Category Archives: Pro Football HoF

NFL, Pro Football HoF

Tittle, Y.A. “Yat” (1926-2017)

Cards: Upper Deck Legends 1997, Topps Football Archives
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o YA Tittle & Associates
Sent: 10/12   Received: 10/22  (10 days)

YA Tittle first played way, way, back in the days of the AAFC in 1948 and 1949 for the Baltimore Colts. Arguably the best things that came out of the All-American Football Conference were the Colts, Cleveland Browns.. and YA Tittle, who joined the NFL in 1950.  While with the AAFC, YA was 309/598  for 4731 yards, 30 TDs and 27 picks. He’d be named rookie of the year in 1948.

Pretty good stats for a kid from Marshall, Tx who ran out on the University of Texas, went to LSU, and had asthma.  Well the Colts- went on hiatus really, after the 1950 season, so YA signed with the San Fransisco 49ers and became a major building block for the team’s “Million Dollar Backfield”. Although he shared passing duties his first two seasons, it didn’t seem to discourage Tittle, as he threw for 20 touchdowns in 1953 in his first season as a full-time starter. He’d also play most of the 1954 season with a broken hand. Tittle was named to the ProBowl in 1953, 1954, 1957, and 1959. For his efforts in 1957 where he threw for 2157 yards, completed 63.1% of his passes, 13 touchdowns, and 220 yards rushing, YA won AP honors.  During this period Tittle would perfect one of the first specialized pass plays called, the “Alley Oop”- a jump pass he spontaneously worked on with receiver RC Owens during that season. The alley oop was the predecessor to the modern day lob pass and actually inspired the basketball play by the same name. After 10 seasons with the ‘9ers and the emergence of John Brodie, YA thought about retiring but was traded straight up for a rookie to the New York Giants in 1960.

It’d be there that Yat cemented his legacy as a legendary quarterback and Giant great. The Giants turned him loose and the renewed 35 year old Tittle took the league by storm with 3 of the best seasons of his career setting the passing touchdown record in 1962 with 33, and 1963 with 36. In a game during the 1962 season, Tittle threw an earth shattering 7 touchdown passes and 505 yards in one game. The touchdown number has never been surpassed, but tied by 4 other players including George Blanda and Sid Luckman. Tittle won the NFL MVP honor in 1963 for his 33 touchdown passes.

The amazing thing about the touchdown passing record, is that it stood for over 20 years, from an era where passing wasn’t the science it is today, and it was done in  less games.  (His passing record would be shattered by Dan Marino, and later Tom Brady.) From 61-63 Yat was named to the Pro Bowl and AP, before he had an injury plagued final season in 1964. Tittle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and lives in California. He still runs his insurance agency YA Tittle and Associates, that he started when he was still playing football.

Att  4395     Comp  2427     Yds  33070    Pct 55.2%
Td  242     Int  248     Rat 74.3
Rush 372    Yds 1245    Avg      Td 39    Lg   45

UPDATE: 10/9/17- YA Tittle passed away today at the grand old age of 90.

AFL, College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Griese, Bob

Card: Pro Set 1990
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 2/22     Received: 12/8   (290 days)

At 290 days, -a wait well worth it I’d say, as another HoF headliner joins the club, in the name of Bob Griese.  I had given up on Bob, and when I got the envelope back I must admit that I was surprised and pleased with his response. Bob had an impressive career at Purdue for the Boilermakers playing football, basketball, and baseball. He’d play quarterback for the Boilermakers from 1963-1966. It wasn’t until his Sophomore season in 1964 that Bob took the reins and start as the team’s quarterback, punter, and kicker.  In 1965 he led Purdue to a 25-21 upset of #1 ranked Notre Dame. As a starter he’d post a 22-7-1 record. In his senior season, Griese led the team to a Rose Bowl victory over USC 14-13 in what is considered the school’s signature victory. Bob was a smart QB and what he couldn’t do with his arm, he’d frequently do with his legs. His final numbers set precedence for the school’s modern era quarterbacks such as Jim Everett and Drew Brees to break.

Griese was drafted in the first round of the 1967 AFL draft by the Miami Dolphins.  He’d have 15 TDs passing,  2005 yards, and 157 yards rushing his rookie season- good enough to earn All-Star Honors, despite starting the season originally on the bench, and for an expansion franchise. He’d grab All-Star honors the next season as well with 21 TD passes. Still, the team continued to struggle with winning, and Griese was becoming known as a good quarterback on a bad team. Don Shula was brought in to coach the team in 1970, and Griese guided the team to a 10-4 record. At the conclusion of the season, Bob was named MVP of the league, but the team fell in Super Bowl VI against the Dallas Cowboys. The Dolphins came back with a vengeance the next season, and steamrolled opponents in 1972, going 14-0. While Earl Morral came in to replace Griese during the season due to injury, the team returned to Bob in the playoffs to help them win the Super Bowl. Griese capped off Super Bowl VIII as well with a victory over the Minnesota Vikings.  By 1977 Bob began wearing those iconic black rimmed glasses on the field, but new powers began to rise in the AFC in the Central division, with the indomitable Steel Curtain in Pittsburgh and the Houston Oilers ground game led by Earl Campbell. While Griese continued to post good numbers and the Dolphins posted solid records, they wouldn’t return to the Super Bowl again.  After the 1980 season, Griese retired. The Dolphins had David Woodley waiting in the wings, and he’d guide the team to another Super Bowl loss, before Dan Marino took the reins in 1983 and rewrote all the record books for the franchise.

