Super Bowl XIII

The Pittsburgh Steelers built a 21-14 half-time lead and went on to beat the Dallas Cowboys 35-31. Terry Bradshaw tossed 4 touchdown passes for the winning Steelers. With Pittsburgh up 31-17 in the 4th quarter, Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach rallied his team with two short TD passes, but it was too late. Staubach threw 3 TD passes in a losing cause.

Pittsburgh 35-31 over Dallas

========================================

Around the NFL in 1978:

Player Bios:

* Drew Pearson, Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver - an All-Pro, who's best described as: 'poetry-in-motion'... he's fast, and maneuvers around the arena with rhythmic confidence... a perennial All-Pro, he has 23 touchdown passes in first six seasons for Dallas - '73-'78. And, has caught 281 passes for 4,697 yards.

* Larry Little, Miami Dolphins Guard - one of the strongest men in the NFL, he's a power-house up-close in the offensive line, and is one of the main reasons Miami continues to lead the league in running yards... Attended Bethune Cookman College and joined the Dolphins in 1969... three times, Larry Little was named the AFC Outstanding Offensive Lineman during his outstanding career.

* Earl Mann, Oakland Raiders Kicker - one of the top field goal kickers in football history... made his pro football debut with Green Bay back in '68, and was signed by Detroit the following season... and, scored 100 or more points the next 3-years - 101, 101 and 103 points from '69-71... Mann kicked 20 or more successful field goals in 5 of his first 6 year with the Lions. In mid-season of '76 he joined up with the Raiders and is still right-on-the-money on placement kicks... so far in his 11-year career, Earl Mann has kicked 315 extra points and 177 field goals for a total of 846 points.

* Bruce Laird, Baltimore Colts, Strong Safety &Kickoff Returner - a top all-around athlete, he's been a solid performer at strong safety and is one of the leading kickoff returners... his career record of 25.2 yards per/return/average ranks among the top return specialists in the history of football. In 1972, Laird, then a rookie, ran back 29 kickoffs for 843 yards, for a stunning 29.1 yard/average.

* Otis Sistrunk, Oakland Raiders Defensive End - a relentless hustler, he has been a starter with the Raiders since his rookie season of 1972... and has been a starter in 100 straight regular season games... was selected to the Pro Bowl in '74. A giant-of-a-man, he stands 6ft, 6inches and weighs in at 250 pounds, and is the team's Field Sargent. In the off-season Sistrunk works as a youth counselor.

* Stu Voigt, Minnesota Vikings Tight End - a excellent, intelligent blocker, he was one of the NFL best pass-catching ends in the 1970s... he caught 20 or more passes for five successive seasons - 23, 32, 34, 28 and 20 from 1973-1977 and has 15 lifetime touchdowns. Voigt was drafted by the Vikings in 1970 after attending Wisconsin University.

* Charlie Hall, Cleveland Browns Linebacker - a solid performer and a hard-hitting defensive left linebacker, he joined the Browns in 1971... standing 6ft, 4inch and weighing 225 pounds, Hall originally went to the University of Houston as a basketball player before switching to football... In '74, he intercepted a career-best 3 passes and in his first eight years with Cleveland, he has 9 interceptions.

* Charley Young, Los Angeles Rams Tight End - the well-liked 6ft, 4inch- 235-pounder played his first four seasons with the Eagles before being traded to the Rams in '77... In his rookie year of 1973, he caught 55 passes, good for 854 yards and six touchdowns... in his 6-year career, Charley Young has 220 receptions and has scored 13 TD.

* Steve Furness, Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Tackle - a seemingly endless charging tackler, he led the team with 8 1/2 quarterback sacks in 1977... he was one of the Steelers' main defensive men in their drive to the Super Bowl in January of 1978. A leader in the weight room, Steve Furness stands 6ft, 4inches and weighs 255 pounds. He was drafted out of Rhode Island U by Pittsburgh back in '72.

* Thomas Henderson, Dallas Cowboys Linebacker - nicknamed 'Hollywood Henderson'... the likable linebacker has played with the Cowboys for four years now - 1975-78... Henderson recorded 4 interceptions in his rookie campaign of '75 and also was used as a receiver on kickoffs, returning 4 for 130-yards and one TD... In Dallas' 28-0 win over the Rams in the 1978 NFC Championship Game, he intercepted a 4th-quarter pass and scampered back 68-yards for touchdown.

* Mike Patrick, New England Patriots Punter - although he missed most of the '78 season on the disabled list, he has been one of the league top punters since he opened as a rookie in 1975... He booted 13 punts inside the 20-yard line in 1977... attended Mississippi State and played in the Sun Bowl in 1974.

* Cleo Miller, Cleveland Browns Running Back - a throwback to the old halfback slot, he's a solid runner and an outstanding blocker... he played two years ('74-'75) with Dallas before signing as a free agent with Cleveland in 1976. Cleo Miller has rushed for 1,914 career yards and has 10 touchdowns to his credit... In 1977, he gained 117-yards on 21 carries and caught a TD pass in a game against Buffalo.

* Ken Stone, St Louis Cardinals Defensive Safety - the well-traveled pro football veteran has played for four different NFL teams - 1973-1978... his 9 interceptions for the Cardinals in 1978 enabled him to be tied for the NFC lead... Stone also is one of the hardest-hitters on specialty teams while covering punts and kickoffs returns.

* Gerald Irons, Cleveland Browns Linebacker - a nine year NFL veteran, the muscular right linebacker broke into pro football in 1970 with the Oakland Raiders and was one of the team's leaders before being traded to the Browns in '76... generally regarded as 'no forward progress' for opponents on his side of the line... He comes out of Maryland E. Shores College.

* Randy White, Dallas Cowboys Defensive Tackle - a star defensive lineman at Maryland, he was the Cowboys No. 1 draft pick in 1975... and was voted the co-MVP of Super Bowl 12 in January of '78... nicknamed 'Manster' - part man/ part monster - he racked up 70 tackles, 48 assists and 12 quarterback sacks in the regular season. Randy White is generally regard as one of the strongest men in pro football during the late'1970s.

footballhistorian.com - The History of Football

Leading Rushers 1978
Ground Gainers (1978) Leading Rushers

Media Darlings - there was no question what most teams wanted to do offensively in the 1970s. Hand-the-ball to the running backs and let the offensive linemen do the rest - that style of play was the name of the game in this era. And, big strong lineman helped the leading rushers rack up big numbers in 1978. Football Historian

1978 Leading Rushers:

American Football Conference:

Earl Campbell, Oilers 1,450 yards... Delvin Williams, Dolphins 1,258 yards... Franco Harris, Steelers 1,082 yards... Mark Van Eaghen, Raiders 1,080 yards... Terry Miller, Bills 1,060 yards...

Tony Reed, Chiefs 1,053 yards... Greg Pruitt, Browns 960 yards... Joe Washington, Colts 956 yards... Kevin Long, Jets 954 yards... Lydell Mitchell, Chargers 820 yards...

National Football Conference:

Walter Payton, Bears 1,395 yards... Tony Dorsett, Cowboys 1,325 yards... Wilbert Montgomery, 1,220 yards... Terdell Middleton, Packers 1,116 yards... John Riggins, Redskins 1,014 yards...

Roland Harper, Bears 982 yards... Dexter Bussey, Lions 924 yards... Chuck Foreman, Vikings 749 yards... Bubba Bean, Falcons 707 yards... Rickey Bell, Buccaneers 679 Yards...

========================================

Player Bios: Running Backs

Compiled by staff@baseballhistorian.com - from our coach's old 1978 notebook.

* Walter Payton, Chicago Bears - he set an all-time NFL record in 1978 with 385 combined rushing and receiving attempts in his fourth pro season and was voted the Most Valuable Player, becoming the youngest ever (23-years) to win this award in pro football history... Walter Payton has rushed for 5,316 yards in four seasons with Chicago... attended Jackson State and was the Bears' #1 draft pick in 1975.

