprinter's stance and takes off. His favorite move is to take off at full speed and run under a Steve Grogan pass. Real intricate, huh? Don't knock it, it works."

Then, from about 1983 onward, his game evolved. The Patriots didn’t just send him on "go" routes every snap. They reinvented him, blending his afterburner speed with the savvy of a possession receiver, the kind of guy who becomes the engine of a passing attack. This was by design.

"We want Stanley to obtain those big results on a more consistent basis," said his new coach.

And Morgan delivered. He went from averaging 36 catches a season through 1982 to 45 the rest of his career in New England. By 1986, he was hauling in 80 catches for nearly 1,500 yards, proving he could be the chain-mover, the go-to target, while still keeping defenses honest deep. 

"He can get deep," one publication observed, "but he has refined his game so he can work the middle of a defense." 

Two receivers in one, folks -- a rare breed who could dominate in different roles.

When Stanley Morgan retired, he’d done more than just put up numbers; he’d carved out a legacy that demands a hard look from the Hall-of-Fame voters. Stepping into a bigger role with the Patriots, he wasn’t just running fly routes; he was carrying the weight of the passing game and piling stats that scream elite.

By the time he retired in 1990, he sat fifth all-time in receiving yards with 10,716. Let that sink in -- fifth, in an era of defensive backs who would mug you and secondaries built to shut down the pass. But he wasn’t done. He was also 14th in touchdown catches with 72 and is still tied for ninth in yards per catch (19.2) among players with 200 or more grabs.

But here’s the kicker: For receivers with 500-plus career catches, Morgan’s yards-per-catch mark was numero uno. Not second, not close -- but first. And you know what? It still is. No “prolific” pass-catcher ... not then, not now ... has ever matched his deep-ball efficiency while hauling in a high volume of passes.

That’s not just a stat; it’s a statement.

Morgan wasn’t just great. He was a revolution at wideout. Harold Jackson, who was a teammate of his when Morgan was the deep threat and his position coach in the mid-1980s when his role was expanded, once said, "As long as you put the ball in Stanley Morgan's hands, he will make something happen."

The 25th pick in the 1977 NFL draft out of the University of Tennessee, Morgan set the school record for all-purpose yards with 4,642 playing receiver, running back and wingback. His versatility and 4.4 speed made an immediate impact in the NFL. He was All-Rookie after starting all 14 games, averaging 21.1 yards per catch and 13.8 yards per punt return, and built his resume from there -- earning end-of-season awards that put him among the elite. 

Four Pro Bowl nods? Check. Second-team All-Pro in 1980, when he was torching defenses as "Mr. Deep Threat" with a league-leading 22.5 yards per catch? Check. Another second-team All-Pro in 1986, when he’d morphed into “Mr. Complete.” Check. And don’t sleep on this: The Sporting News named him first-team All-NFL in 1986.

Pro Football Weekly's personnel guru, the late Joel Buschbaum, was also aware of Morgan's game, naming him to his personal All-Pro team in 1980, writing, "Not only is Stanley Steamer the quickest and most explosive receiver in football; he's also a superb downfield blocker."

Yep, he was a blocker, too. He had to be in the run-first offense that the Patriots ran in those years. 

Then there’s the cherry on top: Morgan wasn’t just a receiver. Early in his career, he was a dynamite punt returner, averaging 10.4 yards on 92 returns. In 1979, he took one 80 yards to the house, showing he could flip a game with one burst of speed.

So far, some Halls have recognized him -- both the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 2007 and the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame in 2016. For good measure, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Morgan to its Hall of Very Good Class of 2021.

So, why is Morgan’s name not etched in Canton? That’s the question. The closest he's come was this year when he was a seniors' semifinalist but fell short for the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame’s Class of 2025, and that's disappointing.

With yards that outshine most Hall of Famers, All-Pro honors in two distinct phases of his career and a return game that added another layer of brilliance, Morgan’s resume isn’t just Hall-worthy; it’s a demand for a long-overdue debate. Stanley Morgan is as complete a candidate as they come, and voters do him ... and themselves ... a disservice by not acknowledging it.

Matt Blair—Hall of Famer?

 By John Turney

The Minnesota Vikings’ Matt Blair has never been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In fact, in 20 years of modern-era eligibility since 1990, he was never a semifinalist. And since then? Well, since then, nothing's changed.

He hasn't been a semifinalist as a seniors' candidate, either.

In short, he's gotten the short end of the stick in that process, mostly because he was a playmaking dynamo -- a star linebacker who could do it all. Tackle. Force fumbles. Snag interceptions. Sack quarterbacks. He did it. 

Granted, plenty of all-time greats check those boxes. But with Blair, there was more. He had an extra gear that they did not: He could block kicks, and he did it with a reckless, game-changing flair. And it's that ability that not only makes him stand out from others but should have the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame's seniors committee on his case ... sooner rather than later.

