Matt Hazeltine - LB

 

Matt Hazeltine was the 49ers' 4th-round pick way back in 1955. He was a starting outside linebacker for 14 seasons with the Niners, and made the Pro Bowl in '62 and '64. 

 

Except for missing 6 games in 1965 due to injury, he only missed 2 other games during his career, and started all but 6 games. 

 

Hazeltine retired after the 1968 season, but came back in 1970 to start every game for the Giants. 

 

 

Teams: 49ers (1955-68), Giants (1970) 

 

Pete Perreault - G

Pete Perreault, an undrafted free-agent, played for the Jets from 1963 to 1967. 

 

He was a backup defensive end in his rookie season, then started 6 games at right guard in 1964. 

 

Perreault played sparingly over the next 3 seasons, making no starts and only playing a combined 18 games over those years. 

 

He went to the Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, but only started 3 games for the expansion team. 

 

Pete returned to the Jets for 1969-70, and while playing in almost every game, he only made 4 starts. 

 

His final season was 1971, as a backup guard for the Vikings. 

 

 

Teams: Jets (1963-67, 69-70), Bengals (1968), Vikings (1971)

 

Nick Rassas - S

Nick Rassas was the Falcons' 2nd-round pick in 1966. He was also picked 2nd by the Chargers in the AFL draft. 

 

In his first 2 seasons with the Falcons, he played a combined 13 games (3 starts). 

 

Rassas was the team's strong safety in 1968, starting 7 games. 

 

In 1969, he was waived during training camp. The following summer he was signed by the Saints, but was cut during training camp. 

 

A video of his only career interception can been seen here. 

 

 

Teams: Falcons (1966-68)

Karl Noonan - SE

Karl Noonan was a split end for the Dolphins from 1966-1971. Signed as a free agent, he started 7 games as a rookie. 

 

In 1967, rookie Jack Clancy took Noonan's spot, starting 12 games. 

 

Clancy missed the 1968 season, so Noonan started every game at split end, with fellow 3rd-year man Howard Twilley starting every game at flanker. 

 

Noonan started 13 games in 1969, with Clancy and Twilley sharing the flanker position. 

 

In 1970, the Dolphins acquired Paul Warfield from the Browns. Warfield started 11 games, leaving only 3 starts for Noonan. 

 

The following year, Warfield and Twilley were again the top 2 wide receivers, with Noonan making no starts. 

 

The Dolphins added Marlin Briscoe to their receiving corps in 1972, spelling the end for Noonan. 

 

Teams: Dolphins (1966-71) 

 

 

 

When I first saw Noonan's card, I thought "I think I already had that", but it was actually this card:

Izzy Lang - HB

Hmm... I've seen this card before. Oh yes, here: 

https://philaeagles66-75.blogspot.com/2019/04/israel-lang-hb.html 

 

Teams: Eagles (1964-68), Rams (1969)

Charley King - CB

Charley King was the Buffalo Bills' 8th-round pick in 1965. 

 

He played with the Bills for two seasons (1966-67), playing in all 28 games but starting none. 

 

Selected by the Bengals in the expansion draft, King started 13 games at right cornerback in 1968. 

 

He was a backup in his final season, having been replaced by rookie Ken Riley. 

 

 

Teams: Bills (1966-67), Bengals (1968-69)

 

Chuck Latourette - P/S

Chuck Latourette was the Cardinals' punter from 1967 to 1971.

 

An undrafted free agent, he was named the Cardinals' rookie of the year in 1967. He played 4 seasons with the Cardinals, missing the 1969 season. 

 

He was primarily the punter, but also returned kicks and punts in 1968 and 1970. In 1968, Latourette led the NFL in kick returns, kick return yards, punt returns, and punt return yards.

 

He was also a backup safety, only making 5 starts during his 4 seasons. 

 

Shortly after the 1971 season, he retired from football and pursued a career as a radiologist. 

 

 

Teams: Cardinals (1967-68, 1970-71)

Jim Cadile - G

Jim Cadile was the Bears' 4th-round pick in 1962. He was a tackle in his rookie season, then switched to guard the next year. 

 

He was the Bears' starting right guard from 1964 to 1971. 

 

Cadile finished his career as a backup guard in 1972. 

 

 

Teams: Bears (1962-72)

Roy Winston - LB

Roy Winston played for 15 seasons (1962-76), all with the Vikings. 

 

He was drafted in the 4th round in 1962, and was the starting left linebacker in all but his first and last seasons. 

 

Although a steady player (only missing 5 games from 1962-74, and starting all but 13 games from 1963-73), he never made the Pro Bowl. 

 

 

Teams: Vikings (1962-76)

Pete Case - G

Pete Case was the Eagles' 2nd-round pick in 1962. He started just over half the games at right guard for the next 3 seasons. 

 

Before the 1965 season he was traded to the Giants for tackle Lane Howell. 

 

Case played every game for the Giants from 1965-69 at left guard, starting all but 5 games in that span. He wrapped up his career with the Giants in 1970 as a reserve. 

 

 

Teams: Eagles (1962-64), Giants (1965-70) 

  

Dick Witcher - FL

Dick Witcher was the 49ers' 8th-round pick in 1966. He spent his rookie season on the bench, but after Bernie Casey was traded to the Rams before the 1967 season, Witcher became the starting flanker. That was his best season, catching 46 passes for 705 yards. 

 

He remained in the starting lineup through 1971, although with the arrival of rookie Gene Washington in 1969, he shared the other wideout spot with Clifton McNeil. 

 

In 1972 he shared his position with Preston Riley. 

 

In his final season with the 49ers, he moved over to tight end, backing up Pro-Bowler Ted Kwalick. 

 

Witcher also played for the WFL's Southern California Sun in 1974. 

 

 

Teams: 49ers (1966-73), WFL (1974)

Don McCall - HB

Don McCall was the Saints' 5th-round pick in 1967. He rode the bench for much of his rookie year, as veterans Jim Taylor and Ernie Wheelwright (at the end of their careers, but still bigger names than Don McCall) got the most playing time in the backfield. 

 

McCall started 13 games in 1968 and led the Saints with 637 yards, a big improvement over Taylor's team-leading 390 yards in 1967. 

 

In 1969, running back Andy Livingston was acquired from the Bears before training camp started, making McCall expendable. Don was traded to the Steelers just before the start of the season. He played in 13 games for Pittsburgh, starting none. 

 

Waived in the summer of 1970, he was picked up by the Saints in mid-December, and played 2 games at the end of the season. 

 

He was later employed by the Chargers (1971) and Bills (1972) but saw no action with either of them. 

 

He also played for the WFL's Southern California Sun (1974) and San Antonio Wings (1975). 

 

 

Teams: Saints (1967-68, 1970), Steelers (1969), Chargers (1971), Bills (1972), WFL (1974-75).

Fred Hill - TE

Fred Hill played for the Eagles for 7 seasons (1965-71). He was mostly a backup tight end, but in 2 of his seasons he started 8 of the 14 games, making him the primary starter.

Fred was the Eagles' 4th-round pick in 1965. After a year on special teams, he started 8 games at split end in 1966, in place of the injured Ray Poage. Hill returned to the starting lineup in 1968, filling in for the injured and/or suspended Mike Ditka at tight end.

He played in at least 12 games every season except 1969 (8 games) and 1971 (7). Hill retired during training camp in 1972.

 

Teams: Eagles (1965-71)

-------------

Fred Hill was one of the driving forces (along with Eagles' owner Leonard Tose) of the Ronald McDonald House charity. In 1971, Hill's 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. After her successful treatment, Hill and the Eagles started the "Eagles Fly For Leukemia" program, and founded the first Ronald McDonald's House, in Philadelphia.

"Where is he now" story on the Eagles' website

Bob Matheson - LB

Bob Matheson may be best remembered as a key player in the 1970s Miami Dolphins' "53 defense", so named because Matheson wore #53 with the Dolphins. 

 

Matheson was the Browns' 1st-round pick in 1967. A bench player as a rookie, he was the Browns' starting middle linebacker in 1968 and part of 1969. In 1970 he returned to a backup role. 

 

He played for the Dolphins from 1971 to 1979. Although a backup for his first 3 seasons in Miami, he was the extra linebacker brought in for the "53 defense", essentially a temporary 3-4 alignment. 

 

Bob was a starting outside linebacker for part of 1974 and all of '75 and '76. In 1977 the Dolphins switched to a 3-4 defense, with Matheson starting 9 games as an inside linebacker. 

 

He returned to a backup role for his final two seasons, and was released during training camp in 1980. 

