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.
Randall Cornell McDaniel is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings and two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
McDaniel played high school football and ran track at Agua Fria High School in Avondale, Arizona, then played college football at Arizona State University, where he participated in the school's first ever Rose Bowl appearance in 1987. In recognition of his Rose Bowl accomplishments, McDaniel was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2018. He was joined by fellow Sun Devil Curley Culp on August 3, 2013, as the only Pro Football Hall of Fame members to be born in the state of Arizona.
Also a standout track and field athlete, McDaniel still holds the fastest 100-meter dash time ever among offensive linemen in the NFL at 10.64 seconds, setting this record as a high school senior in a state meet, electronically timed. He recorded a PR of 50.04 seconds in the 400-meter dash. In the throwing events, he got top-throws of 16.76 meters in the shot put and 47.42 meters in the discus. He also benched 435, inclined 380, dead lifted 660, and squatted 650 in competition. In addition, he was timed at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had a one step vertical leap of 37 inches at just 9% body fat.
He began his professional career being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft. He started every Vikings regular-season game from 1990 to 1999, as well as a record 11 consecutive Pro Bowls. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest and most versatile offensive linemen ever to play the game. He started in 12 consecutive Pro Bowls (1989–2000), tied with Champ Bailey and Will Shields for the most Pro Bowls played. He also started 202 consecutive games in his career. During his time with the Minnesota Vikings, he occasionally would play fullback in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
He was released on February 10, 2000, as part of a salary-cap move. He eventually signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a three-year, $6M contract. He played two seasons there before retiring. On February 27, 2002, he signed a one-day contract to retire with Vikings. When he played for Tampa Bay, in 2000, he became the oldest player in the NFL to score his first touchdown reception at 36 years, 282 days old.
During the 2006 season, McDaniel was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings "Ring of Honor".
McDaniel was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 2008. McDaniel was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on January 31, 2009. McDaniel's bust, sculpted by Scott Myers, was unveiled at the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 8, 2009.
A multi-use sports center was built in Randall's hometown of Avondale in 2010 and was named in his honor (Randall McDaniel Sports Complex).
After 13 years of volunteering in schools, McDaniel said that he had been working in public schools since retirement.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Dakota Mermis is his nephew.
Robert Lee Hayes, nicknamed "Bullet Bob", was an American sprinter and professional football player. After winning gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics, he played as a split end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys (for 11 seasons). Hayes is the only athlete to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring. He was a two-sport standout in college in both track and field and football at Florida A&M University. Hayes was enshrined in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2001 and was selected for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in January 2009. Hayes is the second Olympic gold medalist to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, after Jim Thorpe. He once held the world record for the 70-yard dash (with a time of 6.9 seconds). He also is tied for the world's second-fastest time in the 60-yard dash. He was once considered the "world's fastest human" by virtue of his multiple world records in the 60-yard, 100-yard, 220-yard, and Olympic 100-meter dashes. He was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
Hayes attended Matthew Gilbert High School in Jacksonville, where he was a backup halfback on the football team. The 1958 Gilbert High Panthers finished 12–0, winning the Florida High School Athletic Association black school state championship with a 14–7 victory over Dillard High School of Fort Lauderdale before more than 11,000 spectators. In times of racial segregation laws, their achievement went basically unnoticed, until 50 years later when they were recognized as one of the best teams in Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) history.
At the 1964 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, Hayes won the 100m and in doing so tied the then world record in the 100 m with a time of 10.06 seconds, even though he was running in lane 1 which had, the day before, been used for the 20 km racewalk and this badly damaged the cinder track. He also was running in borrowed spikes because one of his shoes had been kicked under the bed when he was playing with some friends and he didn't realize until he got there. This was followed by a second gold medal in the 4×100 meter relay, which also produced a new World Record (39.06 seconds). However, the international track and field federation World Athletics, formerly IAAF, faultily "only" accredits Hayes with a hand-timed 10.0 s during his 10.06 s race making him Olympic Champion over 100m - that although the official manual stopwatches clocked Hayes at 9.8 s, 9.9 s and 9.9 s, which, according to the rules, was a hand-timed 9.9 s.
