PFWA All-Rookie Team
Following each National Football League (NFL) season, the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) compiles an honorary All-Rookie Team to recognize that season's most outstanding rookies at each position as adjudged by sportswriters of the PFWA. Teams have been selected every year since 1974. 1974 Offense * Quarterback: Tom Owen, San Francisco 49ers * Running back: Wilbur Jackson, San Francisco 49ers * Running back: Don Woods, San Diego Chargers * Wide receiver: Nat Moore, Miami Dolphins * Wide receiver: Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh Steelers * Tight end: Paul Seal, New Orleans Saints * Center: Mike Webster, Pittsburgh Steelers * Guard: John Hicks, New York Giants * Guard: Tom Mullen, New York Giants * Tackle: Charlie Getty, Kansas City Chiefs * Tackle: Claudie Minor, Denver Broncos Defense * Defensive end: John Dutton, Baltimore Colts * Defensive end: Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Dallas Cowboys * Defensive tackle: Carl Barzilauskas, New York Jets * Defensive tackle: Bill Kollar, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and the highest professional level of American football in the world. Each NFL season begins annually with a NFL preseason, three-week preseason in August, followed by the NFL regular season, 18-week regular season, which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one Bye (sports), bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference, including the four division winners and three Wild card (sports), wild card teams, advance to the NFL playoffs, playoffs, a single-elimination tournament, which culminates in the Super Bowl, played in early February ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bill Kollar
William Wallace Kollar (born November 27, 1952) is an American football coach and former player. Kollar played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1974 to 1976, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1977 to 1981. Kollar has 34 years of coaching experience, including the last 28 seasons coaching defensive linemen in the NFL. Before coming to Denver in 2015, he coached the defensive line for Houston (2009–2014), Buffalo (2006–2008), St. Louis (2001–2005) and Atlanta (1990–2000). Early life Kollar grew up in Warren, Ohio and attended Warren G. Harding High School, graduating in 1970. He then attended Montana State University, where he was a three-time First-team All-Big Sky Conference selection and a two-time Little All-American. As a junior for the Bobcats, he was named the Big Sky Player of the Year. Kollar went on to earn Most Valuable Player honors at the 1974 Senior Bowl and was inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fa ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Freddie Solomon
Freddie Solomon (January 11, 1953 – February 13, 2012) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1975 NFL draft. A native of Sumter, South Carolina, he was a graduate of Sumter High School class of 1971. A 5-foot-11, 184-pound receiver from the University of Tampa (where he had played quarterback), Solomon played in 11 NFL seasons for the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers from 1975 to 1985. On December 5, 1976, Solomon had a career game, with 5 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, 1 rushing attempt for 59 yards and a touchdown, and a punt return for 79 yards and a touchdown. Solomon won two Super Bowls with the 49ers, the first two in the history of the franchise. On " The Catch", Dwight Clark's famous leaping grab that helped the 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1982 NFC Playoffs, Solomon was the primary target on the play, but slipped ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mike Thomas (running Back)
Malcolm "Mike" Thomas (July 17, 1953 – August 23, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1975. Early life Born in Greenville, Texas, Thomas graduated from Greenville High School in 1971 and played college football at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. At the time, UNLV was a Division II program; it moved up to Division I-A in 1978. In his senior season in 1974, the Rebels were undefeated in the regular season and advanced to the Division II semifinal (Grantland Rice Bowl). Professional career Thomas was selected in the fifth round of the 1975 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. In his rookie season, he rushed for 919 yards and was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year. The following season in 1976, Washington returned to the pla ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Don Hardeman
Donald Ray Hardeman (August 13, 1952 – June 2, 2016) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He has 5 sons, Don Hardeman Jr. (Hou), Eric Hardeman (Hou), Cedric Hardeman (Hou), Demetrius Hardeman (DC) and David Hardeman (NY). Hardeman played five seasons with the Houston Oilers and the Baltimore Colts. In his short career, he scored eleven rushing touchdowns and caught two more. He rushed for 1,460 yards on 397 attempts and caught 58 passes for 285 yards. He was selected in the first round of the 1975 NFL draft by the Oilers and attended Texas A&I University. He attended Killeen High School Killeen High School is a public high school located in Killeen, Texas and classified as a 6A school by the University Interscholastic League. It is one of six high schools in the Killeen Independent School District, which is located in western B ... in Killeen, Texas. He died in Temple, Texas in 2016. References Exte ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Steve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph Bartkowski (born November 12, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons (1975–1985), Washington Redskins (1985) and the Los Angeles Rams (1986). He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. Bartkowski played college football for the California Golden Bears, earning consensus All-American honors as a senior in 1974. He was selected by the Falcons with the first overall pick of the 1975 NFL draft. College career Bartkowski attended the University of California, Berkeley. In 1972, he threw for 944 yards with four touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In 1973, he threw for 910 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a senior with the Golden Bears in 1974, Bartkowski was a consensus All-American and led the nation in passing. He threw for 2,580 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He completed 182 passes out of 325 attempts. In addition to playing footb ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dave Jennings (American Football)
