Pro Football Historian (PFH) is a blog page written by Flint Given. Pro Football Historian or PFH is a page to inform people on prior NFL events that people might not know about. Learning about teams from the 1920s or even the first few NFL World Championships in the 1930s fascinates me. It's these kinds of events that I want to discuss in this blog. Hopefully you are interested and will continue to check up on my blogs.
Elvin Lamont Bethea is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a defensive end with the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League. He played college football for the North Carolina A&T Aggies and was the first player from the school to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2003.
During his career in Houston, Bethea played in 210 games, including a stretch of 135 consecutive. He played at defensive end and guard in the 1968 season and didn't miss a game until breaking his arm in a game against the Oakland Raiders in 1977. He led the team in sacks six times, finishing his career with 105 unofficial sacks.
Elvin Bethea, an outstanding prospect from North Carolina A&T, was the Houston Oilers third-round pick in the 1968 AFL/NFL Draft. Most observers agree that for a third-rounder, he was a steal. In hindsight, and after 16 seasons of outstanding play with the Oilers, it’s safe to say he was more than a “steal,” he was clearly one of the best players selected, and that in a draft that produced three future Hall of Fame players, Larry Csonka, Art Shell, and Ron Yary.
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Bethea played in 210 games during his long career in Houston. He was named first- or second-team All-AFL/AFC six times and second-team All-Pro four times. Considered a leader both on and off the field, Bethea was durable and dependable. He started at defensive end in the 1968 season opener and didn’t miss a game until breaking his arm in a game against the Oakland Raiders on November 13, 1977.
When he retired – which was put off by a year per the Oilers’ request – he held three team records relating to career service: most seasons (16), most career regular season games played (210), and most consecutive regular season games played (135). He also saw action in eight Oilers playoff games.
Although sacks were not an official National Football League statistic until 1982, Elvin’s unofficial 105-career quarterback sack total still ranks as the best in Oilers/Tennessee Titans history. Six times he led his team in that department. His best single game performance as a pass rusher came in a game against the San Diego Chargers in 1976 in which he recorded 4 sacks and one fumble recovery.
More than just a pass rusher, Bethea was also effective against the run. Even though 1974 was the first year such statistics were compiled by the Oilers, his 691-career tackles, are still among the best in franchise history, even excluding the first six years of his career.
His career high was in 1973 with 16 sacks, which still ranks as the best in Oilers/Tennessee Titans history, a feat made more remarkable by the Oilers' 1–13 record. In 1976 Bethea recorded 14.5 sacks, yet was not voted to the Pro Bowl. In a game against the San Diego Chargers in 1976, he recorded four sacks (his career high) and had one fumble recovery.
He also had 14.5 sacks in 1969. Other notable seasons in terms of sacks were: 1970 and 1971 with 10.5 sacks in each, 1975 with 10 and 1978 with 8. He played in the AFC Championship game in 1978 and 1979.
Bethea was Second-team All-Pro in 1969, 1973, 1978 and 1979 to go with his 8 Pro Bowl selections.
Bethea was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He was officially inducted during the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 3, 2003, where his college coach and presenter, Hornsby Howell, unveiled the bust of Bethea, which was sculpted by Scott Myers.
In 2005, Bethea was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Marcus LeMarr Allen is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short-yard runners in NFL history, he was selected 10th overall by the Raiders in the 1982 NFL draft, following a successful college football career with the USC Trojans. He was a member of the Raiders for 11 seasons and spent his last five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
During his professional career, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards. He also scored 145 touchdowns, including a then-league-record 123 rushing touchdowns, and was elected to six Pro Bowls. While with the Raiders, he helped the team win Super Bowl XVIII. He was the first NFL player to gain more than 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards during his career. Allen has the distinction of being the only player to have won the Heisman Trophy, named Unanimous All-American, won an AFCA National Championship Trophy, the Super Bowl, and be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003, and the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
Allen was drafted as the 10th overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Raiders. Allen was pleased that he didn't have to travel as the team had just relocated from Oakland. Allen has recalled that shortly before being drafted the Raiders asked him his weight (he answered 200 or 212) and then drafted him soon after. Though his rookie season was shortened by a league strike, Allen rushed for 697 yards and led the Raiders to the best record in the AFC at 8–1. He was voted the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Raiders lost to the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
The next season, Allen broke the 1,000-yard mark for the first time, an accomplishment he would repeat the two following years. During the 1985 season, he rushed for 1,759 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 380 carries, leading the Raiders to a 12–4 record and the AFC West Division Championship. In addition, Allen was named the NFL MVP.
In Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984, Allen ran for 191 yards, caught two passes for 18 yards, and scored two touchdowns in the Raiders' 38–9 victory over the Washington Redskins. Included in his stats was a 74-yard touchdown run, a feat that remained the longest run in Super Bowl history until Willie Parker's 75-yard run in Super Bowl XL. Allen's 191 rushing yards were also a Super Bowl record, which stood until Timmy Smith of the Redskins topped it with 204 yards in Super Bowl XXII. Upon winning the game, Allen joined a small group of players to win both the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP (Roger Staubach, Jim Plunkett, and later Desmond Howard). In total, Allen rushed 58 times for 466 yards and four touchdowns during the playoffs. He also added 118 yards and one touchdown on 14 receptions.
Allen ended the 1985 season on a strong note, finishing the year as the NFL rushing leader with 9 consecutive 100-yard games.
From 1987 through 1990, Allen shared the backfield with Bo Jackson. Initially, Allen was commended for his gracious nature and team spirit for sharing the spotlight during the prime of his career. In later seasons with the Raiders, Allen had a stormy relationship with owner Al Davis stemming from a contract dispute; Davis referred to Allen as a "cancer to the team." He also missed most of the 1989 season with a knee injury. Allen was relegated to back-up duty in his final three seasons with the Raiders and, at one time, fell to fourth on the depth chart. Allen's strained relationship with Davis reached an all-time low in December 1992. During halftime of the Raiders-Dolphins game on Monday Night Football, a taped interview between Al Michaels and Allen was broadcast in which Allen said that Davis "told me he was going to get me", adding, "I think he [Davis] tried to ruin the latter part of my career, tried to devalue me. He's trying to stop me from going to the Hall of Fame. They don't want me to play."
Allen eventually left Los Angeles and joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993. Although he only rushed for 764 yards that year, he scored 12 touchdowns, leading the AFC, as he and Joe Montana led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game. Allen scored touchdowns in all three Chiefs playoff games that year, and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association. With the retirement of Eric Dickerson in 1993, Allen became the active leader in career rushing yards, a position he maintained until being passed by Barry Sanders in Game 1 of 1997. Allen went on to play for the Chiefs for four more seasons, leading the team in rushing every year but his last.