Hayes' come-from-behind win for the US team in the relay was one of the most memorable Olympic moments. Hand-timed between 8.5 and 8.9 seconds, his relay leg is the fastest in history. Jocelyn Delecour, France's anchor leg runner, famously said to Paul Drayton before the relay final that, "You can't win, all you have is Bob Hayes." Drayton was able to reply afterwards, "That's all we need." The race was also Hayes' last as a track and field athlete, as he permanently switched to football after it, aged only 21.
In some of the first meets to be timed with experimental fully automatic timing, Hayes was the first man to break ten seconds for the 100 meters, albeit with a 5.3 m/s wind assistance in the semi-finals of the 1964 Olympics. His time was recorded at 9.91 seconds. Jim Hines officially broke 10 seconds at the high altitude of Mexico City, Mexico in 1968 (and on a synthetic track) with a wind-legal 9.95 which stood as the world record for almost 15 years. The next to surpass Hayes at a low altitude Olympics was Carl Lewis in 1984 when he won in 9.99, some 20 years later (though Hasely Crawford equaled the time in 1976).
Until the Tokyo Olympics, world records were measured by officials with stopwatches, measured to the nearest tenth of a second. Although fully automatic timing was used in Tokyo, the times were given the appearance of manual timing. This was done by adding 0.05 seconds to the automatic time and rounding to the nearest tenth of a second, making Hayes' time of 10.06 seconds convert to 10.0 seconds, despite the fact that the officials with stopwatches had measured Hayes' time to be 9.9 seconds,[8] and the average difference between manual and automatic times was typically 0.15 to 0.20 seconds. This unique method of determining the official time therefore denied Hayes the record of being the first to officially record 9.9 seconds for the 100 meters. The first official times of 9.9 seconds were recorded at the "Night of Speed" in 1968.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Hayes in the seventh round (88th overall) of the 1964 NFL draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over, taking a chance that the Olympic sprinter with unrefined football skills could excel as a wide receiver. He was also selected by the Denver Broncos in the 14th round (105th overall) of the 1964 AFL Draft, with a future selection. Hayes has been credited by many with forcing the NFL to develop a zone defense and the bump and run to attempt to contain him.
Hayes' first two seasons were most successful, during which he led the NFL both times in receiving touchdowns with 12 and 13 touchdowns, respectively. In 1966 Hayes caught six passes for 195 yards against the New York Giants at the Cotton Bowl. Later, in the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins match-up, Hayes caught nine passes for 246 yards (a franchise record until Miles Austin broke it with a 250-yard performance on October 11, 2009, against the Kansas City Chiefs). Hayes' speed forced other teams to go to a zone since no single player could keep up with him. Spreading the defense out in hopes of containing Hayes allowed the Cowboys' talented running game to flourish, rushers Don Perkins, Calvin Hill, Walt Garrison and Duane Thomas taking advantage of the diminished coverage at the line of scrimmage. In the 1967 season, Hayes led the NFL in punt return yards, and went on to set an NFL playoff record with 141 punt return yards in Dallas' 52-14 win over the Cleveland Browns. Hayes also caught 5 passes for 145 yards in that game, including an 86-yard touchdown catch.
Hayes is also infamous for two events, both involving the NFL championship games in 1966 and 1967, both against the Green Bay Packers. In the 1966 game, on the last meaningful play of the game, Hayes missed an assignment of blocking linebacker Dave Robinson, which resulted in Don Meredith nearly being sacked by Robinson and as a result throwing a desperation pass into the end zone that was intercepted by Tom Brown. In the 1967 NFL championship, the "Ice Bowl" played on New Year's Eve, 1967, Hayes was alleged to have inadvertently disclosed whether the upcoming play was a pass or run because on running plays he kept his hands inside his pants to keep them warm and the Green Bay defense knew they didn't need to cover him.
On July 17, 1975, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third round draft choice (#73-Duke Fergerson).
Hayes wore No. 22 with the Cowboys, which would later be worn by running back Emmitt Smith.
In 1975 with the San Francisco 49ers, Hayes teamed up with Gene Washington in the starting lineup. On October 23, he was waived after not playing up to expectations, in order to make room for wide receiver Terry Beasley.
