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Worst ending to a career
Started by conace21, Oct 26 2013 11:45 AM
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#1 conace21
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 11:45 AM
There was a thread here that discussed which players had the best ending to their career (such as John Elway.)
How about the flip side? Which players had the worst ending to their careers, either a bad game or a bad play.
Dan Marino- lost 62-7 to Jacksonville, and he missed on his first seven passes. I'd take him off this list if he had not played in the 2nd half- then at least he could have said his last pass was a touchdown.
Dan Turk- Redskins long snapper. He botched a FG attempt that would have put the 1999 Redskins into the NFC Championship Game. Brad Johnson couldn't put the ball down and threw an incomplete pass. To make matters worse, Turk got bullrushed on the play and knocked right on his reae.
Trey Junkin- at least Junkin got some of the heat deflected after his bad snap in the Giants-49ers playoff game by the officiating blunder.
Joe Theismann
#2 JWL
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 11:58 AM
Elvis Grbac playing poorly considering his contract and then quitting in the offseason
Jackie Smith because of the drop in the Super Bowl
#3 74_75_78_79_
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 12:57 PM
Emmitt Smith...EACH of the Triplets, actually.
#4 BD Sullivan
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 01:02 PM
From a health perspective, I think Darryl Stingley would win hands down.
The last completion of Roger Staubach's career was to one of his offensive linemen, Herb Scott. Staubach was trying to throw it away on third down late in the '79 playoff game against the Rams, and Scott reflexively caught it. The Cowboys were flagged for ineligible receiver, then turned it over after another incompletion.
#5 Shipley
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 01:10 PM
Bills special teams great Steve Tasker was thrown out of the game on one of the first plays of the final game of his career.
#6 conace21
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 02:01 PM
I didn't think Emmitt had a particularly bad sendoff. He ran for 69 yards in a win over TB. Only averaged 3.0 YPC, so he's certainly no candidate for the best ride off into the sunset, but not as bad as some of the others
Anyone who suffered a career-ending injury certainly makes the list, especially Dennis Byrd, and Mike Utley. Chuck Hughes of course had the worst possible ending.
From a football perspective, Jim Kelly had a bad ending. In a wild card game against Jacksonville with the score tied late, Kelly fumbled twice on the same play, ended up turning the ball over to allow Jacksonville to drive for a go-ahead FG, suffered a concussion AND was victimized by a bad call. (Kelly was actually down before he lost the ball, but the officials didn't see it.
#7 MatthewToy
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 02:38 PM
Can't believe no one said Joe Theismann yet.
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#8 BD Sullivan
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 02:40 PM
Browns return man Billy Lefear had a pretty spectacular end to his career in 1975: he returned a kickoff (from the goal line) 92 yards, but on the tackle, suffered a severe broken leg that took him two years just to get back on the field--at which point he was released in training camp.
#9 BD Sullivan
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 02:40 PM
MatthewToy, on 26 Oct 2013 - 2:38 PM, said:
Can't believe no one said Joe Theismann yet.
It was in the first post.
#10 97Den98
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 02:42 PM
MatthewToy, on 26 Oct 2013 - 2:38 PM, said:
Can't believe no one said Joe Theismann yet.
Or basically any player who had his career end with injury, like Billy Sims and Dwight Stephenson.
Also, I wonder if Champ Bailey will have a less than ideal ending due to injury. He hurt his foot again against the Colts.
Now, he will try to play after the bye against SD in a few weeks, but I don't know what he has left.
#11 conace21
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 02:44 PM
MatthewToy, on 26 Oct 2013 - 2:38 PM, said:
Can't believe no one said Joe Theismann yet.
I did, at the end of my original post.
#12 MatthewToy
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 04:48 PM
conace21, on 26 Oct 2013 - 2:44 PM, said:
I did, at the end of my original post.
Oof. Missed it.
#13 Todd Pence
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 04:52 PM
Derrick Thomas, Jerome Brown, Chris Henry, Sean Taylor, Jovan Belcher, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Brain Piccolo, Joe Delaney, Don Rogers, Jeff Alm, Stone Johnson, David Overstreet, Pat Tillman, Larry Gordon.
#14 MIKETOUHY
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 05:13 PM
I remember the last game Walter Payton
played and it was not a good game.
Can't remember the opposing team but I remember seeing a photo of him in the Tribune in despair.
#15 conace21
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 06:13 PM
It was against the Washington Redskins and while Payton actually played well in that game, running for 85 yards, it was not a good ending. At the end of the game, on 4th and 8 or so, Payton caught a pass and turned upfield to fight for the first down. He was knocked out of bounds one yard short. End of game, season, and career.
#16 BD Sullivan
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 06:16 PM
conace21, on 26 Oct 2013 - 6:13 PM, said:
It was against the Washington Redskins and while Payton actually played well in that game, running for 85 yards, it was not a good ending. At the end of the game, on 4th and 8 or so, Payton caught a pass and turned upfield to fight for the first down. He was knocked out of bounds one yard short. End of game, season, and career.
I remember John Madden noting the irony of such a classy player ending his career underneath the opposing team's bench, which was where he ended up after getting knocked out of bounds.
#17 JuggernautJ
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 07:25 PM
Two 49er Strong Safeties come to mind. Both had immense potential and both had their careers destroyed by injuries.
Jeff Fuller was partially paralyzed in a career ending injury vs the Patriots in 1989.
His replacement, Chet Brooks was a similarly hard hitting safety who had been plagued by knee injuries. After starting in Super Bowl XXIV he retired (if I recall correctly) with "arthritic knees." Brooks played only three season in the NFL.
#18 JuggernautJ
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 07:38 PM
Todd Pence, on 26 Oct 2013 - 4:52 PM, said:
Derrick Thomas, Jerome Brown, Chris Henry, Sean Taylor, Jovan Belcher, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Brain Piccolo, Joe Delaney, Don Rogers, Jeff Alm, Stone Johnson, David Overstreet, Pat Tillman, Larry Gordon.
I was going to say "What, no Joe Delaney?" But I guess, considering his selfless death and subsequent legacy there are worse ways to go.
#19 Todd Pence
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 07:40 PM
The list I provided above is, of course, prominent players who suffered untimely demises while still active. Of those players, the one who had the worst final game was probably Overstreet. In the last ever play in which he was involved, he had a lost fumble which proved to be crucial in Seattle's playoff upset of the Dolphins.
#20 BD Sullivan
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 07:56 PM
Todd Pence, on 26 Oct 2013 - 7:40 PM, said:
The list I provided above is, of course, prominent players who suffered untimely demises while still active. Of those players, the one who had the worst final game was probably Overstreet. In the last ever play in which he was involved, he had a lost fumble which proved to be crucial in Seattle's playoff upset of the Dolphins.
