Game Used Jersey Labels

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

We enjoy looking at game used NFL items, especially helmets and jerseys and have noted the different makers of NFL jerseys over the years. Here is a sampling of some of the ones we have found. They are not organized in any particular way and some may be duplicates but in the spirit of the esoteric here they are—

Elvin Bethea and Deacon Jones—Washouts at Left Offensive Tackle

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

Last year we posted some stills of Deacon Jones in his first NFL game when he started at left tackle. Now we add Elvin Bethea to the mix. In the first game (preseason) of the 1968 season, Bethea also played left tackle.

Here is Jones in his first NFL regular season game in 1961 in Baltimore.

Here is Bethea in 1968. It's preseason and we cannot confirm if he started. We know he played some guard and tackle in the regular season before being moved to defensive end.

 Here Bethea (#65) in an aerial view from the top of the Astrodome taken by Neil Leifer

 

Perhaps this shot explains why Bethea didn't last long at tackle. Jets right defensive end Verlon Biggs #86 is on top of the Oiler quarterback. Biggs would have been Bethea's responsibility.

Again, it appears as though Biggs got by Bethea here as well.

However, all is well that ends well, both Jones and Bethea ended up as Hall of Fame defensive ends.

Coach Specific All-Star Teams—Schottenheimer, Parcells, Reeves, and Vermeil

OPINION

By John Turney

With the sad news of Chuck Knox's death, we posted an All-Star team of players who Knox coached as a head coach. 

Here is that team:

We went back and forth with Jim Haslett and Hacksaw Reynolds but finally settled on Reynolds for the First-team. Our original post had Haslett first and Haslett second.

So, to add to the fun, we chose teams for Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Parcells, and Dan Reeves. We only picked players from when they were head coaches, not when they were position coaches. These three coached at least three different teams, making this kind of exercise more interesting than those who coached only one or two teams.

See what you think, if you agree or disagree—

They Switched the Baby

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

Last night, Chuck Knox's granddaughter, Lee Ann, posted on Twitter that her father had passed away. He was 86 years old and had been battling illness for a long time.

I met Chuck Knox a few times and he was always cordial and patient with my impertinent questions about players and teams he coached.

Jack Youngblood once told me this story—In 1976 during what would now be called a rookie camp Youngblood walked up to Knox who was watching a field full of rookie draft picks and free agents practice. Knox, with his steely gaze set towards the action, muttered to Youngblood, "They switched the baby". Youngblood had no clue what he was talking about, asked Knox what he meant. Knox nodded toward the Rams first-round draft choice Kevin McLain and said "McLain . . . they switched the baby. They told me he was 6-3, 230. He's barely 6-1 and not even 220".

When I met Knox I asked him for more details. He responded that McLain had size 9 feet and Knox knew he would never be a good linebacker with feet that small. "I got stuck with another one in Seattle—Brian Bosworth. He had feet this big", stated Knox. He amplified his point by holding his hands maybe ten inches apart to show the smallness of Bosworth's feet.

Knox, known as "Ground Chuck" for his preference in an offensive style that ran the ball far more than it passed, was well-liked by his players. He was able to turn around three franchises, the Rams, the Bills, and the Seahawks. However, when he returned to the Rams in 1992 he was not able to repeat what he did in the early 1970s for that franchise. He was almost always able to get his teams to the playoffs but never was able to get to the Super Bowl and that has always been the knock on Knox when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration.

Knox was a three-time Associated Press and Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year—1973 (Rams), 1980 (Bills) and 1984 (Seahawks). Additionally, he was a four-time AFC/NFC Coach of the Year—1973 (by Kansas City Committee of 101 and UPI), 1980 (Kansas City Committee of 101),  1983 (Kansas City Committee of 101, UPI) and 1984 (UPI) and had a career 193–158 (.550) record.

In closing here are my picks for a mythical "All-Chuck Knox" team. Most were easy but it got thin when it came to picking punters.

Don Hewitt—And the Juggling of Helmets and a Game Ball

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

Don Hewitt (left) and his son Todd Hewitt circa 1994

In 1976, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, thieves had an impact on a game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins. Sometime during the night or early morning of October 3, 1976, someone broke into the Rams locker room at the Orange Bowl and stole a dozen helmets and the coaches Riddell coaches shoes and Jack Youngblood's shoulder pads. Luckily, the jerseys and pants and socks were locked up or they may have gone bye-bye as well.

The Rams equipment manager Don Hewitt had to piece together shoulder pads for Youngblood from several spare pairs. The helmets were a bigger issue. Players who had their lids stolen had to share with players. Fred Dryer said it felt like he was "playing with a bucket on his head", having to share one that was close, but not exactly his side.