Overcoming a knee injury in his junior season at Iowa State, Blair was drafted in the second round (51st overall) by the Vikings in 1974. Despite lingering questions about the injury, the Vikings did not hesitate -- with then-coach Bud Grant saying that, were it not for the knee issue, Blair would've been one of the first picks of the draft.

In his rookie year, he started a handful of games and made enough big plays on special teams that he was voted to the league's All-Rookie team. He spent the next year doing much the same before breaking through in 1976 when he locked down the left linebacker position and never looked back.

In an era stacked with elite outside linebackers -- Hall of Famers like Jack Ham, Ted Hendricks, Robert Brazile, Chris Hanburger, and Pro Bowl studs like Isiah Robertson, Brad Van Pelt and Tom Jackson -- Blair still shined. He snagged first-team All-Pro in 1980, second-team in 1981 and punched tickets to six straight Pro Bowls (1977-82). You could make a case he deserved Pro Bowl nods in ’76 and ’83, too.

In 1980, Blair was also voted the NFC's top linebacker by the NFL Players Association. Not just the top outside linebacker, mind you, but the top linebacker, period -- prompting one writer to say that "if (Blair) played in a high-exposure city, he'd be worshipped by the football world."

He might be right. Blair was a model of consistency, piling up splash plays that flipped games and fueled Vikings' victories. And his knack for blocking kicks? That was his calling card, a rare skill that turned games on end in ways stats don’t always capture. In all, he blocked 21 kicks -- a semi-official figure that doesn't include three more blocks in the playoffs.

You could count on one hand the number of players with that many rejected kicks/punts. 

"All of a sudden," Dolphins' coach Don Shula said, "this guy, Matt Blair, was jumping up like he was on a trampoline. Then, all of a sudden, he's blocking my guy's kick."

Blair acknowledged his extraordinary ability to block kicks, but the son of an Air Force serviceman always remained humble -- making sure the "grubbers" received the recognition often reserved for the Vikings' "leaper." 

"I can't do it by myself," he said. "The guys who penetrate the line should get credit, too."

As significant as it was, his special-teams' resume is not the whole story of Matt Blair. If it were, we wouldn't be talking about him as a Hall-of-Fame candidate. He made splash plays on defense, too. A lot of them, in fact, finishing his career with 23 sacks, 19 defensive fumble recoveries, 16 interceptions and -- according to official NFL gamebooks -- 981 tackles.

"He's got the capacity to be around the ball," said Grant. "If it's one on the ground or in the air and up for grabs, Blair is going to be someplace in the vicinity. He's literally a natural, a player tremendously gifted."

In 1978, for example, Blair showcased his versatility by making 151 tackles, defending 12 passes, forcing five fumbles and producing four sacks, according to NFL gamebooks. He also intercepted three passes, recovered three fumbles and returned one 49 yards for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears, a key play in a 24-20 win. Plus, for good measure, he blocked a kick.

Well, of course he did.

The next year, he blocked another five and again made 151 total tackles, had four sacks and intercepted three passes. He also forced a pair of fumbles and recovered two. But those are the two years prior to his first-team All-Pro year of 1980 -- perhaps his best season -- and it didn't stop there. In 1981, he had over 100 tackles for the sixth consecutive season and blocked five more kicks, sacked the quarterback a career-high six times, forced four fumbles and recovered two others.

You get the point. He was a big-play machine, year after year. And that's what you need to know. Correction: That's what voters need to know.

Blair appeared in two Super Bowls with the Vikings, Super Bowls IX and XI, but both were losses -- first to the Pittsburgh Steelers, then the Oakland Raiders. In Super Bowl IX, he blocked a Bobby Walden punt that was recovered in the end zone, preventing the a shutout, but it's possible the two losses are factors keeping Blair out of Canton. I mean, let's be honest: It sure seems like a lot of Vikings waited a long time to get their Gold Jackets. Plus, some like Blair never had a shot.

Outside of Hall voters, however, Blair’s accomplishments have been widely recognized. In 2010, he was named one of the 50 greatest Vikings of all time, and two years later he was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings’ Ring of Honor. He was also selected to the Vikings’ 25th and 40th Anniversary Teams.

Additionally, Blair was honored by his alma maters. In 1999, he was inducted into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame. There, he earned Coaches’ All-American honors. In 2008, he was enshrined in the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Athletics Hall of Fame, recognizing his contribution to its NJCAA national championship team before transferring to Iowa State.

All that's left, then, is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Sadly, Blair passed away in 2020 at the age of 70. So, I'm urging the Hall's seniors committee not to forget who and what he was. At the very least, give the 6-foot-5½ inch, 232-pound prototypical linebacker --  a tackler, a sacker, an interceptor and a leaper --  a chance to have his case heard. Because Matt Blair's career demands it. 

Note: TFL are tackles for loss, not run/pass stuffs