When And What NFL Player Turned Your Franchise Around?

HacheMan · Jan 29, 2005

Just thought this would be an interesting subject. I often look back at my life~long favorite team, the Tampa Bay Bucs, after having early success in reaching the 1979 NFC Championship against Vince Ferragamo and the Rams before struggling for many years afterwards, and easily can point out what player turned their franchise around and seemed to point them in the right directon. Many people think it was a coach, Tony Dungy, but the event and player player that opened the door for Tampa was the signing of free agent Middle Linebacker Hardy Nickerson. He had such a HUGE impact on the team in getting them back on their feet is was unreal. What player do you see that was similar in eventually turning your NFL franchise around? In some cases, I understand there may have been more than one player that could of made the same impact after a long period of years between different eras, so list whoever you may, but in most cases, as above with Hardy Nickerson, there is one specific player that makes or made the difference.......

wilheim · Jan 29, 2005

Lawrence Taylor got the Giants turned around in the late 80's and led them to a pair of super bowl wins (87 and 91).

wil.

Journeyman · Jan 29, 2005

The immaculate reception, one of my earliest memories, I remember it being Christmas Eve (I am almost sure) and decorating the tree on a saturday afternoon, when the play occured....I thought the guys name was Frank O'Harris lol ...I was hooked on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Franco forever more....

Dec 23, 1972

wilheim · Jan 29, 2005

Dallas won 3 Super Bowls led by Troy Aikman but I think it was Emmett Smith's arrival that really made the Cowboys turn the corner when he was drafted (1990).

wil.

Journeyman · Jan 29, 2005

Of course it was not a single player in this case, perhaps I am off base with my post Hache...Mean Joe Greene was the first great Steeler Chuck Noll drafted in 1969...

Dante · Jan 29, 2005

good thread hache....im going with Big ben

Glaken · Jan 29, 2005

Mike Vick for the Falcons and a shout out to the Owner Arthur Blank...

Jman to this day I hear that Franco Harris will not discuss whether he made the catch or not....The other moment like this I remember is the Raiders-Dolphins game when the Raiders fumbled the ball for plus 30 yards.

wilheim · Jan 29, 2005

If ever a coach turned a team around it was Chuck Noll who took a 1-13 Steeler team and went on to win 4 super bowls with it. Greene, Bradshaw, Greenwood, Ham, Lambert, Swann, Harris, Blount, Stallworth, Bleier, Mullins, Wagner, Russell and several others were all parts of the great team Noll assembled. For my money the Steelers of the 70's were turned around by Chuck Noll.

wil.

Journeyman · Jan 29, 2005

Glaken , I think you're referring to the "Holy Roller" it was the Raiders @ San Diego, The Snake about to go down just whipped the ball up field, Pete Banasak, fumbled with it for another couple yards before fillping it even further towards the goal line where Dave Casper stumbled onto it falling into the endzone...

The Raiders also had a classic ending to a playoff game where Stabler found #28 Clarence Davis on a last second play, who wrestled for the ball in the endzone...that game was a prelude to the immaculate reception game...

Glaken · Jan 29, 2005

wilheim said:
If ever a coach turned a team around it was Chuck Noll who took a 1-13 Steeler team and went on to win 4 super bowls with it. Greene, Bradshaw, Greenwood, Ham, Lambert, Swann, Harris, Blount, Stallworth, Bleier, Mullins, Wagner, Russell and several others were all parts of the great team Noll assembled. For my money the Steelers of the 70's were turned around by Chuck Noll.

wil.

Wilhelm you are bringing back terrible memories for Glaken..LOL...I used to have Raiders pajamas as a kid and everything was great until the AFC Champ game where Pittsburgh would win every damn time...Those were the days. G

Journeyman · Jan 29, 2005

Agree Chuck Noll was the architecht, the Steelers coach built his team thru the draft like no other coach ever... No one single player made the Steelers great...'the play' though, had to be the immaculate reception...

Glaken · Jan 29, 2005

Journeyman said:
Glaken , I think you're referring to the "Holy Roller" it was the Raiders @ San Diego, The Snake about to go down just whipped the ball up field, Pete Banasak, fumbled with it for another couple yards before fillping it even further towards the goal line where Dave Casper stumbled onto it falling into the endzone...

The Raiders also had a classic ending to a playoff game where Stabler found #28 Clarence Davis on a last second play, who wrestled for the ball in the endzone...that game was a prelude to the immaculate reception game...

Yes you are right Jman..will never forget that day..my dad broke his recliner..LOL...Dave Casper..haven't heard that name in a while.

Journeyman · Jan 29, 2005

Casper was a great TE, he also caught the 'ghost to the post' TD that ended the OT thriller 37-31 playoff game Raiders @ Balto 1977...one of the more memorable games in NFL history...

Glaken · Jan 29, 2005

Journeyman said:
Casper was a great TE, he also caught the 'ghost to the post' TD that ended the OT thriller 37-31 playoff game Raiders @ Balto 1977...one of the more memorable games in NFL history...

I used to love the Raiders and the Oakland A's...I can't tell you why really; I was born in Cali but was a Florida brat by six years old. I will never forget watching the A's beat the Dodgers after school. That was back when cable was new and we had 13 channels in South Florida. I almost went to Bama because of Stabler..but I was a Pike and chose FSU like my dad.

bigbet1234 · Jan 29, 2005

gee....let me see, was it akile smith? nah

was it kijana carter? nah

david klinger? nah

carson palmer? GOD, I HOPE SO!!!!!!!!

BB

Rainbow · Jan 29, 2005

Brady, definetely put New England on the map.

winkyduck · Jan 29, 2005

i've been a Broncos' fan since 1977

is there any doubt what my answer is?

didn't think so

hondaman1 · Jan 29, 2005

No question it was chuck noll, in one draft alone(1974) he drafted 4 hall of famers with his first five picks

no other team ever drafted 4 hall of famers in one draft

swann , stallworth, lambert and webster were all taken in the 74 draft

Journeyman · Jan 29, 2005

The site that is dedicated to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders of the 1970's
Home | Compare the Teams Records | Check out Other NFL Rivalries @ GSR NFL Teams | email
check out our Steelers | Raiders Hat shop Online

Pittsburgh Steelers 1974 NFL Draft
The Steel Curtain Defense was built in 5 years!

To set the stage for the 1974 draft, Pittsburgh drafted what would be
5 future HOFers from 1969-1972. Joe Green in 1969, Terry Bradshaw and
Mel Blount in 1970, Jack Ham in 1971 and Franco Harris in 1972.
That 72 draft also produced 2 members of the famed Steel Curtain Defense
...Dwight White and Ernie Holmes.

The Steelers only had 4 picks. ALL are now in the Hall of Fame!

They also signed FS Donnie Shell in 1974 to round out there draft.

[click to enlarge]

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wilheim · Jan 29, 2005

The Pats are much like the Steelers of the 70's. The hiring Bill Belichick along with new ownership and management are what turned the team around. Brady has been the key player and he only got his job because of Bledsoe getting hurt. Then when the Pats realized that he was not as good as the young 6th round draft pick Brady, Bledsoe was traded. The key man in the Pats emergance as the excellent team they are is Bill Belicheck much like Chuck Noll was for the Steelers back when. The aquisition of Corey Dillon this year has elvated their game to an even higher level than that of the two super bowl winners.

wil.