Tag Archives: kansas city chiefs

NFL

Fuller, Steve

Card: Topps 1985
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

With Jack Thompson and Phil Simms off the board of the 1979 draft, the Kansas City Chiefs nabbed Steve Fuller at the bottom of  the first round. A quarterback with good legs at Clemson, Fuller rushed for 649 yards and 10 touchdowns on 153 carries and threw for 7 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions in his final season for the Tigers. During his time there he’d set 3 passing records for the school, accumulate 22 TDs and 4359 yards.

He’d spend the next 4 seasons with the Chiefs, and throw for 22 touchdowns. His best season came in 1980 when Fuller had 2250 yards and 10 touchdowns to rank 4th in the AFC. Fuller moved to the Rams as a backup in 1983 but saw no playing time, and then signed with the Bears in 1984 to back up oft injured Jim McMahon.  Fuller played a vital role in the offense during the 1985 season and guided the team to a 4-1 record in Jim’s absence. This allowed the Bears to reach Super Bowl XX with little fanfare in the NFC. (While he wasn’t the fanciest of passers, Steve managed to find the endzone 5 times during the season.)  He’d appear in the memorable “Super Bowl Shuffle” video along with most of the starting cast. Fuller played one final season in 1986 and retired to South Carolina soon thereafter.

G/Gs    90/42     Att 1066     Comp 605     Yds 7156      Pct 56.8%        Td 28    Int 41       Rat 70.1     |        Rush 186        Yds 908       Avg 4.9       Td  11       Lg  49

NFL

Alt, John

Card: Fleer 1990
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

John Alt was a first round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1984 draft out of the University of Iowa. Through and through, one of the most solid drafts of the professional era, Alt was the second offensive lineman taken off the board, after overall #2 pick Dean Steinkuhler.  He’d be penciled in at tackle, and over the next 3 seasons, John edged his way into full time starting duty for the team. By 1987, Alt was a fixture on the blindside of the Chiefs quarterback corps where he remained for the entirety of his career. An equally adept pass and run blocker, John helped clear the way for Christian Okoye to lead the NFL in rushing during the 1989 season, and earned AP Honors in 1990 and 1991. John also holds a share of the team record for most playoff appearances with 10. Finally neck, back, and knee injuries took its toll on Alt’s career and he’d retire after the ’96 season.

Originally a tight end upon his arrival at Iowa, he outgrew the position, and bulked up to 275 by his senior season. It all paid off as he earned AP All-American and Big 10 Honors for his play.  In 2002, the Chiefs inducted him into their Hall of Fame. Unable to escape the lure of the sport, he’s back coaching offensive line at the high school level in Minnesota.

G/Gs  179/149

Arena, NFL

Jaworski, Ron “Jaws”

udldg97 jaworskiCards:  Upper Deck Legends 1997, Score Supplemental 1989, Topps 1984
Acquired:  TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent:  1/2     Received: 1/23   (21 days)

Ron “Jaws” Jaworski, is a famous commentator and color man for the eponymous sports network ESPN, but before most of the recent generation of fans recall, he was a great quarterback story that unfolded in the City of Brotherly Love, – Philadelphia.

Well we have to go back even before that to where the tale of  ‘the crossroads of quarterbacks’, Ron Jaworski begins. Youngstown State isn’t exactly a household name when it comes to football – and in fact is more well known for the Ward Beecher Planetarium more than anything else.  The Penguins though played in a hybrid offense called the side-saddle T formation (where the quarterback stood off center and faces a sideline with two runningbacks and a wingback in motion). Ron played for them from 1969 through 1972 setting multiple records and ranking among the school’s leaders in 11 offensive categories.In his senior season Ron was ranked 5th in the country among college-division passers. He finished his career at Youngstown with 32 TDs, on 325 completions, and 4,612 yards.

