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I'm wondering what team was the last to have both of its primary WR's being white. I'm guessing sometime in the early 70's?
Last Team with Two Starting White WRs
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sport historian
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In 1972, Dallas had Lance Alworth (his last season), Billy Parks, and Ron Sellers on the roster. Two of the three started at times that season. Bob Hayes was either injured or out of favor, or both.
Gary Garrison and Alworth were the starters for the San Diego Chargers from 1966-70. They may have been the last two for an extended period. Billy Parks started alongside Garrison for the Chargers in 1971, but was traded to Dallas the next year (see above).
According to a 1971 book by then San Diego backup QB Marty Domres, black Charger players complained that the Chargers "would never play a black man at wide receiver."
Gary Garrison and Alworth were the starters for the San Diego Chargers from 1966-70. They may have been the last two for an extended period. Billy Parks started alongside Garrison for the Chargers in 1971, but was traded to Dallas the next year (see above).
According to a 1971 book by then San Diego backup QB Marty Domres, black Charger players complained that the Chargers "would never play a black man at wide receiver."
The Jets started two whitestars at wide receiverin Don Maynard and George Sauer. Sauer was outstanding but had only a six year career. Maynard and Sauer both went to the Pro Bowl in 1967, 1968 and 1969.
The Green Bay Packers under Lombardi had an all-white WR corps. Max McGee, Boyd Dowler, Carroll Dale and Bob Long were virtually the only WRs they employed up through 1968 or so. To my knowledge, that was about the longest run for white WRs we've ever had (and, of course, they just happened to play on the best team in the league). The Cardinals also employed a virtually all-white WR corps in the 1960s (Sonny Randle, Bobby Joe Conrad, Dave Williams, Billy Gambrell), to go along with great white TE Jackie Smith. The Lions had a great white group of WRs, too (Terry Barr, Gail Cogdill, Pat Studstill), along with white TE Jim Gibbons. The Rams had Lance Rentzel and Jack Snow starting for one season, I think it was circa 1971. In 1972, the woeful New Orleans Saints started Dan Abramowicz and Dave Parks. It's sad to consider that almost every one of those very productive to great white WRs that played in the 1950s-1970s would be in the same predicament that Mike Hass and Matt Jones face, if they were around today. Yet no one questions this, outside of this forum.
White Shogun
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You guys look this stuff up or know it off the top of your head? Great info, I love these historical posts.
bigunreal said:
It just illustrates how easily and thoroughly people's attitudes and opinions can be changed over time through social engineering and Orwellian media techniques. If you would have told football fans in the late 1960s and early 1970s --a time whenthe NFL had been racially integrated for a number of years -- that the NFL would see an extended era lasting decadeswhen there was not a single white tailbackor cornerback, and white receivers, safeties, and defensive players in general were almost non-existent, they would have thought you were nuts. Now, they think you're nuts if you believe whites are capable of playing these positions.
sport historian
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bigunreal said:
Until around the mid-60's, most NFL wide receivers were white. For example, the New York Giants from 1956-63, were probably the most publicized NFL team. The Giants of that era did not have a black WR.
While Berlin may have been on the fieldat the same time asBennett forsome plays, he was never a starter with the Titans.
I posted this awhile back,but I like repeating it.The Dallas Cowboys early in the 1984 season employed two white starting wideouts in Doug Donley and Mike Renfro as well as white starting TE Doug Cosbie.Tony Hill went down with an injury in the season opener which led to the all-white starting targets.This setup lasted from game 2 to 6 and Dallas went 3-2 then Hill came back.
Probably theclosest thing we've had since the Caste System began was the 1999 Carolina Panthers. WR Patrick Jeffers, who had been kicked around the league like a junkyard dog like all white receivers areup till that time, signed with Carolina as a restricted free agent from the Cowboys and tore up the league thanks to a second half of the season that was as good as any receiver's ever had.
Muhsin Muhammad was the other starting receiver, but Wesley Walls, a receiving tight end was used quite a bit and posted his career best marks for catches and yards. The QB was the unheralded Steve Beuerlein, heretofore considered journeyman material. But Beuerlein threw for 36 TDs in '99 and over 4,400 yards, with Jeffers and Walls a big part of it.
It only lasted the one season. Jeffers had his knee blown out running a meaningless three yard route in the middle of the field during the first exhibition game of 2000 and his career was effectively over. Beuerlein started one more season and then was relegated again to backup status. Walls was nearing the end of the line.
As I've posted about on several occasions, 1999 was a rare "fluke" year for white wide receivers, especially the second half of it, when Jeffers, Keith Poole, Bill Schroeder, Tim Dwight, and Ed McCaffrey all had big years. Three of the top four receivers in yards per catch average were white in '99 (Poole, Jeffers and Dwight), and Jeffers, Schroeder and McCaffrey all went over 1,000 yards. But by the next season, all but McCaffrey, Schroeder and Wayne Chrebet had been successfully neutralized through injury and demotions. Schroeder fell 1 yard short of a second straight thousand yard year and then the demonization process that made him the most hated player in the NFL kicked into high gear.
Muhsin Muhammad was the other starting receiver, but Wesley Walls, a receiving tight end was used quite a bit and posted his career best marks for catches and yards. The QB was the unheralded Steve Beuerlein, heretofore considered journeyman material. But Beuerlein threw for 36 TDs in '99 and over 4,400 yards, with Jeffers and Walls a big part of it.
