PFJ's 2012 All-Pro Team

Here are the All-Conference picks:

MVP—J.J. Watt, Houston

OPOY— Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota

DPOY—J.J. Watt, Houston

OROY—Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington

DROY—Luke Kuechly, MLB, Carolina

Coach—Bruce Arians, Indianapolis

Comeback—Peyton Manning, QB, Denver

Exec—John Schneider, GM, Seattle

Position Awards:

Offensive Lineman of the Year—Marshal Yanda, Baltimore

Defensive Lineman of the Year—J.J. Watt, Houston

Linebacker of the Year—Von Miller, Denver

Defensive Back of the Year—Richard Sherman, Seattle

Running Back of the Year—Adrian Peterson, Minnesota

Receiver of the Year—Calvin Johnson, Detroit

Returner of the Year—Jacoby Jones, Baltimore

Special Teams Player of the Year—Bryan Braman, Houston

Kicker/Punter of the Year—Justin Tucker, Baltimore

NFL Special Teams Coaches of the Year

THINGS YOU CAN NEVER LAY YOUR HANDS ON
By John Turney

It seems that after 1998 you couldn't watch a Dallas Cowboys game on television without the announcers bringing up the fact that special teams coach Joe Avezzano was the only three-time winner of the NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year Award.

We'd search high and low for a complete list and who gave the award out. We learned that it was based on a poll of other NFl special teams coaches and was awarded by Professional Kicking Services which was a business that specialized in football camps, especially kicking camps.

They would have an awards dinner every year and invite the winning coach to Sparks, NV, to accept the award and give a speech. It not longer is in operation and in 2010 it didn't give out the award. However, it was always interesting to see who won each year, as some teams would feature the winner in media guides, other teams never seemed to know their special team coach won the award, based on their bios in media guides.

Brad Seeley joined Avezzano as a three-time winner in 2011. Eventually, we will try and get a complete list of the Dallas Morning News Special Team Coach of the Year awards, which were chosen by Rick Gosselin and was based on his excellent tallying of complete special teams play annually in that paper. However, we have not complied that list as of yet (little help researchers?).

Here is the list:

Combined All-Decade Teams —1940s

By John Turney

Aside from the Pro Football Hall of Fame Official All-Decade team (HOF) there were more 1940s All-Decade selections. They were Pro Football Digest (PFD), Pro Football Chronicles (PFC), Sunday Mayhem (SM) along with Sports Illustrated (SI)  and Sporting News (SN).

Note: The HOF teams are not officially separated as First- and Second-teams, however, in the early 2000s on the Pro Football Hall of Fame website they were separated as such and we considered that semi-official and also those divisions followed with who was considered the top players and thus made sense, as you will see below.

Here are the selections:

Seahawks Show Off Great New Uniforms

LOOKING AHEAD
By John Turney

From time to time we will comment on uniforms, one of our passions and esoteric subjects that we will cover at Pro Football Journal.  Since the Seahawks introduced new ones last week, we will comment on those.

They are made by Nike and they are called "the Nike Elite 51 Uniform". They are purported to have technological advantages that make them more flexible and comfortable for players.

According to a Nike website the Elite 51 uniform features—

• LIGHTER - The Nike jersey and pant, wet or dry are lighter than previous versions
• FLYWIRE TECHNOLOGY - Eliminates layers, reduces weight, and provides lockdown fit
• ZONED MESH VENTILATION – Provides cooling zones for optimal thermoregulation
• ZONED STRENGTH - High tenacity, stretch material, for lightweight lockdown strength.
• CUT FOR MOBILITY – Four-way stretch, hydrophobic materials enable range of motion wet or dry.
• STRETCH TWILL NUMBERS – Four-way stretch even on numbering system
• CUSTOMIZABLE BASELAYER PADDING – Nike Pro Combat Hyperstrong baselayer with integrated lightweight, Deflex padding offering customizable flexible protection.
• DEFLEX PADDING - Lightweight, flexible impact protection integrated into top “hit zone” areas
• ALUMINUM D-RING BELT - Aircraft-grade aluminum D-ring belt reduces weight.