David Tuthill Jennings (June 8, 1952 – June 19, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1987. He played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets. He later worked as a radio color commentator for Jets and Giants games until 2007. He died of complications with Parkinson's disease in 2013. Life and career Jennings played both college football and college basketball and graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1974. As a high school student, he did not play football. He lettered in both football and basketball at St. Lawrence, and was inducted to the St. Lawrence Saints hall of fame in 1988. After graduating from St. Lawrence, Jennings was not drafted, and briefly signed with the Houston Oilers as a practice squad member until he was released and recruited to the New York Giants as a free agent. He played for the Giants from 1974 to 1984, and then moved to play for the New York Jets fro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Efrén Herrera
Efrén Herrera (born July 30, 1951) is a Mexican-American former football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and was selected in the seventh round of the 1974 NFL draft. Herrera played in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills. He also was a member of the Oklahoma Outlaws in the United States Football League (USFL). Early years At age 15, Herrera's family moved to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico. He attended La Puente High School and practiced soccer with no knowledge about football, until he was spotted kicking a basketball into a soccer goal. He eventually joined the football team, playing as a placekicker and safety. He also lettered in baseball, wrestling and track. College career Herrera accepted a football scholarship from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was a placekicker for the football team and a forward/midfielder for the soccer ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bill Simpson (American Football)
William Thomas Simpson (born December 5, 1951) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1982. Before his NFL career, he played defensive back and punted for Michigan State University and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1974 NFL draft. He was a standout athlete at Royal Oak Shrine High School and was elected to the Archdiocese of Detroit Catholic High School League Hall of Fame in 2007. Professional career Simpson played five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams (1974–1978) which culminated in his receiving several postseason awards. He finished his pro career with the Buffalo Bills (1980–1982), retiring with 34 interceptions and 9 more in postseason play. During the 1981 Wild Card playoff game, played on December 27, 1981, at Shea Stadium, Simpson intercepted a pass near the end zone in the closing seconds of the game to preserve a win for the Bills over the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Prentice McCray
Prentice Marcellus McCray Jr. (born March 1, 1951) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the eighth round of the 1973 NFL draft. He was cut by Detroit during training camp in 1973 and did not play that entire year. The follow spring, the New England Patriots signed him as a free agent. McCray was selected to the 1974 NFL All-Rookie Team as a member of the Patriots, starting all 14 games with three interceptions for 61 yards and a fumble recovery. His best and most memorable season was in 1976. During a game versus the New York Jets on November 21 at Shea Stadium, he intercepted Joe Namath twice and ran back both interceptions for touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, return ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Roscoe Word
Roscoe Word (born July 24, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Jackson State University Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a Public university, public Historically Black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and .... References 1952 births Living people American football cornerbacks Buffalo Bills players Jackson State Tigers football players New York Giants players New York Jets players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Players of American football from Pine Bluff, Arkansas 20th-century American sportsmen {{defensiveback-1950s-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Terry Schmidt
Terry Richard Schmidt (born May 28, 1952) is an American dentist and former American football player, playing cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. He played college football at Ball State University where he was an All-American. In 2020, he was nominated to be part of the 2021 National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame Class. After completing his football career, Schmidt attended Loyola University Dental School in Chicago, Illinois where he graduated first in his class in 1989. His entire professional dental career has been spent working in the Veterans Administration hospital system, first at the North Chicago VA Hospital where he was Chief of Dental Services for six years, later at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Florida and the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina. Schmidt recently retired as chief of dental services at the James H Quillen VA Medical Center i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |