The Story And Significance Of Charlie Joiner - Retired As The NFL Career Leader In Receptions, Receiving Yards, Games Played At Wide Receiver, And Seasons Played At Wide Receiver

Charles B. Joiner Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League for 18 seasons. He played 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, with whom he earned all three of his Pro Bowl selections, and was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 1980. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Joiner played college football with the Grambling State Tigers and was a three-time, first-team all-conference selection in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). He was selected as a defensive back in the fourth round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft by the AFL's Houston Oilers, who soon returned him to the wide receiver position. Joiner played three and a half seasons each for the Oilers (1969–1972) and Cincinnati Bengals (1972–1975), missing substantial time through injuries with both teams.

Cincinnati traded Joiner to the Chargers, with whom he played for eleven seasons (1976–1986). He made the Pro Bowl in his first year with the team, but his role was reduced in the following two seasons, nearly leading him to retire as early as 1978. Joiner's career was revitalised once head coach Don Coryell installed his Air Coryell passing offense. He had three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 1979–1981, making two further Pro Bowls (1979–1980) and the 1980 All-Pro team.

He retired with the most career receptions, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history. He was noted for his precise route running, as well as his longevity and late-career success, with over half his catches coming after his 32nd birthday. Joiner went on to serve as a wide receivers coach for twenty-six years before retiring completely after the 2012 season.

Joiner graduated from Grambling in 1969 and was selected in the fourth round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft with the 93rd overall pick by the AFL's Houston Oilers. A Corpus Christi Times draft review described him as a having "great speed (4.5 in the 40) and excellent hands." The Oilers drafted Joiner with intent to use him at defensive back; this upset Robinson, who stated his former player could "beat any defensive back one-on-one" in a press release urging Houston to keep him on offense. Joiner's own expectation was that he would "play a few years," qualify for an NFL pension and then move on to another career.

The Oilers eventually chose to play Joiner both ways as a rookie, installing him as their fourth wide receiver for the 1969 season. He was playing on offense when his rookie season was brought to an end by injury—he was tackled after making a catch in a week 7 victory over the Denver Broncos and suffered a compound fracture of the right arm. Head coach Wally Lemm described Joiner as a "fine young prospect" after the injury.

Joiner had another injury setback in 1970 when he broke an arm in the first preseason game. He missed the first five regular season games before returning to face the San Diego Chargers, producing 5 catches for 100 yards and scoring his first professional touchdown on a 46-yard pass from Jerry Rhome. He scored twice in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals later in the season, one of those on a career-long 87-yard touchdown catch.

Houston moved Joiner up in their depth chart by trading starting wide receiver Jerry LeVias before the 1971 season; general manager John W. Breen gave Joiner's performance in a preseason scrimmage as a reason for the trade. While the Oilers struggled for much of the season, they had one of the highest ranked passing attacks in the American Football Conference (AFC) and Joiner led the team in both receiving yardage and touchdowns.

Houston traded Joiner to Cincinnati six games into the 1972 season, on October 24; he and linebacker Ron Pritchard were sent to the Bengals in exchange for running backs Paul Robinson and Fred Willis. Joiner had been leading the Oilers in receiving with 16 receptions for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns, and had scored in his final game the day before the trade. He said, "I really didn't think it was me they were talking about. I was their leading pass receiver for two years and it really hurt me."

Houston traded Joiner to Cincinnati six games into the 1972 season, on October 24; he and linebacker Ron Pritchard were sent to the Bengals in exchange for running backs Paul Robinson and Fred Willis. Joiner had been leading the Oilers in receiving with 16 receptions for 307 yards and 2 touchdowns, and had scored in his final game the day before the trade. He said, "I really didn't think it was me they were talking about. I was their leading pass receiver for two years and it really hurt me."

Joiner said of his new team, "You come to a new situation and you may be a little scared, but everyone here has been friendly and it's been real good," adding that he found passes from the Bengals' quarterbacks to be thrown softer and to be easier to catch.

Cincinnati and Houston were scheduled to meet the Sunday after the trade. Joiner saw limited action with a single catch for 19 yards in a 30–7 win. Overall, he struggled to make an impact with his new team in 1972, catching only eight passes in eight games—he remained on the bench for the entirety of two of these. The Cincinnati Enquirer described him as a "disappointment" who "never quite measured up."

Joiner's progress was praised by offensive assistant coach Bill Walsh in the build-up to the 1973 season, with Walsh noting a particular improvement in accurate route running. Nonetheless, he entered the 1973 season with his position in the team under threat after the Bengals selected another wide receiver, Isaac Curtis, in the first round of the NFL draft; Curtis was expected to start as a rookie. Joiner suffered another injury setback in preseason, this time to his knee, and began the regular season on the inactive list. Head coach Paul Brown was impressed by his attitude as he fought to regain fitness after the injury, saying "No man ever worked harder or gave it more to get himself back in shape." Joiner returned to face the Cleveland Browns after missing three games but was immediately injured again; he caught a 26-yard pass on the Bengals' first play from scrimmage but suffered a fractured collar bone while being tackled and was believed to be out for the year.

Joiner returned sooner than expected, missing six further games before beginning a consecutive appearance streak that would last for over 13 years. Quarterback Ken Anderson praised Joiner's impact, saying that having both he and Curtis on the field stretched the opposing defense, who could not double cover both of them. Joiner finished the season with 13 catches for 134 yards from his five appearances. The Bengals were successful as a team, winning the AFC Central division with a 10–4 record. Joiner's first playoff game ended in a 34–16 defeat to the Miami Dolphins. The Bengals' passing attack was largely shut down, and he caught only two passes for 33 yards.

Cincinnati gave Joiner a new multi-year contract in the run-up to the 1974 season. He scored his first Bengals touchdown in week 5, a 65-yarder against Cleveland. He shared time with Chip Myers as Curtis' partner during the year.

Brown planned to use Joiner together with Myers and second-year receiver John McDaniel as a trio of partners for Curtis in 1975. He was the most successful of the three as the season progressed, posting new career bests of 37 receptions for 726 yards, an average of 19.6 yards per catch. On November 23, 1975, he set a Bengals then-single-game record with 200 receiving yards in a 35–23 loss to Cleveland; it would remain his personal career high.

Cincinnati won a wild card spot in the playoffs with an 11–3 record. They again lost in the first round, this time 31–28 to the Oakland Raiders. Joiner scored his first postseason touchdown as the Bengals came close to rallying from seventeen points behind in the final quarter—he said, "We should have won the ball game, we just ran out of time." It was his final game as a Bengal.

On April 1, Cincinnati traded Joiner to the San Diego Chargers for defensive end Coy Bacon. Brown acknowledged that Joiner was coming off a good year, but identified the defensive line as a stronger area of need for his team. Joiner was happy to reunite with Walsh, who had just joined the Chargers as their offensive coordinator. Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts was impressed by his new receiver in preseason: "I love Charlie Joiner. He has a knack for finding the open spot."

Joiner became the Chargers' leading receiver during a successful 1976 season with the team. He had a run of four consecutive 100-yard games early in the year, and secured his first 1,000-yard receiving season with two games to spare. He finished the year with 50 receptions for 1,056 yards (the third most in the league, and 285 more than Curtis had in Cincinnati) while averaging 21.1 yards per catch, and was named second-team All-Pro by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) at season's end.

The trade for Joiner benefited both teams in the short term, as both he and Bacon were named to the Pro Bowl and voted MVP by their respective teams that year. Beyond 1976, Bacon only played one more year in Cincinnati, while Joiner's career with the Chargers covered a further decade.

Joiner gave some thought to retirement before committing to play the 1977 season. He was reunited with his Grambling quarterback James Harris on the field, as Fouts was holding out through much of the season. Joiner was often double covered as newly acquired receiver Johnny Rodgers was injured, and their No. 1 draft pick from the year before, running back Joe Washington, was recovering from knee issues. Joiner finished with 35 catches, 542 yards and 6 touchdowns, short of his 1976 performance in all three statistics but still enough to led all Chargers wide receivers.