The new Seahawks uniforms changed to a deeper shade of dark blue, neon green highlights throughout, and an alternate uniform in a shade of gray.

The core uniform design looks back at Northwest tradition and culture with a Native American heritage.

The new color of the helmet with Native American pattern

The team’s logo is till the seahawk bird taken from Native American culture and "provides a focal point of both the uniform and helmet".  Nike has added a pattern on the top of the helmet and the design on the front of the uniform, on the shoulders is supposed to represent a flying seahawk as they would appear on a totem pole. We don't really see that, but the jersey does look good whatever they say is there.

The new uniform colors are excellent, but again, the explanation is a bit much. According to the the Seahawks and Nike the colors are, "rooted in Seattle’s own environmental hues the deep blue of the ocean water that tucks into the harbor near downtown and the Seahawks’ stadium. The Action Green represents the green of the ubiquitous trees, ferns, and moss literally covering the Pacific Northwest landscape.

Again, according to the release, "This brighter shade of green is designed to provide a pop of color on the uniform just as the vibrant bright greens pop in the rain-soaked environment." Please.

More:  "The Wolf Grey color accents complete the combination, an embodiment of the ever-changing clouds overhead that bring rain and life to the area. Lastly, bright white accents the uniform just as the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic and Mt. Rainier accent the skyline around Seattle."

The thing we like least is the numerals. And they, too, are said to be of native influence being "shaped with the same straight edges and curves as the stoic hawks that reign atop the tallest totem poles."

Dr. Evil is now saying, "Riiiiight".

Additionally,  there are multiple references to the "12th man" a reference to the Seattle fans.

“Seattle has the hottest uniform right now,” Saints running back Pierre Thomas said. “So I’m a little jealous. But I still love my all black. I think it looks nice.”

Picture credits: Seahawks website: 
We are assuming these will be the home uniforms.

Navy over navy

And these the road uniforms.

White over white

These were reported to be "alternate" uniforms.

Gray over gray

There were also five other combinations shown. We could not find a gray over white, so we assume that is out.

This one is solid.

White over gray

 As is this.

Navy over white

We like this less than the previous two, but it's okay.

White over navy

This one is also solid. The matching numbers and pants is nice.

Navy over gray

We don't like this one as much. If you are going to have a grey jersey, just go with gray pants, too,

Gray over navy

We think there are too many combinations, some are not as good as others and we are not in love with the font, whatever totem it is patterned after, but the navy and lime green or whatever they want to call the colors with gray works well. So, overall they get a letter grade of a B+. Some of the individual combinations are an A, some are a B or B-, but overall, a good, solid B+ for Nike and the Seahawks in their 2012 debut. (Better, in our view than the 1997 Broncos kits).

Mel Hein's All-Time NFL Team

LOOKING BACK
by John Turney

In 1969 Prentice Hall published Bob Curren's book Pro Footballs Rag Days and it is quite a good read with lots of interviews from the star players from the NFL's first few decades such as Whizzer White, Cliff Battles, Benny Friedman with about a dozen others.

In the chapter about Mel Hein he is asked to name his own All-Star team and in reviewing, it is one of the better ones that can be found, regardless if the selector was a player or a media panel. Hein left himself off of the team, which is usually the custom when one player is asked to pick his team, but Turner was considered the best center in the NFL (based on All-Pro selections) after Hein's career ended.

Hein, colorization by John Turney

Hein's selections:

Center—Bulldog Turner

Guard—Danny Fortmann

Guard—Mike Michalske

Tackle—Turk Edwards

Tackle—Cal Hubbard

End—Don Hutson

End—Bill Hewitt

QB—Sammy Baugh

HB—Dutch Clark

HB—Cliff Battles

FB—Bronko Nagurski

Combined All-Decade Teams—1960s

LOOKING  BACK
Things You Can Never Lay Your Hands On

By John Turney

This one takes some explaining. Two sources, the Pro Football Hall of Fame (PFBHOF) and Pro Football Reference (PFR) chose separate NFL and AFL All-Decade teams. However PFBHOF did not choose First- and Second-teams for the NFL, but did so for the AFL, and PFR chose First- and Second-teams for both. Those separate NFL and AFL teams are in italics below the sources that chose combined AFL-NFL All-Decade Teams. Those sources were the Official NFL Team, Pro Football Digest, Pro Football Chronicles, Sunday Mayhem, and Sports Illustrated.