Sadly, Ernie Davis only time on an NFL field was to be introduced during a 1962 exhibition game.
The Browns' Don Fleming picked off a pass in the final game of the 1962 season against the Niners, then was electrocuted in an idustrial accident during the offseason.
Willie Galimore had 12 yards on seven carries in the 1963 title game for the Bears, then was killed in a training camp auto accident (along with teammate Bo Farrington) the following July.
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Worst ending to a career
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oldecapecod11
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Worst ending to a career
"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
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oldecapecod11
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Re: Worst ending to a career
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oldecapecod
Worst ending to a career
Started by conace21, Oct 26 2013 11:45 AM
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#21 MIKETOUHY
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 08:31 PM
Think Don Meredith's career ended badly as well.
#22 luckyshow
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 09:27 PM
Y.A. Tittle
#23 JWL
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 10:38 PM
JuggernautJ, on 26 Oct 2013 - 7:25 PM, said:
Two 49er Strong Safeties come to mind. Both had immense potential and both had their careers destroyed by injuries.
Jeff Fuller was partially paralyzed in a career ending injury vs the Patriots in 1989.
His replacement, Chet Brooks was a similarly hard hitting safety who had been plagued by knee injuries. After starting in Super Bowl XXIV he retired (if I recall correctly) with "arthritic knees." Brooks played only three season in the NFL.
Hmm. Maybe the "NWA" he wrote on his wrist stood for Negroes With Arthritis.
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#24 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 10:40 PM
Jim Brown's career almost ended ignominiously. In his final regular season game with the Browns against the St. Louis Cardinals he kicked Alvis Joe Robb in the stomach after Robb had hit him with a cheap shot a couple of plays earlier. At the time, Brown was battling Gale Sayers for the 1965 league lead in touchdowns. Both men were also going for the single season TD record. Brown was tossed from the game and Sayers went on to score 22 TD's, win the race and set an NFL record. Fortunately for Brown, Cleveland made it to the title game in '65 and he got to play another game plus the Pro Bowl.
#25 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 10:50 PM
Bo Jackson, because it didn't have to happen. After Bo's hip was injuried against the Bengals in the 1990 AFC playoffs, he was not taken directly to the hospital as he should have been. The Raiders were hoping that Bo could play the next week in the championship game against the Buffalo Bills which he did not. It was also thought that the injury was not that severe. If I recall the seriousness of Bo's injury was not known until Kansas City Royals team doctors examed him a month later which was far too late. If Bo had gone straight to the hospital for x-rays, the injury may have been discovered right away, surgery could have been performed and maybe he could have made a comeback.
#26 BD Sullivan
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 12:27 AM
MIKETOUHY, on 26 Oct 2013 - 8:31 PM, said:
Think Don Meredith's career ended badly as well.
Humble Howard made a few comments about that the first couple of times a MNF game was being played in Cleveland (i.e. "Welcome to the place where Dandy Don played his final game")
#27 3243
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 04:38 AM
Todd Pence, on 26 Oct 2013 - 4:52 PM, said:
Derrick Thomas, Jerome Brown, Chris Henry, Sean Taylor, Jovan Belcher, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Brain Piccolo, Joe Delaney, Don Rogers, Jeff Alm, Stone Johnson, David Overstreet, Pat Tillman, Larry Gordon.
Also J.V. Cain, Mack Lee Hill, Fred Lane, Marquis Cooper, Troy Archer, Roger Hagberg, Rusty Chambers, David Griggs, Rodney Culver,
Eric Turner, Stacey Toran, Bob Kalsu, and Eric Andolsek.
And of course, the aforementioned Chuck Hughes.
#28 3243
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 04:53 AM
And now some players who brought the ends of their careers upon themselves: Terrell Owens, JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, and most infamously, Rae Carruth.
And the career that kept ending and unending: Brett Favre.
#29 Mark L. Ford
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 10:48 AM
Jerry Rice would be another. He was in a few preseason games for the Denver Broncos in 2005, made a few catches but mostly sat on the bench. I think the biggest humiliation is that he had to sit there wearing #19, because Rod Smith already had #80. To his credit, he announced his retirement before the final cuts, and never played in the NFL again.
#30 Jagade
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 07:37 PM
Dick Deschaine. Horace Gillom retired after the 1956 season and Ken Konz did the punting for Cleveland in 1957. One of the best punters in the NFL was Dick Deschaine averaging over 40 yards per kick for 3 years with the Packers. So, the Browns traded a draft choice for Deschaine in 1958, and that figured to upgrade their kicking game.
Deschaine did average over 40 yards per kick in 1958, but in Cleveland's final regular season game against the Giants, Deschaine shanked 2 key punts including the punt before Summerall's famous game winning kick for the Giants (49 or 50 yards). I am not sure that I got the story absolutely right because that is from memory. Maybe someone can verify or correct. BD?
Of course, Summerall's kick gave the Giants the win and ultimately cost the Browns a spot in the championship game against Baltimore. Deschaine did not play in the NFL after the season was over.
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#31 conace21
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 09:16 PM
Technically, it wasn't his last game, as he got another chance at NY the next week. The boxscore says he averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts. Not great, but not a disaster.
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#32 74_75_78_79_
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 11:15 PM
Lawrence Taylor...3-44 annihilation at Frisco in his very last (playoff) game '93 season.
Jack Lambert - turf toe '84 season.
Steve Young at Cards MNF '99.
Steve Spurrier - final season as player he actually starts at QB, and for all 14 games, but for 'you-know-who'!
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#33 Jagade
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 11:18 PM
conace21, on 27 Oct 2013 - 9:16 PM, said:
Technically, it wasn't his last game, as he got another chance at NY the next week. The boxscore says he averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts. Not great, but not a disaster.
Dick Deschaine averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts in the 1958 playoff game between the Browns and Giants, which the Giants won 10 to 0, and yes, it was Deschaines' last game. However, there would have been no need for a playoff game if Pat Summerall had missed the about 50 yard field goal near the end of the last regular season game for the 2 teams, and Cleveland would have played Baltimore for the title.
However, If Deschaines' last punt in that regular season game was a normal one for him, then I doubt that the Giants would have even attempted a field goal, being that it would have been much longer than 50 yards (on the snow covered field).
#34 Bryan
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 07:58 AM
Todd Pence, on 26 Oct 2013 - 4:52 PM, said:
Derrick Thomas, Jerome Brown, Chris Henry, Sean Taylor, Jovan Belcher, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Brain Piccolo, Joe Delaney, Don Rogers, Jeff Alm, Stone Johnson, David Overstreet, Pat Tillman, Larry Gordon.