Ray Perkins became the Chargers' offensive coordinator in 1978, their third offensive coordinator in three years. He emphasized using running backs as possession receivers and rookie No. 1 pick John Jefferson as the deep threat while phasing out Joiner, who had undergone offseason knee surgery. He informed head coach Tommy Prothro before the season that he was considering retirement, but Prothro was able to persuade him to continue. Don Coryell became San Diego's head coach in 1978, replacing Prothro midseason; Coryell had a reputation as an offensive strategist, but largely stuck with Perkins' system in 1978. Joiner struggled with post-surgery knee problems during the year and finished with 33 receptions, two fewer than in 1976 despite the regular season increasing from fourteen games to sixteen.

In the 1979 season, Joiner featured heavily in the pass-based offense known as Air Coryell. The Chargers bolstered their receiving corps entering the season by using their first-round draft pick to select tight end Kellen Winslow. Coryell also hired Joe Gibbs as the new offensive coordinator that season after Perkins left for the New York Giants. They noticed that Joiner had been getting open the year before, and envisioned him as a key to their offense.

It was a successful regular season for the Chargers, as they posted a 12–4 record and earned their first divisional title in 14 years. Joiner played a key role in the division-deciding game, a 17–7 win over the Denver Broncos in the regular-season finale. He was forced back to the locker room twice during the game with injuries, but returned to the field bandaged both times. He sustained a concussion during the game and finished it with stitches over one eye, as well as hip and thigh injuries. Joiner finished the game with 3 catches for 58 yards and the game-winning touchdown. It was an inspirational performance with Jefferson unable to play and John Floyd, the Chargers only other receiver, being just a rookie; Coryell later remembered it as "The Charlie Joiner Game."

Joiner finished second in the AFC in receptions to Baltimore's Joe Washington, his former Chargers teammate, with a career-high 72 catches covering 1,008 yards and four touchdowns. His reception total was the most by a Charger since Lance Alworth's 73 in 1966, and the most by a player Joiner's age (32) in NFL history at that time. Joiner was the third player in league history to catch 70 or more passes after age 30, joining Don Maynard and Ahmad Rashad, who were each 30. He was named to the Pro Bowl, replacing an injured Lynn Swann, who himself was a replacement for Steve Largent. Joiner was the oldest player in the all-star game.

Joiner's third playoff game ended in another defeat; his former team the Oilers overcame key injuries to surprise San Diego 17–14 in their own stadium. A disappointed Joiner commented: "I think we took it for granted... You got to fight in this game. We let them take it away from us. They wanted it more than we did."

Joiner had again expected to retire after the previous season, but returned in 1980 saying he wanted "one more shot at the Super Bowl." He had a career-high 10 catches in one game in a 44–7 win over the New York Giants, accounting for 171 yards and a touchdown. Joiner finished the year with 71 receptions for 1,132 yards, and teamed with Jefferson and Winslow to become the first trio of receivers on a team to reach 1,000 yards in the same season. The three were all named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press.

The Chargers won their division again, this time with an 11–5 record. In the divisional playoffs, Joiner's 9-yard touchdown catch from Fouts began a comeback that saw the Chargers turn a 14–3 halftime deficit into a 20–14 victory, Joiner's first in the playoffs. San Diego progressed to the AFC championship game, where Joiner led the team with 6 catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, but could not prevent a 34–27 home defeat to the Raiders. Reflecting on a second consecutive season of being eliminated at home, Joiner said, "We have to think about opportunities. We really missed the last two years."

Joiner once again considered retirement before the 1981 season, saying "Frankly, I don't know how much longer I can play. I feel my skills have diminished." Nonetheless, he continued his career, beginning the season as the Chargers' top wide receiver due to Jefferson holding out and eventually being traded. In San Diego's opening game at Cleveland, Joiner caught 6 passes for 191 yards, which would be his best total with the Chargers. This prompted Fouts to say, "I don't why he's so much better than he was when I first saw him, but he is. I've never seen him better." After another strong performance in week 2, Joiner already had 13 catches for 357 yards on the season, and felt his knees to be in better condition than past seasons. His production decreased in the following weeks as opposing defenses double covered him, but the addition of Wes Chandler to replace Jefferson relieved that pressure. Joiner finished with 70 catches, making him the first receiver with at least 70 catches in three consecutive NFL seasons. He also had a team-leading and career-high 1,188 yards receiving, and the Chargers won their third consecutive AFC West title with a 10–6 record.

In the divisional playoffs, Joiner played a key role in San Diego's 41–38 overtime win over the Miami Dolphins, a game that became known as The Epic In Miami. He caught 7 passes for 108 yards, including a 39-yard reception on the penultimate play of the game set up Rolf Benirschke's game-winning 29-yard field goal. The Chargers advanced again to the conference championship, but lost 27–7 to Joiner's former team Cincinnati in a game later known as the Freezer Bowl due to frigid gameday conditions.

Joiner committed to another season in July, signing a new contract. The 1982 season was reduced to nine games by a players' strike. Joiner had no touchdowns in the regular season, though he did produce three 100-yard games.

San Diego finished 6–3, making the playoffs for the last time in Joiner's career. They won their first game 31–28 at the Pittsburgh Steelers, but lost the next 34–13 in Miami, with their powerful offense largely shut down. Joiner scored his only touchdown of the season during the Miami defeat. He said, "The Chargers are human. You can't ask everything of us, every game."

During the offseason Joiner intimated that his decision on whether to continue his career might rest on whether Fouts, a free agent, negotiated a new contract with the Chargers. Fouts did eventually sign, and Joiner was back for another season.

The Chargers had a disappointing 1983 campaign; Fouts missed time through injuries, and they finished 6–10. Joiner played the full season despite cracked ribs, he caught 65 passes for 960 yards and 3 touchdowns, and was voted both the most valuable and most inspirational Charger by his teammates. His late-career surge had seen Joiner catch 314 passes in the past five seasons after only catching 282 in his first ten.

Joiner quickly expressed an interest in returning for the 1984 season, and said that he was "kind of looking forward to camp." He nonetheless did not attend his first mandatory practice, as he was holding out for a two-year contract and the Chargers were only offering him one year. Winslow said of his absence, "It's like there's a missing link, the chemistry isn't there. It's as if you're missing an ingredient." The holdout lasted only six days before Joiner agreed to a one-year contract. He entered the season needing 52 receptions to break Charley Taylor's NFL record of 649 for a career.

Joiner made little impact during the early part of the season, with only eight catches during the first four games; in week 4 against the Raiders he had no catches at all, ending a streak of 85 consecutive games with a catch (78 regular season, 7 postseason). He improved enough to finish with 61 catches on the year.

Joiner passed Taylor as the career leader in receptions on November 25, 1984, breaking the mark with 6 catches for 70 yards and a touchdown in a 52–24 loss against the Steelers. The record-breaking 650th catch was a 3-yarder from backup quarterback Ed Luther late in the game. Joiner expressed disappointment that the landmark had come in an away game, in a loss, and that Fouts hadn't thrown the record-breaking pass.

During the offseason Joiner signed another one-year contract, committing to a tenth year with the Chargers. He stated in training camp that he considered himself "on the bubble" as a player who might struggle to maintain a place in the team at the expense of younger receivers. Joiner continued to play in every game, and passed Jackie Smith's record of 210 appearances at a receiving position early in the season. He finished the 1985 season with 59 catches for 932 yards, and tied his career high by scoring 7 touchdowns.

Joiner signed another one-year contract, and entered the 1986 season only 128 receiving yards behind Don Maynard's NFL record of 11,834 for a career. He would turn 39 during the course of the season and was the second-oldest active player behind Jeff Van Note of the Atlanta Falcons, as well as the oldest wide receiver in league history.

He surpassed Maynard's record of receiving yards in a week 5 away game against the Seattle Seahawks. The record-breaking catch was a 20-yarder from Fouts during the 3rd quarter of a 33–7 defeat; the game was halted briefly and Joiner got a standing ovation from the Seattle crowd. Joiner broke his right hand late in the season. In week 15, he was available to play in what would have been his final home game, but was kept on the sidelines by new head coach Al Saunders due to his injury. It was the first game he had missed since 1973 with the Bengals, and broke a 194-game regular season appearance streak. Joiner was disappointed, but said that the younger receivers had practiced all week for the game and it would have been unfair to them if he had played. Saunders expressed regret for not using him, saying that the Joiner's streak and potential last home game didn't cross his mind. Joiner did play the following week, ending his career with 3 catches for 25 yards in a 47–17 defeat at Cleveland.