As an editor's note: Pro Football Reference uses a metric known as "Approximate Value" (AV) for their choices. I have been critical of it in the past. The methodology is not known, but there is a component that relates to the team and team success and as such a player like Gary Larsen gets an AV of 16 in 1969 while in that same season Bob Lilly gets a 13.  That, alone, causes a question to the usefulness of the AV metric.

For the chart, players in bold were First-team choices for a Combined All-AFC-NFL or All-Pro Team. Others were All-NFL or All-AFL in their own league but did not rise to the level of All-pro for BOTH leagues.

		1960s Combined NFL-AFL All-Decade Teams
	First-team			Offense	Second-team
WR	Lance Alworth, SD (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Don Maynard, NYJ (SM)
	Charley Taylor, Was (NFL)				Del Shofner, NYG (SM)
	Raymond Berry, Bal (FD, SM)				Tommy McDonald, Phi-Dal-Cle-LA-ATL (SI)
	Otis Taylor, KC (PFC)				Bobby Mitchell, Was (SI)
	Don Maynard, NYJ (SI)
	Lance Alworth, SD (HOF, PFR)				Charlie Hennigan, Hou (HOF, PFR)
	Don Maynard, NYJ (HOF, PFR)				Art Powell, NYT-Oak (HOF, PFR)
	Charley Taylor, Was (HOF)				Jimmy Orr, Bal (PFR)
	Gary Collins, Cle (HOF)				Tommy McDonald, 5 teams (PFR)
	Del Shofner (HOF)
	Boyd Dowler, GB (HOF, PFR)
	Bobby Mitchell, Cle-Was (PFR)
TE	Mike Ditka, Chi-Phi-Dal (FD, PFC, SM, SI)				John Mackey, Bal (SM, SI)
	John Mackey, Bal (NFL)
	Fred Arbanas, KC (HOF)				John Mackey, Bal (PFR)
	John Mackey, Bal (HOF)				Dave Kocourek, SD (HOF, PFR)
	Mike Ditka, (PFR)
	Bill Cannon, Hou-Oak (PFR)
T	Forrest Gregg, GB (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Ron Mix, SD (SM)
	Ron Mix, SD (NFL, SI)				Ralph Neely, Dal (SM)
	Jim Tyrer, KC (FD)				Roosevelt Brown, NYG (SI)
	Bob Brown, Phi-LA (PFC)				Bob Brown, Phi-LA (SI)
	Forrest Gregg, GB (HOF, PFR)				Winston Hill, NYJ (HOF)
	Bob Brown, Phi-LA (HOF)				Stew Barber, Buf (HOF, PFR)
	Ralph Neely, Dal (HOF)				Jim Parker, Bal (PFR)
	Ron Mix, SD (HOF, PFR)				Grady Alderman, Min (PFR)
	Jim Tyrer, KC (HOF, PFR)				Ernie Wright, SD-Cin (PFR)
	Dick Schafrath, Cle (PFR)
G	Jerry Kramer, GB (NFL, FD, SM)				Gene Hickerson, Cle (SM, SI)
	Billy Shaw, Buf (NFL, SM, SI)				Howard Mudd, SF (SM)
	Jim Parker, Bal (FD, PFC, SM-T, SI)				Walt Sweeney, SD (SI)
	Gene Hickerson, Cle (PFC)
	Bill Shaw, Buf (HOF, PFR)				Walt Sweeney, SD (HOF)
	Ed Budde, KC (HOF)				Bob Talamini, Hou (HOF)
	Gene Hickerson, Cle (HOF)				Gene Hickerson, Cle (PFR)
	Jerry Kramer, (HOF, PFR)				Ed Budde, KC (PFR)
	Howard Mudd, SF (HOF)				Jim Parker, Bal (PFR)
	Ken Gray, Stl (PFR)				Wayne Hawkins, Oak (PFR)