This made me laugh for some reason,which is probably wrong. When I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of Chuck Hughes...kind of a no-brainer, no?
Anyway, aside from death, how about Bill Brown and Turk Edwards? Brown saw limited action in SB IX, and fumbled away the 2nd half kickoff. Edwards suffered a career-ending knee injury following the opening coin toss of his last game.
#35 Kelly1105
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 10:49 AM
74_75_78_79_, on 27 Oct 2013 - 11:15 PM, said:
Lawrence Taylor...3-44 annihilation at Frisco in his very last (playoff) game '93 season.
Jack Lambert - turf toe '84 season.
Steve Young at Cards MNF '99.
Steve Spurrier - final season as player he actually starts at QB, and for all 14 games, but for 'you-know-who'!
Spurrier was with the Broncos in the 1977 pre season. Story was it was either him or Morton
#36 fgoodwin
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 12:27 PM
I don't know if it's the worst, but Michael Irvin being booed off the field after his neck injury certainly stands out in my mind as reflecting poorly on fans.
Again, fans may remember it differently today, but contemporaneous accounts make it clear that fans did boo, and the Eagles were rightfully disgusted.
#37 conace21
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 04:23 PM
I thought that the Eagles fans actually cheered once he got injured and was laying there motionless.
#38 fgoodwin
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 06:15 PM
conace21, on 28 Oct 2013 - 4:23 PM, said:
I thought that the Eagles fans actually cheered once he got injured and was laying there motionless.
You're right.
#39 Jagade
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 06:24 PM
If this includes head coaches, then most head coaching jobs end badly. Most end up being fired.
Of course, many get jobs as assistant coaches someplace.
#40 Rupert Patrick
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 07:09 PM
TouchdownTimmy, on 26 Oct 2013 - 10:50 PM, said:
Bo Jackson, because it didn't have to happen. After Bo's hip was injuried against the Bengals in the 1990 AFC playoffs, he was not taken directly to the hospital as he should have been. The Raiders were hoping that Bo could play the next week in the championship game against the Buffalo Bills which he did not. It was also thought that the injury was not that severe. If I recall the seriousness of Bo's injury was not known until Kansas City Royals team doctors examed him a month later which was far too late. If Bo had gone straight to the hospital for x-rays, the injury may have been discovered right away, surgery could have been performed and maybe he could have made a comeback.
I remember watching this game live, and as soon as it happened, OJ (who was on the sidelines for NBC, although sideline reporters were still not permitted), relayed back to the broadcast booth within a couple minutes that it was a hip pointer and that his NFL career was in very serious jeopardy.
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oldecapecod
Worst ending to a career
Started by conace21, Oct 26 2013 11:45 AM
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61 replies to this topic
#21 MIKETOUHY
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 08:31 PM
Think Don Meredith's career ended badly as well.
#22 luckyshow
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 09:27 PM
Y.A. Tittle
#23 JWL
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 10:38 PM
JuggernautJ, on 26 Oct 2013 - 7:25 PM, said:
Two 49er Strong Safeties come to mind. Both had immense potential and both had their careers destroyed by injuries.
Jeff Fuller was partially paralyzed in a career ending injury vs the Patriots in 1989.
His replacement, Chet Brooks was a similarly hard hitting safety who had been plagued by knee injuries. After starting in Super Bowl XXIV he retired (if I recall correctly) with "arthritic knees." Brooks played only three season in the NFL.
Hmm. Maybe the "NWA" he wrote on his wrist stood for Negroes With Arthritis.
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#24 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 10:40 PM
Jim Brown's career almost ended ignominiously. In his final regular season game with the Browns against the St. Louis Cardinals he kicked Alvis Joe Robb in the stomach after Robb had hit him with a cheap shot a couple of plays earlier. At the time, Brown was battling Gale Sayers for the 1965 league lead in touchdowns. Both men were also going for the single season TD record. Brown was tossed from the game and Sayers went on to score 22 TD's, win the race and set an NFL record. Fortunately for Brown, Cleveland made it to the title game in '65 and he got to play another game plus the Pro Bowl.
#25 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 26 October 2013 - 10:50 PM
Bo Jackson, because it didn't have to happen. After Bo's hip was injuried against the Bengals in the 1990 AFC playoffs, he was not taken directly to the hospital as he should have been. The Raiders were hoping that Bo could play the next week in the championship game against the Buffalo Bills which he did not. It was also thought that the injury was not that severe. If I recall the seriousness of Bo's injury was not known until Kansas City Royals team doctors examed him a month later which was far too late. If Bo had gone straight to the hospital for x-rays, the injury may have been discovered right away, surgery could have been performed and maybe he could have made a comeback.
#26 BD Sullivan
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 12:27 AM
MIKETOUHY, on 26 Oct 2013 - 8:31 PM, said:
Think Don Meredith's career ended badly as well.
Humble Howard made a few comments about that the first couple of times a MNF game was being played in Cleveland (i.e. "Welcome to the place where Dandy Don played his final game")
#27 3243
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 04:38 AM
Todd Pence, on 26 Oct 2013 - 4:52 PM, said:
Derrick Thomas, Jerome Brown, Chris Henry, Sean Taylor, Jovan Belcher, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Brain Piccolo, Joe Delaney, Don Rogers, Jeff Alm, Stone Johnson, David Overstreet, Pat Tillman, Larry Gordon.
Also J.V. Cain, Mack Lee Hill, Fred Lane, Marquis Cooper, Troy Archer, Roger Hagberg, Rusty Chambers, David Griggs, Rodney Culver,
Eric Turner, Stacey Toran, Bob Kalsu, and Eric Andolsek.
And of course, the aforementioned Chuck Hughes.
#28 3243
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 04:53 AM
And now some players who brought the ends of their careers upon themselves: Terrell Owens, JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, and most infamously, Rae Carruth.
And the career that kept ending and unending: Brett Favre.
#29 Mark L. Ford
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 10:48 AM
Jerry Rice would be another. He was in a few preseason games for the Denver Broncos in 2005, made a few catches but mostly sat on the bench. I think the biggest humiliation is that he had to sit there wearing #19, because Rod Smith already had #80. To his credit, he announced his retirement before the final cuts, and never played in the NFL again.
#30 Jagade
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 07:37 PM
Dick Deschaine. Horace Gillom retired after the 1956 season and Ken Konz did the punting for Cleveland in 1957. One of the best punters in the NFL was Dick Deschaine averaging over 40 yards per kick for 3 years with the Packers. So, the Browns traded a draft choice for Deschaine in 1958, and that figured to upgrade their kicking game.
Deschaine did average over 40 yards per kick in 1958, but in Cleveland's final regular season game against the Giants, Deschaine shanked 2 key punts including the punt before Summerall's famous game winning kick for the Giants (49 or 50 yards). I am not sure that I got the story absolutely right because that is from memory. Maybe someone can verify or correct. BD?