Joiner finished the year with 34 catches, his least productive season since 1978, and retired from playing after the season. He said, "I'd thought about it for about eight or nine years and I finally did it. I'm 39 and that's too old to be playing football for a wide receiver. I've had a great career, I think, and I'm just proud of the fact that I finished No. 1, even though it probably won't last that long."

Joiner was the last active player from the AFL. He finished his 18 AFL/NFL seasons with 750 receptions for 12,146 yards, averaging 16.2 average per catch, and 65 touchdowns. He caught 586 passes in 11 seasons with San Diego after totaling 164 in seven seasons with Houston and Cincinnati. Joiner had 50 or more catches in seven seasons, five with 60 or more, and three with at least 70 with the Chargers. He retired as the then-NFL leader in career receptions and receiving yards. At the time, he also played the most seasons (18) and games by a wide receiver (239). At age 39, Joiner also retired as the oldest wide receiver in NFL history, Joiner had 530 receptions after he was 30 years old, including 396 starting from the 1980 season, during which he turned 33. He credited his success and longevity to Coryell: "Thanks to Coach Coryell’s offense and his revolutionary passing game, he prolonged my career, from the day I got to the Chargers until the day I retired. I will forever be grateful to him and what he did for the game of football."

Joiner excelled despite neither being among the quickest nor most talented receivers in the NFL. Throughout his career, he was overshadowed by more glamorous receiving mates, including LeVias and Ken Burrough in Houston, Curtis in Cincinnati, and Jefferson, Chandler, and Winslow with San Diego. In addition to good health and longevity, Joiner was an intelligent player and precise pass route runner, capable of changing direction without sacrificing speed due to a short stride and low centre of gravity. He had a tendency to fumble while with the Bengals, but fixed the problem and seldom fumbled while in San Diego. Joiner rarely ran deep routes, specialising in running inside patterns and making tough catches in traffic. He became aware early in his time in San Diego that he no longer had the sprinting speed of his youth, and compensated with an improved knowledge of defenses brought on by experience. Quiet and modest as an individual, Joiner was voted the Chargers' most inspirational player seven times by his teammates.

Hall of Fame coach Walsh called Joiner "the most intelligent, the smartest, the most calculating receiver the game has ever known." Gibbs, his offensive coordinator in San Diego, praised Joiner as "a totally dedicated guy who was just a great producer." "Without question, he is the finest technician—running routes and reading coverages—in the National Football League", said Ernie Zampese, the Chargers' receiving coach. Bengals teammate Bob Trumpy praised Joiner's work ethic, saying, "You know why he's caught all those balls? Because he's busted his tail in every practice, on every play in practice. Whatever quarterback he's been with has known that Charlie will be there, every time. He trusts Charlie." Joiner was Fouts' favorite receiver on third down. "All I’m trying to do out there is look for a port in a storm. He’s the port. Having Charlie is like having a fail-safe button," said Fouts.

Joiner was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, becoming the third Grambling player to be selected. In 1999, he was ranked No. 100 on The Sporting News's list of the 100 greatest football players, while a 2019 USA Today article ranked him as the ninth-best player in Chargers history. He was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. The Chargers inducted Joiner into their hall of fame in 1993 and retired his No. 18 in 2023.

In 1987, Saunders hired Joiner as an assistant coach working with wide receivers. He was retained by the following head coach, Dan Henning, but Henning's entire coaching staff were dismissed following the 1991 season, ending Joiner's sixteen-year run with the team as a player and coach. He joined the Marv Levy's Buffalo Bills shortly afterwards, again serving as a wide receiver coach, then moved on to take the same role with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001. Joiner stayed with the Chiefs for seven seasons before losing his job with them in 2008; he re-joined the Chargers three weeks later for final stint working with their receivers. Joiner spent five more years in San Diego, then announced his retirement at the age of 65, saying football was "definitely a young man's game."

Joiner's retirement ended a 44-year professional career, eighteen as a player and twenty-six as a position coach. Twenty-one of those years were spent with the Chargers.

After leaving the Oilers, Joiner continued to live in Houston throughout the rest of his playing career, only moving to Rancho Bernardo in San Diego when he joined the Chargers' coaching staff. He has an accountancy degree from his time in college, and worked part time for Gulf Oil during the offseason for ten years. Joiner was unusual in not employing a sports agent, as his knowledge of finance allowed him to manage his own contract negotiations.

Joiner is married and has two daughters.

The Story And Significance Of Joe Gibbs - Head Coach Of Three Super Bowl Teams With Three Different Starting Quarterbacks

Joe Jackson Gibbs is an American auto racing team owner and former football coach. He served two stints as the head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League, from 1981 to 1992 and then 2004 to 2007. Gibbs led them to nine playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl wins over 16 total seasons.

Gibbs was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1983 and is the only head coach to have won Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks. He and his family founded the NASCAR team Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992, which has since won five NASCAR championships. Gibbs was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020, the only member of both, and was voted onto the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Gibbs began his career in 1964 coaching offensive linemen under Don Coryell for the San Diego State Aztecs football team. He served two years each at Florida State, USC, and Arkansas. Gibbs then advanced to the National Football League, hired as the offensive backfield coach for the St. Louis Cardinals (1973–1977) by Coryell, who had been named head coach. After a season as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1978) under McKay, Gibbs rejoined Coryell with the San Diego Chargers in 1979.

While in Tampa, Gibbs developed the reputation as a leading pioneer for championing black quarterbacks in the NFL, which was considered extremely controversial at the time. After thoroughly studying Matt Cavanaugh, who led Pitt to a national championship, Guy Benjamin, an All-American from Stanford University, and Doug Williams from Grambling State University, Gibbs rated Williams as the best professional prospect, and informed head coach McKay that Williams would be "hands down and without question" the best quarterback in the 1978 NFL draft. According to Tony Dungy, "People don't realize that Joe Gibbs changed the face of the NFL by having the courage to say, in a Southern town at that time, that Doug Williams is the guy we should take. When Tampa drafted Doug, it shocked the whole country to take this unknown from Grambling over those star players from Pitt and Stanford. But that was Joe Gibbs. He was looking for the best player possible." With the recommendation of Gibbs, Tampa Bay selected Williams, and became the first African-American drafted in the first round to play quarterback.

In his book Rise of the Black QB, author Jason Reid cited an incident in the 1978 Tampa Bay training camp, in which quarterbacks coach Bill Nelsen began berating Williams in what was described as going beyond coaching and becoming a personal attack. Just a position coach at the time, Gibbs, who was at the opposite end of the field, sprinted over to Nelsen and confronted him. "I think Coach Gibbs knew that it wasn't a matter of being coached hard," recalled Williams. "I mean, I played for Eddie Robinson at Grambling, so he knew I could handle that. But he (Gibbs) immediately sensed that something else was going on."[3] Gibbs threw his clipboard down, pointed his finger in Nelsen's face and said, "Don't you ever talk to him like that again! Is that clear?" According to Williams, Nelsen never confronted Williams in that manner again.

As the offensive coordinator for San Diego, Gibbs spearheaded the highly successful "Air Coryell" offense. Using a sophisticated passing attack, the Chargers and quarterback Dan Fouts set multiple offensive records during Gibbs' two seasons there. Remarkably, the Chargers averaged more than 400 yards of offense per game during their 1980 season. After 17 years of coaching as an assistant, the Washington Redskins offered Gibbs their head coaching position.

After firing then-head coach Jack Pardee, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke was on the lookout for candidates. When general manager Bobby Beathard pointed out the 40-year-old San Diego assistant coach, Cooke, who had a keen eye for spotting leadership and an ability to teach (he also hired Jerry West and Sparky Anderson to their first managerial/executive jobs), saw Gibbs' potential during an interview and hired him.

Gibbs' first season with the Redskins started inauspiciously when the team lost their first five games. Cooke famously expressed confidence in Gibbs, declaring that the team would finish 8–8. The losses and Cooke's confidence served as a catalyst, and the newly motivated team improved and reached an even 8–8 record in 1981.

Gibbs' second season with the Redskins, which was shortened by a players strike, saw them defeat the Miami Dolphins 27–17 in Super Bowl XVII. In 1983, Gibbs' success continued with a 14–2 regular-season record and a win against the Los Angeles Rams 51–7 at home, in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Redskins once again won an NFC Championship, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 24–21 on a last-second field goal, advancing to Super Bowl XVIII. The Redskins were installed as a 2-point favorite by Nevada books going into the game, but were soundly defeated by the Los Angeles Raiders 38–9.

