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.
Kenneth Mason Easley Jr. was an American professional football player who spent his entire seven-year career as a safety for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League from 1981 to 1987. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was a three-time consensus All-American. He was selected by the Seahawks in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft. Nicknamed "the Enforcer", Easley has been considered among the greatest defensive backs of his era and as one of the Seahawks' greatest players.
Easley was a leader of the Seahawks' defense and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1984. He was a four-time All-Pro selection and was elected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career. Easley's career ended after the 1987 season when he was diagnosed with severe kidney disease.
After retirement, Easley owned a Cadillac dealership and, later, the Norfolk Nighthawks team from 1999 to 2003. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Easley was the fourth overall pick of the 1981 NFL draft, selected by the Seattle Seahawks. He became an immediate starter as a rookie in 1981, recording three interceptions for 155 yards and one touchdown, earning him AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. In 1983, the Seahawks hired former Buffalo Bills coach Chuck Knox as their head coach and Easley immediately became the "backbone" of Knox's defense. In his first season playing for Knox, Easley won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year Award and recorded seven interceptions. In 1984, Easley led the NFL in interceptions with ten, which tied a club record. He returned two of them for touchdowns and was named as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the first safety awarded since Dick Anderson in 1973. In 1984, during a 45–0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the Kingdome on November 4, the Seahawks returned four interceptions for touchdowns, including one caught by Easley, breaking the record for most touchdowns scored from an interception in a game. He took over the role of the team's main punt returner when Paul Johns got injured earlier in the season.
After the season, Easley signed a five-year contract to stay with the Seahawks, averaging $650,000 a year plus incentives. The contract made him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league. In 1985, he was selected for his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, a team record until defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy was selected for his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl in 1995. He was injured for most of the 1986 season; he hurt his knee against the San Diego Chargers on October 11, and the next month, missed the remainder of the season due to ankle surgery. In December, Easley was rumored to be in the trading block as the Seahawks were attempting to get the first overall pick in the 1987 NFL draft from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in order to draft quarterback Vinny Testaverde.
In 1987, Easley was the Seahawks' player representative and a leading figure in the 1987 NFL strike. Seeking a new collective-bargaining agreement with free agency a major factor, the head of the National Football League Players Association, Gene Upshaw managed to convince him and hundreds of his fellow NFL players to go on strike. As a response, the league decided to use replacement players to fill up their rosters, along with a few veterans who crossed the "picket line". When former teammate Jim Zorn offered his services to the Seahawks, Easley said:
He obviously is either desperate to play in the NFL or desperate for money. Here's a guy who played in the NFL for a long time and who was adored and was admired by his fans and teammates. Now, he turns his back on us.
Easley warned his fellow players that he was against the idea of using violence against the replacement players to prove a point. Once the strike ended, he had an off-year as the Seahawks passing defense fell to 25th in the league. His last game was a 23–20 overtime loss to the Houston Oilers in the wild card game of the 1987 NFL playoffs.
Prior to the 1988 season, the Seahawks offered Easley to several clubs in an attempt to get a quarterback in return. His declining play, which was partially blamed on his work during the strike and the blossoming of Easley's backup Paul Moyer, had made Easley expendable. On April 22, 1988, the Seahawks traded him to the Phoenix Cardinals for quarterback Kelly Stouffer. During the mandatory team physical, Easley was diagnosed with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, a severe kidney disease which voided the trade. He had told Moyer that he thought his days with the Seahawks were numbered because of his involvement in the player's strike. He was not surprised when the trade happened but the kidney diagnosis had "shocked" him. The Seahawks offered several draft picks as compensation to the Cardinals to complete the trade and Easley announced his retirement a few months later.
Easley filed a lawsuit against the Seahawks, and the team doctors saying that an overdose of Advil (ibuprofen) for an ankle injury a few years before was the cause of his kidney failure. He knew as early as 1986 that there were issues with his kidney but finally realized the severity of it when he did not pass the Cardinals physical. He said that he took 15 to 20 Advils daily for three months to reduce the swelling in his ankle, before a doctor intervened and told him to stop. A former teammate said that Advil and other medications were easily obtainable in the Seahawks locker room in "large dispensers" without proper medical supervision. Easley's physicians said that they never told him to take the quantity of Advils that Easley said he took. His case made national headlines and formed discussion involving the safe use of over the counter medication like Advil. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 1990.
Easley received a new kidney at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, in June 1990.
In 1991, Easley bought into a car dealership (along with his partner Rick Johnson), Alderwood Oldsmobile & Cadillac in Lynnwood, Washington, (it later moved to Shoreline, Washington in 1996), taking advantage of a General Motors program that made it easier for African-Americans and other minorities to own an auto dealership. The dealership became successful and Easley was named president of the African American Dealers Association.
In 1999, Easley, along with Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith, were named as the new owners of the Norfolk Nighthawks of the AF2, a semi-professional arena football league branched out from the Arena Football League. The day after the city announced Easley and Smith as owners, a controversy arose with Mark Garcea and Page Johnson, the owners of the Hampton Roads Admirals minor league hockey team, and the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Garcea and Johnson stated that they participated in the original AF2 meetings and asked the city for exclusive rights to own the franchise, providing a $5,000 down payment. Instead, the city allowed Easley and Smith to pay the league's $75,000 franchise fee. The AF2 started playing their first games in the summer of 2000. In his first season as owner, the Nighthawks averaged 6,500 fans at their home field per game, and sold 3,200 season tickets. The team made the AF2 playoffs, but lost money in their first season, which Easley blamed as "rookie mistakes" and startup costs. The team disbanded prior to the 2004 season.
After his retirement, Easley cut most of his ties with the Seahawks organization, citing the lawsuit, how his "dignity" was affected by the Stouffer trade and how no one from the organization offered condolences after his kidney transplant. In 2002, he received a phone call from Gary Wright, the Seahawks publicity director, saying that Paul Allen, the new owner, wanted to induct Easley into the Ring of Honor, and that no other players would receive the honor again until he accepted. With the team under a different owner than that for whom Easley had played, Easley viewed the invitation as an opportunity to reconcile and reconnect with the Seahawks organization. He accepted the honor and became the seventh Seahawk to be inducted into the team Ring of Honor in 2002. For the remainder of his life, he enjoyed cordial relations with the organization.
Easley was named an honorary captain during Super Bowl XLIX, flipping the coin while Vince Wilfork called the toss on behalf of the captains. The Seahawks officially retired Easley's number 45 in 2017.
In his seven-year NFL career, Easley recorded 32 interceptions for 538 yards and three touchdowns, while also returning 27 punts for 302 yards. In 2002, he was elected to the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor after several attempts by the Seahawks to nominate him, but he was previously not interested. Easley was also named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. In 2012, the Professional Football Researchers Association named him to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2012.
In 2016, Easley was named the senior finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2017 class, he was elected in February 2017, and his bust was sculpted by Scott Myers.
Easley's No. 5 jersey was retired by UCLA in 1981, the year after his final season with the Bruins. He was elected to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
Easley and his wife, Gail, had three children: Kendrick, Gabrielle, and Giordanna.
Easley died on November 14, 2025, at the age of 66.
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Terrell Lamar Davis is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League from 1995 to 2001. Despite his short seven-year career (with four full seasons), Davis is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.
