Denver Broncos

After 9 straight 4th-place finishes (always in a 4 or 5 team division) the Broncos fired their head coach and hired John Ralston for the 1972 season. They also acquired their first legitimate quarterback (Charley Johnson) in their 13-year history. 

 

The result? They moved all the way up to 3rd place! Denver finished in 3rd or 2nd place in each of Ralston's 5 seasons at the helm, using either Johnson or Steve Ramsey at QB. Not until 1977 would they see 1st place. By then, Red Miller was the coach and Craig Morton was the quarterback. 

 

But back to 1972:

Steve Ramsey rode the Saints’ bench as a rookie in 1970, then started 5 games for the Broncos in each of ’71 and ’72. He played for Denver from 1971-76, but was the primary starting QB only in ’75 and ’76. 

Don Horn was the Packers’ #1 pick in the 1967 draft. After 4 seasons backing up Bart Starr, he played 9 games for the Broncos in 1971 (all starts). With the 1972 acquisition of Charley Johnson, and with Ramsey already on the roster, Horn was pushed to #3 on the depth chart. The record shows he played 2 games for them that season, but he had no stats. Maybe he was a holder for some field goals? 

Possibly the only bright spot for the Broncos was halfback Floyd Little. He was Denver’s #1 pick in the 1967 draft, and played 9 seasons (1967-75), all for the Broncos. A 5-time Pro Bowler, he led the NFL in rushing in 1971 with 1133 yards. He also returned kicks and punts every season. Little was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. 

Bob Anderson was the Broncos’ #1 pick in the 1970 draft. He was the starting fullback in 1971 and for most of 1972. After backing up in ’73 and playing in the WFL in ’74, he finished his career in 1975 with the Patriots and Redskins. His brother Dick was a safety for the Dolphins. 

Sam Brunelli played for the Broncos from 1966-71, and was their starting left tackle from 1967-70. 

Jim Turner played 7 seasons for the Jets (1964-70) and 9 for the Broncos (1971-79). He made the Pro Bowl in ’68 and ’69, and led the AFL in field goals both seasons. 

Lyle Alzado was the Broncos’ 4th-round pick in 1971 and played his first 8 seasons with Denver. He followed that with 3 seasons for the Browns and his final 4 seasons with the Raiders. He was a starting defensive end in all but 2 seasons: missing all but one game in 1976, and was a starting D-tackle in 1975. 

Bill Thompson was the Broncos’ 3rd-round pick in 1969, and played 13 seasons (1969-81), all for Denver. He started every game during that time, except for missing 5 games in ’70 and 6 games in ’72 due to injuries. He played right cornerback for his first 4 seasons before moving to strong safety for the remainder of his career. He was a 3-time Pro Bowler, including in his final season.

RIP - Jake Scott

Jake Scott, the free safety for the early-1970s Miami Dolphins teams, passed away on November 19, 2020 at age 75.

Scott played in the CFL in 1969, then spent the next 6 seasons as the Dolphins' free safety, starting every game. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 5 of those 6 seasons, and was First Team All-Pro twice. He was also the MVP of Super Bowl VII (vs. the Redskins). 

 

He also played for the Redskins from 1976-78, starting all but 2 games at free safety.  

 

Palm Beach Post obituary 

 

Baltimore Colts

See my opening monologue in this post. 

In 1970 Johnny Unitas started 13 games, the Colts finished 11-2-1 and won the Super Bowl.
In 1971 Unitas and Earl Morrall split the starts, the Colts finished 10-4 and lost the AFC Conference Championship.
In 1972 Unitas and Marty Domres split the starts, and the Colts finished 5-9. They would drop even further in '73 and '74.

Johnny Unitas played 17 seasons for the Colts (1956-72), and was the #1 QB every season except ’68, ’71, and ’72. He led the NFL in passing yards 4 times and TDs 4 times. For 11 consecutive seasons (1957-67) he was a Pro Bowl selection, First-Team All-Pro, or both. He finished his career with the Chargers in 1973, making only 4 starts.

Tom Matte was the Colts’ 1st-round pick in 1961. He played 12 seasons (1961-72), all with the Colts, and was the starting halfback in ’63, ’67, ’68, ’69, and ’71. He was a 2-time Pro Bowl selection, and was First-Team All-Pro in 1969, leading the NFL with 11 rushing TDs.

Norm Bulaich was the Colts’ #1 pick in the 1970 draft. He was the starting fullback in his first 2 seasons, then missed 8 games in 1972. He played the next 2 seasons as the Eagles’ starting fullback, then finished his career with 5 seasons in Miami (1975-79).