In addition to receiving, Hayes returned punts for the Cowboys and was the NFL's leading punt returner in 1968 with a 20.8 yards per return average and two touchdowns, including a 90 yarder against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times and First-team All-Pro twice and Second-team All-Pro twice. He helped Dallas win five Eastern Conference titles, two NFC titles, played in two Super Bowls, and was instrumental in Dallas' first-ever Super Bowl victory after the 1971 season, making Hayes the only person to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring. Later in his career, as defenses improved playing zone and the bump and run was refined, Hayes' value was as a decoy rather than a deep threat.
Hayes was the second player (after Franklin Clarke) in the history of the Dallas Cowboys franchise to surpass 1,000 yards (ground or air) in a single season, and he did that in his rookie year by finishing with 1,003 yards. Also during his rookie year, he led the team with 46 receptions and set franchise records for total touchdowns (13) and total receiving touchdowns (12). He finished his 11-year career with 371 receptions for 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns, giving him an impressive 20 yards per catch average (his yards per catch average remains a franchise record, while his touchdown reception record stood until 2017, when it was broken by Dez Bryant.) He also rushed for 68 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns, gained 581 yards on 23 kickoff returns, and returned 104 punts for 1,158 yards and three touchdowns.
In 1965 he also started a streak (1965–1966) of seven consecutive games with at least a touchdown catch, which still stands as a Cowboys record shared with Franklin Clarke (1961–1962), Terrell Owens (2007) and Dez Bryant (2012).
His 7,295 receiving yards are the sixth-most in Dallas Cowboys history. To this day[when?], Hayes holds ten regular-season receiving records, four punt return records and 22 overall franchise marks, making him one of the greatest receivers to ever play for the Cowboys.
In 2004, he was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's second HOVG class.
On September 18, 2002, Hayes died in his hometown of Jacksonville of kidney failure, after battling prostate cancer and liver ailments.
Hayes was close to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, but was denied the opportunity in the final round of decision-making. The decision was marred by controversy, with many claiming that the Hall of Fame Senior Selection Committee had a bias against members of the Dallas Cowboys and other NFL teams. Others believe Hayes' legal and drug use issues marred his chances. Shortly after the announcement of the new 2004 Hall of Fame members, long-time Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman resigned from the Selection Committee in protest of the decision to leave Hayes out of the Hall. Zimmerman eventually returned as a Hall of Fame voter.
On August 27, 2008, Hayes was named as one of two senior candidates for the 2009 Hall of Fame election. On Saturday, January 31, 2009, he was selected as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2009.
The next day Lucille Hester, who claimed to be Hayes's sister, released a letter she said he had drafted three years before he died, on October 29, 1999, in case he did not live to see his induction. Its full text read:
You know I am not sure I am going to be around if I get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame so you must read this for me, I am not sure, I guess I am feeling sorry for myself at this time but you must remember everything I want you to do and say. Mother said you would do what I want because you always did. So read this for me.
I would like to thank everyone who supported me to get into the NFL Hall of Fame, the Dallas Cowboys organization, all of my team mates and everyone who played for the Cowboys, (thank the San Francisco 49ers [sic] too). Thank the fans all around the country and the world, thank the committee who voted for me and also the ones who may did not vote for me, thank Mother and my family, thank Roger Stauback [sic] and tell all my teammates I love them dearly.
Thank the Pro Football Hall of Fame, all the NFL teams and players, Florida A&M University, thank everyone who went to Mathew [sic] Gilbert High School, thank everyone in Jacksonville and Florida and everyone especially on the East Side of Jacksonville. Thank everyone in the City of Dallas and in Texas and just thank everyone in the whole world.
I love you all.
Delivered by Hester in front of hundreds and a national cable television audience, the moment was described as "... one of the most compelling and touching scenes the Hall of Fame has seen." Shortly after, it was discovered that the supposedly signed letter was printed in the Calibri font, which was not released to the public until five years after Hayes' death. Some family members disputed Lucille Hester's claim to be related to Bob, and took steps to ensure she was not part of the Hall of Fame ceremony.
On August 8, 2009, Hayes was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Roger Staubach, Hayes' Dallas Cowboy teammate, along with Hayes' son Bob Hayes Jr., unveiled the bust, which was sculpted by Scott Myers. On hand were six members of Bob's Gilbert High School championship team. He was later inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2017.
Gary Wayne Zimmerman is an American former professional football player who was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle in the National Football League and United States Football League (USFL). He earned a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII).