Of course, Summerall's kick gave the Giants the win and ultimately cost the Browns a spot in the championship game against Baltimore. Deschaine did not play in the NFL after the season was over.
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#31 conace21
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 09:16 PM
Technically, it wasn't his last game, as he got another chance at NY the next week. The boxscore says he averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts. Not great, but not a disaster.
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#32 74_75_78_79_
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 11:15 PM
Lawrence Taylor...3-44 annihilation at Frisco in his very last (playoff) game '93 season.
Jack Lambert - turf toe '84 season.
Steve Young at Cards MNF '99.
Steve Spurrier - final season as player he actually starts at QB, and for all 14 games, but for 'you-know-who'!
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#33 Jagade
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Posted 27 October 2013 - 11:18 PM
conace21, on 27 Oct 2013 - 9:16 PM, said:
Technically, it wasn't his last game, as he got another chance at NY the next week. The boxscore says he averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts. Not great, but not a disaster.
Dick Deschaine averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts in the 1958 playoff game between the Browns and Giants, which the Giants won 10 to 0, and yes, it was Deschaines' last game. However, there would have been no need for a playoff game if Pat Summerall had missed the about 50 yard field goal near the end of the last regular season game for the 2 teams, and Cleveland would have played Baltimore for the title.
However, If Deschaines' last punt in that regular season game was a normal one for him, then I doubt that the Giants would have even attempted a field goal, being that it would have been much longer than 50 yards (on the snow covered field).
#34 Bryan
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 07:58 AM
Todd Pence, on 26 Oct 2013 - 4:52 PM, said:
Derrick Thomas, Jerome Brown, Chris Henry, Sean Taylor, Jovan Belcher, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Brain Piccolo, Joe Delaney, Don Rogers, Jeff Alm, Stone Johnson, David Overstreet, Pat Tillman, Larry Gordon.
This made me laugh for some reason,which is probably wrong. When I saw the thread title, I immediately thought of Chuck Hughes...kind of a no-brainer, no?
Anyway, aside from death, how about Bill Brown and Turk Edwards? Brown saw limited action in SB IX, and fumbled away the 2nd half kickoff. Edwards suffered a career-ending knee injury following the opening coin toss of his last game.
#35 Kelly1105
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 10:49 AM
74_75_78_79_, on 27 Oct 2013 - 11:15 PM, said:
Lawrence Taylor...3-44 annihilation at Frisco in his very last (playoff) game '93 season.
Jack Lambert - turf toe '84 season.
Steve Young at Cards MNF '99.
Steve Spurrier - final season as player he actually starts at QB, and for all 14 games, but for 'you-know-who'!
Spurrier was with the Broncos in the 1977 pre season. Story was it was either him or Morton
#36 fgoodwin
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 12:27 PM
I don't know if it's the worst, but Michael Irvin being booed off the field after his neck injury certainly stands out in my mind as reflecting poorly on fans.
Again, fans may remember it differently today, but contemporaneous accounts make it clear that fans did boo, and the Eagles were rightfully disgusted.
#37 conace21
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 04:23 PM
I thought that the Eagles fans actually cheered once he got injured and was laying there motionless.
#38 fgoodwin
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 06:15 PM
conace21, on 28 Oct 2013 - 4:23 PM, said:
I thought that the Eagles fans actually cheered once he got injured and was laying there motionless.
You're right.
#39 Jagade
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 06:24 PM
If this includes head coaches, then most head coaching jobs end badly. Most end up being fired.
Of course, many get jobs as assistant coaches someplace.
#40 Rupert Patrick
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Posted 28 October 2013 - 07:09 PM
TouchdownTimmy, on 26 Oct 2013 - 10:50 PM, said:
Bo Jackson, because it didn't have to happen. After Bo's hip was injuried against the Bengals in the 1990 AFC playoffs, he was not taken directly to the hospital as he should have been. The Raiders were hoping that Bo could play the next week in the championship game against the Buffalo Bills which he did not. It was also thought that the injury was not that severe. If I recall the seriousness of Bo's injury was not known until Kansas City Royals team doctors examed him a month later which was far too late. If Bo had gone straight to the hospital for x-rays, the injury may have been discovered right away, surgery could have been performed and maybe he could have made a comeback.
I remember watching this game live, and as soon as it happened, OJ (who was on the sidelines for NBC, although sideline reporters were still not permitted), relayed back to the broadcast booth within a couple minutes that it was a hip pointer and that his NFL career was in very serious jeopardy.
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Those kinds of plays were expected."
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Re: Worst ending to a career
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Worst ending to a career
Started by conace21, Oct 26 2013 11:45 AM
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#41 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 29 October 2013 - 12:54 PM
I remember the O.J. report. What I can't understand is that if this was the feeling on the sidelines then why wasn't Bo immediately taken to a hospital? If an injury is considered career threatening then why would anyone believe that a player could play the following week?
I had a friend who suffered the same injury in high school. He was immediately taken to a hospital and operated on. He missed that season, but was back in time for the baseball season and went on to play football at West Point.
#42 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 29 October 2013 - 01:07 PM
Dieter Brock. After a lengthy career in Canada, Brock quarterbacked the Rams for one year, 1985, and took them to the NFC championship game where they lost to the Bears.
The following September he found out that the Rams had traded for Jim Everett on the same day that he returned from attending his brother's funeral in Alabama. Brock was put on injured reserved, because of a back injury and the Rams released him that December ending his career.
#43 Jagade
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Posted 30 October 2013 - 01:55 AM
Jagade, on 27 Oct 2013 - 11:18 PM, said:
Dick Deschaine averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts in the 1958 playoff game between the Browns and Giants, which the Giants won 10 to 0, and yes, it was Deschaines' last game. However, there would have been no need for a playoff game if Pat Summerall had missed the about 50 yard field goal near the end of the last regular season game for the 2 teams, and Cleveland would have played Baltimore for the title.
However, If Deschaines' last punt in that regular season game was a normal one for him, then I doubt that the Giants would have even attempted a field goal, being that it would have been much longer than 50 yards (on the snow covered field).
Deschaine's punting was far from the only thing to go wrong for the Cleveland Browns in 1958. There were a number of things that combined to keep the Cleveland Browns out of the championship game against Baltimore that year.
In the first game against the Giants in 1958, Cleveland appeared to be on their way to a win. With the Browns ahead in the 4th quarter, 17 to 14, the Giants were forced to punt. Cleveland was called for roughing the kicker, so the Giants got 15 yards and a first down. The Giants went on to score and won that game 21 to 17.