Jim O’Brien was the Colts’ 3rd-round pick in 1970, and kicked for 3 seasons in Baltimore, including his last-second field goal that won Super Bowl V in his rookie season. He also started 8 games at wide receiver in 1972. He finished his career with the Lions in 1973.

Bubba Smith was the first-overall pick in the 1967 draft. After riding the bench in his rookie season, he was the Colts’ starting left end from 1968-71, making the Pro Bowl in the last 2 seasons. After missing 1972 with a knee injury, he started 25 games for the Raiders from 1973-74, then finished up as a backup with the Oilers in ’75 and ’76. I’m surprised to see he’s not in the Hall of Fame.

Ted Hendricks was selected by the Colts in the 2nd round of the 1969 draft. He started at outside linebacker from 1969-73, and was named to 3 Pro Bowls. After a season in Green Bay (1975 – Making First-Team All-Pro for the 2nd time), he played outside linebacker for the Raiders in his last 9 seasons, making the Pro Bowl again in his final 4 seasons. He was added to the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Jerry Logan was a 4th-round pick in 1963, and played strong safety for the Colts for his entire 10-year career (1963-72). He was a starter every season but his first, and made 3 Pro Bowls.

Rick Volk was the Colts’ 2nd-round pick in 1967, and was their starting free safety for his first 8 seasons. After playing part-time for the Colts in 1975, he finished up with the Giants and Dolphins from 1976-78.

RIP - Don Shula

Don Shula, who coached the Miami Dolphins to their undefeated 1972 season, passed away on May 4, 2020 at age 90.

The Dolphins appeared in three straight Super Bowls (VI, VII, VIII), winning the last two. They returned to the Super Bowl twice in the early 1980s.

He also coached the Colts to Super Bowl III, only to lose to Joe Namath and the Jets.

In 33 years as a head coach, his teams had a winning record 30 times!

In any "Mount Rushmore" scenario, there's only room for four choices. When it comes to NFL coaches, the seven that stand out are Don Shula, Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Paul Brown, Bill Walsh, and Bill Belichick.  Three have to be put on the second team, but Shula can't be one of them.

CNN obituary

Hall of Famers

I just posted the Hall of Famers in the 1971 and 1968 Topps sets and 1967 Philly Gum set. Here is the last in my 4-part series: 1972.

There are 53 Hall of Famers in the 1972 set.  I have 47 of them, all shown below.  There are six in the high-numbered 3rd series that I don't have.

I really don't like Topps' decision to print horizontal cards for all the teams whose name was less than 6 letters.

Not shown are Rayfield Wright (Dal), Alan Page (Minn), Dick LeBeau (Det), Tom Mack (LA), Jimmy Johnson (SF), and Winston Hill (NYJ).


Re-cap: 
6 - Chiefs, Cowboys
5 - Raiders
4 - Dolphins, Vikings
3 - Cardinals, Jets, Lions
2 - Bears, Colts, 49ers, Oilers, Rams, Steelers
1 - Bills, Broncos, Browns, Chargers, Falcons, Packers, Redskins
0 - Bengals, Eagles, Giants, Patriots, Saints

This is the 2nd time the Chiefs have led the way.  It's also the 2nd time the Eagles, Giants, Patriots, and Saints were shutout. (And the 3rd time for the Bengals!)

Miami Dolphins

Here are the 1972 Miami Dolphins, about to embark on their magical 17-0 season, culminating with a win in Super Bowl VII.

The previous season, they made their first Supe appearance, but lost to the Cowboys. The Dolphins starting lineup in '72 was the same as in '71, except for the following positions:
HB - Mercury Morris replaced Jim Kiick
C - Jim Langer replaced Bob DeMarco
LDE - Vern Den Herder replaced Jim Riley
QB - Earl Morrall started 9 of 14 games for the injured Bob Griese. The starting QB missed 9 games, and they STILL went undefeated!

Bob Griese was injured in game #5, and didn't return until late in game #14. He missed the first playoff game, played part of the AFC championship game, and all of the Super Bowl. Bob was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Earl Morrall was drafted by the 49ers in 1956, and played for the Lions, Giants, Colts, and Dolphins from 1959-1976, mostly as a backup. Topps didn't usually print cards for more than one QB per team back then, but it's good they did in 1972, as Morrall started more games than Griese. (Morrall had also played most of the 1968 season as the Colts' starting QB, including Super Bowl III.)

Mercury Morris was drafted by Miami in 1969 and spent his first 3 seasons primarily as a kick returner. Taking over the running back chores in 1972, he collected 1000 yards rushing and led the NFL with 12 TDs.