* Chuck Foreman, Minnesota Vikings, a six-year Viking veteran, he had three straight 1,000 yards rushing - 1975-1977... in 1447 career attempts, he's rushed for 5658 yards , a 3.9 yards/per/carry average... in addition to being one of the finest ground gainers in the NFL, Chuck Foreman caught 61 passes in '77, and set a new Viking record with 317 receptions in his career. In both 1975 and 1976, he scored 13 touchdowns.

* Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers - one of the best in the game during the 1970s, he attended Penn State, and was Pittsburgh's #1 draft pick in '72... he gained 1,055 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in his rookie year of 1972... and has gained over 1,000 yards in six of his first seven seasons in the NFL, has 61 career TD while collecting 7,377 rushing yards... Franco Harris was 3rd in the AFC in '78 and scored a TD on a 22-run run in the Steelers Super Bowl win in '78.

* Clarence Davis, Raiders - ranks among the top running backs in Oakland's history. He has a 4.5 yards/per/carry average in a career spanning 8 seasons... missed most of 1978 with a severe injury. A well-regarded, all-around athlete, Clarence Davis has scored 26 career touchdowns... and, has had three 100-yard rushing games during his career - all with the Oakland Raiders.

* Wilbert Montgomery, Philadelphia Eagles - an exceptional high-jumper and blessed with speed, he was the Eagles top ground gainer in 1978 and his 1,229 yards were third highest in the NFC, while scoring 9 touchdowns... in his rookie year, 1977, he had a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

* Kevin Long. New York Jets - he emerging as one of the top rushers in pro ball... in his sophomore season of 1978, Long rushed for a team high 954 yards on 214 carries. Jets' management has high-hopes that he'll become of the the top tailbacks in the league.

* Joe Washington, Baltimore Colts - played first full season with San Diego (1977) and then was traded to Colts before the '78 season opened... an extremely strong runner, he ranked 8th in the AFC in rushing yards with 956 in 240 carries... attended the University of Oklahoma.

* Wayne Morris, St Louis Cardinals - he's on the verge of becoming one of the top rushers in the NFC... a three year veteran of NFL wars, Morris is one of the team's leaders in the weight-lifting room... he's strong, aggressive and loves to carry the ball. He scored 8 touchdowns in '77, and gained 631 yards on 174 attempts rushing in 1978.

* O. J. Simpson, San Francisco 49ers - a daring of the media after playing nine years with the Buffalo Bills was traded to the 49ers in 1978... one of the best running backs in the history of football, O. J. rushed for 5 consecutive seasons of better than 1,000 yards (1972-1976) and set a resounding 7 NFL records along the way, including 2,003 yards in 1973... swiftly and quick, he's a master at being able to change speeds as he rolls past defenders and has gained over 10,000 yards in his 10-year career - an average of 4.7 yards/per/carry.

* Lenvil Elliot, Cincinnati Bengals - a all-purpose back, he's fast, swift and is an outstanding receiver. In 1977, he carried the ball 66 times for 271 yards and had 29 pass receptions... drafted by Cincinnati out of Missouri State where he was the team's captain.

Quarterbacks - 1978
NFL Passing Leaders (1978) Statistics and Profiles

The two top guns in the NFL in 1978 both led their teams to league championships. Quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers had the highest passing points, 84.8, in the AFC and Dallas Cowboy star Roger Staubach's 84.9 led the NFC.

=======================================

Passing Points:

Note: % of passes completed

1978 NFC

Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys 55.9%, 25 TD, 7.72 avg/gain, 84.9 Points... Archie Manning, Washington Redskins 61.8%, 17 TD, 7.25 avg/gain, 81.6 Pts... Gary Danielson, Detroit Lions 56.7%, 18 TD, 6.54 avg/gain, 73.6 Pts...

Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings 60.3%, 25 TD, 6.06 avg/gain... 68.9 Pts... Ron Jaworski, Philadelphia Eagles 51.8%, 16 TD, 6.25 avg/gain, 68.0 PTs... Jim Hart, St. Louis Cardinals 50.3%, 16 TD, 6.54 avg/gain, 66.8 Pts... Pat Haden, Los Angeles Rams 51.6%, 13 TD, 6.75 avg/gain, 65.0 Pts... Joe Theisman, Washington Redskins 41.3%, 13 TD, 6.65 avg/gain, 61.6 Pts... Steve Bartkowski, Atlanta Falcons 50.7%, 10 TD, 6.75 avg/gain, 61.1 Pts... David Whitehurst, Green Bay Packers 51.2%, 10 TD, 6.38 avg/gain, 59.7 Pts...