Davis was selected by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL draft. He is the Denver Broncos' all-time leading rusher, with 7,607 rushing yards. Davis still holds the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a single postseason, scoring eight in the 1997 playoffs, culminating in him winning the Super Bowl MVP award. In 1998, he became only the fourth NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. As a player, he was given the nickname "T. D." by players, fans and the media; this denoted both the initials of his first and last name as well as being an abbreviation for touchdown. Davis is also credited with starting the "Mile High Salute", a celebratory tradition among Denver Broncos players after scoring a touchdown. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
In 1995, newly appointed Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan drafted Davis in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Davis entered training camp as the sixth string tailback and was a longshot to make the team. He managed to impress the Broncos coaching staff after his second pre-season game, most notably with a crushing hit as a member of special teams. Davis kept improving with each pre-season game and was promoted to starting running back for the season's opening game. With Davis at running back, the Broncos possessed the potent running attack that they had previously lacked. Davis started 14 games during the 1995 season, carrying the ball 237 times, averaging 4.7 yards per run, and scoring eight touchdowns. Davis finished his season with a total of 1,117 rushing yards, becoming the lowest drafted player to ever gain over 1,000 yards rushing in his rookie season.
In 1996, Davis signed, what was at that time a lucrative new five-year contract with the Broncos that was worth $6.8 million. That season, he rushed for a total of 1,538 yards and set a Denver Broncos record for rushing touchdowns with 13. The Broncos ended that season with a 13–3 record, tied with the Green Bay Packers for the best in the NFL that year. In the postseason, Davis ran for 6.5 yards per attempt in a loss to Jacksonville. Davis was selected as a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl for the first of three consecutive seasons.
In 1997, Davis broke his own records with 1,750 yards and a league-leading 15 rushing touchdowns. The 12–4 Broncos again faced Jacksonville in their first playoff game; this time Davis had 184 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in the 42–17 blowout. By rushing for over 100 yards rushing in all four of Denver's postseason games, Davis joined John Riggins as the only player to rush for over 100 yards a game four times in a single postseason. Additionally, Davis was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXII against the then-world champion Green Bay Packers, with 157 rushing yards and a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns despite having to sit out the second quarter due to a migraine. Prior to this 31–24 victory, the Broncos had lost each of their four previous Super Bowl appearances, and the AFC had a 13-year losing streak.
In 1998, Davis rushed for 2,008 yards becoming a member of the 2000 rushing yards club, the fourth-highest rushing total in history at the time. This performance earned him league MVP honors, his third straight AFC rushing title, his first NFL rushing title, and his second time being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. At the end of the season, the Broncos beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, with Davis recording 102 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards.
Super Bowl XXXIII was the last postseason game in which Davis would play. In his 8 postseason games from 1996 to 1998, his numbers were staggering: 204 carries for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 19 receptions for 131 yards. This included a streak of 7 consecutive games with over 100 rushing yards, all of which the Broncos won, breaking the previous record for consecutive 100 rushing yard postseason games held by John Riggins (6). Even in the sole playoff game in which Davis didn't gain 100 rushing yards, he still had an impressive performance, rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown and catching 7 passes for 27 yards.
Davis was sent to the Pro Bowl in the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons. Nicknamed "TD", Davis popularized the "Mile High Salute", a military-style salute given to fans and teammates in celebration of a touchdown; Davis explained in 2017 that he felt the "mentality" needed to play running back was similar to that for soldiers, and the gesture was a "sign of respect" for service members.
After the 1998 season, Davis was plagued with injuries and saw action infrequently. In 1999, Davis tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament of his right knee while trying to make a tackle on an interception thrown against the New York Jets, during the fourth game of the season. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the year.
In the 2000 season, Davis was sidelined for all but five games because of a stress reaction injury in his lower leg. In 2001, he only played in eight games because of arthroscopic surgery on both knees.
Davis retired during the preseason of 2002. He walked through the tunnel in uniform for the final time during a preseason Denver–San Francisco 49ers matchup held at Invesco Field at Mile High. To a standing ovation, he gave a mile-high salute to the fans and was hugged by his teammates. After walking to midfield as the lone Broncos player at the coin toss, Davis retreated to the sideline. He spent the second half in street clothes. The following week, upon his request, he was placed on injured reserve, ending his season and effectively ending his career.
Through his first four seasons, Davis rushed for 6,413 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 56 touchdowns. Among the 24 modern-era Hall of Fame halfbacks and fullbacks, only Earl Campbell (6,457, 4.6 yards per carry) and Eric Dickerson (6,968, 4.8 yards per carry) had more rushing yards during their first four seasons; no member of the Hall of Fame matched Davis's first-four-season 56 rushing touchdowns. Davis was selected for ESPN's All-Time 40-Man Super Bowl roster as a running back for his performances in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.
Overall, Davis finished his seven NFL seasons with 7,607 rushing yards, 169 receptions for 1,280 yards, and 65 touchdowns (60 rushing and 5 receiving). He, John Elway, and Peyton Manning are the only three Broncos to be named league MVP. Davis is one of only six players ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards in the postseason (1,140), and out of the six he is the only one to do so in a career that lasted less than 12 seasons. Davis finished his career with 12 playoff rushing touchdowns, good for fourth all-time tied with Marshawn Lynch and John Riggins.
Davis was named The Sporting News NFL Player of the Year in 1998. In 2004, Davis was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Davis was one of the semifinalists for the 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
On July 27, 2007, it was announced that Davis would be inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. His induction ceremony took place at Invesco Field at Mile High on September 23, 2007, in a Broncos home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2006, Davis was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame. On February 7, 2016, Davis and John Elway served as the Broncos' honorary captains at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California. They also appeared at the pre-game ceremony honoring the past 50 Super Bowl MVPs. Davis was also one of the players who did the Trophy Presentation when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. On August 4, 2017, Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his eleventh year of eligibility.
After playing in the NFL, Davis worked for NFL Network as a correspondent and studio host for NFL Total Access. He also served as a color commentator for some NFL Europe games covered by NFL Network.
Davis appeared on Sesame Street in a skit with Elmo, Telly Monster, and a talking football. Elmo called Davis "the man" and Davis responded, "Thank you, thank you. I try!" The episode was filmed in December 1998 in New York, and Davis said on the episode of America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions profiling the 1998 Broncos that he was originally supposed to film the episode the day after Denver's week 15 matchup with the New York Giants which was played in Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The plan was for Davis to stay behind in New York for the day while the rest of the team flew home, assuming that the Broncos would win. However, because the Giants defeated the Broncos, Davis had to return to Denver for a Monday practice/film session with the team and then fly back to New York the next day to film his parts.
Davis guest-starred on Disney Channel's The Jersey, in an episode called "They Say It's Your Birthday" along with other sports stars Shannon Sharpe, Tim Brown, Hardy Nickerson, and Tony Siragusa. The episode originally aired on October 21, 2000.
Davis appeared on the season 5 finale of the sitcom Sister, Sister at the twins' graduation to give a speech.
Davis appeared on the August 29, 2008 episode of The Colbert Report to analyze the acceptance speech given by U.S. Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama at Invesco Field at Mile High a day earlier.
In 2023, Davis made a special guest appearance on an episode of Paramount Network's Bar Rescue, hosted by Jon Taffer, along with current NFL players Courtland Sutton, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, and Bradley Chubb.