Allen retired after the 1997 season. In 1999, he was ranked 72nd on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Allen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Allen was also inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 1999, Allen was also inducted into the San Diego Hall of Champions Breitbard Hall of Fame.
In 2008, Allen joined as a spokesman for the sports website OPENSports.com, the brainchild of Mike Levy, founder and former CEO of CBS Sportsline.com. Allen wrote a blog and occasionally answered member questions for the company during this time.
In 1986, Allen met Kathryn Eickstaedt and the two later got engaged. They married in 1993 at O.J. Simpson's Rockingham estate, since Allen was friends with Simpson. Allen played the role of Rick Lambert in the sitcom 1st & Ten with Simpson in the mid-80's. Allen and Eickstaedt's engagement was mentioned in Faye Resnick's book, Nicole Brown Simpson: The Private Diary of a Life Interrupted, which was published during Simpson's murder trial. Resnick claimed Nicole Brown Simpson was having an affair with Allen, and Eickstaedt was aware of Allen's womanizing ways, and if she knew of the affair, she would have to call off the wedding. Sports agent Mike Gilbert (who had represented both Allen and Simpson) and actress Robin Greer both also claimed in O.J.: Made in America that Simpson and Allen had had a romantic relationship. Allen and Eickstaedt were summoned to testify in the trial but fought the subpoena as they wanted to stay out of it. The couple divorced in 2001.
Allen is the older brother of Canadian Football Hall of Fame quarterback Damon Allen.
Johnny Lee Stallworth is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships, and went to four Super Bowls, winning all four. His career statistics included 537 receptions for 8,723 yards and 63 touchdowns. Stallworth's reception total was a franchise record until being surpassed by Hines Ward in 2005. Stallworth played in three Pro Bowls and was the Steelers' two-time MVP. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Stallworth was selected 82nd overall in the fourth round of the 1974 NFL draft, a class of which he was one of four Pittsburgh Steelers picks who would eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Scouts from various NFL teams observed him run the 40-yard dash on a wet track at Alabama A&M University and were disappointed by the results. Steelers assistant personnel director Bill Nunn was the only person to stay an additional day and watched Stallworth run a better time on a dry track. Nunn also had obtained the only college game film of Stallworth that existed through his relationships with HBCU coaches, and it was alleged that he withheld it from other NFL teams. After a rookie year as an understudy, Stallworth became a starter in his second season and held that job for the rest of his 165-game career. Stallworth battled a series of fibula, foot, ankle, knee and hamstring injuries that forced him to miss 44 regular-season games.
In Super Bowl XIII, Stallworth caught a record-tying 75-yard touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw that was crucial in the 35–31 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He suffered leg cramps later and played sparingly in the second half, finishing with 3 receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
One year later at Super Bowl XIV with the Steelers trailing the Los Angeles Rams 19–17 early in the fourth quarter, Steelers' coach Chuck Noll called for "60-Prevent-Slot-Hook-And-Go," a play the Steelers failed in practice before the big game. With 12 minutes remaining, Bradshaw dropped back and threw it long to Stallworth, who caught it and beat Rod Perry to the end zone for a 73-yard touchdown that paved the way for the Steelers' 31–19 win and their fourth world championship. Sports Illustrated considered the catch notable enough to put Stallworth on the cover of a subsequent issue. Overall, Stallworth recorded three receptions for 121 yards in the game.
Stallworth holds the Super Bowl records for career average per catch (24.4 yards) and single-game average, 40.33 yards in Super Bowl XIV. He has 12 touchdown receptions and a string of 17 straight games with a reception in post-season play. Stallworth also scored on touchdown receptions in eight straight playoff games at one point (1978–1983), an NFL record.
Stallworth led the AFC with a career-high 1,395 yards gained on 80 receptions in 1984, when he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He helped the Steelers defeat eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco for that team's only loss of the season, and led the Steelers in a playoff run that featured an upset win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Playoffs at Denver's Mile High Stadium.
Stallworth was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2002.
In 1986, he founded Madison Research Corporation (MRC) alongside Samuel Hazelrig. MRC specializes in providing engineering and information technology services to government and commercial clients. Under Stallworth and Hazelrig's leadership, MRC grew to more than 650 employees and $69.5 million in revenues (FY03). MRC manages six regional offices: Huntsville, Alabama (headquarters); Warner Robins, Georgia; Orlando, Florida and Shalimar, Florida; Montgomery, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio. In October 2006 the sale of MRC to Wireless Facilities Inc. was completed, and at that time it was announced that Stallworth would pursue other interests.
Stallworth was announced as becoming part-owner of his former team on March 23, 2009, as part of the Rooney family restructuring ownership of the team.
James Edward Kelly is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). Kelly played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning offensive MVP honors in the 1981 Peach Bowl.
One of the six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft, Kelly was selected 14th overall by the Bills. He chose to sign with the Gamblers instead and did not play for the Bills until the USFL folded in 1986. Employing the "K-Gun" offense, known for its no-huddle shotgun formations, Kelly led one of the greatest NFL scoring juggernauts. From 1990 to 1993, he helped guide the Bills to a record four consecutive Super Bowls, although the team lost each game. Kelly was also named to five Pro Bowls and received first-team All-Pro honors in 1991.
Along with teammates Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith, Kelly is one of only three players to have his number retired by the Bills. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Because of fellow quarterback John Elway's well-publicized reluctance to play for the Baltimore Colts, who chose him in the 1983 NFL draft, Kelly's agent asked whether there were any teams he would not play for. Kelly, who disliked cold weather, listed the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Buffalo Bills. He was pleased to see while watching the 1983 draft on television that the Bills did not select him as the 12th pick in the first round, but learned from his agent that the team had another first-round pick; the Bills chose Kelly as the 14th pick. Although Kelly at the time stated that he had expected the Bills to choose him, he later said, "You have to say those things ... I cried. (Laughs) I didn't really literally cry. I just had tears. I'm like, 'You got to be kidding me.'"
Although he believed that team owner Ralph Wilson would not bring in the right players to build a championship team, Kelly was initially resigned to playing for the Bills, but while meeting with the team to negotiate his contract three days after the draft, a Bills secretary mistakenly let Bruce Allen, general manager of the rival United States Football League's Chicago Blitz, reach Kelly on the telephone; Allen persuaded Kelly to leave the meeting. Then in the first week of May, the Montreal Concordes made a counter-offer on the basis that Kelly's girlfriend lived in Montreal. Kelly's agent, Greg Lustig, would insist on negotiating with the Blitz and the Concordes before doing so with the Bills. By the last week of May, Lustig said he was pleased with the Bills’ proposal and Kelly expected to sign with the Bills, but in the end he would sign with a different USFL team after Ken Weinberger made negotiations during the first week of June.
Kelly later claimed that the USFL offered him his choice of teams because of the league's interest in signing quarterbacks. He signed with the Houston Gamblers, who played in the climate-controlled Houston Astrodome, and said, "Would you rather be in Houston or Buffalo?"