The next week, Cleveland lost to Detroit, 30 to 10. The Browns may have suffered a letdown after their disappointing loss to the Giants, but Detroit seemed to have Cleveland's number at that time (1957 and 1958) anyway.
The Giants faced Detroit in the 2nd from last game of the regular season. A loss by New York would have eliminated them from title contention, and put Cleveland into the championship game against Baltimore. Detroit, on the other hand was already out of contention in the Western Conference.
The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns were bitter rivals during the 1950's with both teams having won 3 NFL championships. Detroit resented the Browns and felt that they were the best team of the 1950's. So, the last thing that the Detroit Lions wanted to see was the Cleveland Browns in another NFL championship game. Yet, to beat the Giants on that day would put Cleveland into the title game.
There were some strange goings-on in the 4th quarter of that game. With Detroit ahead, 17 to 12, and the Lions with a 4th down and about 19 yards to go, punter Yale Lary decided to run instead of kick. Lary ran almost straight to the sideline and did not even look like he was trying to make a first down. Coach Wilson later took credit (blame) for the call to run instead of punt.
The Giants, with a 4th and long situation, passed to a wide open receiver, who apparently was left uncovered (BTW, the Detroit Lions had a secondary that was considered the best in pro football at the time (Chris' Crew)). The Giants went on to score a TD, and then led 19 to 17.
Near the end of the game, Detroit had a not very long field goal attempt to win the game. The kick was blocked, but I doubt if it would have cleared the goal post even if it wasn't touched by a Giants player. The kick looked like it was very low. So, the Giants won the game, 19 to 17. You can see that game from Lary's run in punt formation on at You Tube.
By beating Detroit, the Giants could tie the Eastern Conference by beating Cleveland in their final regular season game. A win or tie by the Browns would put Cleveland into the championship. Of course, there was Deschaine's short punt and Summerall's long field goal, but before that there was a controversial play. A Conerly to Gifford pass was apparently caught and then fumbled by Gifford when Frank was tackled by Gaylon Fiss of Cleveland. Walt Michaels recovered and Cleveland appeared to have their tie game. From what I have read, the Giants defense was starting to come on the field when an official, Charley Berry, who had been an NFL official since the early 1940's and maybe earlier, made the call that it was an incomplete pass. From what I have read, game films showed that it was a catch and fumble.
The Giants went on to win the playoff game against Cleveland and then moved on to the NFL championship game against the Colts.
So, it looks like the fates were against the Cleveland Browns in 1958.
#44 conace21
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Posted 30 October 2013 - 10:29 AM
If I remember correctly, Bruce Smith got pancaked on his final play at the end of the 2003 season.
Drew Bledsoe's last pass was intercepted by the Giants in the end zone right before halftime. Bledsoe was benched for Tony Romo and never saw action again.
Apparently, Red Grange's last game was an exhibition against the Giants. Grange broke away for a 41 yard gain but was caught and dragged down by a lumbering lineman. He always suspected the Giants let him get the big run.
#45 classic3283
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Posted 30 October 2013 - 07:32 PM
Steve Tasker was ejected in the first quarter of his final game. Before the game he had announced he was going to retire, so everybody in the stadium knew the game against the Packers was his curtain call. It was the first time he was ejected from a game in his entire career.
http://members.tripo...t/st_eject.html
#46 PowderedH2O
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Posted 31 October 2013 - 01:01 PM
I've got one that is kinda bad and good at the same time...
Daryle Lamonica went from being the Mad Bomber to being the Bad Bomber sometime during the 1972 season. Gradually, Ken Stabler replaced him and he saw limited action in 1973 after some wretched early season work. His last NFL game was a barn burner in Kansas City in freezing weather late in the 1974 season, where he went in and threw seven passes. Two were completed to the Raiders and three were completed to the Chiefs. But, on a positive note, the Raiders intercepted Len Dawson in the 4th quarter on the Chiefs 10 yard line and Lamonica hit Cliff Branch for a 10 yard touchdown pass which held up as the only touchdown in a 7-6 Raiders win. Len Dawson and Daryle Lamonica combined for 148 yards passing with 1 td and 5 interceptions. So, Lamonica does get the win, but only because he was bailed out by the Raiders defense. And Lamonica never threw another NFL pass after that game.
Lamonica did throw 19 passes for the Southern California Sun in 1975 if you count that, but that might actually be worse...
#47 Hater
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Posted 31 October 2013 - 06:42 PM
classic3283, on 30 Oct 2013 - 7:32 PM, said:
Steve Tasker was ejected in the first quarter of his final game. Before the game he had announced he was going to retire, so everybody in the stadium knew the game against the Packers was his curtain call. It was the first time he was ejected from a game in his entire career.
http://members.tripo...t/st_eject.html
This was the first instance that came to my mind, I think it was mentioned by a couple of other posters as well. I remember watching this game as a kid, it was the same weekend that Barry Sanders broke the 2,000 yard mark.
#48 Teo
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Posted 31 October 2013 - 07:06 PM
Amongst the officials, easily the worst ending to a career belongs to umpire Chick Rupp. In a 1941 Giants-Steelers game, Rupp fired a gun to signal the end of the first quarter, but then the gun went off again, injuring severily his left hand.
#49 NWebster
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Posted 09 November 2013 - 06:48 PM
conace21, on 30 Oct 2013 - 10:29 AM, said:
If I remember correctly, Bruce Smith got pancaked on his final play at the end of the 2003 season.
Drew Bledsoe's last pass was intercepted by the Giants in the end zone right before halftime. Bledsoe was benched for Tony Romo and never saw action again.
Apparently, Red Grange's last game was an exhibition against the Giants. Grange broke away for a 41 yard gain but was caught and dragged down by a lumbering lineman. He always suspected the Giants let him get the big run.
I always kinda felt like Bruce was the guy in my lifetime who looked to be a shell of himself. Sure you can go with the guys who got hurt (Stingley, Theisman, etc.) but its much more sad watching Bruce Smith toil away in the wrong uniform and look not like just another guy, but like a liability.
#50 Teo
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Posted 09 November 2013 - 06:57 PM
Earl Campbell final career carry in 1985 against Atlanta at the Superdome. Campbell bursted for 45 yards and appeared on his way to a touchdown, but pulled a hamstring and Atlanta safety Tiger Greene catched Campbell and pulled the ball from him for a touchback.
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#51 Pat McDonald
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Posted 09 November 2013 - 07:01 PM
NWebster, on 09 Nov 2013 - 6:48 PM, said:
I always kinda felt like Bruce was the guy in my lifetime who looked to be a shell of himself. Sure you can go with the guys who got hurt (Stingley, Theisman, etc.) but its much more sad watching Bruce Smith toil away in the wrong uniform and look not like just another guy, but like a liability.