 

Teams: Browns (1967-70), Dolphins (1971-79) 

Dave Edwards - LB

Dave Edwards played for 13 seasons, all for the Cowboys. 

 

He was a backup linebacker in 1963 and 1964, then started all but 1 game from 1965-1975. 

 

After 4 years on the right side, he moved to the left side in 1969. 

 

 

Teams: Cowboys (1963-75)

Lonnie Warwick - MLB

Lonnie Warwick signed with the Vikings in 1965 as an undrafted free agent. 

 

After starting 7 games at left linebacker as a rookie, he was the Vikes' middle linebacker from 1966-1970, starting all but 2 games during that span. 

 

Warwick missed all but 4 games in 1971, and all but 6 games in 1972. 

 

From 1973-74 he played every game for the Falcons, but started none. 

 

 

Teams: Vikings (1965-72), Falcons (1973-74)

Bob Cappadona - RB

Bob Cappadona was the Patriots' 3rd-round pick in 1965.  He didn't play that year, and although he played in 27 games for Boston from 1966-67, he only made 4 starts, all in '67.

 

He played his 3rd and final AFL season for the Bills, starting 7 games but rushing for only 272 yards while sharing the 2 backfield spots with such luminaries as Max Anderson and Ben Gregory.  A year later, all three would be out of a job as O.J. Simpson and Wayne Patrick would take over.

Teams: Patriots (1966-67), Bills (1968)

 

Jim Colclough - WR

The list of great AFL receivers usually starts with Lionel Taylor, Don Maynard, Art Powell, and later on Lance Alworth, Fred Biletnikoff and Otis Taylor. But Jim Colclough was right up there with them for the first few seasons in the league's history. 

 

I had never heard of him until a few months ago, but Colclough was one of the leagues top receivers from 1960-62. 

 

Colclough was drafted by the Redskins in 1959 but never played for them. He spent his entire career (1960-68) with the Patriots. 

 

He was the their starting flanker from 1960-63, and parts of the next 2 seasons. Although never in the top 5 for receptions, he finished in the top 5 for receiving TDs from 1960-62. 

 

After 1963 he lost playing time to Art Graham, although he did start 9 games in 1965, and 7 games at tight end in 1967. 

 

Colclough retired after the 1968 season. 

 

 

Teams: Patriots (1960-68)

Jimmy Burson - DB

Today's card is Jimmy Burson, a defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons. 

 

This is the first 2nd-series card I've posted on this blog, identifiable by the white borders. (The 1st-series cards are often described as "borderless", but that isn't quite true. They do have borders, but they are the same color as the background. You will notice that the player's photo is usually cropped on the 2 sides, with a "border" matching the color of the background.) 

 

I got this card (and 32 others) a few weeks ago, and that was my first awareness of Burson. 

 

He was the 11th-round pick for the Cardinals in 1963. After playing only 1 game as a rookie, he was a starting cornerback from 1964-67. Burson had 12 interceptions while a Cardinal, including a season-high 5 picks in 1965.

 

After the 1967 season, the Cardinals turned over both cornerbacks, with Pat Fischer going to the Redskins, and Burson going to the Falcons. 

 

Burson started every game for the Falcons in 1968, alternating between free safety and right cornerback, and picking up 4 more interceptions. That was his last season in the NFL. 

 

 

Teams: Cardinals (1963-67), Falcons (1968)

Don Brumm - DE

Don Brumm was the Cardinals' 1st-round pick in 1963, and was their starting right defensive end for his first 4 seasons. 

 

After spending most of 1967 on the bench (making only 4 starts), he returned to the lineup in 1968, starting every game (this time at left end) and made his only Pro Bowl. 

 

Brumm only played 4 games in 1969 but started them all, so I have to believe he missed the other 10 games due to injury. 

 

From 1970-71, he played for the Eagles, appearing in 16 games over 2 seasons but only starting once. 

 

He returned to the Cardinals for his final season (1972). 

 

I first became aware of him during his time with the Eagles, which is probably when I bought this card (not having collected in 1969). 

 

 

Teams: Cardinals (1963-69, 72), Eagles (1970-71) 

  

Larry Bowie - G

Larry Bowie was a 6th-round pick for the Vikings in 1962. As a rookie, he played every game but started none. 

 

From 1963-68, he was the Vikings’ starting right guard, playing every game until missing 6 games in his final season. 