Zimmerman was born in Fullerton, California and played scholastically at Walnut High School in the San Gabriel Valley of California. He played collegiately at Oregon, and was a first-team All-American as a senior. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986 to 1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993 to 1997. He won Super Bowl XXXII with the Broncos against the Green Bay Packers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and was an All-Pro selection eight times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
In 1984, Zimmerman was drafted in the second round (36th overall) by the Los Angeles Express in the 1984 USFL Draft. He subsequently signed with the Express on February 13, 1984, and went on to play in 17 games that season, starting all 17 at left tackle. His Express teammate was future Pro Football Hall of Famer, QB Steve Young. The Express lost in the USFL Semi-Finals to the Arizona Wranglers to end a 10–8 regular season. In 1985, Zimmerman suited up again with the Express, playing in 18 games (starting 17) with a 3-15 club that ended up out of the USFL playoff picture.
After the USFL folded in August 1986, Zimmerman joined the Minnesota Vikings after they obtained his rights from the New York Giants who drafted him in the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players.
During his time in the NFL, Zimmerman was famous for his refusal to interact with the media. This disdain for the sports press came about due to an early incident in his NFL career, after comments made by Zimmerman (which stated both the offense and defense didn't play well enough) were construed to be comments that the defense didn't play well enough that led to teammates ostracizing him for speaking ill of his teammates' performance; this led Zimmerman to decide to boycott the sports media as a result, refusing to do interviews or engage in any sort of interaction with them for the rest of his career.
Zimmerman ultimately left the Vikings for the Broncos in 1993, and stayed with the team from 1993 to 1997. He would be part of the team's first Super Bowl-winning squad, winning the game in 1997 and was "in spirit" for the 1998 season. Arriving as the veteran player in 1993 to an offense that was made up of mostly rookies, Zimmerman became the de facto leader of the Broncos offensive line on and off the field. Zimmerman started the Denver offensive line tradition of not speaking to the media. It became a long running tradition that would continue on a full decade after his retirement in 1997. In 2007 the NFL created “The Broncos O-line rule" in response, requiring all players to talk to the media.
He played in 184 NFL games, starting 169 of them.
On February 2, 2008, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Zimmerman joins Reggie White, Sam Mills, Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, George Allen, Bill Polian, and Sid Gillman as former USFL/AFL league members who are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Andre Bernard Tippett Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American in 1981. A second-round pick in the 1982 NFL draft, Tippett was selected to five Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro twice in his career. Since 2007, he has been the Patriots' executive director of community affairs. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Tippett was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Barringer High School in Newark, New Jersey. He first attended college and played football at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls in 1978.
Tippett was selected by the New England Patriots in the 2nd round of the 1982 NFL draft.
Tippett is a member of the NFL's 1980s all-decade team and was selected to five Pro Bowls in his career, earning the nod in five straight seasons from 1984 to 1988.
From 1984 to 1985, Tippett recorded the highest two-season sack total by a linebacker in NFL history, totaling 35.0 sacks during the two seasons. His 18.5 sacks in 1984 are the third most by any linebacker in a single season, while his 16.5 sacks in 1985 are tied for the sixth most by any linebacker in NFL history.
Tippett holds the Patriots' franchise record with 100.0 career sacks. He also owns the top three single-season sack performances in Patriots history (18.5 in 1984, 16.5 in 1985 and 12.5 in 1987). He ranked seventh on the all-time sacks list, and third among linebackers, at the time of his retirement following the 1993 season. Over his career, Tippett recorded 100 sacks in 151 games, an average of 0.662 sacks per game. The mark currently ranks fourth in NFL history among linebackers.
After not recording a sack as a rookie in 1982, Tippett finished either first or second on the team in sacks in each of his final 10 seasons. He led the team in sacks six times and finished second on the team four times. Tippett recorded 30 multiple-sack games in his career and sacked a total of 41 different quarterbacks. Tippett recovered 18 opponents' fumbles during his career, tying him for first on the Patriots' all-time list (Steve Nelson). He also forced 17 fumbles in his career.
Tippett was named the AFC's Linebacker of the Year by the NFL Players Association for three straight seasons from 1985 to 1987. He was voted to the Associated Press All-NFL First-team on two occasions (1985 and 1987) and Second-team on two other occasions (1986 and 1988). He was also named to the NFL Films All-Pro team in 1984.