The Dolphins drafted Jim Kiick in 1968 and was the starting halfback for his first 4 seasons. He was relegated to backup status for 2 seasons (in favor of Morris) but started the majority of games at halfback in 1974. After a season in the WFL, Jim played for the Broncos in '76 and '77.

Larry Csonka was the Dolphins' #1 pick in the 1968 draft, and was their starting fullback for seven seasons. In 1975 he jumped to the WFL (with teammates Jim Kiick and Paul Warfield), then returned to the NFL with the Giants from 1976-78. He finished up his career in 1979 as the Dolphins' fullback. A 5-time Pro-Bowler, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Paul Warfield began his career with the Cleveland Browns in 1964. He played 6 seasons with the Browns and made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, as well as his last 2 in Cleveland. Moving to Miami in 1970, he made the Pro Bowl in all 5 seasons with the Fish. After a year in the WFL, he returned to Cleveland for '76 and '77, then again to Miami for 1978. Warfield was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.

Larry Little began his career with the Chargers in 1967 and 1968, then played 11 seasons (1969-79) as the Dolphins' starting right guard, making the Pro Bowl 5 times. He finished his career in 1980 playing 5 games for the Dolphins, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Here's Garo Yepremian, not wearing his traditional #1 jersey (must have been a 1st-year training camp photo). Garo kicked 2 years for the Lions ('67, '68) then played for the Dolphins from 1969 to 1978, including 2 Pro Bowls. He later kicked for the Saints and Buccaneers, retiring after the 1981 season.

Manny Fernandez was the Dolphins' starting right defensive end as a rookie in 1968, then held down the left DT spot from 1969 to 1974. He finished up with the Dolphins in 1975 as a part-time player.

Nick Buoniconti was drafted by the Boston Patriots in 1962 and was their starting MLB for his 7 seasons there, while making 5 Pro Bowls. He was acquired by the Dolphins prior to the 1969 season, and spent the next 6 seasons captaining their defense, with 3 more Pro Bowl appearances. After missing the 1975 season, he returned in '76 as a backup. Buoniconti was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Dick Anderson was drafted by Miami in 1968, and played 9 seasons (1968-74, 76-77) with the Dolphins, starting at safety in all but his last 2 seasons. He returned punts every season, and did some punting in '69 and '72.

Jake Scott was drafted by the Dolphins in 1970, and was a starting safety for 6 seasons, making the Pro Bowl every year but his rookie season. He was also the Redskins' free safety from 1977-79.

12 cards, 5 Hall of Famers!


Also check out the 1968 and 1971 Dolphins.

New York Jets

Here are the 1972 Jets, four years removed from their guaranteed victory in Super Bowl III.

A lot had changed since then: The Jets returned to the playoffs in 1969, but lost in the first round to the Chiefs. That was followed by a 4-10 record in 1970 and 6-8 in 1971.

Only 6 of these players (Joe Namath, Emerson Boozer, Winston Hill, Dave Herman, Gerry Philbin, and Al Atkinson) remained from the Super Bowl team.

After leading the Jets to victory in Super Bowl III and returning to the playoffs in 1969, Joe Namath missed 9 games in 1970 and 11 games in 1971. He bounced back in 1972, starting 13 of the 14 games, and led the NFL in passing yardage (2816) and TDs (19), but the Jets finished at 7-7.

Namath was the Jets' #1 QB from 1965 to 1976 (except for missed time in '70, '71, and '73), and finished his career with the Rams in 1977. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

Emerson Boozer was drafted by the Jets in 1966, and had a 10-year career (1966-75) all with the Jets.  He was a starting back in all but his final season. Normally the halfback, he played fullback in 1970, between the Matt Snell and John Riggins eras. Boozer led the AFL with 10 rushing TDs in 1967.

John Riggins was the Jets' 1st-round pick (#6 overall) in 1971. He was their starting fullback for his 5 seasons in New York, and rushed for over 1000 yards (and made his only Pro Bowl) in 1975, his final season with the Jets. He was also the Redskins' fullback for 8 seasons from 1976 to 1985.

John missed the 1977 season with a knee injury, and sat out the 1980 season over a contract dispute. Riggins was named the MVP of Super Bowl XVII, and also played in the Supe the next year. He was the 2nd player (after Jim Brown) to rush for 100 career touchdowns. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

George Nock was a 16th-round pick for the Jets in 1969. After rarely playing that season, Nock was the starting halfback in 1970, replacing Matt Shell in the lineup (with Emerson Boozer moving to fullback). In 1971 the Jets drafted John Riggins, so Nock found a spot on the bench, playing sparingly behind Riggins and Boozer. The back of this card says George joined the Redskins on 6-18-72. It was his final season.