I always thought of Bubba Smith's 1976 in this regard. If his brother Tody hadn't been an Oiler, along with a rash of D-line injuries, he may have never played after the 1975 season. I saw the Bengals push him around three times in that period between 75-76, despite the hype he received from the TV commentators.
#52 slats7
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Posted 12 November 2013 - 02:33 PM
Charlie Waters (1982) -- The Catch.
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Posted 12 November 2013 - 07:06 PM
Ed Reed.
#54 Hail Casares
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Joe Theisman
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John Hannah (schooled by Fridge) SBXX.
#56 oldecapecod 11
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 12:10 PM
Lucky mentioned Y.A. but here is the photo... Smithsonian no less and deservedly so.
http://www.smithsoni...4796136/?no-ist
#57 Dirk
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Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox, breaking his back against Seattle in 2011.
#58 BD Sullivan
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 01:18 PM
Y.A. Tittle's last season was obviously a disaster, but the iconic photo was taken in Week 2. The Giants were actually leading the Steelers 14-0 when John Baker hit Tittle as he threw a pass that turned into a pick-six by Chuck Hinton.
#59 JohnR
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PowderedH2O, on 31 Oct 2013 - 1:01 PM, said:
I've got one that is kinda bad and good at the same time...
Daryle Lamonica went from being the Mad Bomber to being the Bad Bomber sometime during the 1972 season. Gradually, Ken Stabler replaced him and he saw limited action in 1973 after some wretched early season work. His last NFL game was a barn burner in Kansas City in freezing weather late in the 1974 season, where he went in and threw seven passes. Two were completed to the Raiders and three were completed to the Chiefs. But, on a positive note, the Raiders intercepted Len Dawson in the 4th quarter on the Chiefs 10 yard line and Lamonica hit Cliff Branch for a 10 yard touchdown pass which held up as the only touchdown in a 7-6 Raiders win. Len Dawson and Daryle Lamonica combined for 148 yards passing with 1 td and 5 interceptions. So, Lamonica does get the win, but only because he was bailed out by the Raiders defense. And Lamonica never threw another NFL pass after that game.
Lamonica did throw 19 passes for the Southern California Sun in 1975 if you count that, but that might actually be worse...
I remember listening to this game. It was brutal. Bill King remarked that Arrowhead fans started cheering every time Lamonica dropped back to pass. To go back to '72, Daryle had a solid year. He again won the starting job in '73, but after 3 games w/ no offensive TDs he was yanked and Stabler took over.
#60 coach tj troup
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 06:59 PM
....how far did Lamonica fall? summer of '75 and working out running patterns down the street from angel stadium with my buddy(great arm, and deep ball accuracy)....lamonica is throwing to a receiver on a high school field, so we mimicked the route. Lamonica could not throw deep, or accurate...flutter balls and he lost his cool. The "mad bomber" attempted to verbally assault my buddy, and we just laughed at him as he skulked off the field. From his exceptional passing skills in the late 60's to this?
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#61 SixtiesFan
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 09:45 PM
coach tj troup, on 18 May 2014 - 6:59 PM, said:
....how far did Lamonica fall? summer of '75 and working out running patterns down the street from angel stadium with my buddy(great arm, and deep ball accuracy)....lamonica is throwing to a receiver on a high school field, so we mimicked the route. Lamonica could not throw deep, or accurate...flutter balls and he lost his cool. The "mad bomber" attempted to verbally assault my buddy, and we just laughed at him as he skulked off the field. From his exceptional passing skills in the late 60's to this?
I recall a column in Pro Football Weekly by Glenn Dickey. He wrote that Daryle Lamonica could hit a receiver 50 yards away right in stride and could miss a swing pass 10 yards away. The prime example of Lamonica throwing a bad short one was late in the 1968 AFL Title game.
#62 Jagade
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Posted 20 May 2014 - 08:25 PM
Speaking of 1968, the worst ending to a career outside of death or injury might be anyone who played for the 1968 Baltimore Colts and retired after Super Bowl III. The Colts went into the game considered one of the greatest football teams ever, if not the greatest. The AFL was not taken very seriously by many people (until after the game). Someone even gave me 40 points in a bet on that game and I took the Jets with 40. I really did not think that the Jets would win the game, but I thought that I had a good chance to win the bet with 40 points.
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oldecapecod 11
Worst ending to a career
Started by conace21, Oct 26 2013 11:45 AM
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#41 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 29 October 2013 - 12:54 PM
I remember the O.J. report. What I can't understand is that if this was the feeling on the sidelines then why wasn't Bo immediately taken to a hospital? If an injury is considered career threatening then why would anyone believe that a player could play the following week?
I had a friend who suffered the same injury in high school. He was immediately taken to a hospital and operated on. He missed that season, but was back in time for the baseball season and went on to play football at West Point.
#42 TouchdownTimmy
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Posted 29 October 2013 - 01:07 PM
Dieter Brock. After a lengthy career in Canada, Brock quarterbacked the Rams for one year, 1985, and took them to the NFC championship game where they lost to the Bears.
The following September he found out that the Rams had traded for Jim Everett on the same day that he returned from attending his brother's funeral in Alabama. Brock was put on injured reserved, because of a back injury and the Rams released him that December ending his career.
#43 Jagade
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Jagade, on 27 Oct 2013 - 11:18 PM, said:
Dick Deschaine averaged 38.8 yards on 8 punts in the 1958 playoff game between the Browns and Giants, which the Giants won 10 to 0, and yes, it was Deschaines' last game. However, there would have been no need for a playoff game if Pat Summerall had missed the about 50 yard field goal near the end of the last regular season game for the 2 teams, and Cleveland would have played Baltimore for the title.
However, If Deschaines' last punt in that regular season game was a normal one for him, then I doubt that the Giants would have even attempted a field goal, being that it would have been much longer than 50 yards (on the snow covered field).
Deschaine's punting was far from the only thing to go wrong for the Cleveland Browns in 1958. There were a number of things that combined to keep the Cleveland Browns out of the championship game against Baltimore that year.
In the first game against the Giants in 1958, Cleveland appeared to be on their way to a win. With the Browns ahead in the 4th quarter, 17 to 14, the Giants were forced to punt. Cleveland was called for roughing the kicker, so the Giants got 15 yards and a first down. The Giants went on to score and won that game 21 to 17.
The next week, Cleveland lost to Detroit, 30 to 10. The Browns may have suffered a letdown after their disappointing loss to the Giants, but Detroit seemed to have Cleveland's number at that time (1957 and 1958) anyway.
The Giants faced Detroit in the 2nd from last game of the regular season. A loss by New York would have eliminated them from title contention, and put Cleveland into the championship game against Baltimore. Detroit, on the other hand was already out of contention in the Western Conference.