He was voted the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) co-Defensive Player of the Year (with Raider Howie Long) in 1985. Additionally, he was voted the 1985 UPI AFL-AFC Defensive Player of the Year.
Tippett twice earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week awards. The first in the Patriots 20–13 win over the New York Jets as he stopped the Jets 3 times within the 10 yard line on 10–20–85. Next, he was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in the Patriots 21–7 win over the Houston Oilers on October 18, 1987. In this victory over Houston at the Astrodome, Andre had 3 sacks, defended on a pass play and blocked a field goal attempt that was returned for a touchdown by Raymond Clayborn. He had 1.5 sacks in his final game on January 2, 1994, against the Miami Dolphins.
Tippett spent his entire 11-year career with the Patriots and was a member of three playoff teams, including the 1985 AFC Champions.
Tippett was selected to the Patriots' 35th Anniversary Team in 1994 and was selected to the Patriots Team of the Century in 2000. He was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in 1999. Tippett was inducted into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame on September 7, 2007.
In January 2008, he was voted by a panel of former NFL players and coaches to Pro Football Weekly's All-Time 3–4 defensive team along with Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Randy Gradishar, Howie Long, Lee Roy Selmon, and Curley Culp.
He was named as one of 17 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2007 and 2008. As a finalist, he joined other modern-era players and two players selected by the Hall of Fame's Senior Committee in the pool from which the Hall of Fame class was selected.
The Hall of Fame's 40-member Selection Committee met in Miami on February 3, 2007, to select the Class of 2007. Tippett was not selected for enshrinement, but he was among the top 10 finalists. The 44-member Selection Committee met in Arizona, the day prior to Super Bowl XLII, to vote on the Class of 2008. Just prior, Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson said, "I think it is about time Andre Tippett is in the Hall of Fame." He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the class of 2008.
Tippett was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in April 2009. In May 2012, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
On November 13, 2021, Andre Tippett was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
He is married to Rhonda Tippett (née Kenney) with three daughters, Janea Tippett, Asia Barnes, and Madison, and one son, Coby. A former Baptist, Tippett converted to Judaism. He currently lives in Sharon, Massachusetts, and is a Pop Warner football coach.
Tippett has also studied martial arts for over three decades. He holds a seventh degree blackbelt in Uechi-ryu karate, and is certified under the Okinawa Karate-do Association based in Okinawa, Japan.
He currently serves as the executive director of Community Affairs for the New England Patriots.
His son Coby played football for the University of Rhode Island as a kick returner and defensive back, He was invited to Rookie Mini Camp with the New England Patriots, and recently played for the Arlington Renegades and Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.
Emmitt Earl Thomas is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League. He played college football at the now defunct Bishop College. He played professionally as a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. He owns the Chiefs all-time interception record with 58, which places him ninth on pro football's all-time list. Thomas was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being nominated by the Seniors Committee.
Thomas became a coach after his playing career. He won Super Bowl IV as a player with the Chiefs and Super Bowl XXII and Super Bowl XXVI as an assistant coach with the Washington Redskins.
Thomas made the Chiefs team as an undrafted free agent from Bishop College in Dallas; he was an AFL All-Star in 1968 and made the NFL's AFC-NFC Pro Bowl four times (1971, 1972, 1974, 1975) after the Chiefs joined the NFL in the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger. He was also selected All-Pro three times. In the 1969 season, he led all pro football with 9 interceptions, which he returned for 146 yards and a touchdown, helping his team win the AFL Championship and the fourth and last AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which the Chiefs won 23–7 over the NFL champion Vikings. Thomas recorded an interception in the Kansas City victory. In 1974, he led the NFL in interceptions (12), return yards (214), and return touchdowns (2).
Thomas retired from playing after 13 seasons; he finished his pro football career with 58 interceptions, which he returned for 937 yards and five touchdowns. He also recovered four fumbles, gained 64 yards returning punts, and returned 29 kickoffs for 673 yards. He played in 181 career games, tying for the fifth-most in club annals, and his 58 interceptions are a franchise record.
Thomas was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He was officially inducted at the Enshrinement Ceremony where his bust, sculpted by Scott Myers, was unveiled on August 2, 2008.