Richard Caster was drafted by the Jets in 1970, and was a starting receiver from 1970 to 1977, including playing tight end from 1972-76. He later played for the Oilers (1978-80), Saints (1981), and Redskins (1981-82).

Winston Hill was drafted by the Colts in 1963, but began his career with the Jets that same year.  He was a starting offensive tackle for the Jets for 13 seasons (1963-75), 8 seasons on the left side before moving over to the right side.  Hill made the Pro Bowl 8 times during that 13-year span.  After riding the Jets' bench in 1976, he finished his career with the Rams in 1977.

Dave Herman joined the Jets in 1964, and was their starting right guard every season from 1965 to 1973, leading the protection for Namath. Dave made the Pro Bowl in '68 and '69.

Gerry Philbin was drafted by the Jets in 1964, and was their starting left defensive end every season from 1965 to 1972, making the Pro Bowl in 1968 and 1969. He finished his career with the Eagles in 1973.

Al Atkinson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1965, but played for the Jets that season. He was the Jets' starting middle linebacker every season from 1966 to 1972, and also played parts of  '73 and '74 with the Jets before retiring.

W.K. Hicks was a starting cornerback and safety for the Houston Oilers from 1964 to 1969. He was the Jets' starting free safety for 2 seasons (1970-71), then a backup in his final season of 1972.

Chris Farasopoulos was the Jets' 3rd-round pick in 1971, and returned kicks and punts as a rookie. He replaced Hicks as the starting free safety in 1972 (and '73), and continued to return punts and kicks. He played his final season (1974) with the Saints.


Also check out the 1968 Jets.

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San Francisco 49ers

Well, I've put it off as long as I can (posting teams with horizontal cards). I never liked the horizontal format in the 1972 set. Maybe it was because the colors on the Cardinals' and Jets' cards are so bland. In any case it was poor planning by me, because now I have almost nothing BUT horizontal cards left to post (49ers, Rams, Bears, Lions, Cardinals, Jets, Colts, and Bills).

Here are the 1972 San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers had a good run from 1970-72 at the end of QB John Brodie's career, winning the NFC West for those 3 seasons. They just couldn't get past the Cowboys each time. After 1972, the team faded, until finally making the playoffs (and winning the Super Bowl) in 1981.

John Brodie was the Niners' #1 pick (3rd overall) in the 1957 draft. He played 17 seasons (1957-73) in the NFL, all with San Francisco. John shared the starting job with Y. A. Tittle from 1958-60, then was the starter every year from 1961-73 (except for missing some time in 1963 and 1972).

He made the Pro Bowl in 1965 and 1970, and led the NFL in passing yardage in '65, '68, and '70, and in TDs in '65 and '70. He retired after the 1973 season as the 3rd greatest career passer. Brodie was also on the professional golf tour from 1981 to 1998.

Like John Brodie, Steve Spurrier was the 49ers' #1 pick (3rd overall). This time in 1967 - 10 years after Brodie's selection. Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy in 1966, and was the team's punter for his first 4 seasons, as well as the backup QB.

He filled in for Brodie in 1972, but after Brodie's retirement, the team went with rookie QB Tom Owen in 1974. Spurrier shared the starting job with Norm Snead in 1975, then finished his career in 1976 with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since his retirement as a player, Steve has been a college coach, as well as brief coaching stints in the USFL and NFL.

Vic Washington was drafted by the Niners in 1970, and was a starting running back and kick returner for them from 1971-73. He played the 1974 season with the Oilers, then ended his career as a kick returner with the Bills in '75 and '76.

The 49ers drafted Ken Willard #1 (2nd overall) in the 1965 draft, and he was their starting fullback for 9 seasons (1965-73), making the Pro Bowl 4 times.  Ken finished his career as a backup for the Cardinals in 1974.

Doug Cunningham was drafted by the 49ers in 1967. He played 7 seasons for them (1967-73), mostly as a kick returner, although he was also the starting halfback in 1969 and 1970.  He spent his final season (1974) with the Redskins.

The more accomplished of the two 1970s' wide receivers named Gene Washington, this one was drafted #1 by the 49ers in 1969.  He was a starting wide receiver for his 1st nine seasons, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first 4 seasons, and leading the NFL in reception yards (1100) in 1970. He missed the 1978 season, then started for the Lions in 1979.

Another first-round pick for the Niners in 1969 was Ted Kwalick.  Ted played 6 seasons with the 49ers, and was their starting tight end for 3 seasons (1971-73), making the Pro Bowl in all 3 seasons. He also played for the Raiders from 1975-77.