Davis resides in Temecula, California, with his wife Tamiko Nash. They have three children: sons Jackson and Myles, and daughter Dylan. He wrote an autobiography, TD: Dreams in Motion, after his first Super Bowl victory. A chapter was later added to the book covering his NFL MVP season and second championship win.
Davis was on the cover of the video game NFL GameDay 99 by 989 Sports. He made an appearance in Madden NFL 2006, serving as the player's mentor in the new NFL Superstar Mode and adds his voice to the game.
In 2001, Davis was named in the Atlanta's Gold Club federal prostitution, fraud and racketeering trial. The owner, Steve Kaplan, initially denied accusations of arranging dancers for athletes, claiming that he was unaware of any sexual encounters. Employee Jana Pelnis testified that she had sex with Davis in the club. Kaplan later pleaded guilty and was fined $5 million. A sentence of three years in jail was put on the table, but Kaplan instead received a sentence of 16 months and 400 hours of community service. Davis was never charged with any criminal wrongdoing. However, Campbell Soups dropped him from their advertising shortly thereafter.
In September 2006, Davis filed a lawsuit against Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. for breach of contract over its refusal to defend him in a lawsuit related to a tussle at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. In the lawsuit against the hotel, Davis claimed he was assaulted by two bouncers during a party at the hotel's Tropicana Bar in October 2005. Davis said he suffered a bruised neck and damage to a surgically repaired hip. Davis and the insurance company reached a settlement, so the case was dismissed in January 2007.
In July 2024, Davis was accused of hitting a United Airlines flight attendant while traveling with his wife and children from Denver. When the plane arrived at John Wayne Airport in California, an FBI agent placed him in handcuffs and removed him from the plane. After interviewing Davis and other passengers, the FBI released him from custody when it was determined the flight attendant had made an inaccurate accusation. United apologized for the incident and claimed it took the flight attendant "out of rotation" while the matter was investigated. On July 23, Davis's legal team released a video of their client being removed from the plane and said it would be filing a lawsuit against United. By July 30, United said the flight attendant was no longer employed with the company and Davis had been removed from its no-fly list.
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Morten Andersen, nicknamed "the Great Dane", is a Danish-American former professional football kicker who played in the National Football League for 25 seasons, most notably with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Following a career from 1982 to 2007, Andersen holds the NFL record for regular season games played at 382. He also ranks second in field goals (565) and points scored (2,544). In addition to his league accomplishments, he is the Saints all-time leading scorer at 1,318 points. Andersen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Along with Jan Stenerud and Adam Vinatieri, he is one of only three exclusive kickers to receive the honor.
Andersen's NFL career got off to a rocky start. On his first NFL kickoff to start the strike-shortened 1982 season, Andersen twisted his ankle and missed eight weeks of the season. Despite the early setback, he soon emerged as one of the strongest and most reliable placekickers in the NFL. In his years with the Saints, he was named to six Pro Bowls, kicked 302 field goals, and scored 1318 points. In 1991, against Chicago, Andersen kicked a 60-yard field goal, tying him with Steve Cox for the second-longest field goal in league history at the time, behind 63-yard record-holder kicked by Tom Dempsey. Andersen's kick has since been matched by Rob Bironas, Dan Carpenter and Greg Zuerlein, and surpassed by Sebastian Janikowski (twice), Jason Elam, Justin Tucker, Jay Feely, Matt Bryant, David Akers, Matt Prater, Jake Elliott, Graham Gano, Brett Maher, Brandon Aubrey and Stephen Gostkowski. Andersen's proficiency with field goal kicking earned him the nickname "Mr. Automatic." Following the 1994 season, he was released by the Saints for salary cap purposes and because his accuracy had started to decline.
Following his release by the Saints, Andersen signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He silenced those who felt him to be washed up and was once again named a Pro Bowler during his time in Atlanta. In December 1995 against the Saints, he became the first player in NFL history to kick three field goals of over 50 yards in a single game.
In week 17 of the 1996 season, Andersen missed a 30-yard field goal that enabled the Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs. Two years later, he kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime in the 1998 NFC Championship Game to beat the Minnesota Vikings and send the Falcons to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, falling to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.
There are a number of interesting coincidences between Andersen and former NFL placekicker Gary Anderson. Anderson and Andersen have nearly identical last names, were born within a year of one another outside the United States (Anderson was born in South Africa), came to the United States as teenagers, were both drafted in 1982, had long and successful NFL careers throughout the 1980s and 1990s (and both retiring in the 2000s decade), and hold first or second place in a number of NFL records for scoring, field goals, and longevity. Their overall accuracy is also nearly identical; their career percentage being within .5% of each other on both FGs and PATs. Also, Anderson missed a field goal in the 1998 NFC Championship Game for the Minnesota Vikings before Andersen kicked his winning kick, both from the same distance as well (38 yards).
Andersen went on to play with the New York Giants for the 2001 season, followed by the Kansas City Chiefs the following two seasons. In the 2004 offseason, Andersen was beaten out for the kicking job by rookie Lawrence Tynes. He was released by the Chiefs for the final roster cut, and was subsequently signed by the Vikings. Although his leg strength had declined greatly with age, he continued to prove himself accurate for field goals. Having not been signed by a team following the 2004 season, he became a free agent and did not play in 2005. He announced NFL Europe games in the 2005 season.
In January 2006, Andersen was inducted as the first member of the Danish American Football Federation Hall of Fame. Later that year, Andersen returned to the NFL, re-signing with the Atlanta Falcons; Andersen was brought in to help Michael Koenen, who was at the time performing double duty as punter and kicker (an extremely rare occurrence in the NFL) missing several field goals in that capacity, and Koenen reverted to strictly punting after Andersen's signing. His first game back was against his former team, the Saints, on Monday Night Football. The game was the first game in the Louisiana Superdome since Hurricane Katrina prevented its use for the entire 2005 regular season. Andersen scored the only Falcon points with a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter. In his second game back, Andersen made 5 of 5 field goals (matching his career-best for the ninth time), as well as both extra-point attempts. He was named NFC special teams player of the week, becoming the oldest player to earn the honor since the award was first introduced in 1984. He is the team record holder in points for the New Orleans Saints.
On 16 December 2006, Andersen passed Gary Anderson to become the all-time leading scorer in NFL history. The following weekend, 24 December 2006, Andersen again passed Anderson to become the NFL's career leader in field goals made. On 17 September 2007, he again signed with the Falcons in an attempt to secure their unreliable kicking game. By the end of the regular season, he had made 25 of 28 field goals (89.3%), the most accurate season of his career.
In the 2008 season, Andersen did not receive a contract offer from any team, but waited until 8 December to officially retire. Andersen had stated that his goal was to be the first NFL player to play until he turned 50 in 2010. However, he retired just two days after he would have become the oldest player ever to appear in an NFL game, had he played on or after 6 December he would have been the oldest NFL player to play. The record held by George Blanda still stands – Blanda played in his last NFL game on 4 January 1976 (the 1975 AFC Championship) at the age of 48 years, 109 days.