In two seasons in Houston, leading offensive coach Mouse Davis's run-and-shoot offense, Kelly threw for 9,842 yards, 83 touchdowns, and 45 interceptions with a 63% completion percentage for an average of 8.53 yards per attempt. He was the USFL MVP in 1984, when he set a league record with 5,219 yards passing and 44 touchdown passes. Kelly's USFL records eclipsed those of fellow league quarterbacks Doug Williams and Steve Young. Despite Kelly's success during the regular season, he saw no success during the Gamblers' two playoff appearances as the team was defeated in the first rounds in 1984 and 1985. Kelly threw for a combined 620 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
When the Houston Gamblers folded, Kelly went to the New Jersey Generals and was slated as their starting quarterback. Kelly appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated while holding a Generals' helmet, but the league collapsed before he ever fielded a snap with the Generals.
Led by Kelly, the Houston Gamblers took on the Los Angeles Express and quarterback Steve Young, on February 24, 1985. The game was supposed to be televised by ABC, but they opted to cover Doug Flutie's debut with the New Jersey Generals instead. Only cameramen that worked for both teams were on hand to record the game. Houston raced out to an early lead, but the Express mounted a comeback that led to them being ahead 33–14 with just under ten minutes left in the game. Kelly led the Gamblers on a comeback that would see them pull off a 34–33 win, and in the end, Kelly threw for a pro football record 574 yards breaking the mark of 554 yards set by Norm Van Brocklin in 1951.
Kelly threw three touchdown passes in the last Gambler drives of the game, including what turned out to be the game winner, a 39-yard strike to receiver Ricky Sanders. The Express thought they had the game won, especially after safety Troy West picked off a Kelly pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. The Gamblers got the ball back and it just took two plays for them to score, as Kelly tossed a pass to Richard Johnson that ended up being a 52-yard score. The drive took less than a minute. The Gamblers defense forced a punt, and the offense scored again, this time Kelly found receiver Vince Courville for a 20-yard strike. The drive was aided by a poor punt from Express punter Jeff Partridge that only netted 16 yards and allowed the Gamblers to take over at the Express 43 yard line.
Kelly found Sanders for the go-ahead score, Sanders beating Troy West on the play. West had picked off two Kelly passes that day, but Kelly ended up with the last laugh. The Express were driving to get in range for their placekicker, Tony Zendejas to kick what had the potential to be the game winner. That was not to be as Young was picked off by Gamblers linebacker Mike Hawkins.
After the USFL folded, Kelly finally joined the Bills, who had retained his NFL rights, in 1986. He helped lead the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowl XXV–Super Bowl XXVIII) and six divisional championships from 1988 to 1995. The Bills are both the only franchise to reach the Super Bowl four years in a row and lose the Super Bowl four years in a row. Buffalo made the playoffs in eight of Kelly's 11 seasons as their starting quarterback. Kelly's primary 'go-to' wide receiver with the Bills, Andre Reed, ranks among the NFL's all-time leaders in several receiving categories. Kelly and Reed connected for 65 touchdowns during their career together trailing only the tandems of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (112), Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates (87), Steve Young and Jerry Rice (85), Dan Marino and Mark Clayton (79), Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne (69), and Drew Brees and Marques Colston (68) for touchdowns by an NFL quarterback and receiver tandem.[17] Kelly, along with Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Scott Norwood, was the subject of the 30 for 30 film—Four Falls of Buffalo.
Kelly retired after the 1996 NFL season due to injuries. After sitting out the 1997 season, in 1998 Kelly seriously considered an offer to sign with the Baltimore Ravens who were coached by his former offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda. Kelly declined the offer due to family reasons and stayed retired; the Ravens instead opted to trade with the Indianapolis Colts for Jim Harbaugh as the latter team prepared for the Peyton Manning era.
Kelly ran the Bills' "K-Gun" no-huddle offense, which was a fast-paced offense named after tight end Keith McKeller, that denied opposing defenses the opportunity to make timely substitutions (the NFL later changed the rules in response to this to allow opposing defenses time to change formations under no-huddle situations, but this applied only if the offense made personnel substitutions). This offensive scheme called for multiple formation calls in a huddle, so that after each play was completed, the Bills would eschew a following huddle, instead lining up for the next play where Kelly would read the defense and audible the play. This led to mismatches and defensive communication breakdowns and, in the 1990s, established the Bills as one of the NFL's most successful and dangerous offenses, instrumental in leading Buffalo to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
Kelly holds the 2nd all-time NFL record for most yards gained per completion in a single game (44), established on September 10, 1995, in the Bills' game against the expansion Carolina Panthers. He recorded an NFL-best 101.2 passer rating in 1990, led the league with 33 touchdown passes in 1991, (which remained a Bills record until 2020 when it was broken by Josh Allen) and made the Pro Bowl five times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1992).
In his four Super Bowls, Kelly completed 81 of 145 passes for 829 yards and two touchdowns, with seven interceptions. His 81 completions are the fifth most in Super Bowl history behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, and Joe Montana. In Super Bowl XXVI, he set a record with 58 pass attempts, and in Super Bowl XXVIII he set a record with 31 completions (this was later surpassed).
Kelly finished his 11 NFL seasons with 2,874 completions in 4,779 attempts for 35,467 yards, 237 touchdowns, and 175 interceptions, all of which are Buffalo records excluding the interceptions. He also rushed for 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns.
Including his time in the NFL and USFL, he finished with over 45,000 passing yards and 320 touchdowns. In 2001, the Buffalo Bills retired his number 12 jersey.
On August 3, 2002, Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was enshrined during his first year of eligibility and headlined a class that also featured John Stallworth, Dan Hampton, Dave Casper, and George Allen. Fellow Hall of Fame member and former head coach Marv Levy was Kelly's presenter at the ceremony.
As of the 2022 NFL season, Kelly is the last starting quarterback to lose his Super Bowl debut and make it back to the big game.
Kelly resides in East Aurora, New York with his wife Jill and their daughters, Erin and Camryn.
Kelly devoted much of his post-football life to his son, Hunter James Kelly, who was diagnosed with globoid-cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease) shortly after his birth on February 14, 1997, which was Kelly's 37th birthday. Hunter died as a result of this disease on August 5, 2005, at the age of 8. To honor his son, Kelly established Hunter's Hope, a non-profit organization, in 1997. Kelly's advocacy on behalf of Krabbe patients has increased national awareness of the disease. He and his wife Jill founded the annual Hunter's Day of Hope, which is held on February 14, the birthdays of both Jim and Hunter Kelly. The Hunter James Kelly Research Institute was founded at the University at Buffalo in 2004, where neuroscientists and clinicians are studying myelin and its diseases. When Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, he dedicated his speech to Hunter. "It's been written that the trademark of my career was toughness," he said as he choked back tears. "The toughest person I ever met in my life was my hero, my soldier, my son, Hunter. I love you, buddy."
