 |
49ers WR
Jerry Rice
|
Something you hear too much of these days is that so-and-so is a shoo-in for the Hall
of Fame because he has "the numbers" while some other so-and-so hasn’t a
snowball’s chance because he hasn’t — "the numbers," that is.
The subject resurfaced when Gary Anderson became a sure thing in some minds by
surpassing George Blanda in scoring. Others are equally adamant that Anderson will never
make it because he "never scored a touchdown."
The problem with making various totals — yards, points, catches, touchdowns —
a litmus test for the Hall of Fame is that you have to know how to read the numbers in
context. For example, when the Hall opened nearly 40 years ago, anyone rushing for more
than 5,000 yards in his career was automatically on the fast track to be enshrined. But
when the game changed and some good-but-not-great runners topped five-thou, the Hall
raised the bar. Now, even 10,000 yards isn’t automatic. Ask Ottis Anderson. In
today’s game, 10,000 rushing yards is no better than 4,500 was 40 years ago.
We can better show how things have changed by looking at wide receivers.
Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Andre Reed, Art Monk, Irving Fryar, Henry Ellard, Steve
Largent and Tim Brown all have more than 800 career receptions. And they’ve all been
cited as Hall of Fame sure shots because "they have the numbers."
Meanwhile, Dante Lavelli, Elroy Hirsch, Pete Pihos, and Tom Fears are already in the
Hall of Fame. None of them caught more than 400 passes. Fears came the closest with an
even 400. If the people who look only at the numbers had their way, Fears would be
declared "career-receptions challenged" and drummed out of the Hall.
Fears died last January, but at least his bust is still safe in Canton.
You have to be pushing 60 or more to have seen Fears in action. Primarily a
"possession receiver," he ran pass patterns so precise you could imagine his
steps were painted on the field. His specialty was a buttonhook that saved more drives
than a turnpike restroom.
He caught 51 passes as a Los Angeles Rams rookie in 1948, then followed with seasons of
77 and 84. OK numbers, but in today’s world, hardly Hall-of-Famish. But remember,
this was in the 50-years-ago’s world.
In each of those seasons, Fears led the NFL in receptions. The only receivers to lead
their league more times were Don Hutson and Lionel Taylor. In Fears’ second year, he
broke Hutson’s season record of 74. Fears then bumped his own record up by seven in
1950. No one caught more passes until Taylor caught 92 in 1960, the American Football
League’s first season.
Fears’ numbers were the best of his day. They just didn’t throw as often a
half century ago. In 1950, the Rams, the league’s "passingest" team,
averaged 37.8 tosses a game. Last year the Bears averaged five more passes a game. More
actual passes equal more possible catches.
Furthermore, there are more games per season today. In 1950, a season lasted 12 games
compared to today’s 16. When Largent, a current Hall of Famer, retired in 1989, he
held the record for career catches — 819 — but he played 200 games over 14
years. Fears played 87 games in nine years.
And of course, careers last longer today. Fears played nine seasons; Fryar is in his
17th. More seasons, more chances to catch passes.
Sheer numbers don’t mean as much as they used to because totals depend on
opportunities. Add it up. A great receiver today should catch more passes than a great
receiver 50 years ago.
Here’s a fair comparison. The record for most catches in a season now belongs to
Herman Moore, who had 123 in 1995. But — get this — that year Moore had 34.0
percent of the Lions’ catches. When Fears set the record with 77 in 1949, he had 40.1
percent of the Rams’ grabs. At his 1949 rate, Fears would have caught 145 of
Detroit’s 1995 completions.
Fears still holds one record. On Dec. 3, 1950 — his 27th birthday — he caught
18 passes against the Packers. The Rams won that game 51-14. Even in today’s
pass-happy age, no one other than Fears has ever caught 18 passes in a game.
All receptions are not created equal. The most important catch Fears ever made came in
an off-year. After three great seasons, Fears was hurt in 1951 and played in only seven
games. At the same time, Elroy Hirsch emerged as a brilliant long-distance receiver.
Hirsch caught 17 TD passes, more than half going for more than 50 yards. Fears caught an
un-Fearsian 32.
Nevertheless, when the Rams and Cleveland Browns were tied in the fourth quarter of the
1951 NFL championship game, it was Fears, the possession receiver, who caught a Norm Van
Brocklin pass at midfield and took it all the way for the 73-yard touchdown that made L.A.
the champs.
When they make "clutch catches" an official stat, I’ll give more weight
to "the numbers."
Bob Carroll is an NFL historian who has written several books about professional
football and helped edit "Total Football." |