The 1984 Redskins won the NFC East with an 11–5 record and hosted a home playoff game against the Chicago Bears but lost 23–19.

Gibbs coached the 1985 Redskins to a 10–6 regular-season record and barely missed the playoffs. During the season Joe Theismann broke his leg during a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, but the Redskins still won the game with Jay Schroeder at quarterback.

In 1986, Gibbs coached the team to a 12–4 regular-season record and defeated the Los Angeles Rams 19–7 in the wild card playoffs, then upset the defending champion Chicago Bears 27–13 in the divisional round, on the road, to get back to the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants. The Giants would win 17–0. It was to be Gibbs' only NFC championship game loss.

The 1987 Redskins made the playoffs and again defeated the Chicago Bears 21–17 on the road in the divisional round, then beat the Minnesota Vikings 17–10 at home in the NFC Championship Game, then at Super Bowl XXII, they rode the arm of quarterback Doug Williams to blow out the Denver Broncos 42–10.

Four years later, the Redskins won their first 11 games before finishing the season 14–2, and cruised through the playoffs with home victories over the Atlanta Falcons (24–7) and Detroit Lions (41–10). In Super Bowl XXVI, the Redskins were up 24–0 on the Buffalo Bills just 16 seconds into the third quarter, and 37–10 with over 11 minutes to go when Gibbs pulled most of his starters. The Bills would score two cosmetic touchdowns for a final score of 37–24. The victory gave Gibbs and the team their third Super Bowl title.

Gibbs returned for the 1992 regular season to defend the Redskins' Super Bowl crown from the previous year. The Redskins finished with a lesser record at 9–7 and third place in the NFC East. They needed a bit of help to make the playoffs and they got it after a loss by the Green Bay Packers got them in as the last Wild Card entry. In the wild-card round, the Redskins defeated the Minnesota Vikings on the road, by the score of 24–7, however they would fall in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers in a road game by the score of 20–13, ending the Redskins' hopes of retaining their Super Bowl crown. Two months after Super Bowl XXVII, Gibbs retired on March 5, 1993, surprising many in the organization and around the league. Center Jeff Bostic called it "probably the biggest shock I've gotten in my life." A notorious workaholic, he had begun to suffer health problems, and he cited a desire to spend more time with his family.

From 1994 to 1997, Gibbs served as a color analyst on NBC Sports' NFL pregame show.

In 1996, Gibbs was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was one of the winningest coaches in the NFL, with a record of 124–60, and a post-season record of 16–5. His combined winning percentage of .683 was third all-time (behind Vince Lombardi and John Madden). In his 12 seasons so far, the Redskins won 4 NFC East titles, reached the playoffs 8 times, and finished with a losing record only one season (7–9 in 1988). Gibbs is the only NFL coach to win three Super Bowls with three different starting quarterbacks and three different starting running backs.

Although Gibbs helped craft a passing-oriented attack during his time in San Diego, his Redskins teams incorporated a smash-mouth, rushing-oriented attack oriented around such plays as the iconic counter trey. By building a strong offensive line (known as "The Hogs") Gibbs was able to control the line of scrimmage, allowing workhorse running backs John Riggins, George Rogers, and Earnest Byner to power the ground game. Gibbs added a deep passing attack which complemented the ground game, utilizing agile receivers such as Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders. Gibbs' offense was aided by aggressive defensive units under the direction of defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon.

Gibbs' system was robust enough to be successful without a Hall-of-Fame-caliber quarterback at the helm. The Redskins' Super Bowl victories were won featuring Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, and Mark Rypien. Gibbs is credited with inventing the H-back set, typically by use of a smaller tight end in the backfield. Gibbs was also credited for creating the Trips formation: stacking three wide receivers to one side. He is one of few coaches that utilized the H-back position prominently in his offense. Gibbs' offenses were known for their extensive number of formations, as well as shifts and motions.

Gibbs created his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992, a year before he first retired from the NFL. The first driver for his team was Dale Jarrett (1992–1994), with the sponsor Interstate Batteries, and the number 18. His son, J. D. Gibbs, was the president of Joe Gibbs Racing and oversaw daily operations of each of the teams since his father's return to the NFL. J. D. Gibbs passed away on January 11, 2019. Driver Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 on February 17 and dedicated the win to J. D. in his post-race celebration.

The team currently fields four full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series and three full-time entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

In 2008, Gibbs branched out into motorcycle racing, forming the JGRMX team competing in the AMA motocross and supercross championships. The team is based in Huntersville, North Carolina. The team was managed by Gibbs' son Coy Gibbs until his untimely death in November 2022.

Throughout his retirement, many NFL owners approached Gibbs hoping to lure him out of retirement, but to no avail. Some owners even offered to move his entire NASCAR racing team to their team's city if he came back. The only team he seriously considered coming back for was the Carolina Panthers when they first joined the NFL as an expansion in 1995. However, he did not believe he would be able to manage his time between his race team and coaching. In 1999, he was part of a group that was trying to buy the Redskins but ultimately failed. In 2002, Gibbs and a small group of investors bought five percent of the Atlanta Falcons from owner Arthur Blank for $27 million. It wasn't until late 2003 when Gibbs really started to catch the football fever again. Blank and his general manager, Rich McKay moved quickly to interview him for the Falcons' vacant head coaching position due to the firing of Dan Reeves.

In January 2004, Gibbs accepted an offer from Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to return as the team's head coach. At his press conference, Gibbs stated that even though he enjoyed NASCAR, he had also missed coaching in the NFL. Gibbs left his racing team in the hands of his eldest son, J. D., while his other son, Coy, joined him as an assistant with the Redskins. Many coaches from his previous tenure with the team returned with Gibbs as well, including offensive line coach/assistant head coach Joe Bugel, offensive coordinator Don Breaux, quarterbacks coach Jack Burns, and tight ends coach Rennie Simmons. Gibbs also hired former Buffalo Bills head coach Gregg Williams to join the team to run the defense and hired one of his former running backs, Earnest Byner, to serve as running backs coach.

In 2004, Gibbs had what was, up to that point, the worst season of his career with a 6–10 finish. However, the team did finish the season on a high note with a 21–18 victory over playoff-bound Minnesota. The defense also finished the season ranked third in yards allowed. Hoping to improve on the previous season's dismal passing attack, Gibbs added former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave as his quarterbacks coach. Having coached new Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell when they both were in Jacksonville, they easily formed a rapport. Musgrave's input allowed the Redskins to add a few new wrinkles to their playbook. For the first time under Gibbs, the Redskins offense utilized the shotgun formation. In the Wild Card playoff game, Gibbs led his team to a 17–10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to whom the Redskins suffered a 36–35 defeat earlier in the year. In the next round of the playoffs, however, the Redskins could not replicate their early-season victory over the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks, and lost to the eventual NFC Champion by the score of 20–10.

During the 2006 offseason, Gibbs hired Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator Al Saunders to be associate head coach. Saunders came from a similar background as Gibbs, as both learned under Don Coryell. He took over for Gibbs as the team's primary play-caller upon joining the Redskins. This allowed Gibbs to focus more on his role as head coach and CEO and devote more time to personnel matters, defense, and special teams. Gibbs also added former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray to his staff as secondary/cornerbacks coach.

The Redskins finished 5–11 in 2006, the team's worst regular-season record under him. The following season the team suffered a tragedy when free safety Sean Taylor was shot in his home during a home robbery in November 2007 and died in the hospital a day later. However, the Redskins still qualified for the playoffs following the completion of a 9–7 regular season before being defeated by the NFC West division champions Seattle Seahawks in the first round. Gibbs retired as head coach and president in January 2008, citing family obligations. During Gibbs' four-year return to the Redskins, the team qualified for the playoffs twice, once more than it qualified for the playoffs during his 11-year absence. He was succeeded as head coach by Jim Zorn.

He founded Game Plan for Life in 2009, an evangelical Christian witnessing organization. In 2017, the organization funded the establishment of a Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary campus in the Nash Correctional Institution prison in Nashville, North Carolina.

