Richard Todd (American football)
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Richard Todd (born November 19, 1953) is a former professional
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
for the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
and
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
from 1976 to 1986. Todd, like former Jets quarterback
Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college foot ...
and Raiders quarterback
Ken Stabler Kenneth Michael Stabler (December 25, 1945 – July 8, 2015) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Nicknamed "Snake", he played col ...
, played for the
University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
's Crimson Tide under coach
Paul "Bear" Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of t ...
.


College

In high school, Todd attended Davidson High School in Mobile, Alabama. Individually, Todd owned the state shot-put record at the time. He then went on to play for
Bear Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of ...
at the University of Alabama, where he was a three-year starter at quarterback. During his time at Alabama, the Crimson Tide ran the
wishbone offense The wishbone formation, also known simply as the bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense. Like the spread offense in the 2000s to the present, the wishbone ...
. In his sophomore year, Todd shared the quarterback position with Gary Rutledge. In a game against
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
, which the Tide won 77-6, Todd was one of four backs who ran for over 100 yards. The 1973 season concluded in the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
, with a 24-23 loss to Notre Dame. In that game, Todd caught a 25-yard touchdown pass. In 1974, injuries plagued Todd. The Tide went on to have a rematch with Notre Dame, this time in the
Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
. Todd threw for Alabama's only touchdown in the fourth quarter and helped convert two points, but the Tide lost 13-11. In the Sugar Bowl at the end of the 1975 season, his college career ended in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
against
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
. Todd threw for over 200 yards, and led Alabama to its first bowl victory in eight years. Alabama never lost an SEC game while Richard Todd was the starting quarterback. *1973: 18/33 for 325 yards with 4 TD vs 2 INT. 560 yards and 2 TD rushing. *1974: 36/67 for 656 yards with 5 TD vs 2 INT. 265 yards and 5 TD rushing. *1975: 47/89 for 661 yards with 7 TD vs 3 INT. 429 yards and 9 TD rushing. He would end his college career as a very efficient QB, throwing 16 TD against just 7 INT in 189 PA while running for 1,254 yards and 16 TD.


Professional career

The
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
drafted Todd in the first round of the 1976 Draft. Todd would be the last Alabama quarterback taken in the first round until
Tua Tagovailoa Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa ( ; born March 2, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was the Offensive MVP of the 2018 College Fo ...
, who was selected by the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
as the fifth overall pick of the
2020 NFL Draft The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The d ...
. The intention was for Todd to replace another Alabama legend,
Joe Namath Joseph William Namath (; ; born May 31, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college foot ...
. Todd stated that playing on the same team with Namath was "a dream come true." After the 1976 season, Namath was released and Todd, who was 23 years old, was named the starter. In his first five seasons, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and was booed by fans and criticized by the press. He is also known for an incident in which he shoved reporter Steve Serby into a locker after Serby supported backup quarterback Matt Robinson as starter, instead of him. In a 1980 game against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, in which the Jets had fallen far behind early, Todd, throwing under a prevent zone defense, set a then-NFL record with 42 completions. (The record would stand until
Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State, whe ...
completed 45 passes in a single game during the 1994 season.) The Niners won the game, 37-27. Todd threw 30 interceptions in 1980, and the Jets finished 4-12. Late in the 1980 season, Todd's Jets hosted the winless
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
; Todd completed only 10 of 27 passes and was intercepted twice, as the Saints grabbed a 21-20 win for their only win of the 1980 season. Also that year, Todd set an NFL record for throwing an interception in 15 games in one season. In 1981, Todd led the
Walt Michaels Walter Edward Michaels (originally Majka) (October 16, 1929 – July 10, 2019) was a professional American football player and coach who was best remembered for his six-year tenure as head coach of the NFL's New York Jets from 1977 to 1982. In 1 ...
-coached Jets to their first winning record (10-5-1) since 1969, thanks in part to a defense nicknamed the "
New York Sack Exchange The New York Sack Exchange were the front four defensive line of the American football team New York Jets of the National Football League during the early 1980s. The line consisted of Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam. Orig ...
." In the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, he led a comeback after the team had fallen behind, 24-0, but fell short, as a late pass was intercepted near the Bills' goal line. The following year, he led the Jets back to the playoffs. New York defeated the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, 44-17, then beat the Los Angeles Raiders, 17-14, before facing the Dolphins in Miami in the AFC Championship Game. The game was played in the mud and rain, where Todd threw five interceptions in the game and the Jets lost, 14-0. His final year with New York saw a change at head coach, as Walt Michaels was replaced with Jets offensive coordinator
Joe Walton Joseph Frank Walton (December 15, 1935 – August 15, 2021) was an American football player and coach who retired after 20 years as the head coach and creator of the football program at Robert Morris University. Walton played eight seasons in t ...
. The Jets finished the season at 7-9 and Todd was traded to the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
after the season. His final game as a Jet was ignominious, as he not only threw two interceptions that were returned for a touchdown by the same player (Miami's Mike Kozlowski), but also drew a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty for throwing the ball at defensive tackle
Mike Charles Michael William Charles (born September 23, 1962), nicknamed "the Beast from the East", is a former professional American football player who played nine seasons in the National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a pr ...
after a sack. Todd played only two seasons in New Orleans, as he replaced another aging, interception-prone (and former Super Bowl winning) Alabama legend at quarterback,
Kenny Stabler Kenneth Michael Stabler (December 25, 1945 – July 8, 2015) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Oakland Raiders. Nicknamed "Snake", he played ...
. His first year with the Saints was the worst year of his career, as he threw 19 interceptions and just 11 touchdown passes. In 1985, the Saints went 5-11, a troubling season that included changes in coaching and ownership, and saw Todd losing playing time to Louisiana native
Bobby Hebert Bobby Joseph Hebert Jr. (surname pronounced ; born August 19, 1960) is an American sportscaster and former professional football quarterback. He played in the United States Football League (USFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1983 to ...
, who had come to the Saints from the
USFL The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
, where he had won a championship with the
Michigan Panthers The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team based in the Detroit, Michigan area. The Panthers competed in the United States Football League (USFL) as a member of the Western Conference and Central Division. The team played i ...
. Todd briefly returned to the Jets in 1986 after a knee injury to then QB Ken O’Brien, but did not play. According to the New York Times, Todd was released from the Jets on October 29, 1986. Todd finished his career with 1,610 completions in 2,967 attempts for 20,610 yards and 124 touchdowns, with 161 interceptions. He also rushed for 932 yards and 14 touchdowns.


See also

*
List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating In the National Football League (NFL), the highest official passer rating that a quarterback can achieve is 158.3, which is called a "perfect passer rating". To qualify, during a single game a quarterback must attempt at least 10 passes, have zero ...
*
List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a passer rating of zero The National Football League has seen a quarterback passer rating of zero posted 136 times. To achieve a passer rating of zero in a game, a QB must have no touchdowns, complete no more than 30% of his pass attempts, average less than three yards ...
*
List of most consecutive starts by a National Football League quarterback In the history of the National Football League, there have been twelve starts streaks of at least 100 consecutive games by eleven different quarterbacks, with four of those with a regular season streak of at least 200 games. Brett Favre has held ...


References


External links


Long Island DA drops charges against Todd for Serby stuffing


{{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, Richard 1953 births Living people American football quarterbacks Alabama Crimson Tide football players New Orleans Saints players New York Jets players Players of American football from Birmingham, Alabama