The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns were bitter rivals during the 1950's with both teams having won 3 NFL championships. Detroit resented the Browns and felt that they were the best team of the 1950's. So, the last thing that the Detroit Lions wanted to see was the Cleveland Browns in another NFL championship game. Yet, to beat the Giants on that day would put Cleveland into the title game.
There were some strange goings-on in the 4th quarter of that game. With Detroit ahead, 17 to 12, and the Lions with a 4th down and about 19 yards to go, punter Yale Lary decided to run instead of kick. Lary ran almost straight to the sideline and did not even look like he was trying to make a first down. Coach Wilson later took credit (blame) for the call to run instead of punt.
The Giants, with a 4th and long situation, passed to a wide open receiver, who apparently was left uncovered (BTW, the Detroit Lions had a secondary that was considered the best in pro football at the time (Chris' Crew)). The Giants went on to score a TD, and then led 19 to 17.
Near the end of the game, Detroit had a not very long field goal attempt to win the game. The kick was blocked, but I doubt if it would have cleared the goal post even if it wasn't touched by a Giants player. The kick looked like it was very low. So, the Giants won the game, 19 to 17. You can see that game from Lary's run in punt formation on at You Tube.
By beating Detroit, the Giants could tie the Eastern Conference by beating Cleveland in their final regular season game. A win or tie by the Browns would put Cleveland into the championship. Of course, there was Deschaine's short punt and Summerall's long field goal, but before that there was a controversial play. A Conerly to Gifford pass was apparently caught and then fumbled by Gifford when Frank was tackled by Gaylon Fiss of Cleveland. Walt Michaels recovered and Cleveland appeared to have their tie game. From what I have read, the Giants defense was starting to come on the field when an official, Charley Berry, who had been an NFL official since the early 1940's and maybe earlier, made the call that it was an incomplete pass. From what I have read, game films showed that it was a catch and fumble.
The Giants went on to win the playoff game against Cleveland and then moved on to the NFL championship game against the Colts.
So, it looks like the fates were against the Cleveland Browns in 1958.
#44 conace21
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Posted 30 October 2013 - 10:29 AM
If I remember correctly, Bruce Smith got pancaked on his final play at the end of the 2003 season.
Drew Bledsoe's last pass was intercepted by the Giants in the end zone right before halftime. Bledsoe was benched for Tony Romo and never saw action again.
Apparently, Red Grange's last game was an exhibition against the Giants. Grange broke away for a 41 yard gain but was caught and dragged down by a lumbering lineman. He always suspected the Giants let him get the big run.
#45 classic3283
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Posted 30 October 2013 - 07:32 PM
Steve Tasker was ejected in the first quarter of his final game. Before the game he had announced he was going to retire, so everybody in the stadium knew the game against the Packers was his curtain call. It was the first time he was ejected from a game in his entire career.
http://members.tripo...t/st_eject.html
#46 PowderedH2O
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Posted 31 October 2013 - 01:01 PM
I've got one that is kinda bad and good at the same time...
Daryle Lamonica went from being the Mad Bomber to being the Bad Bomber sometime during the 1972 season. Gradually, Ken Stabler replaced him and he saw limited action in 1973 after some wretched early season work. His last NFL game was a barn burner in Kansas City in freezing weather late in the 1974 season, where he went in and threw seven passes. Two were completed to the Raiders and three were completed to the Chiefs. But, on a positive note, the Raiders intercepted Len Dawson in the 4th quarter on the Chiefs 10 yard line and Lamonica hit Cliff Branch for a 10 yard touchdown pass which held up as the only touchdown in a 7-6 Raiders win. Len Dawson and Daryle Lamonica combined for 148 yards passing with 1 td and 5 interceptions. So, Lamonica does get the win, but only because he was bailed out by the Raiders defense. And Lamonica never threw another NFL pass after that game.
Lamonica did throw 19 passes for the Southern California Sun in 1975 if you count that, but that might actually be worse...
#47 Hater
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Posted 31 October 2013 - 06:42 PM
classic3283, on 30 Oct 2013 - 7:32 PM, said:
Steve Tasker was ejected in the first quarter of his final game. Before the game he had announced he was going to retire, so everybody in the stadium knew the game against the Packers was his curtain call. It was the first time he was ejected from a game in his entire career.
http://members.tripo...t/st_eject.html
This was the first instance that came to my mind, I think it was mentioned by a couple of other posters as well. I remember watching this game as a kid, it was the same weekend that Barry Sanders broke the 2,000 yard mark.
#48 Teo
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Posted 31 October 2013 - 07:06 PM
Amongst the officials, easily the worst ending to a career belongs to umpire Chick Rupp. In a 1941 Giants-Steelers game, Rupp fired a gun to signal the end of the first quarter, but then the gun went off again, injuring severily his left hand.
#49 NWebster
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Posted 09 November 2013 - 06:48 PM
conace21, on 30 Oct 2013 - 10:29 AM, said:
If I remember correctly, Bruce Smith got pancaked on his final play at the end of the 2003 season.
Drew Bledsoe's last pass was intercepted by the Giants in the end zone right before halftime. Bledsoe was benched for Tony Romo and never saw action again.
Apparently, Red Grange's last game was an exhibition against the Giants. Grange broke away for a 41 yard gain but was caught and dragged down by a lumbering lineman. He always suspected the Giants let him get the big run.
I always kinda felt like Bruce was the guy in my lifetime who looked to be a shell of himself. Sure you can go with the guys who got hurt (Stingley, Theisman, etc.) but its much more sad watching Bruce Smith toil away in the wrong uniform and look not like just another guy, but like a liability.
#50 Teo
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Posted 09 November 2013 - 06:57 PM
Earl Campbell final career carry in 1985 against Atlanta at the Superdome. Campbell bursted for 45 yards and appeared on his way to a touchdown, but pulled a hamstring and Atlanta safety Tiger Greene catched Campbell and pulled the ball from him for a touchback.
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#51 Pat McDonald
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Posted 09 November 2013 - 07:01 PM
NWebster, on 09 Nov 2013 - 6:48 PM, said:
I always kinda felt like Bruce was the guy in my lifetime who looked to be a shell of himself. Sure you can go with the guys who got hurt (Stingley, Theisman, etc.) but its much more sad watching Bruce Smith toil away in the wrong uniform and look not like just another guy, but like a liability.
I always thought of Bubba Smith's 1976 in this regard. If his brother Tody hadn't been an Oiler, along with a rash of D-line injuries, he may have never played after the 1975 season. I saw the Bengals push him around three times in that period between 75-76, despite the hype he received from the TV commentators.