Gibbs became a Baptist at the age of nine. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife Patricia, who is of Mexican descent. They had two sons, J. D. Gibbs and Coy Gibbs, and eight grandchildren, including Ty Gibbs. His son J. D. died on January 11, 2019, after a long battle with neurological brain disease diagnosed in 2015, while his other son, Coy, died in his sleep on November 6, 2022. His grandsons Jackson and Ty both work for his team. Jackson played college football at UCLA and Appalachian State, and Miller also played football at Appalachian State. Jackson is currently a pit crew member for Christopher Bell in the NASCAR Cup Series. Ty drives the No. 54 in the NASCAR Cup Series for JGR. Ty won the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship and the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Gibbs became a limited partner of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) upon their investment in Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023.

On September 5, 2008, Gibbs addressed the 2008 Republican National Convention, during which he offered his support for John McCain and his hope that the McCain-Palin ticket would lead to a 'spiritual awakening' in the United States. Gibbs has long been open about his Christian faith, but notoriously reserved about articulating his political positions, because, as the old Washington joke goes, "The Redskins are the only thing that unites the town." As one of the most sought after A-List figures in Washington social circles for over a quarter-century (and even being referred to as "the most popular man in Washington" by the Washington Post), Gibbs admitted being uneasy addressing the convention, stating that it was "a little awkward to put on a partisan hat."

In 1992, Gibbs co-authored Joe Gibbs: Fourth and One, and in 2003, he co-authored Racing to Win. The books resemble a business and life how-to book and motivational guide as he discusses his successes and mistakes in his career, offering the lessons he learned as tips to the readers. In 2009, Gibbs wrote the book Game Plan for Life which discusses his life in football; how his religious faith can help others and outside of sports, as well as key topics that are important to people trying to lead a contemporary Christian lifestyle.

The Story And Significance Of Dan Dierdorf - Six Time All-Pro At Offensive Tackle

Daniel Lee Dierdorf is an American sportscaster and former football player. He played 13 seasons (1971–1983) as an offensive tackle for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League.

Dierdorf played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1968 to 1970 and was selected as a consensus All-American in 1970 and a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player in 1969 and 1970. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1996 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Playing in the NFL for St. Louis, he was selected by the National Football League Players Association as the Offensive Lineman of the Year for three consecutive years from 1976 to 1978. Between 1974 and 1980, he played in the Pro Bowl six times and was chosen as a first-team All-Pro five times. He was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Since his playing career ended, Dierdorf has worked as a broadcaster. He worked for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from 1987 to 1999, including 12 seasons as color analyst on Monday Night Football. He was then part of the NFL on CBS team as an announcer for 15 years from 1999 to 2013. Since 2014, he has been the color analyst for Michigan Wolverines football radio broadcasts. In 2008, Dierdorf received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Dierfdorf was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round (43rd overall pick) of the 1971 NFL draft. As a rookie in 1971, he appeared in 12 games, six as a starter. During the 1972 and 1973 seasons, Dierdorf became a fixture in the Cardinals' offensive line, starting all 14 games both years. However, the Cardinals continued to struggle, compiling identical 4–9–1 records all three years. Dierdorf played at the offensive guard and offensive tackle positions in 1971 and 1972 before settling in at the offensive tackle in 1973.

From 1974 to 1976, Dierdorf started every game at right tackle for the Cardinals during a three-year span in which the team compiled records of 10–4, 11–3, and 10–4 under head coach Don Coryell. In 1977, Dierdorf sustained a broken jaw and missed two games to injury as the Cardinals fell to 7–7. In 1978, Dierdorf started all 16 games at right tackle for the Cardinals.

During his peak years from 1974 to 1978, Dierdorf was regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He was selected by the National Football League Players Association as the Offensive Lineman of the Year for three consecutive years from 1976 to 1978. The Cardinals' offensive line, led by Dierdorf, Conrad Dobler, and Tom Banks, led the NFL with the fewest sacks allowed for three years (and the National Football Conference for five years) in the mid-1970s. In 1975, the group set an NFL record, allowing only eight sacks in 14 games.

Dierdorf did not allow a sack during the entire 1976 and 1977 seasons. His streak ended in the first game of the 1978 season when Chicago Bears defensive end Tommy Hart tallied two sacks against Dierdorf. Dierdorf had not given up a sack since the 1975 NFC Divisional playoff game when Jack Youngblood sacked Jim Hart.

Dierdorf was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for five consecutive years from 1974 to 1978. Dierdorf also received first-team All-NFL honors as follows: in 1975 from the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA); in 1976 from the Associated Press (AP), PFWA, Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and Pro Football Weekly (PFW); in 1977 from AP, PFWA, NEA, and PFW; and in 1978 from AP, PFWA, NEA, PFW. He was named as the NFC choice for the NFLPA/Coca-Cola Offensive Lineman of the Year Award three straight years (1976–78) and was the Seagram's Seven Crowns of Sports Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1975. He also won the Forrest Gregg Award for NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1975.

On September 9, 1979, Dierdorf sustained torn ligaments in his left knee during an extra point attempt in the second quarter of the second game of the season against the New York Giants. After the game, Dierdorf said, "The knee was completely out of the socket. It moved a couple of inches off to the side. My leg was all twisted around and my foot was pointing in the wrong direction. It was painful. Very painful." Dierdorf was carried off the field on a stretcher, underwent knee surgery, and missed the remainder of the 1979 season.

Dierdorf returned to the Cardinals in 1980, starting all 16 games for the team at right tackle in both the 1980 and 1981 seasons. In 1980, he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl and was selected as a first-team All-NFL player by the NEA. In 1982, Dierdorf moved to center and was the starter at that position for all nine games in a strike-shortened season.

In 1983, Dierdorf returned to his right tackle position and appeared in seven games, only four as a starter. On October 11, 1983, after the Cardinals began the season with a 1–5 record, Dierdorf announced that he would retire at the end of the 1983 season. At the press conference announcing his retirement, Dierdorf said, "This was an easy decision for me to make. . . . Physically, I just can't play the type of game I want to." He added: "Ninety-five percent of me is sad that I'm retiring, but my knees are very, very happy."

In January 1984, after retiring as a player, Dierdorf was hired as an afternoon talk show host by KMOX radio in St. Louis. In the fall of 1984, he also worked as a color analyst on radio broadcasts of Missouri Tigers football and St. Louis Cardinals football games. In late 1984, he also added St. Louis Blues hockey broadcasts to his repertoire. In the fall of 1985, Dierdorf was hired by CBS as part of its broadcast team for NFL games. He worked on CBS broadcasts of NFL games in 1985 and 1986.

In April 1987, Dierdorf was hired by ABC to join Al Michaels and Frank Gifford on Monday Night Football broadcasts. He spent 12 seasons on Monday Night Football before resigning the post in early 1999.

During his affiliation with ABC, Dierdorf also served as a blow-by-blow boxing commentator in 1989, beginning with Meldrick Taylor's first defense of his championship, served as a correspondent for the network's coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and called play-by-play of some College Football on ABC games in the early 1990s.

In April 1999, Dierdorf signed with CBS and was paired with Verne Lundquist as the network's No. 2 NFL broadcasting team. After week 2 of the 2000 season, Lundquist was moved to CBS' lead college football team, and Dierdorf served as commentator for Dick Enberg from 2000 to 2005. Lundquist would partner up with Dierdorf in week 1 in 2003 and 2005. He also partnered up with Kevin Harlan in week 1 of 2001, Ian Eagle in week 1 of 2002, and Todd Blackledge in week 1 of 2004 while Enberg was covering the US Open tennis on CBS. During the 2006 NFL season, Dierdorf was paired with Greg Gumbel as CBS' No. 2 NFL pairing behind Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. He remained paired with Gumbel for eight seasons from 2006 to 2013.

On November 20, 2013, Dierdorf announced that the 2013 NFL season would be his last as an analyst. "It has become a challenge for me to travel to a different NFL city every week, so it's time to step aside." Dierdorf's final broadcast for CBS was an AFC divisional playoff game on January 11, 2014, between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots.

On April 17, 2014, Dierdorf was introduced as the new color analyst for Michigan Wolverines football radio broadcasts. He was paired with former college teammate Jim Brandstatter, who did play-by-play, on Michigan games. Brandstatter was Dierdorf's backup on the offensive line, at strong tackle. Dierdorf and Brandstatter both retired from broadcasting after the 2021 season.

