SUNDAY SAGA: "To keep my mind on the things I'm Saying"

...Have long looked forward to writing about both Don Currivan & Dan Sandifer. Today is Dan Sandifer's birthday, and later in the week will be Don Currivan's. Continuing with March birthdays the title comes from a James Taylor song. You can't go wrong with "Sweet Baby James"! During the 1943 NFL draft the Eagles took the immortal Roy "Monk" Gafford with the 17th pick; next up the Cardinals and they chose Don Currivan. Hopefully you are ready for the twists & turns of an NFL career that should be well known and admired, yet there may be some of you out there that need to be educated & enlightened on Currivan. He scores a touchdown in his very first game against Detroit in '43, and later in the campaign catches his first touchdown pass against Philadelphia. The Cardinals are poorly coached and not very talented in '43, and combine with Pittsburgh in '44 to form the woebegone Card-Pitt team (winless). Currivan catches some passes, but leaves Chicago after the season to join the Boston Yanks. His excellent speed gets him open deep during the 1945 & 1946 season, yet he catches only 27 total passes. Having color footage of the 1947 Boston Yanks is a joy to watch; many thanks to my departed friend Mr. Steve Sabol, and as such can detail the Yanks victory over the Redskins in late November at Fenway. Currivan rarely starts at end yet in the 1st quarter he is in the game at left end and runs a "streak" as Boley Danecwicz avoids the pass rush and heaves the ball that Don latches onto for a 63 yard gain. Boston is ahead at half-time 13-3, but Mr. Baugh rallies his 'Skins to take a 17-13 lead. Currivan is now in at right end and basically just runs deep across the field to take Dancewicz accurate pass and scores on a 67 yard touchdown. Washington regains the lead 24-20 in the 4th quarter, yet again Dancewicz lofts the ball deep to Currivan for 51 yards and Boston will win the game 27-24. Since Boston is almost always in a double tight end alignment; Currivan could be listed as a "tight" end and catches 3 passes for 181 yards! No one has ever average 60 yards a catch since (player must have at least 3 receptions). Earlier in the '47 season Currivan caught a touchdown pass and intercepted a pass in the same game vs. Los Angeles. After playing three games for the Yanks in '48 he is shipped to the Rams. He catches 10 passes for the Rams in '48, but Los Angeles has rookie sensation Tom Fears at left end and he of course is the main target for Waterfield. Since Bob Shaw is at right end for the '49 Rams looks like Currivan's talents just might again go to waist, wait? The Rams under the guidance of Clark S. moves him to right corner. Having studied & evaluated Currivan he was simply the best right corner in the NFL that season. Prime example is the October 9th victory over the Bears! 2nd quarter 2nd and eight on the Ram 24 and Currivan intercepts Luckman in the end zone for a touchback. Later in the quarter on 1st and ten on the Bear 27 yard line Currivan pilfers a Blanda pitch and returns 15 yards. How many players in league history have intercepted two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in the same quarter? Though the Rams struggle down the stretch after beginning 6-0 they can win the western division crown with a victory over Washington on December 11th. Playing for the 'Skins that afternoon was Dan Sandifer, so we will go back a year earlier for the 1948 draft. Washington needed help badly on pass defense since they finished dead last in '47 with a defensive passer rating of 80.7(league average 57.6), so we can surmise that other receivers besides Currivan in '47 torched the Redskin secondary. Dan Sandifer is athletic, instinctive, with excellent speed and ties the league mark of intercepting in 6 consecutive games, oh the NFL incorrectly listed the first men to intercept in six consecutive games for years in the league record manual? Shame on you Elias for not correcting sooner, though were given the opportunity to do so by the author. Sandifer pilfers 13 passes in twelve games to set a new standard and the Redskins improve in team pass defense in '48 with a mark of 57.6(league average is 60.0). Of all the games Dan played in '48 going to highlight his performance on October 3rd against the Giants. He starts at safety (three man secondary) and is never out of position the entire game. Washington has a commanding lead when Sandifer comes into the game on offense in the 4th quarter at left halfback. Slingin' Sam sends him into motion to the right and he strides down the field to take Baugh's accurate pass behind the Giants secondary for an 86 yard score. Very late in the game he ranges to his left and intercepts Governali. Sandifer also contributes to the kick return game as he leads the league on kick-off yards returned, including a touchdown against the Packers. Now, back to December 11th, 1949 and a day in which both of these talented players will attempt to limit the future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in this key match-up. When Harry Gilmer struggles mightily enter 13 year veteran Baugh and he slings it all over the field in trying to keep pace with Van Brocklin & Waterfield. Sandifer catches a 19 yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter, and also intercepts in this game. Currivan does not intercept in the game. The Rams finished 9th in 1948 in the defensive passer rating category, but with Currivan's tour de force work at right corner, along with Williams at safety, and Duke Sims at left corner the Rams rose to 3rd in '49 with a mark of 42.4 (league average was 53.9). Though the Rams are demolished by a very strong Philadelphia Eagle team in the title game, Currivan in the final game of his career intercepts twice. How many players in league history have ended their career by intercepting twice. Don Currivan left us way too soon at age 36 in 1956. As for Sandifer, he is sent to the Lions in 1950 and intercepts for Detroit in his very first game (the O'Malley debacle), but after 5 games he is sent to the Niners, and then ends the season with the Eagles for five games. That means Dan Sandifer was teammates with Bobby Layne, Leo Nomellini and Chuck Bednarik in the same season! Sandifer stays with the Eagles in '51 and plays both ways, and there is a famous photo of the last game of the '51 season of a deep pass by Cleveland and you see Sandifer defending wearing mittens! Dan joins Green Bay in '52 but is sent to the Chicago Cardinals at the beginning of '53 only to return for one game at mid-season for Green Bay (he returns punts). His career is over after just 64 games, yet few men have ever had as strong a rookie season as he did in 1948.