Two of Kelly's nephews, both the sons of his younger brother Kevin, have also played quarterback. Chad Kelly played college football at the NCAA Division I level for the Clemson Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels and took part in the 2017 NFL draft, in which he was selected last overall in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos, earning the title of "Mr. Irrelevant." He now plays for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and won the Grey Cup with them in 2022. Casey Kelly, Chad's younger brother, played quarterback for Mallard Creek High School, and graduated in 2019. Casey Kelly also enrolled at Ole Miss, but chose to convert to tight end and play for the team as a walk-on. Casey Kelly then entered the transfer portal in 2023 to play for Oregon, then invoked a graduate transfer to play for East Carolina in 2024.
Kelly's father, Joe Kelly, died on August 21, 2017; his mother died in 1996.
Kelly is a devout Christian, and has several business ventures, including Hall of Fame Life Promotions, a promotional company that is committed to donating a percentage of all of its proceeds to the Hunter's Hope Foundation. In 2011, Kelly founded Jim Kelly Inc. a company which produces the MyFanClip line of all-purpose clips which bear sports team logos and other insignia. MyFanClip has licensing agreements with the NFL, MLB, NHL and NASCAR. Proceeds also benefit the Hunter's Hope Foundation, his charity.
Kelly has hosted the annual Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic golf tournament since 1987 to benefit his Kelly for Kids Foundation. A public charity function called StarGaze was held from 1992 to 1995 to complement the golf tournament.
Since 1988, Kelly has run a football camp for youths between the ages of eight to 18 at the Buffalo Bills facilities. It started with 325 campers in its first year, growing to over 500 campers a year. This camp provides teaching from experienced coaches and previous players from all over the country. Kelly also participates in various drills with the participants.
Kelly owned and operated Sport City Grill restaurant with the attached Network nightclub on the ground floor of Main Place Tower in Buffalo from 1993 to 1996.
On June 3, 2013, Kelly announced that he had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a form of cancer, in his upper jaw. He underwent surgery at a Buffalo hospital on June 7. Kelly reported to news outlets shortly after his surgery that the procedure was successful and he was now cancer-free. On March 14, 2014, after a follow-up test at the Erie County Medical Center, it was announced that Kelly's cancer had recurred, and that he would begin radiation and chemotherapy treatment. It was announced on August 20, 2014, that doctors could no longer find evidence of cancer.
On November 1, 2014, Kelly announced he had contracted MRSA within his bones, three months after being declared cancer-free. A few weeks after the announcement, Kelly said he was MRSA-free.
Kelly announced in March 2018 that the cancer had returned. He underwent surgery that month to remove the cancer and reconstruct his upper jaw. In June 2018, it was announced that Kelly would receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2018 ESPYs. In late June 2018, Kelly returned to a New York City hospital for additional surgery.
On January 18, 2019, Jill Kelly announced on Instagram that he was cancer free.
Daniel Oliver Hampton is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for twelve seasons with the Chicago Bears from 1979 to 1990 in the National Football League. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He currently hosts the Bears postgame show on WGN Radio in Chicago.
Hampton was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft and on June 27, 1979, he signed a four-year $470,000 contract with the club that included a $60,000 signing bonus. In 1979, he was voted All-Rookie by the Pro Football Writers Association. The following year, he was a Second-team All-Pro selection and was voted to his first Pro Bowl after recording 11½ sacks which lead the Bears. His fierce style of play earned him the nickname of "Danimal".
He was selected to four Pro Bowls and was a key defensive member of the Bears' Super Bowl XX win against the New England Patriots in 1986. Hampton was a versatile defensive lineman, making All-Pro at both defensive end and defensive tackle. In all, Hampton was 1st or 2nd team All-Pro in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1988. His versatility likely cost him several post-season honors, for example, in 1986 he was an alternate for the Pro Bowl at both defensive end and defensive tackle. His playing both positions likely split the votes of his NFC peers. Hampton was also a 1st alternate for the Pro Bowl in 1988 and graded out as the top defender on the Bears that season, even though Mike Singletary was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
During Hampton's tenure in Chicago (1979–90), the Bears defense ranked #1 in the NFL in allowing the fewest rushing yards, the fewest rushing touchdowns, the fewest total yards, the fewest points and inflicted the most sacks.
In 1982, he had a tremendous year while playing defensive tackle, recording 9 sacks in the 9-game, strike-shortened season. He was also named NFL defensive player of the year by Pro Football Weekly. He played out his option after that season and became a free agent. On July 15, 1983, Hampton signed a deal that made him the Bears' second highest-paid player (behind Walter Payton). Hampton signed three one-year contracts worth about $1 million (including bonuses), an average of about $333,000 per year. "Dan will be the highest paid defensive lineman in the league this year," said Jim Steiner, Hampton's agent. "I'm very happy," said Hampton. "I'm glad to have the contract behind me so I can concentrate on training camp. I'm optimistic about this season and I didn't want to miss any of the fun."
Hampton didn't miss out on the fun. He was voted the NFLPA NFC Defensive Lineman of the Year in 1984 along with being consensus All-Pro and made his third Pro Bowl. Hampton also tied his own career-best of 11½ sacks in 1984. The Bears' defense was the tops in the league in 1984 and he was part of the defense that set the NFL record for most sacks in a season, with 72, and is the co-holder of the record for most sacks in a game with 12. The latter occurred against the Detroit Lions on December 16, 1984. Earlier in that season the Bears sacked Minnesota Vikings quarterback Archie Manning 11 times, to tie the record for the second-most sacks in a game.
During the middle of the Bears 1985 Super Bowl run, Hampton signed a 4-year contract extension. On November 8, 1985, he signed a four-year deal worth $2.7 million. Hampton became the fifth highest-paid defensive lineman in the NFL when the contract began in 1986 with an estimated salary of $625,000. Hampton was making $325,000 during the 1985 season. Also in the middle of 1985 Hampton moved from right defensive tackle to left defensive end, allowing William Perry to move into the starting lineup. Also that season, Hampton, feeling the "Bears Super Bowl Shuffle" was too cocky, declined involvement.
Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman relates an anecdote that when he picked fellow Bear DT Steve McMichael for his All-Pro team in 1985 he was chided a year later by Buddy Ryan, then the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Ryan told Zimmerman that he was disappointed in him and that he thought Zimmerman knew football. He then pulled out Bears films and showed Zimmerman that "Hampton was the cornerstone to our 46 defense by drawing constant double teams". That year, he also was credited for inventing the 'Gatorade dump" in which a coach is drenched with the drink after a victory, which was often credited with Harry Carson.