In 1994 and 1995, Dierdorf was a finalist for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he narrowly missed the required 29 votes on both occasions. In January 1996, he received the required vote count and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In addition to his election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Dierdorf was named to the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in October 1996. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2001, Dierdorf was named to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. In 2002, Dierdorf received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In August 2006, Dierdorf became one of eight charter inductees into the Arizona Cardinals Ring of Honor.

In 2008, Dierdorf received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The award was presented to Dierdorf for "longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football."

Dierdorf and his wife, Debbie, continue to live in St. Louis. They have two adult children.

Dierdorf was the co-proprietor, along with former Cardinals quarterback Jim Hart, of Dierdorf and Hart's, a St. Louis steakhouse which closed in 2013 after almost 30 years in business. Dierdorf also is one of the investors of KTRS radio in St. Louis.

The Story And Significance Of Lou Creekmur - Six Time First Team All-Pro Selection At Offensive Tackle And Guard

Louis Creekmur was an American football offensive tackle who played for 10 years from 1950 to 1959 with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Creekmur played his first two seasons in the NFL as a guard. He appeared in every pre-season, regular-season, and post-season game played by the Lions from 1950 to 1958—a streak of 165 consecutive games. He played in eight consecutive Pro Bowl games from 1950 to 1957 and was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team All-Pro player seven consecutive years from 1951 to 1957. During Creekmur's tenure with the team, the Lions advanced to the NFL championship game four times and won the championship in 1952, 1953, and 1957.

Creekmur played college football for the William & Mary Indians in 1944, then from 1947 to 1949.

Creekmur was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 26th round, 243rd overall pick, of the 1948 NFL draft, but continued playing college football in 1948 and 1949. He was acquired by the Detroit Lions prior to the 1950 NFL season and spent his entire NFL career with the Lions. Beginning with the 1950 season, Creekmur appeared in every pre-season, regular season, and post-season game played by the Lions from 1950 to 1958—a streak of 165 games. He played through multiple injuries, including dislocated shoulders, knee injuries, and one whole season with a crushed sternum.

Creekmur began his career with the Lions as an offensive guard for two years and then moved to the offensive tackle position, though he also played some on defense as well. He was considered an "outstanding blocker" for Detroit teams that featured backfield stars Bobby Layne and Doak Walker. He played in eight consecutive Pro Bowl games from 1950 to 1957 and was selected by the Associated Press as a first-team All-Pro player six times in seven years from 1951 to 1954 and 1956–1957. With Creekmur in the line, the Lions advanced to the NFL championship game four times and won the championship in 1952, 1953, and 1957.

During his rookie season, Creekmur was the victim of a highly publicized extortion attempt in which a "notorious hoodlum" schemed with others to falsely accuse him of sexual assault on a night club dancer. Two individuals were later convicted after a trial in the matter.

Near the end of the 1958 season, Creekmur, at age 31, announced that he would retire at the end of the season, ending his 168-game playing streak. The Lions held a "Lou Creekmur Day" for their December 14, 1958, game against the New York Giants. In October 1959, after the Lions lost their first four games, the Lions persuaded Creekmur to return to the club. Creekmur appeared in the final eight games of the 1959 season.

During his playing career, Creekmur worked a second job as the terminal manager for the Saginaw Transfer Company and made more money as terminal manager than he did as an All-Pro football player.

After retiring from football, Creekmur worked for a time in the 1960s and 1970s for Ryder Trucks as a director of labor relations and later as vice president of labor relations in Florida.

Creek received numerous honors, including the following:

In 1975, sports writer Joe Falls named him one of his 11 greatest Lions.

In 1976, sports writer George Puscas jokingly dubbed Creekmur as "perhaps the finest holder of all time". Puscas recalled that Creekmur would cup his hands in front of his chest to "grab a handful of jersey, or the edge of a shoulder pad" and noted: "I remember telling Creekmur in his late years that I would spend the entire game just watching him, to make note and study of his craftmanship and perhaps compose an essay on it."

In 1983, Puscas included Creekmur on his all-time Lions team.

In 1989, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1996, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his 32nd year of eligibility—at that time, a record wait for an inductee. Creekmur said at the time, "I kept falling through the cracks."

Creekmur died in 2009 at University Hospital in Tamarac, Florida. He was diagnosed post-mortem as having developed Chronic traumatic encephalopathy following a 30-year decline of cognition. He was one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with this disease, which is caused by repeated hits to the head.

The Story And Significance Of Kellen Winslow - Tied For The Most Receiving Touchdowns In A Game With Five

Kellen Boswell Winslow Sr. is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1995), he is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the league's history. Winslow played his entire NFL career (1979–1987) with the San Diego Chargers after being selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, earning consensus All-American honors in 1978. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Winslow had a late start to his football career, not playing until his senior year of high school. Noted for his unusual combination of size and speed, he was recruited by the Missouri Tigers, where he played from 1975 to 1978, ranking among the team's reception leaders during his last two seasons. He was named All-American as a senior, entering the NFL draft as one of the highest-regarded prospects for the league.

San Diego traded up to draft Winslow with the 13th overall pick in the draft. Over the next nine seasons, he was named a first-team All-Pro three times and a Pro Bowler five times. After a promising rookie season (1979) was ended by injury, Winslow became a key figure in head coach Don Coryell's offense from 1980 to 1983, twice leading the league in receptions. His success in the passing game had long-term effects on the usage of tight ends, who had previously been perceived as good blockers who would catch occasionally. Highlights for Winslow included a five-touchdown performance against the Oakland Raiders and a starring role in the 1981 playoff game known as the Epic in Miami.

Winslow was progressing at a record-breaking pace in 1984 when a serious knee injury knocked him out of the game for a year. He recovered enough to play from 1985 to 1987, but generally failed to recapture his pre-injury form. Winslow planned to return for a tenth year in the league but after a single appearance in the 1988 preseason the condition of his knees forced him to retire.

Winslow entered the 1979 NFL draft rated as "unquestionably the best prospect at tight end" by analyst Don Heinrich. Chicago Bears general manager Jim Finks said, "Some people can play tight end with two of the three requirements. I hear Winslow has all three—size, speed and strength." Winslow was expected to be chosen early in the first round, with the Kansas City Chiefs (drafting No. 2 overall) and the Cincinnati Bengals (No. 3 overall) both likely destinations.

In the event, Winslow was unexpectedly yet to be chosen by the time the draft reached the Cleveland Browns who had selection No. 13. At that point the San Diego Chargers, who were not scheduled to pick until No. 20, made a deal with Cleveland to move up seven places and select Winslow. The Chargers were delighted with the trade, as they had rated Winslow as the top player in the draft, and had twice unsuccessfully tried to trade up into the top seven picks to get him. Head coach Don Coryell explained that the Chargers had an area of need at tight end, as their current starters Bob Klein and Pat Curran were both in their 30's and likely to retire soon. Winslow himself had expected to go to Cincinnati but was pleased when the Chargers selected him as he liked to catch the ball and was aware of Coryell's affinity for the passing game.

Less than three weeks after the draft, Winslow signed a series of one-year contracts to play for the Chargers. Coryell described him as "a big strong man who has great potential and ability," and suggested Winslow could play both tight end and wide receiver. When the season began, Winslow did serve in both roles, being both the second tight end behind Klein and a third wide receiver behind Charlie Joiner and John Jefferson depending on the formation. He caught his first career touchdown in week 2 of his rookie season on a 5-yard pass from quarterback Dan Fouts. When an injury to Klein forced Winslow into the starting line-up, he responded with a seven-catch performance that left him as the Chargers' leader in receptions. The following week, he lost a key fumble in a 7–0 defeat to the Denver Broncos. A Los Angeles Times article described him as inconsistent, both as a blocker and a receiver, and "like a runaway locomotive without tracks" when carrying the ball.

Winslow's season ended in a week 7 game against the Seattle Seahawks due to a fractured left fibula. While he was initially projected to be out for only six weeks, Winslow was still missing for the Chargers' season-ending playoff loss to the Houston Oilers. Winslow finished with 25 catches, which had led the team at the point when he was injured, for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Winslow later believed that the injury had positive effects, saying in a 2006 interview, "My breaking my leg my rookie year turned out to be a blessing, because I got a chance to sit back and look at some things... from another angle and came back my second year and things really made sense."