On 6 November 2009, Andersen was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. On 25 June 2011, Andersen was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. On 10 August 2013, Andersen was inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame. On 21 December 2015, he was inducted as the fourth member of the team's Ring of Honor. On 4 February 2017, it was announced that Andersen would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On 10 September 2020, he launched a new weekly football podcast with the VegasInsider Podcast Network titled "Great Dane Nation" with co-host Tom "FreezePops" Carroll.
Sources "Morten Andersen talks about being a finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame". NewOrleansSaints.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2016. Legwold, Jeff (February 4, 2017). "Canton calls LaDainian Tomlinson, Kurt Warner, Terrell Davis, Jerry Jones, 3 others". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 4, 2017. "Jan Stenerud - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com. "Morten Andersen #7". nflplayers.com. Archived from the original on December 22, 2005. Retrieved December 9, 2006. Duncan, Jeff (August 3, 2018). "From a fishing village to football heaven, Morten Andersen traveled improbable path to Hall of Fame". nola.com. Advance Publications. Retrieved May 1, 2020. Zimmerman, Paul (October 16, 2003). "Just For Kicks". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 26, 2004. Retrieved December 17, 2006. "Andersen's Miss Puts Jaguars in Postseason". Chicago Sun Times. Associated Press. December 23, 1996. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved November 5, 2007. "Super Bowl XXXIII - Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons - January 31st, 1999". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024. Pasquarelli, Len (September 7, 2004). "Short hang time: Vikings sign kicker Andersen". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024. "Sportsticker NFL Recap (Arizona-Atlanta)". CoverWire.com. Retrieved November 7, 2007. Ageless K Andersen earns NFC honors, NFL, 4 October 2006 "New Orleans Saints Career Scoring Summary Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024. "Andersen, 48, hangs up cleats as all-time top scorer". ESPN. December 8, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2008. "News - Around the NFL". NFL.com. "Thanks for the Memories, Mort!". Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. History. Players Who've Played in NFL at Age 40 or Older. Bob Harris, 2003 Camp Battles: Kickers lace 'em up, Sports Illustrated, August 7, 2003 Brian Allee-Walsh, "Ex-Saints coach Jim Mora says Morten Andersen a shoo-in for Canton, Ohio", Times-Picayune, November 6, 2009. "Coming Soon Page". sportsnola.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. "Brian Allee-Walsh". Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017. Mike Triplett, "Saints add K Morten Andersen to exclusive Ring of Honor", ESPN.com, August 3, 2015. Lewis, TED (December 28, 2015). "Saints welcome Morten Andersen to Ring of Honor". "Tomlinson, Warner, Terrell Davis selected for Hall". NFL.com. "Sports Betting News and Vegas Odds". VegasInsider.com. Retrieved September 30, 2020.[dead link] "NFL Career Games Leaders". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "For single seasons, from 1920 to 2010, requiring Points Scored >= 75, sorted by most seasons matching criteria". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "For single seasons, from 1920 to 2010, requiring Points Scored >= 90, sorted by most seasons matching criteria". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "In multiple seasons, from 1960 to 2010, in the regular season, requiring Total Field Goals Made >= 1, sorted by most games matching criteria". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "In multiple seasons, from 1960 to 2010, in the regular season, requiring Total Field Goals Made >= 2, sorted by most games matching criteria". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "In a single game, from 1960 to 2010, in the regular season, requiring Points Scored >= 14, sorted by descending Age". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "In a single game, from 1960 to 2010, in the regular season, requiring Total Field Goals Made >= 4, sorted by descending Age". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "In a single game, from 1960 to 2010, in the regular season, requiring Total Field Goals Made >= 5, sorted by descending Age". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. "For single seasons, from 1920 to 2010, requiring Points Scored >= 100, sorted by most seasons matching criteria". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010. Sigler, John (July 27, 2019). "Morten Andersen becomes naturalized American citizen". Saints Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
In Portsmouth, Ohio, the birth of professional football involved one of America’s greatest athletes of all time, in Jim Thorpe and one of the city’s most forgotten civic leaders, in Jack Creasy formed a football team in 1927. Jim Thorpe’s one season in the city as the player-coach of the Shoe-Steels (the precursor of the Spartans), helped build the local support needed for Portsmouth’s entrance into the National Football League. Jack Creasy, on the other hand, was the Portsmouth native and high school athletic star who managed the Shoe-Steels and brought Jim Thorpe out of retirement to play for Portsmouth. Together, Creasy and Thorpe would help give rise to the Portsmouth Spartans (and what is now the Detroit Lions).
At the end of the 1926 season, Jacques 'Jack' Creasy, at the age of 25, purchased the equipment of the Studebaker Presidents -- an amateur football team that had enjoyed moderate success and ignited the excitement of football fans in Portsmouth -- and sought out the financial backing of the city’s two largest employers: the Selby Shoe Company and the Whitaker-Glessner Company, owner of the Portsmouth Steel works in New Boston. By the end of August of 1927, Creasy had enough private commitments to call a public meeting for all parties interested in starting a new team.
Held in the old City Building on Government Square, the Times reported that “Jim Thorpe, former Olympic star, one the best all-around grid players this country has produced, is in the city, to discuss with Manager Creasy the city’s prospects for a football team that will be able to hold its own with other teams in this section.” Creasy’s vision was to anchor the squad with Thorpe as a player-coach. The chance to see Thorpe play in person would drive ticket sales and the former NFL superstar’s ability to recruit top-quality talent would ensure the team had a good chance for a winning season and regional championship.
James Francis Thorpe was born near Prague, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), on the grounds of the Sac and Fox Nation. His birth name was Wa-Tho-Huk, which is most commonly translated as "Bright Path.” At the time of first European contact in the 1600s, the Sac and Fox peoples inhabited the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan regions. After having fought against the United States in the Blackhawk War and losing, the nation was forcibly relocated first to Iowa in the 1830s and then, in the 1870s, to a federal reservation in what became Oklahoma.
Jim Thorpe, as he would become known to the wide world, would be sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he played for the school's football team and gained national recognition as a two-time “All-American.” Even before his Gold Medal performances at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912, Thorpe was a nationally recognized athlete, known for his Native American ancestry and football playing prowess.
As an “All-American,” Thorpe had been a member of the nation’s original fantasy football team. It was with Major League Baseball, however, where Thorpe first made a living as a paid athlete. Beginning in 1913, Thorpe played six seasons with the New York Giants. In 1915, during the baseball off-season, he returned to football and helped establish the Canton Bulldogs and what became the National Football League, serving nominally as the first President of the NFL from 1920 to 1921.
When Jack Creasy contacted Thorpe in the summer of 1927, the famed athlete, now age 41, was well into the first year of his retirement from professional football. He had led the Canton Bulldogs to three championships before moving to Cleveland, where he played for the NFL Indians in 1922 and 1923. Then, after playing three more seasons with various other NFL teams, Thorpe returned to Canton in 1926 for one last year. By then he was injury-prone and unable to play more than 30 minutes per game. “One must quit sometime,” said Thorpe. “My earning days in athletics are at an end and while sports have been my livelihood, I really played for the love of competition. Now, I have a yearning to hunt and fish back with my people.”