Hampton remained at left defensive end in 1986 and was a First-team All-Pro. However, in the Bears 46 defense he would line up as a nose tackle and when the Bears lined up in a nickel defense, Hampton would play right tackle. Late in the 1987 season, Mike Ditka moved Hampton back to defensive tackle (where he played from 1982 to 1984), where he remained throughout the rest of his career.
In his 1987 book "Fatso" Hall of Fame defensive tackle Art Donovan called Dan the best defensive lineman in the NFL and "the closest thing to Gino Marchetti I've seen". Hampton's play also caught the eye of John Madden, who named Hampton to his All-Madden team six times and to the 10th Anniversary All-Madden team.
During his football career Hampton endured 10 knee surgeries (five on each knee) and had two more just after finishing his 12th NFL season in 1990. He is credited by the Chicago Bears as having 82 career sacks. He had a career-high of 11.5 in both 1980 (as a DE) and 1984 (as DT). After his contract expired after 1989, Hampton signed a 1-year deal for $850,000 to play the 1990 season for the Bears. The final contract was incentive based, if Hampton played he got paid, if an injury forced him to the sidelines he would not. Hampton played 14 games—had he played all 16 he would have earned the full $1 million value of the contract. After the 1990 season Hampton was voted to the NFL All-Decade team of the 1980s.
Hampton, who missed 23 games in his career due to severe knee injures, was a positive force on the Bear defense. From 1983 to 1990, in games he missed, the Bears only won 33% of the time. In games he played they won 75%. When he was in the lineup the Bears sacked the quarterback 3.6 times a game and only 2.3 times a game without him. When Hampton played the defense gave up an average of 14 points a game and allowed 23 points a game in the games he missed, all seemingly remarkable statistics.
Dan Hampton retired from the Chicago Bears after the 1990 season. In 1990, he was the recipient of the George S. Halas Courage Award by the Pro Football Writers Association which is given to the player or coach who "has performed with abandon despite injury." Other winners over the years have been Robert Edwards, Dick Butkus, as well as others.
Hampton was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. He was inducted with Washington Redskins head coach George Allen, Oakland Raiders tight end Dave Casper, Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver John Stallworth.
Hampton is a co-host for the syndicated Pro Football Weekly television show which is approaching its 20th season on the air. The show is hosted by a panel, Pro Football Weekly publisher/editor Hub Arkush as well as Chicago sportscaster Pat Boyle, and former Bear Tom Waddle. Hampton was also a color commentator for NFL games on NBC in the early 1990s, and called XFL games for the network in 2001.
On May 22, 2002, Hampton was sentenced in Arkansas for his third DWI in six years. He received a sentence of one week in jail, a $1,000 fine, and was ordered to attend alcohol education courses. On November 20, 2021, Hampton was arrested in Winfield, Indiana on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. It was later reported that a toxicology report resulting from that arrest revealed a blood alcohol content of 0.189.
Hampton is part of a Miller Lite and Gridiron Greats promotion to raise funds for retired NFL players in need. He also participates in "One for the Kids" Annual Golf Tournament that raises funds for various charities that support children in the Chicago area. Hampton has also been a spokesperson for companies such as Chevrolet and Firestone.
Hampton is also renowned for coining various catch phrases, such as: "de facto cream-of-the-class, if you will," "throw it against the pallet to see what sticks," and "hit that town like Hurricane Katrina." He later apologized for his Katrina comment.
David John Casper nicknamed "the Ghost", is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Casper has been inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame (2012) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2002).
Casper was selected in the second round of the 1974 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders. Casper only caught a total of nine passes his first two seasons, but was a top-ten receiver in their championship season in 1976, in which he had 53 catches for 691 yards and 10 touchdowns.
One of Casper's most memorable games as a Raider came in a 1977 Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Colts. Casper made an over-the-head catch of a soft pass lofted by Ken Stabler on "The Ghost to the Post." The 42-yard reception set up a game-tying field goal that forced overtime and the Raiders went on to a 37–31 victory with Casper's 10-yard touchdown reception in the second overtime period. He finished the game with four receptions for 70 yards and three touchdowns.
Casper was also involved in another famous NFL contest in 1978 on September 10, between the Raiders and San Diego Chargers. The Raiders trailed the Chargers 20–14 with just ten seconds left in the game when Oakland quarterback Ken Stabler, about to be sacked, dropped the football. He flicked it toward the goal line in an effort to save the game and Raiders running back Pete Banaszak recovered the ball at the San Diego 12-yard line but dropped the ball again, and it rolled further forward. Casper kicked the ball at the San Diego 5-yard line and finally recovered it in the end zone to tie the game. The extra point attempt was good and Oakland won the game by a point, 21–20. Stabler, Banaszak, and Casper all admitted afterwards that they had deliberately fumbled or batted the ball towards the end zone.The Chargers protested on the grounds that Stabler's fumble was actually a forward pass, and therefore should have been ruled incomplete when it hit the ground. As a result of the play, the NFL changed its rules to make it illegal for the teammate of a ball carrier to advance the ball if the ball carrier fumbles on fourth down or in the last two minutes of the game.
Casper caught the first touchdown of Super Bowl XI, a 32–14 Raiders victory over the Minnesota Vikings. As a Raider, Casper was selected to four straight Pro Bowls (1976–1979).
Along with his three touchdown catches in the "Ghost to the Post" game, Casper caught two more TD's in the 1977 AFC Championship Game. His five TD's in a postseason is an NFL record for tight ends that still stands today.
Midway through the 1980 season Casper was traded to the Houston Oilers for their first and second-round draft picks. He was reunited with his former Raider quarterback, Ken Stabler, when he was traded to the Oilers. He finished the 1980 season with 56 receptions and was named to his fifth Pro Bowl. However, the trade caused him to miss out on a second Super Bowl ring, as the Raiders went on to win the Super Bowl that year, beating Houston in the playoffs on the way there. After the 3rd week of the 1983 season, Casper and quarterback Archie Manning were traded to the Minnesota Vikings. In 1984, he returned to the Raiders (who won another Super Bowl the year before) for his final NFL season.
Casper finished his pro career with 378 receptions, 5,216 yards and 52 touchdowns. In 2002, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the 13th Raider to be inducted.
George Herbert Allen was an American football coach. He served as the head coach for two teams in the National Football League, the Los Angeles Rams from 1966 to 1970 and the Washington Redskins from 1971 to 1977. Allen led his teams to winning records in all 12 of his seasons as an NFL head coach, compiling an overall regular-season record of 116–47–5. Seven of his teams qualified for the NFL playoffs, including the 1972 Washington Redskins, who reached Super Bowl VII, losing to Don Shula's Miami Dolphins. Allen made a brief return as head coach of the Rams in 1978, but was fired before the regular season commenced.