Winslow entered the 1980 season with a chance to claim the number one tight end position, as Klein retired during the offseason. Due to a series of minor injuries, Winslow was unable to win the place in preseason, with Greg McCrary beginning the regular season as the starter. In week 2, Winslow had a breakthrough performance against the Oakland Raiders with 9 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown in an overtime win. Coryell used Winslow in various positions and formations throughout the game, trying to force a mismatches where the 6 foot 5 Winslow would be covered by a smaller defender.

As the season progressed, Winslow established himself as a key component of the Air Coryell offense and eventually led the league with 89 catches, setting a new NFL record for tight ends by breaking the previous mark of 75 held by Mike Ditka. He became the first tight end to exceed 1,000 receiving yards since Jackie Smith in 1967. Some sources credit Winslow's 1,290 yards as having set a new tight end record. He was instrumental in the Chargers' second consecutive AFC West division title, and was voted both a Pro Bowler and first-team AP All-Pro.

Winslow caught only a single pass in San Diego's first playoff game, a 20–14 divisional playoffs victory over the Buffalo Bills. This was partially due to an injury to McCrary early in the game. The Chargers frequently used a two-tight end formation, with McCrary lining up as a regular tight end and Winslow appearing in variable positions, often going in motion. They had no backup to McCrary, so Winslow was forced to replace him as a conventional tight end, with far less scope to catch passes. McCrary attempted to play through the injury the following week, but Winslow still had only 3 catches for 42 yards, and San Diego lost the AFC Championship game 34–27 to Oakland.

The 1981 season began slowly for Winslow, with only five catches in the first two games. He drew more double coverage after Jefferson was traded to the Green Bay Packers; Winslow also theorized that teams were more aware of the threat he posed following his performances the previous year. Aided by the midseason arrival of wide receiver Wes Chandler in place of Jefferson, Winslow saw more single coverage as the season went on and produced better numbers. A highlight was a 55–21 win in Oakland when Winslow caught 13 passes for 144 yards and 5 touchdowns. The five receiving touchdowns tied an NFL single-game record that has not been surpassed as of 2024, while the 13 receptions tied Lance Alworth's franchise record. Winslow said of the performance, "I just happened to get my number called today. A lot of things were going our way and they just happened to go my way in particular."

San Diego were struggling with a 6–5 record before Winslow's five-touchdown game, but recovered to finish 10–6 and win their third consecutive AFC West title. Winslow led the league in receptions for the second consecutive season, finishing with 88 catches for 1,075 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was again named to the Pro Bowl (where he won co-MVP) and the AP All-Pro first team.

Winslow excelled in the Chargers' divisional playoff game, a 41–38 overtime win over the Miami Dolphins played in draining humidity that became known as the Epic in Miami. He had 13 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown, and blocked a potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation time. Winslow leaped in the middle of the line to block the kick, barely deflecting the ball with the outside of his right hand: he said, ""For all the receptions and all the yardage, I got more satisfaction out of blocking the field goal. It was something I'd never done before. It had always been a dream of mine." His 13 receptions set a new single-game playoff record, while his yardage total was a playoff record for tight ends. He achieved these statistics despite repeatedly having to leave the game with dehydration and severe cramps; he was also treated for a pinched nerve in his shoulder and received three stitches in his lower lip. After the game, a picture of Winslow being helped off the field by his teammates became an enduring image in NFL lore.

Winslow's performance in the Miami game was greatly praised afterwards. Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka said, "Kellen Winslow portrayed in Miami what it takes to be great. The difference between great and good is a matter of heart. He gave a tremendous amount to help his team win one of the great games ever played." Dolphins' tackle Bob Kuechenberg said the game made Winslow's career in a 2017 interview, adding "I deeply resented the fact that they literally carried him off the field five times and he'd come back and do some other miracle." A 2012 ESPN article rated it the second-best single-game playoff performance in NFL history up to that point, while a 2014 San Diego Union-Tribune article named it the joint-best playoff performance by a Charger.

While Winslow scored again the following week, it was the Chargers' only touchdown in a 27–7 AFC Championship game loss at Cincinnati. The game became known as the Freezer Bowl for the unusually frigid and windy conditions. Winslow commented afterwards, "I wouldn't send my dog out in that kind of weather."

The 1982 season was interrupted by a 57-day NFL players strike which reduced the regular season to nine games. Winslow expressed impatience with the process, claiming that players' union director Ed Garvey and management negotiator Jack Donlan were both on "ego trips." While Garvey was seeking a wage scale for the players, Winslow believed that abolishing the NFL draft and encouraging the development of the rival United States Football League (USFL) would do more to increase their salaries. On the field, his success continued—Winslow's 54 receptions were the most in the AFC, while his 721 yards were second to his teammate Chandler. For the third consecutive season, he was named both a Pro Bowler and AP first-team All-Pro.

San Diego qualified for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, taking their place in an expanded 16-team Super Bowl tournament as the AFC's fifth seed and travelling to the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first game. The Steelers led 28–17 in the final quarter, but two touchdowns by Winslow gave San Diego a 31–28 win; he had 7 catches for 102 yards and the two scores. A rematch with the Dolphins in Miami followed. Winslow was unable to repeat his performance of the previous year, playing with a twisted ankle for most of the game and finishing with only one catch for 18 yards as Miami won 34–13. Winslow said of the defeat, "You can say it either way: They had a great day, or we had an off day. But really it was both." It was the last playoff game of his career.

An National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) survey released after the season reported his annual salary as $210,000, joint third-most on the Chargers but behind 64 players league-wide, including some tight ends.

The Chargers had a disappointing 1983 season and missed the playoffs for the first time in Winslow's career, although he himself had another statistically productive year. Winslow had 14 catches for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns in a win over the Chiefs, breaking the franchise single-game receptions record he'd previously shared with Alworth. He finished the year with 88 catches for 1,172 yards and 8 touchdowns, and was voted to another Pro Bowl, though this time as the AFC's reserve tight end behind Todd Christensen of Los Angeles. Winslow had caught more passes than any other player over the five-year period 1979–83.

Winslow entered the 1984 season seeking to renegotiate his contract. He had two years remaining on a five-year contract and a verbal agreement from Chargers ownership that he could negotiate a new deal in 1984. He requested an amount which the Chargers refused, with Winslow's agent Jim Steiner stating shortly before the regular season started that the two sides were far apart with their offers. Steiner declared Winslow's intention to play in week 1 at Minnesota, "out of respect for the team, Don Coryell and the coaching staff," then retire if no agreement was forthcoming. On September 2 he followed through on the threat, catching four passes in the game then travelling to East St. Louis instead of flying back to San Diego with his teammates. He criticized ownership for letting players such as Jefferson and Fred Dean leave in the past due to similar contract disputes, saying "I feel cheated... they've turned their back on me. I have nowhere else to go but home." Chargers general manager Johnny Sanders said that there would be no further negotiations with Winslow while he refused to report to camp. San Diego declined to place Winslow on the retirement list, which would have prevented him playing for the rest of the year. On September 5, Steiner suggested that Winslow could still be induced to return, but that they were investigating other means of income, including television work. The Chargers signed veteran tight end Al Dixon as a replacement on September 6. The Houston Gamblers of the USFL declared an interest in signing Winslow, staging a press conference with the player on September 8. Winslow stated at the conference that he would return to San Diego and play the remaining two years there; he was not permitted to sign for the Gamblers until his Chargers contract expired, but expressed an interest in joining them for the 1986 season. Winslow then returned to the Chargers, allowing negotiations to re-open. On September 12, Winslow agreed to a new five-year contract with San Diego.

Winslow had missed one game due to his holdout, but returned in week 3 to face the Oilers at home. The Jack Murphy Stadium crowd booed him when he was announced at the start of the game, a 31–14 victory in which he had 10 catches for 146 yards. Three weeks later, he broke the Chargers single-game receptions record for the second time with 15 catches for 157 yards in a 34–28 win at Green Bay. Despite having missed a game, he was on course to break Charley Hennigan's league record of 101 catches in a season before being stopped by a serious knee injury.

"Jeff Barnes was on the inside, came and hit me low and that's when the doctors say the posterior cruciate went. When I got hit in the front, my knee snapped back and then Rod Martin tackled me over the front, and I got twisted, and that's when probably the medial collateral ligament went during that time. Nothing dirty about it."