As has become a familiar phenomenon with great sports stars, Thorpe’s announced retirement proved temporary. Job offers would continue to come in. Jack Creasy pursued Thorpe, believing his name would draw attention to a new fully-professional Portsmouth team. By 1927, historian Carl Becker has noted, Thorpe had “lost the decisive edge of his speed and power,” but he had gained “the experience of playing with eight different clubs in the NFL.” His connection with the NFL and his ability to recruit from his extended network of professional players would help Creasy build a new, successful squad.
Following Thorpe’s initial visit to Portsmouth in late August of 1927, H. Coleman Grimes, the City Editor at the Times noted that “Thorpe is regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the game, and should his services be secured here it would mean that Portsmouth would be placed back on the football map.” By all accounts, Thorpe’s first visit to Portsmouth had left him impressed with the community and Creasy’s offer — a 10-game contract that made him both coach and player for the new Portsmouth Shoe-Steels. The amount of Thorpe’s promised salary has been lost to history.
“Jim Thorpe Accepts Terms,” read the Times’ headline. Thorpe telegraphed Creasy on September 8th: “Terms satisfactory. Will report to you not later than next Tuesday. …. I am coming to Portsmouth to play and coach the team and you can believe me, it will be a winner.” Coleman Grimes of the Times proclaimed: “This means that Portsmouth at last will be represented by a real team on the gridiron. …. No other man could boost the game in the Peerless City as much as the colorful and well known athlete. …. Thorpe has played on some wonderful teams and needs no introduction to the football fans of the city. All he asks is their wholehearted support. He will get that and then some. Bring on the Tanks.”
Thorpe arrived in the city on the 12th of September, just under two weeks before the season opener against the Columbus Clothiers. The Times reported, “Jim Thorpe, famous athlete, who will coach the team and represent Portsmouth on the gridiron this season, … will don the spangles tonight and take charge of the candidates in Mound Park. …. He is full of confidence and enthusiasm and already likes Portsmouth and its famous cooperative spirit.” The Times called on “every loyal football fan … to buy a ticket and do his bit boosting the team to success.”
After his first practice session on a field laid out on the hilltop’s Mound Park, Thorpe would finally speak with the local press: “I mean business and Portsmouth is going to have a real eleven this fall, It’s too early to do any forecasting. I’m not prepared to make any statement, and I’m not taking any chances on making any wild statement, but the material looks good and from every indication we are going to have not only a heavy team, but a fast one. A few nights of hard work will tell me better just how we stand. Every man has to work for a job on this squad.”
Thorpe would put together the Shoe-Steels from some thirty players who turned out for a chance to make the team. Creasy ended up with a squad of talented and experienced athletes, drawn from Thorpe’s network and local veterans who had played for the Smoke House and Presidents.
Thorpe’s signing worked. It may be true he was often injured and when he did play it was for fewer minutes than earlier in his career, but the living legend of Thorpe gave confidence to the Portsmouth squad and boosted ticket sales. According to historian Carl Becker, “Creasy and Thorpe imparted to the community a sense of intensity, a determination to win hereto unknown in Portsmouth.” Hope and “a determination to win” fueled the efforts of Jack Creasy and the backers of the Shoe-Steels.
For their team captain, Thorpe’s players chose Jake Pfau, a local baker and veteran of the Presidents and the old Smoke House teams. Jack Creasy would also suit up to be held in reserve as a substitute. The opening game would break local sports attendance records and fueled fans’ visions of a new concrete stadium and sports complex at Labold Field. Over 2,500 were in attendance on September 25th, 1927, to see the Shoe-Steels defeat the Columbus Clothiers by a score of 13-0.
Thorpe, it turned out, never played in the opener due to an infection on his left foot, which required multiple lancings. By doctor’s orders and at the behest of his teammates, Thorpe stayed on the sidelines, where he coached them to victory. Creasy, according to the listed substitutions, saw action as a Center in the second half. Coleman Grimes reported that “many fans were disappointed” by Thorpe’s absence on the field, but the Shoe-Steels “showed that they have real football stuff in them and a lot can be expected of them this season. There were few fumbles and play was fast, the team worked like a well oiled machine.”
Thorpe would play the next Sunday and the team would have a winning record of 4-2 before their most anticipated game with the Ironton Tanks, who were undefeated at the time, with four wins and two ties. Interest in the rivalry ran higher than ever as game day (November 6th) approached. “Greatest Game in History to be played between Jim Thorpe’s Shoe-Steels and Tanks,” read the headline for November 3rd, 1927. The Times noted “the rivalry of the two teams is far known and will draw football fans from all over the tri-state region. It will be the greatest football battle every played in Portsmouth.”
The Peerless City finally had a team (they hoped) that could topple the Tanks and lead them to a regional championship. In the days leading up to the game, Creasy signed new players to bolster his lineup, a practice that was not uncommon in professional football’s early days. The Times reported: “With the addition of the center and backfield players who arrived here Wednesday to start practice on the Portsmouth Shoe-Steels, the players feel confident.” An estimated 4,500-5,000 fans showed up to see if Thorpe’s squad could finally defeat Ironton’s best.
Portsmouth fans would be disappointed, though. The Tanks shut out the Shoe-Steels 18-0. “Tanks Live up to Reputation; Win Easily from Portsmouth” read the headline the next day. Fans and players alike were shocked, but the river city rivals were scheduled to meet a second and final time just two weeks later.
Creasy and Thorpe worked furiously to recruit more players, pulling out all stops to give Portsmouth an edge. To add more size up front, the Shoe-Steels signed linemen Emil Mayer from Catholic University, as well as George Kidnerdine and Chal Joseph from the NFL’s Dayton Triangles.
The rematch would be played in Ironton’s Beechwood Stadium. For the first time in the rivalry’s history, Portsmouth beat the Tanks by a score of 7-0. “Tell it to the Wide World, Shoe-Steels Beat Tanks 7-0,” read the headline. The Portsmouth Shoe-Steels, according to Coleman Grimes, had “won back all lost laurels and redeemed themselves in the eyes of Portsmouth football fans when they decisively defeated the famous Ironton Tanks. For the first time this season the Tanks tasted the bitter dregs of defeat. For the first time in gridiron history a Portsmouth professional team defeated the Tanks.”
“After nine years of history that chalked up nothing but defeat after defeat for a Portsmouth gridiron representative, Jim Thorpe’s Shoe Steels, the River City’s 1927 organization came to Ironton yesterday afternoon with blood in their eye and fire on their cleats, and backed the Tanks into the shadows of defeat.” Grimes concluded that the Portsmouth team had “displayed the best football ever shown on the local turf by a team bearing the colors of the Floodwallers.”
The Times City Editor credited Thorpe and Creasy with putting together the team and whipping the “Floodwallers” into shape. “The gridiron loving populace doff their lids to Coach Jim Thorpe, Manager Jack Creasy and every member of the Steel-Shoes team. .... All season long Thorpe and Creasy insisted that ultimately they would mould a team together that would trounce the Tanks. That sounded like a yarn as it has on previous occasions but the trick was turned and before a record crowd in Ironton. What a grand and glorious feeling.”
The elated Shoe-Steels followed up their victory over Ironton with another win over the Columbus Bobbs (32-0). Then, with interest riding high, Creasy booked an eleventh game, a post-season match against the Ashland Armcos in a contest that would crown a regional champion. But Thorpe’s 10-game contract was up. According to historian Carl Becker, Thorpe “quarreled bitterly” with Creasy, who “offered him a raise but he refused it, sulking over a problem he would not publicly disclose.”
