Daryl Lamonica was the Notre Dame Irish Quarterback from 1960-’62.
He completed 99 of 211 passes for 1363 yards and 8 TDs, while rushing for 353 yards on 144 carries, scoring 10 rushing TDs.
Chose by both the Bills and Packers in the respective AFL and NFL Drafts in 1963.
Played for the Bills from 1963-’66 primarily backing up Jack Kemp.
Traded to the Oakland Raiders in a player deal in 1967.
Fit perfectly in the Raiders long bomb game, leading the Raiders immediately to Super Bowl II.
Threw for 3,228 yards and 30 TDs in first season with Oakland.
In ’68 completed 206 of 416 passes for 3,245 yards and 25 TDs.
Threw for 401 yards in the AFL Championship game but ultimately lost to the New York Jets.
Completed 221 of 426 passes for 3,302 yards and 34 TDs- all career highs in 1969.
Set NFL record with 6 TDs in first half of game that season.
Again lost in championship game, this time to the Chiefs.
Threw for 2,516 yards in ’70, along with 22 TDs on 179 of 356 passes.
On the backside of his career, Lamonica still managed to throw for 16 and 18 TDs respectively in 1971 and ’72.
Entering the 1973 season, he’d be relegated to back up duty for the final two years of his career in Oakland, with the emergency of Kenny Stabler.
Still feeling that he could play, Daryl jumped ship to the WFL.
He’d play for the Sothern California Sun, but the league folded by October of that year.
An avid outdoorsman, Lamonica loved fishing and spent a lot of his free time indulging in his hobby.
Over his career Lamonica posted an amazing starting record of 66-16-6.
ACCOLADES:
MVP East-West Shrine Game 1962
AFL MVP 1967, ’69
First Team All-AFL 1967, ’69
Pro Bowl 1970, ’72
AFL Championship MVP 1967
AFL Player of the Year 1967, ’69
NOTES:
I’d been tracking Lamonica’s autograph for a while and saw a spike up to around 40 bucks after he passed. That was way too rich for my blood. I waited patiently and the right deal popped up.
Lamonica is another player from the days of the AFL who just doesn’t get enough respect and should be in the HoF. Daryl at one point led professional football with 145 touchdown passes from 1967-’72.
EPITAPH:
April 21, 2022- Daryl Lamonica died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes, at the age of 80, while at his home in Fresno, Ca.
He totaled 431 carries for 1714 yards and 10 TDs rushing, to go along with 52 receptions for 561 yards and 5 TDs.
Well lauded, he led the Cowboys in rushing all 3 years, and the team to the Sun Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
Kiick was selected in the 5th round of the 1968 AFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
He’d go on to play for the Dolphins for the next seven seasons, where Jim established himself as a wonderful compliment to Larry Czonka in the backfield as a receiver, rusher, and blocker.
In 1969, Kiick led the AFL with 9 rushing TDs.
He’d have a career high 1,155 yards from scrimmage the following year in 1970.
And in 1971, rushed for a career high 738 yards.
Czonka and Kiick were known affectionately as ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ thanks in part to their drunken debauchery on road games.
In each of his first 4 seasons, Kiick had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
Over a period of time however, new players such as Mercury Morris and Paul Warfield were introduced to the team, eating into Kiick’s playing time and touches.
He and Larry shocked the football world when in 1975 Jim, Paul, and Larry jumped ship for the World Football League.
They all played for the Memphis Southmen.
Jim ran for 462 yards on 121 carries, scoring 9 TDs, while also catching 25 passes for 259 yards and a TD.
After the league folded, Jim returned to the NFL where he played the ’76 season for the Broncos.
He played the majority of the ’77 season with Denver, and finished out the year with the Redskins.
Jim had a variety of pursuits he chased after his NFL time ended, including private investigation, and owned a self-titled sports promotion company.
ACCOLADES:
Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame
Pro Bowl 1968, ’69
NOTES:
By the time I was back collecting and targeting this set, Jim had already started deteriorating rapidly from dementia- and he was one of the many players that had been diagnosed with CTE. It made me deeply sad, so I didn’t want to trouble him for his autograph during this private time of his life, even though he was still participating in private signings.
It’s difficult for me to talk about this subject. Care giving for one who is experiencing issues with mental cognition hits home for me. My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s near the end of his life in his 90s. He had to be placed into a senior care center. I just remember the last time I saw him, it was my birthday, and he thought I worked for him at the plant- somewhere he hadn’t been to in 30 years.
EPITAPH:
6/20/20- Jim had battled dementia and had been living in a assisted living community. He passed away at the age of 73. It was later confirmed that Kiick had suffered from CTE.