Allen began his coaching career at the college football level, serving as head football coach at Morningside College from 1948 to 1950 and Whittier College from 1951 to 1956. He moved to the NFL in 1957 as an assistant coach for the Rams under head coach Sid Gillman. Allen then spent eight years, from 1958 to 1965, as an assistant coach and head of player personnel for the NFL's Chicago Bears before returning to the Rams as head coach in 1966.
After three years as a broadcaster for CBS Sports, from 1978 and 1981, and a short stint as an executive with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1982, Allen resumed coaching in 1983 as head coach for the Chicago Blitz of the newly formed United States Football League (USFL). The following year, he served as head coach of the USFL's Arizona Wranglers, leading them to the league's title game, where the Wranglers lost to the Philadelphia Stars. After a second hiatus from coaching, Allen returned to the game a final time, serving as head football coach for one season, in 1990, at California State University, Long Beach. In ten seasons as a college football head coach, Allen amassed a record of 53–38–7.
Allen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. His eldest son, also named George Allen, is a Republican politician who served as Governor of and United States Senator from Virginia. His second son, Bruce, followed his father's footsteps as a football coach and executive, serving as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Redskins of the NFL.
Allen was the head football coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. The Morningside team was called the Chiefs at that time. He held that position for three seasons, from 1948 through 1950. His coaching record at Morningside was 16–11–2.
Allen was the head football coach at Whittier College in Whittier, California for six seasons, where he was 32–22–5 from 1951 through 1956. He was also the head baseball coach there from 1952 to 1957.
Allen joined the Los Angeles Rams staff in 1957, under fellow Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman. Allen was dismissed after one season and, after he resided in Los Angeles out of football for several months, George Halas, founding owner and head coach of the Chicago Bears, brought him to Chicago during the 1958 season. The original purpose of Allen's hiring was to scout the Rams, whom the Bears would play twice during the season; Allen was asked for insights into Gillman's, and the Rams', offensive strategy and signals. Allen's thoroughness and attention to detail so impressed Halas that he eventually earned a full-time position on the coaching staff. During the latter stages of the 1962 season Allen replaced veteran Clark Shaughnessy as Halas' top defensive assistant, effectively making him the Bears' defensive coordinator.
His defensive schemes and tactics—and his strong motivational skills—helped make the Bears' unit one of the stingiest of its era. Allen's presence also had a formative effect on such future Hall of Fame players as linebacker Bill George and end Doug Atkins during their most productive years. By 1963, in his first full season in charge of the Bears' defense, Allen's innovative strategies helped the Bears yield a league-low 144 total points, 62 fewer than any other team, and earn an 11–1–2 record that was a half-game better than the two-time defending league champion Green Bay Packers and allowed the Bears to host the NFL championship game. Following their 14–10 victory over the New York Giants on December 29 at frigid Wrigley Field, the Bears' players awarded Allen the "game ball." NBC's post-game locker-room television coverage infamously captured Bears players singing "Hooray for George, hooray at last; hooray for George, he's a horse's ass!"
Allen was also given responsibility for the Bears' college player drafts; most likely his best-remembered choices were three players who won election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and became household names in American sport—end Mike Ditka (chosen in 1961), halfback Gale Sayers, and middle linebacker Dick Butkus (1965). Allen's was the most common name to be suggested as a replacement for Halas should the grand old man of the league decide to step down. Jeff Davis's biography Papa Bear states that Halas informally told Allen in 1964 and 1965 that he would ultimately name him as head coach. But in 1965, after a 9–5 Bears finish that earned the iron-willed Halas NFL Coach of the Year honors, Allen decided to look elsewhere to fulfill his head-coaching ambitions. Halas stayed on as head coach through the 1967 season.
On January 10th, 1966, ex-Rams assistant coach Allen reached an agreement with Los Angeles Rams owner Dan Reeves to replace Harland Svare as head coach. He quickly faced a legal battle with Halas, who claimed that Allen's leaving was in breach of his Bears contract. (Halas accused Allen and the Rams of "chicanery.") The Bears' owner did win his case in a Chicago court but immediately allowed Allen to leave, saying he initiated the lawsuit to make a point about the validity of contracts. Halas would not be so magnanimous in an NFL meeting soon after when he attacked Allen's character. Upon hearing this, Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi joked to Reeves, "Sounds like you've got yourself a hell of a coach."
The Rams had only notched one winning season since 1956, and for much of that time been dwelling in or just above the NFL's basement. The team boasted considerable talent at several positions, most notably on the defensive line; the "Fearsome Foursome" (David Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy) had gained vast attention on a losing team. Allen brought his well-known motivational skills to Los Angeles, and his twice-daily (sometimes three times) rigorous training-camp practices took players by surprise. He revealed the philosophy that he would be known for throughout his NFL career—acquiring veteran players for draft picks to fill specific roles. His motto was "the future is now." He also emphasized the role of special teams (kickoff, punt, and field-goal units) as integral to team success. He revamped the Rams' secondary with trades and installed quarterback Roman Gabriel, previously relegated to the bench, as his starter. Allen vaulted the Rams from a 4–10 record in 1965 to 8–6 in his first year—the team's first winning season since 1958. Allen received 1967 Coach of the Year honors for leading the Rams to an 11–1–2 record and the NFL Coastal Division title, their first post-season berth since 1955. Despite an 11–3 record (while winning their first 11 games) during the 1969 season and losing a conference playoff game to Joe Kapp and the Minnesota Vikings, the offense and the record did not rollover to the 1970 season and Allen was released at the end of season. The news surprised the football world, but subsequent reports revealed that discord between Reeves and Allen had been growing for some time. By some accounts, the owner's lower-key temperament differed from Allen's intense approach; more importantly, some animus had developed between the two men in November 1968. After the favored Rams struggled to a tie at San Francisco, Allen disparaged the sloppy Kezar Stadium turf; a few days later Reeves, addressing reporters, subtly admonished his coach for making what he considered an "alibi." The next week, after a narrow home win over the New York Giants, Allen rebuffed Reeves's handshake and upbraided him for "embarrassing me and my family."
Allen's firing was met not only with criticism from fans and reporters,[citation needed] but an overwhelming show of support from Ram players: 38 members of the team's 40-man roster, including such standouts as Gabriel, Jones, Olsen, Lundy, Dick Bass, Jack Snow, Bernie Casey, Tom Mack, Irv Cross, Ed Meador, and Jack Pardee, stated for the record that they would seek a trade or retire if Allen were not reinstated. Many of these players convened a press conference at a Los Angeles hotel to urge their employer, Reeves, to reconsider his decision. Allen, wearing dark glasses, spoke briefly to thank his players for their support but did not make an appeal for his job. After some negotiation Reeves offered Allen a new two-year contract, although there was no indication that the two men had reconciled their differences.