1978 AFC

Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers 56.3%, 28 TD, 7.92 avg/gain, 84.8 Pts... Dan Fouts, San Diego Chargers 58.8%, 24 TD, 7.87 avg/gain, 83.2 Pts... Bob Griese, Miami Dolphins 63.0%, 11 TD, 7.62 avg/gain, 82.4 Pts... Brian Sipe, Cleveland Browns 55.6%, 21 TD, 7.28 avg/gain, 80.6 Pts...

Graig Morton, Denver Broncos 54.7%... 11 TD, 6.75 Avg/gain, 77 Pts... Jim Zorn, Seattle Seahawks 56%, 15 TD, 7.41 avg/gain, 72.2 Pts... Joe Ferguson, Buffalo Bills, 53%, 16 TD, 6.47 avg/gain, 70.5 Pts... Dan Pastorini, Houston Oilers 54.1%, 16 TD, 6.72 avg/gain, 70.3 Pts... Matt Robinson, New York Jets 46.6, 13 TD, 7.53 avg/gain, 63.6 Pts... Steve Grogan, 50%, 15 TD, 7.80 avg/gain, 63.3 Pts...

======================================

* Jim Zorn, Seattle Seahawks Quarterback - one of the AFC leading signal callers, he was a starter in his rookie season with Seattle in '76 - completing 208-of-439 passes, good for 2,571 yards and 12 touchdowns. A rapid-passer, he tossed for 296 yards in one game in '77 to enable the Seahawks to topple the Bills 56-17. In 1978 Zorn threw for 15 TD and had 3,283 passing yards.

* Steve Bartkowski, Atlanta Falcons Quarterback - was Atlanta's No. 1 draft pick in 1975 - and although he missed 3-games because of an elbow injury, he still managed to win the 'Bert Bell Trophy as Offensive Rookie of the Year.' Has passed for 30 touchdowns in his first four years in the NFL.

* Dan Pastorini, Houston Oilers Quarterback - attended Santa Clara College... was Houston's No. 1 pick in the 1971 draft. He's been the Oilers starting quarterback since his rookie year... a 8-year veteran, in 1978 he completed 199-of-368 passes, good for 2,472 yards... has tossed 82 career touchdowns.

* Pat Haden, Los Angeles Rams - played rookie season of 1975 in the WFL before signing with Los Angeles. An excellent runner as well as passer, Haden finished 1978 with a 51.6 completion percentage, and passed for 13 touchdown and helped the Rams win their 6th straight division title.

footballhistorian.com - The History of Football

Johnny Drake (1937-1941) Quickstepping Fullback

Fullback, Halfback - Cleveland Rams 1937-1941 A quickstepping, powerful runner, John Drake was regarded as one of the top offensive players during the late-30s and early '40s. Born in Chicago, Illinois, the 6-ft, 1-inch, 212-pounder was a star at Purdue University before embarking on a football career with the old Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL). Joining Cleveland as a rookie in 1937, Drake scored five touchdowns, including two on pass receptions, rushed for 333 yards on 98 carries. He put up slightly lower numbers in his sophomore season before becoming one of the NFL top scorers in 1939 and 1940. In each of those years, Johnny Drake scored nine touchdowns and led the entire NFL in both years in touchdowns scored. An All-Pro selection in 1940, he scored 56 points, just one lower than NFL leader and Hall of Fame member, Don Hutson, and was second in the league with 480 rushing yards. Johnny Drake career stats: 1,700 yards on 525 ATT, a 3.2 Average, 27 career TD, 24 TD on rushing... 24 pass receptions, 530 yards, a 12.9 average... footballhistorian.com

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 (Index)

www.baseballhistorian.com | www.basketballhistorian.com | www.bowlinghistorian.com | www.boxinghistorian.com | www.crosstownclassic.com | www.hockeyhistorian.com