In week 8, late in a 44–37 loss to the Raiders, Winslow took a short pass over the middle for his 55th reception of the season. His knee twisted while being tackled by Los Angeles linebackers Jeff Barnes and Rod Martin. In the immediate wake of the injury, Winslow described himself as "flopping on the field like a flounder out of water." Once medical staff reset his knee, Winslow smiled and exchanged jokes with the Raiders as he left the field, but learned in the treatment room that his injury would require season-ending surgery after the game. Team physician Gary Losse, who performed the surgery over the course of two hours, later said that Winslow's knee looked like "spaghetti... like a couple of mop ends." Losse also said, "The ligaments had almost an explosion-like appearance, it was a very, very severe knee injury." The severity was due in part to both the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) being damaged. Reflecting on his season the following week, Winslow was relieved that he had insisted on a guaranteed contract during negotiations, which ensured he would be paid in full for five years even if he was unable to play again.

Interviewed during April 1985, Winslow reported that his recovery was proceeding ahead of schedule. He was optimistic of a midseason return in the coming season, and of again being the best tight end in the league. In August, he was placed on the physically unable to perform list. Winslow returned to action in week 7, two days short of a year after the injury happened. In a loss at the Minnesota Vikings, he caught two passes, produced key blocks on a pair of touchdown runs, and described the game as "like old times." Two weeks later, he was used on only four plays in a win over Denver, all of which were running plays. He was visibly upset over his lack of usage, and failed to report for practice the next day, instead flying to Canada to promote a drink in which he had a financial stake. The following day, he returned to the team and apologised for his absence.

Winslow was used primarily as a blocker or decoy throughout the season, and finished with only 25 catches for 318 yards and no touchdowns from his ten appearances. Compared with his play before the injury, Winslow struggled to break tackles and change directions sharply when running pass routes. He said, "I'll never be the Kellen Winslow of old. There will always be something missing because of the reconstruction."

Winslow improved in 1986, catching 64 passes for 728 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 45 of his catches coming in the final nine games. Offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese described his movement as more fluid and his play as more confident. Winslow would later describe his own play as still being tentative and scared during the 1986 season.

During the offseason Winslow underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee to clear out scar tissue from his injury; he reported improved running ability afterwards. The 1987 season was shortened by a players strike, which saw one week cancelled and three more played primarily with replacement players. Winslow sat out the entire strike, which he described as frustrating. He taped over his jersey number during a training session in protest at his No. 80 being used by one of the replacement players.

On the field, Winslow was pleased to find that he was that he was better at breaking tackles than the previous year. His play after the strike prompted his new head coach Al Saunders to say that he was once again playing at a league-leading standard. Winslow made his 500th career reception during the season, following Ozzie Newsome as the second tight end to pass the landmark. He finished with 53 catches from his twelve games, second-most among NFL tights ends, though his 9.8 yards per reception was the least of his career. His performances earned him his fifth Pro Bowl nomination (his first since the knee injury) and a place in the AP All-Pro second team, while his teammates named him their offensive player of the year. He said that during the year he had accomplished "the regaining of respect, both on this team and around the league... a resurgence to the level a lot of people wondered I could still play at."

Winslow expected to continue his career in 1988, though he hinted it might be his last season, reporting that the Chargers did not seem eager to extend his contract. Entering the season at 30 years old, he was the second-longest tenured Charger, behind only center Don Macek. He again had arthroscopic surgery during the offseason, and failed one physical before passing a second one and joining his teammates at training camp in August. He was unable to play in the Chargers' first two preseason games and featured briefly in the third. Subsequently, he had to leave training early on consecutive days, missed a third day entirely, and was ruled out of the final preseason game due to his knee. Saunders said, "It's just not coming around. It's concerning him and I know it's concerning us."

On August 29, Winslow announced to journalists that he had been suspended without pay by the Chargers following a meeting with team officials. Describing his physical state during his preseason appearance as "total ineptness," Winslow said he had informed Saunders and director of football operations Steve Ortmayer that he was unable to continue his career. The Chargers maintained that he was fit to play having passed a physical, and had been suspended for refusing to do so. This caused a dispute as to whether Winslow should be paid his guaranteed salary of $795,000 for the coming season. He would forfeit the money if he officially retired; the Chargers offered him half the amount to retire, which Winslow refused. Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFLPA, supported Winslow—he said that the Chargers had suspended their player while citing an outdated collective bargaining agreement, and that the NFLPA intended to file a lawsuit against the team. Winslow also threatened litigation, but instead decided to wait while Steiner negotiated with Ortmayer to find a compromise retirement settlement.

On September 30, the two sides reached agreement and Winslow's retirement became official. The terms of the agreement were not revealed. Winslow was critical of the Chargers' handling of the situation, saying that they had stripped him of his dignity by imposing the suspension. Ortmayer responded that there no should be no negative connotations to being placed on the suspended players list, as the NFL required all players on the roster to be given one of the available designations.

Interviewed the following year, Winslow described his career as "like a fairy tale," saying that he had been fortunate with his choice of high school and college, and with having a head coach in Coryell who could best exploit his abilities.

Through his nine years in the NFL, Winslow caught 541 passes for 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns in the regular season. His receptions total ranked 14th in league history at the time of his retirement. Winslow played in five Pro Bowls, and was named to three AP All-Pro first teams and one second team. Further honors followed his retirement, as he was voted into the NFL's All-1980s team, 75th anniversary team, and 100th anniversary team. In 1995, Winslow was inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Chargers Hall of Fame; the Chargers retired his No. 80 jersey in 2023.

Winslow is widely recognized as one of the best to play his position, and credited with revolutionizing the usage of tight ends in the NFL. Tight ends prior to Winslow were primarily blockers who lined up next to an offensive lineman and ran short to medium routes; Winslow said upon being drafted, "I can get just as deep as wide receivers and just as fast," and Coryell quickly identified him as someone who could line up as a wide receiver on some plays and a tight end on others. As his career progressed, the Chargers would use Winslow unpredictably in a number of positions over the course of a game, including flanker, split end, slotback, H-back, wingback or conventional tight end. He might start the play in a three point blocking stance or a two point receiver's stance, or be put in motion so he would not be jammed at the line.

Winslow was credited with creating the H-back position by Joe Bugel, an offensive coordinator with the Washington teams who made use of H-backs to win multiple Super Bowls. He said, "It takes the complete athlete, a guy who can block an end or a linebacker or take a cornerback or strong safety deep." Saunders described Winslow as "a wide receiver in an offensive lineman's body," while Coryell said, "If we're asking Kellen to block a defensive end and not catch passes, I'm not a very good coach." Former head coach Jon Gruden called Winslow the first "joker" in the NFL. Head coach Bill Belichick noted that the pass-catching tight ends who get paid the most money are "all direct descendants of Kellen Winslow" and that there were fewer tight ends in the 21st century who could block on the line. Winslow himself credited Coryell and his coaching staff for thinking outside the box to utilize his abilities in new ways: "There were many athletes before me who could do the things that I did. You talk about Charlie Sanders... Could stand in there and hold his own. Could run good routes. Probably could split him out. But I came into a situation with the offensive system where I could do those things."

Lists of the top 100 NFL players at any position frequently feature Winslow: In 1999, he was ranked No. 73 by The Sporting News, a 2010 NFL Network series had him at No. 67, and a panel of USA Today journalists placed him at No. 79 in 2019.

In the immediate wake of his retirement, Winslow served as marketing vice president and major stockholder for a San Diego-based nutrition company. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego in 1993 and spent some time as a sports agent, while doubling as a radio commentator for his alma mater the Missouri Tigers. Later, he worked as a college football announcer with Fox Sports Net. Winslow served in various sports administrator roles, having been athletic director at Central State University, vice president for athletics and wellness at Lakeland College, and director of athletics at Florida A&M University.

Winslow has been married twice. He had two sons, Kellen II with his first wife and Justin Winslow with his then-girlfriend. Kellen II also played tight end in the NFL.

Winslow has been a vocal proponent of affirmative action, particularly in football—he dedicated a substantial section of his Hall of Fame induction speech to highlighting the lack of African Americans in non-playing roles. When his son announced his intention to sign with the University of Washington, Winslow objected as the coaching staff featured no African Americans; Winslow II eventually signed with the University of Miami instead. Winslow described this as “a black father teaching his black son about the ways of the world.”