Griese kept close to the game and did color commentary for many years at the college level. He also handled color for the Dolphins’ preseason games as well. He’s enjoying now full retirement, in Florida and was inducted into the Pro Football HoF in 1990, the College Football HoF in 1984, the Dolphins Honor Roll, and had his number retired by the franchise as well.

G/Gs 161/151     Att 3429     Comp 1926         Yds 25092      Pct 56.2%      
Td  192   Int 172    Rat 77.3  |

Rush 261   Yds 994    Avg  3.8     Td 7     Lg 35

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF, Super Bowl MVP

Bradshaw, Terry

Card: Pro Set 1990 SuperBowl MVP
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 4/5   Received: 4/14  (9 days)

I love these old Pro Set SuperBowl MVP cards. Merv Corning is an amazing artist and did such a classy set for Pro Set. I wish they had done an addendum later and included the additional cards through the latest MVP using Corning, but this could obviously never come to fruition, especially with the dissolution of the Pro Set company and its assets some years ago. The white hitting Terry’s head as he stands there with his hands on his hips is just a stroke of genius. I can see why Terry didn’t autograph it directly on his likeness.

So with Terry, don’t expect a response from him so quickly. He’s typically somebody who only signs about once a year- if that. I was incredibly shocked to have received a response from him in 9 days, but I suspect tax and off-season may have had something to do with that. I was alerted to him signing about 2 weeks before I got the success when I saw a few successes from other posters on the NFL TTM thread on Fanmail.biz, and dropped something quickly in the mail to him the next day.

Terry Bradshaw is a bigger than life personality and one of the first gunslingers in football. An incredible leader and gambler on the field, Bradshaw had his ups and downs before winning 4 Super Bowl Titles, becoming one of the most indelible Football Commentators on television, and being inducted into the NFL HoF in 1989.  Louisiana Tech wasn’t exactly the hub of pro football when Terry Bradshaw- a local product from Shreveport came a calling, but he certainly put them on the map, for other quarterbacks to come.  The Pittsburgh Steelers took Terry with the overall #1 pick of the 1970 draft, -the first season in which the NFL and AFL had merged. (The two leagues however had been conducting combined drafts since 1967.)

The Steelers had become a doormat of the NFL, but with the hiring of Chuck Noll in 1969 and a switch to the AFC, their fortunes slowly began to change.  Bradshaw’s rookie season was horrendous, as he adjusted to the pro game, throwing 6 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. It’d be much of the same over the next few years, 13 TD – 22 INT (1971), 12 TD – 12 INT (’72), and 10TD – 15INT (’73). With a succession of strong drafts, talent would build, but so would frustration. At one point fans didn’t feel that Bradshaw was the key to the future of the franchise, but Bradshaw turned to his spiritual faith to press forward, and with that an amazing statistical transformation also took place. Shed of his stress and outward pursuits, Bradshaw began to refocus his life and thus began the era of the Second Super Bowl Dynasty- the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’d lead the team to SuperBowl victories in 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979. Bradshaw nabbed MVP honors in both 1978 and 1979, becoming the first two time back to back MVP since Bart Starr. What was more astounding was Bradshaw managed to put up his best numbers in what is referred to in NFL annuls as ‘the dead ball era’- a period of time in which passing favored defenders, so offenses were forced to more of a ground game approach. Although injuries claimed a significant percentage of the latter half of his career, he still managed to lodge 107 career wins and retired following the 1983 season. Among his other accomplishments was being named NFL MVP in 1978, and most people forget that he was an able scrambler, rushing for 35 touchdowns over his career.

Bradshaw made the transition seamlessly into the booth, where he has developed a knack for being openly critical of players who do the sport wrong, and also his self-deprecating sense of humor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, has appeared in a variety of media including television and movie acting, and has recorded some Country music.  Terry was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers 75th Anniversary team, the NFL 1970’s All Decade Team, College Football Hall of Fame and was named the #50 NFL player of all time.  In 2006 Bradshaw donated a truckload of his personal affects and awards to his Alma Matter, LA Tech for display at the institution. Truly a great guy.

G/GS  168/158     Att 3901    Comp 2025     Yds  27,989     Pct 51.9     Td  212      Int  210     Rat  70.9   |
Rush 444       Yds 2257       Avg 5.1       Td 35       Lg 39