 

Teams: Vikings (1962-68)

Sonny Bishop - G

Sonny Bishop was drafted by the Chargers in 1962, but played that season as a backup guard for the Dallas Texans. 

 

In 1963 he was the Raiders' starting left guard. 

 

After the 1963 season, Bishop was one of three players traded to the Oilers for Billy Cannon. He played 6 seasons for Houston, as the starting right tackle in '64 before settling in as their right guard for the remainder of his career. 

 

Bishop made the AFL All-Star team in 1968. 

 

 

Teams: Texans (1962), Raiders (1963), Oilers (1964-69)

Craig Baynham - HB

When I started this blog last week, I had 47 players (and 2 checklists) from the 1969 set. When I decided to only post those players who we haven't seen on one of my other blogs, that left me with a pool of 13 cards. 

 

I soon realized that isn't enough to sustain a blog, so I went on eBay and bought the cards for 33 of the other 34 players who didn't also have other cards in the 1966 to 1972 sets. (I decided to pass on paying the "Brian Piccolo premium" for his card.)   So now there are 46 cards in the hopper, all pre-listed on my football blog index.

 

Craig Baynham's card arrived yesterday. The other 32 cards are all from one seller, and are on their way.

 

Craig Baynham was the Cowboys’ 9th round pick in 1966. He was a future pick, so finished his college career in 1966. 

 

As a rookie in 1967, he played all 14 games but started none. In 1968 he again played every game, starting 8 games after 1966-67's starting halfback Dan Reeves was lost for the season after 4 games. (Like last week's Pete Banaszak card, a 1968 injury to a teammate is probably the only reason he has a card in this set.) 

 

In 1969, with Reeves was still hampered by off-season surgery and Baynham injured as well, rookie Calvin Hill seized the opportunity, essentially ending Baynham’s Cowboys’ career. 

 

Baynham played 5 games for the Bears in 1970, until he was sidelined with a foot injury. A broken wrist during training camp in 1971 caused him to miss that entire season. 

 

He returned in 1972, this time for the Cardinals, but a shoulder injury limited him to 7 games. He then retired before the 1973 season. 

 

 

Teams: Cowboys (1967-69), Bears (1970), Cardinals (1972)

Pete Banaszak - HB

Pete Banaszak was drafted by the Raiders in the 5th round in 1966. He played 13 seasons, all for the Raiders. During his career he only missed 11 games, all coming between 1967-70. 

 

Banaszak was usually the backup halfback, playing behind Clem Daniels (1966-67), Charlie Smith (1969-70, 72-74), and Clarence Davis (1975-78), although Pete started most games in 1968 and every game in 1971. 

 

In 1975 he led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns, without starting any games. That season was also his high water mark with 672 yards, more than the 563 yards he gained while starting every game in 1971. 

 

Teams: Raiders (1966-78)

John Stofa - QB

John Stofa was signed by the Miami Dolphins in 1966, their first year in the AFL. The Dolphins used 4 quarterbacks that season (Dick Wood, George Wilson Jr, Rick Norton, and Stofa). Wood and Wilson each played in 14 games, and made 11 starts between them. Stofa and Norton each played in 7 games (so maybe they split the #3 QB roster spot?) with Stofa making 1 start to Norton’s 2 starts. 

 

In 1967, Wood and Wilson were gone, but Bob Griese was Miami’s #1 draft pick, and started 10 games as a rookie. Stofa was still stuck in the #3 slot, this time only playing 1 game. 

 

Stofa had a change of scenery in 1968, spending the season as the expansion Bengals’ primary quarterback. He was the first player signed by the new team, acquired from Miami 3 days after the close of the 1967 season, and a month before the expansion draft. He played in 10 games (starting 7), and threw the first TD pass in Bengals’ history. 

 

That was the extent of his starting career, as the Bengals drafted hometown hero Greg Cook from the University of Cincinnati with the 5th overall pick in 1969, and Stofa was released in July. A month later, the Dolphins picked him up, and he backed up Griese for another 2 seasons, making no starts. 

 

After a 3-year absence, Stofa played for the WFL’s Jacksonville Sharks in 1974, backing up QB Reggie Oliver. (Oliver had played college ball at Marshall University, and as a freshman in 1970, did not make that fatal plane trip.) 

 

 

Teams: Dolphins (1966-67, 69-70), Bengals (1968), WFL (1974)

 

 

For this first card, I will show the back as well.