	Bob Talamini, Hou (PFR)
C	Jim Otto, Oak (NFL, FD, SI)				Jim Otto, Oak (SM)
	Jim Ringo, GB-Phi (PFC, SM)				Jim Ringo, GB-Phi (SI)
	Jim Otto, Oak (HOF, PFR)				Jon Morris, Bos (HOF)
	Jim Ringo, GB-Phi (HOF, PFR)				Mick Tingelhoff, Min (PFR)
					Al Bemiller, Den (PFR)
QB	Johnny Unitas, Bal (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Joe Namath, NYJ (SM)
					Len Dawson, KC (SI)
	Joe Namath, NYJ (HOF)				Len Dawson, KC (HOF)
	Len Dawson, KC (PFR)				Johnny Unitas, Bal (PFR)
	Johnny Unitas, Bal (HOF)				Jack Kemp, SD-Buf (PFR)
	Sonny Jurgensen, Phi-Was (HOF)
	Bart Starr, GB (HOF)
	Fran Tarkenton, Min-NYG (PFR)
RB	Gale Sayers, Chi (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Paul Hornung, GB (SM)
	Paul Hornung, GB (NFL)				Lenny Moore, Bal (SI)
FB	Jim Brown, Cle (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Jim Taylor, GB (SM, SI)
	Jim Taylor, GB (FD)
	Paul Lowe, SD (HOF)				Abner Haynes, KC-Den (HOF)
	Clem Daniels, Oak (HOF, PFR)				Cookie Gilchrist, Buf-Den (HOF)
	Jim Brown, Cle (HOF, PFR)				Keith Lincoln, SD (PFR)
	Jim Taylor, GB (HOF, PFR)				Curtis McClinton, KC (PFR)
	Gale Sayers, Chi (HOF)				Don Perkins, Dal (PFR)
	Paul Hornung, GB (HOF)				Timmy Brown, Phi (PFR)
	Leroy Kelly, Cle (HOF)
	Abner Haynes, KC-Den (PFR)
	John David Crow, Stl-SF (HOF)
K	Jim Bakken, StL (NFL)				Jim Bakken, StL (SM, SI)
	Jan Stenerud, KC (PFC, SI)
	George Blanda, Hou-Oak (SM)
	Jim Bakken, Stl (HOF)				Jim Turner, NYJ (HOF)
	George Blanda, Hou-Oak (HOF)
	First-team			Defense	Second-team
DE	Deacon Jones, LA (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Willie Davis, GB (SM, SI)
	Willie Davis, GB (NFL, FD, PFC)				Jim Katcavage, NYG (SM)
	Doug Atkins, Chi-NO (SM)				Gino Marchetti, Bal (SI)
	Rich Jackson, Den (SI)
	Deacon Jones, LA (HOF, PFR)				Rich Jackson, Den (HOF)
	Willie Davis, GB (HOF, PFR)				Ron McDole, Buf (HOF)
	Doug Atkins, Chi-NO (HOF)				Doug Atkins, Chi-NO (PFR)
	Jerry Mays, KC (HOF)				Jim Marshall, Min (PFR)
	Gerry Philbin, NYJ (HOF)				Larry Eisenhauer, Bos (PFR)
	Bob Dee, Bos (PFR)
DT	Bob Lilly, Dal (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Alex Karras, Det (SM, SI)
	Merlin Olsen, LA (NFL, PFC, SM, SI)				Henry Jordan, GB (SM)
	Alex Karras, Det (FD)				Houston Antwine, Bos (SI)
	Bob Lilly, Dal (HOF)				Buck Buchanan, KC (HOF)
	Merlin Olsen, LA (HOF)				Tom Keating, Oak (HOF)
	Alex Karras, Det (HOF, PFR)				Bob Lilly, Dal (PFR)
	Tom Sestak, Buf (HOF)				Jim Hunt, Bos (PFR)
	Houston Antwine, Bos (HOF, PFR)				Tom Sestak, Buf (PFR)
	Buck Buchanan, KC (PFR)				Roger Brown, Det-LA (PFR)
	Henry Jordan, GB (PFR)