Before the championship game, Thorpe left Portsmouth, returning to his home near Marion, Ohio. He disappeared from local press coverage and into the pages of local sports history. Interestly, on the day of the final game (Sunday, December 4th, 1927), a “special dispatch,” headlined, “Portsmouth Plays Armcos at Ashland, Ky., Today — Jim Thorpe to Lead Invaders,” was published in the columns of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The unnamed correspondent (who was most likely Coleman Grimes, himself) reported that “the game is being billed as the final for the Valley championship, inasmuch as the Armcos have played two ties with the once-feared Ironton (Ohio) Tanks, while Portsmouth has a clean-cut 7-to-0 victory over the Tanks, so that the result of today’s conflict should give the ultimate victors undisputed title to being monarch of the pigskin chasers of the valley.”
Assistant Coach Walter Jean (a native of Chillicothe, Ohio) took over for Thorpe and, as a player-coach, Jean would lead the Shoe-Steels during their final match. Jean had joined the Shoe-Steels midseason, when Creasy recruited him from the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, Creasy worked furiously to shore up the team’s lineup and, with Jean’s connections, the Shoe-Steels booked more temporary players from Green Bay -- former Packers Joe Dunn, Eddie Kotel, Rex Enright, and Pid Purdy. But both Purdy and Enright were injured in an auto accident on their way from Wisconsin to Portsmouth. They never suited up and their absence may have changed the outcome of the game.
With some 3,200 fans in attendance at Armco Park in Ashland, but without Thorpe and his Green Bay reinforcements on the field, the Shoe-Steels lost a close 7-6 ballgame. “Creasy seemed on his way to building a team that had some standing in the community. His team had defeated the Tanks and enlisted some support from local newspapers and business interests, and had, apparently, solid players returning in 1928.” Creasy, however, in the words of Carl Becker, “would never again see football played along the river shore.”
Jack Creasy died unexpectedly at the age of 26, on July 14th, 1928. Following an emergency appendectomy at Portsmouth General Hospital, he contracted a fatal case of pneumonia. “Expressions of regret were heard on all sides Sunday over the passing of the affable, likeable, and courteous ‘Jack’ Creasy,” reported the Times. “Few of his friends realized the seriousness of his illness and the announcement of his death came as a cruel blow to them.”
With only months to go until the next season, football fans scrambled to fill the void left by Thorpe and now Creasy. The Times reported that “hundreds of the fans and downtown coaches” were asking “who will carry on the well laid plans of Jacques Creasy in building another powerful football team in Portsmouth this coming season?” The question, according to Coleman Grimes had “become a regular topic of conversation in the smoke shops, on the street corners, and other popular gathering places. …. In Jack Creasy the football fans lost a champion whose greatest desire was to build a football team that could defeat any other team in the Ohio Valley. He came close to reaching his ambition when he headed the Portsmouth Shoe Steels last fall. There was a football team that all Portsmouth will remember and Creasy had planned an even better team for this coming season when the hand of death stilled the heart of that lovable young fellow.”
Jack Creasy’s signing of Jim Thorpe, though mostly a publicity stunt, had worked. As player-coach Thorpe built on the successes of the the old Smoke House teams and the previous season’s Presidents. Thorpe and Creasy led the Shoe-Steels to a victory over the Tanks and a shot at the regional championship. And even though both men were no longer to be seen at Labold Field, Creasy and Thorpe had laid the foundation for professional football in Portsmouth and set the stage for the rise of the NFL Spartans.
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Derrick C. Parker and Andrew Lee Feight, Ph.D., “Jim Thorpe and the Shoe-Steels: Portsmouth, Ohio's First Professional Football Team,” Scioto Historical, accessed May 4, 2026, https://sciotohistorical.org/items/show/131.
Richard Anthony Stanfel was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League. He played as a guard, and his college and professional career spanned more than 50 years from 1948 to 1998. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2016. He was also named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team.
A native of San Francisco, Stanfel served in the United States Army and later played college football on both offense and defense for the San Francisco Dons from 1948 to 1950. He was selected as a first-team All-Coast defensive guard in 1950.
Stanfel was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 19th pick in the 1951 NFL draft, missed the 1951 season due to injury, and then played four seasons for the Detroit Lions from 1952 to 1955 and three seasons for the Washington Redskins from 1956 to 1958. He was a key offensive player on the Lions 1952 and 1953 NFL championship teams and was named the Most Valuable Player on the 1953 team. He was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team All-NFL player in five of his seven NFL seasons and played in five Pro Bowls.
Stanfel also spent more than 35 years as a football coach, principally as an offensive line coach. His coaching career included stints with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1959–1962), the California Golden Bears (1963), the Philadelphia Eagles (1964–1970), the San Francisco 49ers (1971–1975), the New Orleans Saints (1976–1980, 1997–1998), and the Chicago Bears (1981–1992). Bears head coach Mike Ditka called Stanfel the best offensive line coach in football after the Bears led the NFL in rushing three straight years and won Super Bowl XX.
In January 1951, Stanfel was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round, 19th overall pick, of the 1951 NFL draft. He was the first player drafted by head coach Buddy Parker after he became the Lions' head coach. In August 1951, Stanfel was hit from the side in a scrimmage while practicing in Wisconsin for the Chicago College All-Star Game, seriously injuring his left knee. As a result of the injury, Stanfel underwent knee surgery and did not play during the 1951 season. Stanfel later recalled: "For a solid year I worked with weights, took exercises and swam to strengthen the knee."
After recuperating from his knee injury, Stanfel made his NFL debut for the 1952 Detroit Lions, a team that compiled a 9–3 record, ranked second in the NFL with an average of 28.7 points scored per game, and defeated the Cleveland Browns in the 1952 NFL Championship Game. In November 1952, after the Lions rushed for a season-high 321 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Detroit Free Press published an article crediting Stanfel as a key to the running game. Assistant coach Aldo Forte said, "Stanfel's play at guard was the chief contribution to our great running game. He loves to play football and enjoys the game the rougher it gets." George Wilson added: "We feel that Stanfel is one of the best, if not THE best offensive guard in pro football today. He's fast, rangy and can block extremely well. He not only holds the players out of there; he knocks them down and then goes hunting for more."
In his second NFL season, Stanfel played for the 1953 Lions team that repeated as NFL champion, compiling a 10–2 record and again defeating the Browns in the 1953 NFL Championship Game. At the end of the 1953 regular season, the Lions players voted Stanfel as the team's most valuable player. Assistant coach Forte in December 1953 called Stanfel the best guard in the NFL, and Stanfel said that the MVP honor was "the biggest thrill I've ever received in football." He was also selected as a Pro Bowl player and was named a first-team All-NFL player by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP).
In the spring of 1954, the Calgary Stampeders sought to lure Stanfel to the Canadian Football League with an offer to pay 20% more than his $7,000 salary with the Lions. Stanfel instead signed a new contract with the Lions in May 1954 for an estimated salary of $8,500. After a strong start to the 1954 season, Stanfel missed the last five games of the regular season with a back injury. In Stanfel's absence, the Lions lost to the Bears and played the Eagles to a tie. Stanfel returned to the lineup days before the NFL Championship Game. At the time of Stanfel's return, Lions head coach Buddy Parker called him "the best blocking back in the NFL." The 1954 Lions compiled a 9–2–1 record and won the NFL Western Conference championship before losing to the Browns in the 1954 NFL Championship Game. For the second consecutive season, Stanfel was selected as a first-team All-NFL player by both the AP and UP.