#52 slats7
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Posted 12 November 2013 - 02:33 PM
Charlie Waters (1982) -- The Catch.
#53 NWebster
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Posted 12 November 2013 - 07:06 PM
Ed Reed.
#54 Hail Casares
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Joe Theisman
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#55 74_75_78_79_
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 10:45 AM
John Hannah (schooled by Fridge) SBXX.
#56 oldecapecod 11
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 12:10 PM
Lucky mentioned Y.A. but here is the photo... Smithsonian no less and deservedly so.
http://www.smithsoni...4796136/?no-ist
#57 Dirk
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 12:56 PM
Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox, breaking his back against Seattle in 2011.
#58 BD Sullivan
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 01:18 PM
Y.A. Tittle's last season was obviously a disaster, but the iconic photo was taken in Week 2. The Giants were actually leading the Steelers 14-0 when John Baker hit Tittle as he threw a pass that turned into a pick-six by Chuck Hinton.
#59 JohnR
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 06:45 PM
PowderedH2O, on 31 Oct 2013 - 1:01 PM, said:
I've got one that is kinda bad and good at the same time...
Daryle Lamonica went from being the Mad Bomber to being the Bad Bomber sometime during the 1972 season. Gradually, Ken Stabler replaced him and he saw limited action in 1973 after some wretched early season work. His last NFL game was a barn burner in Kansas City in freezing weather late in the 1974 season, where he went in and threw seven passes. Two were completed to the Raiders and three were completed to the Chiefs. But, on a positive note, the Raiders intercepted Len Dawson in the 4th quarter on the Chiefs 10 yard line and Lamonica hit Cliff Branch for a 10 yard touchdown pass which held up as the only touchdown in a 7-6 Raiders win. Len Dawson and Daryle Lamonica combined for 148 yards passing with 1 td and 5 interceptions. So, Lamonica does get the win, but only because he was bailed out by the Raiders defense. And Lamonica never threw another NFL pass after that game.
Lamonica did throw 19 passes for the Southern California Sun in 1975 if you count that, but that might actually be worse...
I remember listening to this game. It was brutal. Bill King remarked that Arrowhead fans started cheering every time Lamonica dropped back to pass. To go back to '72, Daryle had a solid year. He again won the starting job in '73, but after 3 games w/ no offensive TDs he was yanked and Stabler took over.
#60 coach tj troup
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 06:59 PM
....how far did Lamonica fall? summer of '75 and working out running patterns down the street from angel stadium with my buddy(great arm, and deep ball accuracy)....lamonica is throwing to a receiver on a high school field, so we mimicked the route. Lamonica could not throw deep, or accurate...flutter balls and he lost his cool. The "mad bomber" attempted to verbally assault my buddy, and we just laughed at him as he skulked off the field. From his exceptional passing skills in the late 60's to this?
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oldecapecod 11
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#61 SixtiesFan
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Posted 18 May 2014 - 09:45 PM
coach tj troup, on 18 May 2014 - 6:59 PM, said:
....how far did Lamonica fall? summer of '75 and working out running patterns down the street from angel stadium with my buddy(great arm, and deep ball accuracy)....lamonica is throwing to a receiver on a high school field, so we mimicked the route. Lamonica could not throw deep, or accurate...flutter balls and he lost his cool. The "mad bomber" attempted to verbally assault my buddy, and we just laughed at him as he skulked off the field. From his exceptional passing skills in the late 60's to this?
I recall a column in Pro Football Weekly by Glenn Dickey. He wrote that Daryle Lamonica could hit a receiver 50 yards away right in stride and could miss a swing pass 10 yards away. The prime example of Lamonica throwing a bad short one was late in the 1968 AFL Title game.
#62 Jagade
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Posted 20 May 2014 - 08:25 PM
Speaking of 1968, the worst ending to a career outside of death or injury might be anyone who played for the 1968 Baltimore Colts and retired after Super Bowl III. The Colts went into the game considered one of the greatest football teams ever, if not the greatest. The AFL was not taken very seriously by many people (until after the game). Someone even gave me 40 points in a bet on that game and I took the Jets with 40. I really did not think that the Jets would win the game, but I thought that I had a good chance to win the bet with 40 points.
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"It was a different game when I played.
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
When a player made a good play, he didn't jump up and down.
Those kinds of plays were expected."
~ Arnie Weinmeister
Re: Worst ending to a career
Nick Lowery had a sad end with the 1996 1-15 Jets. His leg had lost a lot of strength that year as anything over 40 was a chore for him
Also Art Monk as an afterthought on the 1995 Eagles
George Seifert withering away on the 2001 Panthers
Bruce Smith playing out the string as a 40 year old on a 5-11 2003 Redskins team.
Thurman Thomas on the 2000 Dolphins. Don't think he was even in uniform for the playoffs that year.
Also Art Monk as an afterthought on the 1995 Eagles
George Seifert withering away on the 2001 Panthers
Bruce Smith playing out the string as a 40 year old on a 5-11 2003 Redskins team.
Thurman Thomas on the 2000 Dolphins. Don't think he was even in uniform for the playoffs that year.
Re: Worst ending to a career
I mentioned Bruce on one of the earlier posts. I think he was actually pancaked on his very last play. Hard to get much worse than that, beyond extraordinary events.
Thurman Thomas was injured in midseason; that's why he didn't dress for the playoffs.
Thurman Thomas was injured in midseason; that's why he didn't dress for the playoffs.
Re: Worst ending to a career
Champ Bailey may make the cut now.
Injured for most of 2013 and didn't play great when he did play, but did get a chance at playing in his first Super Bowl, which for his team couldn't have gone worse. Also became the only season of his career in which he did not have an interception.
Signs with Saints, cut at the end of preseason.
Media reports (so take as you will): Early season say he wants to get on a team, was willing to move to safety, had a tryout with the Lions, then a month later a tryout with the Ravens. Obviously neither signed him. Then today he retires citing that there was 'interest' from teams but that he's more interested in his future endeavors (i.e. most likely no real interest) ...
How it ends isn't overly important though, great career, great player. A favorite of mine since he was at Georgia.
Injured for most of 2013 and didn't play great when he did play, but did get a chance at playing in his first Super Bowl, which for his team couldn't have gone worse. Also became the only season of his career in which he did not have an interception.
Signs with Saints, cut at the end of preseason.
Media reports (so take as you will): Early season say he wants to get on a team, was willing to move to safety, had a tryout with the Lions, then a month later a tryout with the Ravens. Obviously neither signed him. Then today he retires citing that there was 'interest' from teams but that he's more interested in his future endeavors (i.e. most likely no real interest) ...
How it ends isn't overly important though, great career, great player. A favorite of mine since he was at Georgia.