MLB	Ray Nitschke, GB (NFL, FD, SM)				Nick Buoniconti, Bos-Mia (SM)
	Dick Butkus, Chi (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Ray Nitschke, GB (SI)
	Tommy Nobis, Atl (SM)
	Ray Nitschke, GB (HOF, PFR)				E.J. Holub, KC (PFR)
	Dick Butkus, Chi (HOF)
	Tommy Nobis, Atl (HOF)
	Nick Buoniconti, Bos-Mia (HOF, PFR)
	Sherrill Headrick, KC (PFR)
OLB	Bobby Bell, KC (NFL, FD, PFC)				Bobby Bell, KC (SM, SI)
	Chuck Howley, Dal (PFC, SI)				Chuck Howley, Dal (SM)
	Dave Wilcox, SF (SI)				Dave Robinson, GB (SI)
	Dave Robinson, GB (HOF)				Mike Stratton, Buf (HOF, PFR)
	Larry Morris, Chi-Atl (HOF)				Dan Conners, Oak (HOF)
	Bobby Bell, KC (HOF)				Larry Grantham, NYJ (HOF)
	George Webster, Hou (HOF)				Bobby Bell, KC (PFR)
	Wayne Walker, Det (PFR)				Don Shinnick, Bal (PFR)
	Larry Grantham, NYJ (PFR)				Chuck Howley, Dal (PFR)
					Joe Fortunato, Chi (PFR)
CB	Herb Adderly, GB (NFL, FD, PFC, SM)				Bob Boyd, Bal (SM)
	Willie Brown, Den-Oak (NFL, PFC, SI)				Dave Grayson, KC-Oak (SM)
	Mel Renfro, Dal (FD)				Herb Adderly, GB (SI)
	Jimmy Johnson, SF (SI)				Night Train Lane, Det (SI)
	Herb Adderly, GB (HOF, PFR)				Butch Byrd, Buf (HOF)
	Lem Barney, Det (HOF)				Miller Farr, Hou (HOF)
	Bob Boyd, Bal (HOF, PFR)				Dick LeBeau, Det (PFR)
	Willie Brown, Den-Oak (HOF)				Fred Williamson, Oak-KC (PFR)
	Dave Grayson, KC-Oak (HOF, PFR)				Cornell Green, Dal (PFR)
	Butch Byrd, Buf (PFR)				Willie Brown, Den-Oak (PFR)
S	Larry Wilson, StL (NFL, FD, PFC, SM, SI)				Johnny Robinson, KC (SM, SI)
	Johnny Robinson, KC (NFL)				Paul Krause, Was-Min (SM)
	Willie Wood, GB (FD, PFC, SM)				Willie Wood, GB (SI)
	Eddie Meador, LA (SM)
	Ritchie Petitbon, Chi-LA (SI)
	Johnny Robinson, KC (HOF, PFR)				Goose Gonsoulin, Den (HOF)
	George Saimes, Buf (HOF)				Kenny Graham, SD (HOF)
	Willie Wood, GB (HOF, PFR)				George Saimes, Buf (PFR)
	Eddie Meador, LA (HOF, PFR)				Larry Wilson, StL (PFR)
	Larry Wilson, StL (HOF)				Ritchie Petitbon, Chi-LA (PFR)
	Bobby Hunt, KC-Cin (PFR)				Jim Norton, Hou (PFR)
P	Don Chandler, GN (NFL, SM)				Jerrell Wilson, KC (SM)
	Yale Lary, Det (PFC)				Yale Lary, Det (SI)
	Tommy Davis, SF (SI)
	Don Chandler, GN (HOF)				Bob Scarpitto, Den (HOF)
	Jerrell Wilson, KC (HOF)
KR	Travis Williams, GB (PFC)
PR	Leroy Kelly, Cle (PFC)
ST	Dave Meggysey, Stl (PFC)
Coach	Vince Lombardi, GB (PFC, SM)				Blanton Collier, Cle (SM)
	Weeb Ewbank, NYJ (HOF)				Sid Gillman, SD (HOF)
Sources and key: NFL = Official NFL All-Decade; FD = Pro Football Digest;
PFC = Pro Football Chronicle; SM = Sunday Mayhem
HOF = Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR = Pro Football Reference.com