Thomas has been an assistant coach in the NFL since 1981. Before being named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons on December 12, 2007, after the resignation of Bobby Petrino, Thomas was the Falcons' Senior Defensive Assistant/Secondary Coach. After Petrino's sudden departure left the team in shambles, Thomas attempted to unite the Atlanta locker room, and was able to lead the Falcons to a season-ending victory over the Seattle Seahawks. On January 24, 2008, new Falcons head coach Mike Smith announced that Thomas would remain on staff as assistant head coach. Thomas was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame along with Darrell Green and Art Monk, two players he coached during Super Bowl runs with the Washington Redskins. On January 13, 2010, his contract expired and was not renewed by the Falcons.
On February 1, 2010, he was hired as the secondary coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. On February 12, 2019, Thomas announced his retirement from coaching.
Thomas resides in Kansas City, Missouri. He married Jacqueline Heafley in 1983, and they remained married until her death on August 21, 2017. He has one son, Derek, and one daughter, Dedra, from a previous marriage with ex-wife Dianne Thomas. Derek now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, doing numerous coaching jobs. Dedra Thomas is currently a legal nurse consultant in Kansas City, Mo. Thomas has a total of eight grandkids: Keydron, Keynan, Kierrah, Kyandria, Bailey, Samantha, Jade and Shane.
James Arthur Monk is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles. He is considered by many NFL players, coaches, and analysts to be one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Monk was selected in the first round of the 1980 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. During his rookie year, he was a unanimous All-Rookie selection and had 58 receptions, which was a Redskin rookie record.
In 1984, Monk caught a then-NFL record 106 receptions for a career-best 1,372 yards. He caught eight or more passes in six games, had five games of 100 yards or more, and in a game against the San Francisco 49ers caught ten passes for 200 yards. That season, he earned team MVP honors and his first Pro Bowl selection. Monk went over the 1,000-yard mark in each of the following two seasons, becoming the first Redskins receiver to produce three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He also became the first Redskins player to catch 70 or more passes in three consecutive seasons. In 1989, he was part of a prolific wide receiver trio (along with Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders) nicknamed "The Posse," who became the first trio of wide receivers in NFL history to post 1,000-plus yards in the same season.
During Monk's 14 seasons with the Redskins, the team won three Super Bowls (XVII, XXII, and XXVI) and had only three losing seasons. He was an All-Pro and All-NFC choice in 1984 and 1985 and was named second-team All-NFC in 1986. He was also selected to play in the Pro Bowl following the 1984, 1985 and 1986 seasons.
Nine times during his 15-season career with the Redskins, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles, Monk exceeded 50 catches in a season and five times gained more than 1,000 receiving yards. His record for most receptions in a season (106 in 1984) stood until broken by Sterling Sharpe's 108 in 1992. He also set the record for career receptions when he caught his 820th in a Monday Night game against Denver on October 12, 1992. He became the first player to eclipse 900 receptions, and pushed the record up to 940 before being overtaken by Jerry Rice in the final week of his last season (1995). With the retirement of James Lofton in 1993, he was the NFL's active leader in career yards for just two weeks in 1994 before being passed by Jerry Rice. He retired with the most consecutive games with a catch (183). He was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. Monk also became the first player in the league to record a touchdown reception in 15 consecutive seasons, as well as the first player ever to record at least 35 receptions in 15 consecutive seasons. Through the course of his 14 years with the Redskins, Monk converted nearly two-thirds of his 888 catches into first downs.
On August 2, 2008, Monk, along with fellow Washington Redskins teammate Darrell Green, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Upon his induction into the Hall of Fame, Monk received the longest standing ovation in Pro Football Hall of Fame history, lasting four minutes and four seconds when later timed by NFL Films. In 2012, Monk was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Monk is executive and co-founder of Alliant Merchant Services, an electronic payment services company located in Northern Virginia.
A devout Christian, Monk helped found the Good Samaritan Foundation with his Washington teammates Charles Mann, Tim Johnson and Earnest Byner. The foundation provides youth with the environment needed to equip them with the skills, training and resources necessary to compete successfully in society through the Student Training Opportunity Program (STOP). The program serves more than 50 high school students four days a week during the school year and five days a week during the summer providing after-school programs, tutoring and mentoring.
Founded in 1983, the Art Monk Football Camp has graduated over 14,000 athletes.
