Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Somebody brought up Johnny Sample's name as somehow having some kind of HoF argument. I find that idea ridiculous, myself. His honors are practically nonexistent (1/0/none). My understanding is that he had a reputation even for the time for flagrantly dirty play. He also bounced around from team to team T.O. style, and I'm kind of wondering why.

Has anyone looked at him on film? My understanding is that he was a bump and run type of defensive back, but that's all I've got.

Many thanks.

Good question. I haven't seen much of him, as the middle portion of his career was spent in the black hole 1960's teams of Pittsburgh and Washington. His early years he seemed to be very athletic...he had a nice INT runback to seal the 1959 Championship game, and in different years led the NFL in kickoff return average and punt return average. Most of what I've seen of Sample was when he was with the Jets, and by then he seemed old and fat. I guess its kind of like George Atkinson in that there is a noticeable style difference between his early years and later years.

But that's not to say that Sample was ineffective with the Jets. He seemed to be a really good, physical player who's athleticism belied his looks. I guess Sample was a great RB in college...one thing that stood out to me about Sample was that he never wore any padding.

I think Sample's lack of honors might have been due in part to the fact that nobody liked him. He didn't have a strong pro bowl voting base. He was a black athlete who spoke his mind, which was probably the main reason for him bouncing around. IIRC, Art Donovan implied that Johnny Sample stole his wallet from the locker room, which true or not probably meant that Sample would have a short shelf life with the Colts. I think it is noteworthy that Weeb Ewbank thought enough of Sample to bring him back to the Jets after having Sample on the Colts, though.

I wouldn't put Sample in the HOF, but I think his lack of honors doesn't accurately reflect his career, either.

In Sam Deluca's early 70's book, The Football Handbook, Johnny Sample is mentioned. Deluca wrote that while Sample loved to belt receivers, he was very timid when it came to tackling running backs. Deluca had been a team mate of Sample's and then an announcer on Jet games.

Actually, yes I have. As a Buffalo fan, I have watched a ton of film on the 60s Bills. I noted quite a few cheap shots, late hits, mouthing off, etc. He was definitely a dirty ballplayer, and obviously loved the title.

Sample tries to defend himself of the stealing accusations in his "Confessions" book. According to another source (sorry, can't recall) some Colts players suspicious of his guilt set him up by placing
items in full view and waiting for them to disappear. Yes he was a jerk, but he was also a very proud individual and he bristled at the hypocrisy he faced. Being outspoken & black were going to get you in trouble. It sure was complicated.

In that 1959 game, he was able to get under the skin of Frank Gifford, though his reputation for dirty play was such that his career basically ended after he head-butted Otto Graham during the 1969 College All-Star Game--after Otto came out onto the field to complain that Sample had clotheslined Gene Washington. Graham had traded Sample to the Bears in 1966, which led to him getting cut and signing with the Jets, though their feud dated back to when Graham coached Sample in the 1958 CAS.

One of the cheap shots came in 1965, when he hit Del Shofner late and gave him both whiplash and a fractured rib.