Forrest Blue was the team's #1 pick in 1968, and played 7 seasons with the 49ers.  He was the starting center in all but his rookie season, and was considered one of the best centers of his era.  He made the Pro Bowl in his last 4 seasons in San Francisco, then was the Colts' backup center from 1975-78.

Bruce Gossett kicked for the Rams (1964-69) and 49ers (1970-74). He led the NFL in field goal percentage in 1964 and 1973.

Drafted in the 3rd round in 1967, Frank Nunley played his entire career (1967-76) with the 49ers.  He was their starting middle linebacker from 1969-72, and 1974-76).

Dave Wilcox was drafted in the 3rd round in  1964, and was the 49ers' starting left linebacker for his entire 11-year career (1964-74).  He was a 7-time Pro Bowler, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Jimmy Johnson played his entire 16-year career (1961-76) with the 49ers.  A 1st-round pick in 1961, he played two seasons as a backup and one as the free safety, then was the team's starting left cornerback for his final 13 seasons. He was a 5-time Pro Bowler and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.


Also check out the 1967 and 1971 49ers.

San Diego Chargers

Here are the 1972 San Diego Chargers. After finishing in 3rd place (6-8) in 1971, the team dropped to last place (4-9-1) in 1972. The free-fall continued, and they didn't see a winning record until 1978.

John Hadl was the Chargers' 3rd-round pick (and the Lions' #1 pick) in the 1962 draft. Incumbent QB Jack Kemp missed all but 2 games with injuries, so Hadl started 10 games as a rookie. The next season, he was the #2 QB behind newly-acquired veteran Tobin Rote.

Hadl regained the starting role in 1964, and remained there through the 1972 season. John led the league in passing TDs in '68 and '71. He was also the Chargers' punter during the '64 and '65 seasons. Hadl played for the Rams, Packers, and Oilers from 1973-77. He made 6 Pro Bowls, and was the last QB to wear a number higher than #19.

Mike Garrett began his career with the Chiefs in 1966, the season that culminated in the team's appearance in Super Bowl I. He rushed for over 1000 yards in his 2nd season. After 4+ seasons as the starting halfback in Kansas City, the Chiefs traded him to the Chargers 3 games into 1970. He played for the Chargers through the 1973 season, all as the starting halfback. In 1972 he had his 2nd 1000-yard season. Mike was a 2-time Pro Bowler.

Jeff Queen played for the Chargers for 3 seasons (1969-71) and was the starting fullback for the last two. He also played for the Raiders (1972-73) and the Oilers (1974).

Gary Garrison was drafted by the Eagles in 1965, but did not play for them. He joined the Chargers in 1966, and was their starting split end from 1966-1975 (while missing part of the 1973 season). He played in only 2 games for the Chargers in 1976, then finished his career in 1977 with the Oilers. Gary was a 4-time Pro Bowler.

Jerry LeVias was the Oilers' 2nd-round pick in 1969, and was a kick and punt returner, as well as a wide receiver. As a rookie, he led the AFL in punt returns and return yardage. After 2 seasons in Houston, Jerry was acquired by the Chargers. He continued in all 3 roles for San Diego in 1971, but played sparingly in '72 and '74. In 1973, he was a starting wide receiver, but did not play on special teams.

Dave Williams was the Cardinals' #1 pick in the 1967 draft. He was the starting split end from 1968-71, then played for the Chargers in 1972 and part of 1973, before finishing up with the Steelers at the end of the 1973 season.

Walt Sweeney was San Diego's #1 pick in 1963, and played for the Chargers from 1963 to 1973. He was their starting right guard for all but his rookie season, and made 9 Pro Bowls (all but '63 and '73). He finished his career as the Redskins' starting right guard in 1974 and 1975. Sweeney passed away in early 2013 from pancreatic cancer, at age 71.

Dennis Partee played 8 seasons (1968-75), all with the Chargers. He was the team's punter every season, and was also their placekicker except for the '70, '73, and '75 seasons. In 1969, he led the AFL with 44.6 yards per punt.

After 11 seasons with the Rams (1961-71), Deacon Jones played 2 seasons with the Chargers before wrapping up his career in 1974 with the Redskins. He was his team's starting left defensive end in all but his final season. (For some reason, Topps chose to airbrush him into a red jersey, seemingly unnecessary, since the Rams' and Chargers' jerseys were both blue!) Jones was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980, and passed away in June 2013 at age 74.

Bob Babich was the Chargers' #1 pick in the 1969 draft, and was the starting middle linebacker in San Diego for 3 seasons (1970-72) and in Cleveland for 4 seasons (1973-76). After 2 seasons as a Browns' backup, he retired following the 1978 season.


Also check out the 1968 and 1971 Chargers.

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