The 1955 Lions fell to 3–9, as Stanfel was injured twice, the later time suffering a spinal injury that took him out of the lineup for three weeks. Despite the injuries, Stanfel remained one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL and was chosen to play in his second Pro Bowl after the 1955 season.
In April 1956, the Lions traded Stanfel to the Washington Redskins in exchange for Dick Alban. Joe Kuharich, who had been Stanfel's college coach at USF, was hired as the Redskins' head coach in 1954 and engineered the trade to acquire his former All-Coast lineman. Stanfel played for Kuharich's Redskins for three seasons from 1956 to 1958. The Redskins did not register a winning season during Stanfel's tenure with the team, compiling records of 6–6 in 1956, 5–6–1 in 1957, and 4–7–1 in 1958. Despite the team's subpar performance, Stanfel earned first-team All-NFL honors from the AP and UP all three years he was with the Redskins. In December 1958, after the end of the season, Kuharich left the Redskins and took over as head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. Within days, the press began to speculate that Stanfel, who had suffered multiple injuries during the 1958 season, would take a coaching position with Kuharich at Notre Dame.
In January 1959, Stanfel retired as a player and was hired as an assistant line coach at Notre Dame under Joe Kuharich, who had been Stanfel's head coach both at USF and with the Redskins. He remained an assistant coach at Notre Dame for four years. Notre Dame compiled records of 5–5, 2–8, 5–5, and 5–5 in four years under Kuharich and Stanfel. Kuharich was the only head coach in Notre Dame football history to compile a losing record (17–23) over his career with the program.
In January 1963, Stanfel was hired as the offensive line coach for the California Golden Bears football team. He was an assistant at Cal under head coach Marv Levy. Levy resigned as Cal's head coach in December 1963, and Stanfel was rumored at the time to be a leading candidate to take over as the new head coach. Levy, who also coached with Stanfel on the Philadelphia Eagles' staff in 1969, later wrote about Stanfel: "When it came to teaching fundamental line techniques, Dick Stanfel had no peer. . . . Many people who played or who closely observed professional football in the 1950s . . . feel he is the best offensive lineman to have ever played the game."
In March 1964, Stanfel renewed his professional relationship with Kuharich, who had been hired as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Kuharich hired Stanfel as the Eagles' offensive line coach. With quarterback Norm Snead joining Kuharich and Stanfel in moving from the Redskins to the Eagles in 1964, the Eagles initially ranked among the NFL's offensive leaders, finishing fourth in yards gained in 1965 and second in 1966. However, the defense lagged, and the Eagles compiled records of 6–8 and 5–9 in 1964 and 1965. In 1966, the team improved to 9–5, but fell to 6–7–1 in 1967 and 2–12 in 1968. Kuharich left the Eagles after the 1968 season, but Stanfel remained with the club through the 1970 season.
In February 1971, Stanfel returned to his home city as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Dick Nolan. He remained with the 49ers through the 1975 season, holding positions as offensive line coach and taking over in 1975 as the offensive coordinator. In the five years that Stanfel was on the staff, the 49ers compiled records of 9–5 in 1971, 8–5–1 in 1972, 5–9 in 1973, 6–8 in 1974, and 5–9 in 1975.
In February 1976, Stanfel was hired as Hank Stram's offensive line coach with the New Orleans Saints. Dick Nolan, under whom Stanfel served in San Francisco, took over as the Saints' head coach in 1978. The Saints compiled records of 4–10 in 1976, 3–11 in 1977, 7–9 in 1978, and 8–8 in 1979. When the 1980 Saints lost their first 12 games, Nolan was fired and Stanfel took over as interim head coach for the final four games of the 1980 season. The Saints compiled a 1–3 record under Stanfel.
In February 1981, Stanfel was hired by Neill Armstrong as the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears. He remained with the Bears when Mike Ditka took over as head coach in 1982. He remained with the Bears throughout Ditka's tenure with the team which lasted through the 1992 season. Stanfel was credited with helping to establish a solid offensive line that helped the 1985 Chicago Bears win Super Bowl XX. After the 1985 season, Ditka noted that the Bears had led the NFL in rushing for three straight years, gave credit to Stanfel, and called him "the best offensive line coach in football."
When Ditka was hired as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints in 1997, he persuaded Stanfel, then 70 years old, to come out of retirement as the Saints' offensive line coach. Stanfel said at the time that it was his respect for Ditka that lured him back to coaching: "I respect the man. He's a hell of a coach. I think he's an honest person and a fair man, and he asked me to come back. . . . He's always been good to me, and we've coached a long time together. In fact, I coached him when he was a player a couple years (with the Eagles), so I think there's a feeling for the both of us . . ." Stanfel announced his retirement from the Saints in January 1999.
In 1969, Stanfel was selected as an offensive guard on the NFL's 1950s All-Decade Team. He was selected as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in both 1993 and 2012, but failed to garner sufficient support.
Stanfel died at age 87 in June 2015 at his home in Libertyville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
In February 2016, Stanfel was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place in August 2016.
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Kenneth Michael Stabler was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 17 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Nicknamed "Snake", he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. During his 10 seasons in Oakland, Stabler received four Pro Bowl selections and was named Most Valuable Player in 1974. Stabler also helped the Raiders win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XI. He was posthumously inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
Stabler was selected in the second round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft by the Oakland Raiders, the reigning AFL champions. He was the fifth quarterback taken, after Greg Landry, Eldridge Dickey, Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban, and Mike Livingston. He was also drafted to play baseball by the New York Yankees in 1966, the New York Mets in 1967, and the Houston Astros in 1968.
Stabler signed a two-year contract with the Raiders in March 1968. However, he later underwent knee surgery and spent the 1968 AFL season on injured reserve (IR). He worked out with the taxi squad while on IR. In November 1968, the Raiders sent Stabler to Spokane, Washington, to play for the Spokane Shockers of the Continental Football League. He played in two games for the Shockers before being recalled by the Raiders in late November. In July 1969, Stabler left the Raiders, stating "there's not much sense in staying in it if I wasn't enjoying it." However, later in November 1969, Stabler said "I'll be back in pro football come June." In January 1970, it was reported that Stabler and Raiders head coach John Madden agreed that Stabler would return to the Raiders for training camp in July. Stabler made his first regular season appearance as a Raider in 1970. He first attracted attention in the NFL in a 1972 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After entering the game in relief of a flu-ridden Daryle Lamonica, he scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 30-yard scramble. The Steelers, however, came back to win on a controversial, deflected pass from Terry Bradshaw to Franco Harris, later known in football lore as the Immaculate Reception. After Lamonica was unable to lead the Raiders to an offensive touchdown in the first three games of the 1973 season, Stabler took over as starter. Stabler helped the Raiders finish the season with a 9–4–1 record and earn an appearance in the AFC championship game.