to83 jaworskiThe Los Angeles Rams selected Ron in the second round of the 1973 draft. The draft proved to hold a bevvy of talent for the franchise, as Fred Dryer, Cullen Bryant, and Jim Youngblood were drafted alongside Jaworski. A young offensive backfield guy named Dick Vermeil noticed, “Ron’s raw talent and eagerness to learn,” and with the torch passed on from Roman Gabriel to John Hadl, there was room on the roster for Jaworski to be brought up to speed. He’d get some mop up duty in 1974 and start his first game in 1975, creating a frenzy when he led the team to a playoff win after the season. Handed the job in 1976, he went 2-0, but threw 1 TD to 5 picks. He’d lose the starting job to Pat Haden who went 5-1-1 the rest of the way. The Rams put Jaworski on the table for a trade, after Ron refused to sign.  You see the Rams ownership didn’t feel that Jaworski was an ‘LA kind of kid’ but Ron thought he could start. He just wasn’t in the ‘Hollywood cool’ image. The long suffering Philadelphia Eagles franchise decided to come to the trough and made the call in March. (The Rams later signed Hollywood friendly free agent quarterback Joe Namath in May.)

sco89supp jaworskiDick Vermeil liked what he saw out of ‘The Polish Rifle’ back when he was an assistant with the Rams, and now as head coach was more than happy to bring Ron on board in 1977 (where he’d ironically take the place of Roman Gabriel.) Mentored by guru Sid Gillman and Vermeil, Ron made titanic strides in 1978 and guided the Eagles into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. He’d beat his numbers in 1979 posting 18 TDs to only 12 picks, and the team surged to an 11-5 record as his exuberance, leadership, and fun-loving nature infected teammates and Eagles fans alike.  Jaworski bettered himself again in 1980, with a 12-4 record guiding the team to the Superbowl XV against the Oakland Raiders. After the season, ‘Jaws’ 27 TDs to 12 Ints and 3529 yards, was good enough to earn him the 1980 NFL MVP honor. Ron continued to prove his detractors wrong, winning more games as a quarterback from 1978-1981 (with the exception of Terry Bradshaw). After the Eagles slipped back under the playoff surface again in 1982, Dick Vermeil decided to quit coaching and handed the reins over to his longtime defensive coordinator Marion Campbell. By 1985 the writing was on the wall with the drafting of wonder quarterback Randall Cunningham who started 4 games that year. Still, Jaws managed to pop a memorable 99 yard touchdown to Mike Quick that season. In 1986, firey Buddy Ryan was brought in to right the ship in Philadelphia, and by the 11th game of the season decided that the era of Ron Jaworski was over for the Eagles.  Unceremoniously dumped after the season, Jaws headed over to Miami to back up Dan Marino where he’d play sparingly in 1988. Ron kept it up another year and closed out his career with the Chiefs as Steve DeBerg’s back up in 1989, at the grand old age of 38. (Bizarrely during the 1991 season, Jaworski had to turn down appeals from Eagles fans to return to Philadelphia after Cunningham and backup Jim McMahon were injured.)

For a guy who the Rams couldn’t stand because he didn’t fit their scene (4-0 record as a starter), the criticism he took for not being able to get to the big game (4 playoff wins, superbowl appearance), and the belief he’d never make it out of tiny Youngstown State (15 seasons in the NFL), Ron Jaworski is a great story about a kid who decided to chase his dreams so that he wouldn’t have to straighten metal bars in a factory and play a game he loved for the rest of his life. At the time of his retirement, Jaworski held the NFL record for most consecutive starts with 116, (since surpased by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Eli Manning).

Ron is a popular name in the sport of American Football. He is a fixture at ESPN, spent 5 years on Monday Night Football, has been involved with youth football, expanding the sport for many years investing overseas in a variety of  football ventures, and is part owner of the AFL Philadelphia Soul. Jaws has been nominated for the NFL Hall of Fame, and in 1992 was inducted into the Eagles Honor Roll. You can visit him at ronjaworski.com.

Att 4117       Comp  2187         Yds  28190        Pct  53.1%     Td   179      Int  164      Rat 72.8
Rush  257     Yds  859      Avg  3.3      Td  16      Lg 44