Allen and the 1969 Rams seemed to justify the coach's renewed presence; their 11–3 record earned them a Coastal Division title as Gabriel won the NFL's Most Valuable Player award. But in both 1969 and 1970 Allen's team could not produce the championship that many had predicted for them. At the end of 1970, with the Rams missing the playoffs and Allen's contract expiring, Reeves dismissed the coach again. It had been tacitly assumed that Allen had been granted the two extra years to bring the Rams a title, and so the second time the firing met with neither fan outrage nor player objection. Allen quietly left Los Angeles as the most successful coach in Rams history; he is currently fourth on the franchise's all-time wins list behind John Robinson, Chuck Knox, and Mike Martz. He was replaced by UCLA head coach Tommy Prothro, almost Allen's opposite in personality and approach.
Allen was hired as head coach and general manager of the Washington Redskins on January 6, 1971. Shortly after joining the Redskins, Allen made a series of trades with his former Ram team and brought seven 1970 Los Angeles players to Washington, including the starting linebacker corps (Maxie Baughan, Myron Pottios, and Pardee). Sportswriters nicknamed the team the "Ramskins" or the "Redrams." Allen continued his practice of bringing in veteran players at all positions; one was quarterback Billy Kilmer, something of an NFL journeyman for a decade, whose wobbly but efficient passing and raw-boned leadership complemented and eventually supplanted strong-armed veteran Sonny Jurgensen. Allen restored the Redskins to competitiveness after over two decades of losing. The 1971 team was undefeated through late October and finished with a surprising 9–4–1 record and its first trip to the playoffs since 1945. Perhaps Allen's most satisfying 1971 victory was a Monday night win in Los Angeles in December that clinched a playoff berth and eliminated the Rams from the postseason.
Allen's 1972 team, with Kilmer by now the starting quarterback, won the NFC East title with an 11–3 record; the defense allowed a conference-low 218 points on the way to a NFC title, which was secured with a 26–3 home victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins gained the chance to contest the undefeated Miami Dolphins for the world championship, a team they had beaten in the pre-season, but in Super Bowl VII at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the "'Skins" were overmatched by the Dolphins' relentless running game and staunch defense and lost, 14–7.
With Allen's painstaking attention to detail and enthusiastic approach, Washington's teams were known for their spirited play and camaraderie, with the coach often leading a chant of "Three Cheers for the Redskins" ("Hip Hip Hooray") in the locker room after wins. The Redskins acquired a reputation of a team that came by its success through hard work and workmanlike play that was rarely reflected in individual statistics. Becoming a household phrase among NFL fans was the "Over-the-Hill Gang"—the aging Redskin veterans who seemed to save their best efforts for the most important games. They reached the playoffs in five of Allen's seven years, but were not able to duplicate their 1972 Super Bowl trip. It was during this time that the Redskins' fierce rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys became a choice subject for pro football fans, and Allen inflamed it with bizarre actions like taunting Cowboys players while wearing an Indian headdress.
As had been the case with the Rams, Allen's intense approach was seen to indicate that winning in the present was all-important, with planning for the franchise's future taking a lesser priority. In 1977, the Redskins were 9–5, but failed to reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons. Although owner Williams did attempt to negotiate a new pact for Allen, there were rumors that he was beginning to question his coach's philosophy.
After rejecting a $1 million, four-year contract offer throughout the 1977 season, Allen was dismissed by the Redskins in mid-January 1978. He was replaced by one of his favorite players, Jack Pardee, by then the promising young head coach of the Bears, who had gained the wild card playoff berth ahead of the Redskins; both had finished at 9–5.
Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom was searching for a new coach after parting ways with Chuck Knox, and decided to bring Allen back. Allen's hiring was announced on February 1, and he returned to Los Angeles in 1978 with much media fanfare. His second stint as the Rams' head coach was an unfortunate experience for all concerned. Unlike his first stint, Allen did not have full authority over personnel. He thus worked with general manager Don Klosterman to oversee a talented roster that had made the team a perennial playoff challenger.
Allen brought with him his scrupulous discipline and attention to detail, which extended to practice-field protocol and dining-hall decorum. However, his autocratic coaching style did not play well with the new generation of NFL players, and a group of Ram players chafed at the regulations almost immediately. Some made their grievances public; a few, including standout linebacker Isiah Robertson, briefly left camp. As newspaper reports were quoting players expressing confidence that differences would be resolved, the Rams played listlessly and lost the first two games of the 1978 exhibition schedule. Rosenbloom decided that an immediate change was needed to save the season, and announced Allen's firing on August 13. Many of Allen's own players were surprised by the decision. Defensive coordinator Ray Malavasi, well-respected and liked by players (and the only holdover from Chuck Knox' staff), replaced him; the Rams ultimately advanced to that year's NFC Championship Game and the following year to the Super Bowl. Rosenbloom died in April 1979.
Although he was off the sidelines for the first time in three decades, Allen was not unemployed for long. He soon joined CBS Sports as an analyst for NFL network telecasts, and worked in the broadcast booth from 1978 to 1981. For much of his tenure, he was part of CBS' number-two broadcast team with play-by-play announcer Vin Scully. During 1978, Scully and Allen were teamed with former NFL great Jim Brown as the network's only three-man broadcast team.
George Halas biographer Jeff Davis notes that Allen had contacted Halas in late 1981, asking to be considered for the vacant head coaching position with the Bears. However, Halas was still smarting at how Allen left the Bears 15 years earlier. He angrily rejected Allen's overtures and hired his old friend and former player Mike Ditka instead.
Allen had a brief flirtation with the Canadian Football League when he was hired by the Montreal Alouettes as president and chief operating manager on February 19, 1982. Allen also agreed to purchase 20 percent of the team, with an option to become the majority shareholder. However, three months later, Allen resigned after continued financial troubles and a shift in majority ownership from Nelson Skalbania to Harry Ornest soured Allen on the situation.
On June 21 of that same year, Allen became part-owner, chairman and head coach of the Chicago Blitz of the fledgling United States Football League, returning to the city where he had established his NFL coaching credentials two decades earlier. In his first season in 1983, the Blitz were tabbed as the early favorite to capture the league's inaugural title, in part because Allen assembled a roster laden with NFL veterans. The team finished in a tie for first with the Michigan Panthers with a 12–6 record, but the team lost the tiebreaker, making them the wild card team. In their playoff game against the Philadelphia Stars, the Blitz held a commanding 38–17 lead before a late comeback sent the game into overtime, where Chicago lost by a 44–38 score.
Two months after that collapse, the Blitz were part of a bizarre transaction in which the entire franchise was essentially traded for the Arizona Wranglers. Blitz owner Ted Diethrich was disgusted at the team's lackluster attendance figures. Looking for a way out, he found it when Wranglers owner Jim Joseph decided to get out after suffering massive losses of his own. The Diethrich/Allen group sold the Blitz to James Hoffman, then bought the Wranglers from Joseph. Diethrich and Hoffman then engineered a swap of assets that resulted in the 1983 Blitz roster moving virtually en masse to Arizona, while nearly all of the 1983 Wranglers moved to Chicago. Allen, who retained his posts as part-owner, chairman, and head coach, was thus able to retain much of the core of a roster that had been considered NFL-caliber.