On April 2, 1974, Stabler and several NFL stars agreed to join the newly created World Football League. He signed a multi-year contract to play for the Birmingham Americans, beginning in 1976 once his Raiders contract would have expired. He said "the biggest thing to me is getting back home. Getting to play before the people in the South is where it's at for me. In two years I'll be in Birmingham if I have to hitchhike." The WFL folded midway through the 1975 season, and Stabler remained in the NFL without ever playing in the WFL.
After having severe knee injuries, Stabler became less a scrambling quarterback and more a classic, drop-back passer, known for accurate passes and an uncanny ability to lead late, come-from-behind drives. During the peak of his career, he had a receiving corps consisting of sprinter Cliff Branch, sure handed receiver Fred Biletnikoff, and tight end Dave Casper. All three of Stabler's receivers would ultimately end up in the Hall of Fame. The Raiders' philosophy was to pound teams with their running game (aided by multiple-time Pro Bowler Marv Hubbard at fullback, and Clarence Davis at tailback), then stretch them with their long passing game. Although Stabler lacked remarkable arm strength, he was a master of the long pass to Branch, and accurate on intermediate routes to Biletnikoff and Casper. As a starter in Oakland, Stabler was named AFC player of the year in 1974 and 1976, and was the NFL's passing champion in 1976. In January 1977, he guided the Raiders to their first Super Bowl victory, a decisive 32–14 win over the Minnesota Vikings at the Rose Bowl. Stabler was awarded the Hickok Belt for 1976, as the year's top professional sports athlete.
In the 1977 AFC playoffs against the Baltimore Colts on Christmas Eve, Stabler completed a legendary fourth quarter pass to Casper to set up a game-tying field goal by Errol Mann. This play, dubbed the "Ghost to the Post," sent the game to double overtime, which the visiting Raiders won 37–31, after Stabler threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Casper. In the second game of 1978 on September 10, the Holy Roller (Immaculate Deception) Game saw Oakland win 21–20 at San Diego after a fourth quarter forward fumble by Stabler was caught and forward-fumbled by two other players to score a touchdown and win the game. This caused the Ken Stabler Rule to be enacted in 1979, permitting only the fumbling player to recover the ball during a fourth down play, or during any down played after the two-minute warning in a half or overtime.
After subpar 1978 and 1979 seasons in which the Raiders failed to make the playoffs and saw the departure of many team leaders from the Super Bowl run – Clarence Davis, Skip Thomas, George Atkinson, Fred Biletnikoff, Willie Brown, and head coach John Madden – Stabler was traded in March 1980 to the Oilers for Dan Pastorini. He left as the Raiders' all-time leader in completions (1,486), passing yards (19,078), and touchdown passes (150). The Oilers saw Stabler as the missing ingredient that could finally get them past the rival Steelers and into the Super Bowl. Houston lacked the exceptional talent on offense that Stabler had thrived with in Oakland, as Earl Campbell and Casper—who was also acquired in a trade from the Raiders—were the few potent weapons they had. Meanwhile, Pastorini lost the starting job in Oakland to Jim Plunkett after an injury, and Plunkett then led the Raiders to a win in Super Bowl XV, which included a playoff win over the Oilers in the wild card game. Houston head coach Bum Phillips was fired shortly after the season, succeeded by defensive coordinator Ed Biles.
Without the popular head coach that rejuvenated an otherwise woeful Houston franchise, Stabler did not report to training camp in 1981 and announced his retirement through his agent on July 23. After five weeks and an injury to projected starter Gifford Nielsen, he returned to the Oilers in late August and signed a two-year contract. He had a mediocre season, as Houston went 7–9 and missed the playoffs.
Released by the Oilers after the season, Stabler re-joined Phillips in New Orleans in late August. (Dave Wilson had a season-ending knee injury on August 12.) In mid-September, the Saints traded longtime starter Archie Manning for offensive tackle Leon Gray. By this time, however, the 37-year-old Stabler was past his prime and the Saints were still a fairly dismal franchise. The first year was interrupted by a two-month players' strike; New Orleans was 4–5 and narrowly missed the expanded playoffs. The 1983 season was his best as a Saint. He started 14 games, and while the team's record in those games was only 7–7, Stabler was the starter for the final game of the season, in New Orleans, against the division rival Los Angeles Rams. Had the Saints won that game, they would have finished 9–7 and reached their first trip to the playoffs. But the Rams pulled out the victory late in the 4th quarter, 26–24. The Saints then acquired New York Jets veteran Richard Todd, who like Stabler played for Bryant at Alabama, before the 1984 season and Stabler retired in the middle of that season, in late October.
Stabler was the fastest to win 100 games as a starting quarterback, having done so in 150 games, which bettered Johnny Unitas' previous mark of 153 games. Since then, only Terry Bradshaw in 147 games, Joe Montana in 139 games, and Tom Brady in 131 games have reached 100 wins more quickly. Stabler was also the first NFL quarterback to retire with at least 200 passing yards per game in the playoffs (minimum 10 playoff appearances).
Stabler was named the twenty-seventh greatest quarterback of the post-merger era by Football Nation.
The Professional Football Researchers Association named Stabler to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2014.
At the 2016 NFL Honors, it was announced that Stabler had been selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he was officially inducted on August 6, 2016.
Following his retirement as a player, Stabler worked as a color commentator, first on CBS NFL telecasts, and then on radio with Eli Gold for Alabama football games. Stabler left before Alabama's 2008 season and was replaced by Phil Savage.
Stabler served as chairman of the XOXO Stabler Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission "to raise funds, build awareness and hope for a variety of charitable causes." Stabler's celebrity golf tournaments in Point Clear, Alabama have raised nearly $600,000 for charitable partner The Ronald McDonald House of Mobile, which serves families of seriously ill and injured children receiving medical treatment at local hospitals.
Stabler was featured on a Saturday Night Live skit as the spokesman for a fictional product called the "Lung Brush".
Professional wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts adopted his nickname "The Snake" as a tribute to Stabler.
Stabler is featured on the "NFL Legends" team in the video game NFL Street.
Stabler appears in the 2K video game All-Pro Football 2K8.
Stabler was married three times: to Isabel Clarke from 1968 to 1973, to Debbie Fitzsimmons from 1975 to 1978, and to Rose Molly Burch from 1984 to 2009.
Stabler had three daughters, Kendra Stabler Moyes, Alexa Stabler-Adams, and Marissa Leigh Stabler. In 2017, Alexa Stabler-Adams was certified by the NFLPA as a sports agent.
Renowned for being cool and cerebral on the field, Stabler was equally legendary for his off-field exploits; he wrote in his 1986 autobiography Snake, "The monotony of [training] camp was so oppressive that without the diversions of whiskey and women, those of us who were wired for activity and no more than six hours sleep a night might have gone berserk." Stabler told stories of drunk Raiders teammates pointing guns at him, and bailing out a teammate from jail who was wearing nothing but blue cowboy boots and his Super Bowl ring. "We were the only pro team who traveled with its own bail bondsman," he said.
Stabler died of colon cancer on July 8, 2015, at the age of 69. He had been diagnosed with the disease in February 2015. After some initial confusion when The Tuscaloosa News leaked a draft obituary for Stabler before word of his death could be confirmed, his family confirmed his death in a statement issued on July 9.
In February 2016, The New York Times reported that researchers at Boston University discovered high Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in Stabler's brain after his death. He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head. He was buried at Pine Rest Cemetery in Foley, Alabama.
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