Jack Youngblood had to wear backup tight end Terry Nelson's helmet. Youngblood wore a Schutt NOP from his rookie season through 1982 and then wore a DW N-JOP in his final two years. But Nelson wore a Schutt OPO with a U-Bar. Youngblood said it was not comfortable, as did Merlin Olsen who had to share with reserve running back Rod Phillips.

The Rams won the game 31-28 in an offensive shootout and for his efforts, Hewitt was awarded a game ball by Head coach Chuck Knox.

For more information, here are two clippings from the Los Angeles Times and Miami News:

 The "Iron Mask" helmet of John Williams was one of the ones not stolen. It looked like this:

But Williams had to make due with a Schutt NJOP:

Merlin Olsen reportedly wore Rod Phillip's helmet which looked like this:

However, it does not look like Olsen is wearing it here. This is Williams' mask. And you can see that Youngblood is wearing a NJOP, a 3-bar cage, rather than his 2-bar mask (see below). 

Olsen is wearing yet another mask here:

 Here it does look like Dryer's noggin is swimming in a bucket of a helmet.

This is Jack Youngblood's usual NOP mask, this shot from 1980:

This is Terry Nelson's OPO mask with an added U-Bar:

Again, these shots leave a lot to be desired but you can make out the U-Bar on the helmet Youngblood is wearing in the next few shots:

Here, in the first half, rather than his usual NOP, Youngblood is using someone's NJOP.

If anyone can find more shots from this game we would appreciate seeing them.

The 100-yard receiver: The Chicago Bears

LOOKING BACK
By T.J. Troup

Harlon Hill. Colorization by Pro Football Journal

There has been an evolution in the play calling in the NFL since 1978. There are teams that still truly believe in the run game, yet a higher percentage of pass plays are called.

The recent draft was another example of "finding" the next great QB; yet even if he is a difference maker for a franchise, someone has to catch his passes. Having researched every game from 1933 through last season (14,358 games), the list of 100-yard receivers is of course long (over 8,300), and the names impressive.

Listing each 100-yard receiver chronologically by team sure can give insight into this category. There is one team that stands alone at the bottom since Tampa Bay has won only 33.8% of the time when they have a 100-yard receiver. There are a handful of teams that have been very successful when a player gains at least 100 yards receiving.

This essay though is about just one team: the Chicago Bears. Ken Kavanaugh was the first Bear receiver that maintained production for a long period of time, and the fleet #51 recorded nine 100 yard receiving games. Opening day 1954 and a Bear team that has won only 9 of their last 28 games are in Detroit to take on the defending league champion Lions.

Harlon Hill. Colorization by Pro Football Journal

Rookie Harlon Hill catches 4 passes for 140 yards in the loss. He is the ONLY rookie in league history to catch passes for 100 yards against the defending league champion. Hill will record 16 one hundred yard receiving games in his first 33 games! Leg injuries and personal demons limited his production his last five years with the Bears, yet he still holds the team record for 100 yard receiving games in a career with 19. For a moment let us ponder the time frame; during the last 60 years, no Chicago Bear receiver has matched his production (have seen the Bears play in person many times since the mid-'60's). How is that possible with rule changes that enable the receiver to have more freedom, and passers who are protected?

There have been excellent receivers for this team, but none that could sustain their production. All football fans can quickly rattle off the names of runners who led the offense from the mid-'50's to the present. Much has been written about the failures or inconsistencies of Chicago Bear "snap takers"—my term since this team has had very few quarterbacks who could actually throw accurately. Is it possible that one of the main reasons this team has struggled for so long at the quarterback position is there was no one who consistently got open, made the catch, and then gained the all-important yards? Looking for a title for my stories has sometimes been a challenge, and years ago when detailing Hill's career Paul Lionel Zimmerman came through for me by stating that Harlon Hill was the "Lance Alworth of his era". Chicago may never have a receiver the caliber of Bambi, or even Harlon Hill.

Harlon Hill. Colorization by Pro Football Journal

Deacon Jones—R5 and L5

LOOKING BACK
By John Turney

In 1964 NFL rosters were expanded from 37 to 40 and even so, many starters still had special teams duties, including kick coverage. Here, Deacon Jones, in his fourth season, is lined up at R-5 (fifth from the right of the kicker, though some coaches call this R-1). Usually, this is a position for faster players like backs and ends, not a 260-pound defensive lineman. However, Jones possessed extraordinary speed which allowed him to play a spot like that.

Later in the same game, and in other games that season, we spotted Jones at L-5 and other spots on the kickoff team. We just wanted to share this tidbit with our readers.