During that 1984 season, Allen's Wranglers struggled early before finishing with a 10–8 mark, earning another wild card spot. In the opening round of the playoffs, Arizona staged a comeback to knock off the Houston Gamblers, 17–16. The following week, the Wranglers stopped the Los Angeles Express, 35–23, in the Western Conference final. However, the run of success came to an end in the USFL Championship Game, when Arizona was shut down in a 23–3 defeat.
In September 1984, Allen resigned his positions with the team after the Wranglers' financial troubles necessitated severe budget cuts.
Following several years out of the public eye, he accepted a one-year offer to coach at Long Beach State University in 1990. The 49ers, which had managed only 11 wins against 24 losses their previous three seasons, responded to Allen's mentoring with a 6–5 record.
Following Allen's death, the team played one additional season in 1991 under Willie Brown, then LBSU dropped the football program.
Allen was considered one of the hardest-working coaches in football. He is credited by some with popularizing the coaching trend of 16-hour (or longer) work-days. He sometimes slept at the Redskin Park complex he designed. Allen's need for full organizational control and his wild spending habits would create friction between him and the team owners he worked for. Edward Bennett Williams, the Redskins' president, once famously said, "George was given an unlimited budget and he exceeded it." In ending Allen's second stint as the Rams' head coach after only two preseason games in 1978, Carroll Rosenbloom said, "I made a serious error of judgment in believing George could work within our framework." and "He got unlimited authority and exceeded it." Allen was also notorious for his paranoia, regularly believing that his practices were being spied upon and that his offices were bugged. He even went as far as being the first coach in the NFL to employ a full-time security man, Ed Boynton, to keep potential spies away and patrol the woods outside Redskin Park.
As documented by NFL Films, Allen was known to eat ice cream or peanut butter for many meals because it was easy to eat, and saved time so Allen could get back to preparing for the next game. Allen kept in shape as a coach, and would run several miles at the start of each day. He did not curse, smoke, or drink, instead habitually consuming milk (some suspected that this beverage of choice arose from ulcers they suspected the always-high-strung coach to suffer from). Coach Allen would later be appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It is interesting to note that President Richard Nixon (an armchair coach) once "recommended" the team run an end-around play by wide receiver Roy Jefferson. Allen agreed, choosing to run the play against the San Francisco 49ers in the 1971 NFC Divisional playoff game. Jefferson was tackled by the 49ers' Cedrick Hardman for a 13-yard loss on the play, a game the Redskins lost by four points.
As a coach, Allen was known for his tendency to prefer veteran players to rookies and younger players. During Allen's early years with the Redskins, the team was known as the "Over-the-Hill Gang," due to the predominance of players over the age of 30, such as quarterback Billy Kilmer. Upon becoming Redskins coach, Allen traded for or acquired many players - all veterans of course - he had formerly coached with the Rams, including Jack Pardee, Richie Petitbon, Myron Pottios, John Wilbur, George Burman, and Diron Talbert, leading to the Redskins sometimes being referred to in those days as the "Ramskins." The phrase "the future is now" is often associated with Allen; he made 131 trades as an NFL coach, 81 of which came during his seven years with the Redskins.
Allen was also known for emphasizing special teams play, and in 1969 became the NFL's first coach to hire a special teams coach, 32-year-old Dick Vermeil, to run a standalone special teams unit. (Jerry Williams followed suit a month later when he hired Marv Levy.) When Vermeil went to UCLA in 1970, Allen hired Levy, and then brought Levy with him to Washington in 1971. During the 1971 preseason, Allen coaxed his former long snapper with the Rams, George Burman, out of retirement, bringing him to Washington for the primary purpose of being the snapper on punts, thus making Burman the NFL's first modern specialist long snapper, while Sam Wyche was brought as a specialty Holder.
Allen's coaching tree led to several high-profile special teams coaches and achievements. Vermeil discovered special teams standout Vince Papale in 1976, won a Super Bowl as head coach of the St. Louis Rams, and coached return great Dante Hall with the Chiefs. Levy led the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s, while coaching perhaps the greatest special teams coverage man ever, Steve Tasker. Allen's longtime offensive assistant Ted Marchibroda gave Bill Belichick his first NFL coaching job. Both Vermeil and Levy would go on to employ Frank Gansz, whom Vermeil called "the finest special teams coach ever."
Allen had the third-best winning percentage in the NFL (.681), exceeded only by Vince Lombardi (.736) and John Madden (.731). He also never coached an NFL team to a losing season. This was particularly notable in the case of the Redskins, who had finished above .500 only once over the past 15 seasons (1969, under Lombardi) before Allen's arrival.
Allen was noted primarily as a defensive innovator and a motivator. He was an early innovator in the use of sophisticated playbooks, well-organized drafts, use of special teams, and daring trades for veterans over new players. He is also known for sparking the Dallas Cowboys–Washington Redskins rivalry to new heights. In the seven seasons that Allen's team played the Cowboys, six of them saw the teams split the two contests they played before the Cowboys finally broke through in winning both contests in Allen's final season as coach in Washington; in total, Allen went 7–8 against the Cowboys in Washington but managed to reach the Super Bowl with Washington's victory over Dallas in the 1973 NFC Championship Game.
Allen was inducted to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Allen married the former Henrietta (Etty) Lumbroso (1922–2013), with whom he had four children, three sons and one daughter. His son George is a Republican politician, having served as Governor and U.S. Senator from Virginia. Another son, Bruce, served as an executive for the Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Washington Redskins of the NFL. Allen's third son, Gregory, is a sports psychologist. His daughter, Jennifer, is an author.
Allen died at age 72 from ventricular fibrillation in his home in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, on December 31, 1990.
There was some speculation afterward that his death may have been caused by a form of Gatorade shower. On November 17, some of his Long Beach State players dumped a Gatorade bucket filled with ice water on him following a season-ending victory over UNLV; in an interview some weeks later, Allen quipped that the university couldn't afford actual Gatorade, and said that he had felt somewhat unwell since then. The sports editor of the Long Beach State newspaper, the Daily Forty-Niner, recalled that the temperature was in the 50s with a biting wind. Allen stayed on the field for media interviews for a considerable length of time in his drenched clothing, and remained in his wet clothing on the bus back to Long Beach state.
However, in 2012, Allen's son George denied that the Gatorade shower caused the death, saying it merely caused a cold, and said that his father had a pre-existing heart arrythmia. He stated that seeing Gatorade showers on television was a reminder that his father "went out a winner".
After Allen's death, the soccer and multipurpose field area on the lower end of campus was dedicated in his honor as George Allen Field. A youth baseball field in Palos Verdes Estates is also named after him.