It only lasted the one season. Jeffers had his knee blown out running a meaningless three yard route in the middle of the field during the first exhibition game of 2000 and his career was effectively over. Beuerlein started one more season and then was relegated again to backup status. Walls was nearing the end of the line.
As I've posted about on several occasions, 1999 was a rare "fluke" year for white wide receivers, especially the second half of it, when Jeffers, Keith Poole, Bill Schroeder, Tim Dwight, and Ed McCaffrey all had big years. Three of the top four receivers in yards per catch average were white in '99 (Poole, Jeffers and Dwight), and Jeffers, Schroeder and McCaffrey all went over 1,000 yards. But by the next season, all but McCaffrey, Schroeder and Wayne Chrebet had been successfully neutralized through injury and demotions. Schroeder fell 1 yard short of a second straight thousand yard year and then the demonization process that made him the most hated player in the NFL kicked into high gear.
As I have written before, I was a big Bill Schroeder fan, his treatment by the fans, media, and players played a big part in my realization of the caste system. I am worried that Matt Jones is going to fall into the same trap. Here's why. Schroeder was a super athlete, a Div II hurdles/sprint champ that had been overlooked completely by colleges. He was a pure physical specimen, he may not have even played football in high school.
Jones is similar in that he had never played receiver and is a tall rangy superfast speedster that can jump, you know the kind of guy, that if he were black, would be in the top 20 fantasy receivers.
But Schroeder got the reputation as a guy that was a sissy and wouldn't try for the tough catches, this in a league where receivers sprint for the sidelines as soon as they make a catch or dive to the ground after a catch.
Now look at this "assesment" from a fantasy site:
Matt Jones (Jac, 21st pick) - I'm going to be brutally honest here on Jones. He has a reputation around the league of being called, well...let's say a female body part (not a vulva, or a mulva for that matter). This guy has all kinds of issues, and staying healthy is just one of the obvious ones. He was not physically strong enough to play in the NFL last year, and that was pretty obvious on tape. He was supposed to have this great straight-ahead speed, but he looked as slow as can be at times. The good news is there's plenty of room for improvement. He still has only two years under his belt in the NFL and, more important, at the receiver position, since he was a college QB. Jones has some special qualities - he is at worst a very good red zone receiver - but for the most part, he continues to be limited to running in a straight line. He also needs to come up this year and show a little more toughness and willingness to put his body on the line. There's no real way to know he will come close to fulfilling his potential this year until the bullets are flying for real, and prominent roles in this receiving corps are up for grabs (Jones isn't guaranteed a starting job going into training camp). But he has the ability to improve after his second season in the league last year in so many ways and after another full off-season this year. So he's still a good third-year receiver candidate.
This guy has basically called him a "pussy". It won't take long for that to be the mantra around the league. I think the sportwriters all get in a room and decide how they're going to run the white players down. Notice the other caste system crap, only has "straight line speed" and not strong enough, like this guy knows how strong he is. It's the beginning of the end for Jones in my opinion. I hope I'm wrong.
Jones is similar in that he had never played receiver and is a tall rangy superfast speedster that can jump, you know the kind of guy, that if he were black, would be in the top 20 fantasy receivers.
But Schroeder got the reputation as a guy that was a sissy and wouldn't try for the tough catches, this in a league where receivers sprint for the sidelines as soon as they make a catch or dive to the ground after a catch.
Now look at this "assesment" from a fantasy site:
Matt Jones (Jac, 21st pick) - I'm going to be brutally honest here on Jones. He has a reputation around the league of being called, well...let's say a female body part (not a vulva, or a mulva for that matter). This guy has all kinds of issues, and staying healthy is just one of the obvious ones. He was not physically strong enough to play in the NFL last year, and that was pretty obvious on tape. He was supposed to have this great straight-ahead speed, but he looked as slow as can be at times. The good news is there's plenty of room for improvement. He still has only two years under his belt in the NFL and, more important, at the receiver position, since he was a college QB. Jones has some special qualities - he is at worst a very good red zone receiver - but for the most part, he continues to be limited to running in a straight line. He also needs to come up this year and show a little more toughness and willingness to put his body on the line. There's no real way to know he will come close to fulfilling his potential this year until the bullets are flying for real, and prominent roles in this receiving corps are up for grabs (Jones isn't guaranteed a starting job going into training camp). But he has the ability to improve after his second season in the league last year in so many ways and after another full off-season this year. So he's still a good third-year receiver candidate.
This guy has basically called him a "pussy". It won't take long for that to be the mantra around the league. I think the sportwriters all get in a room and decide how they're going to run the white players down. Notice the other caste system crap, only has "straight line speed" and not strong enough, like this guy knows how strong he is. It's the beginning of the end for Jones in my opinion. I hope I'm wrong.
RedBeard
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I wonder who is spreading these rumors? Most likely the affleat DBs Jones burns in Jags training camp. I still remember how Danny Farmer was basically driven out of town by his own teammates here in Pittsburgh when he was first drafted. The Chad Scotts of the world couldn't stand being shown up by a white boy. Thankfully Scott blew his knee out and wont be doing the same thing to Wes Welker up in New England this year.
I didn't know where to put this, but if you're interested in seeing a more diverse NFL, I suggest going to Youtube and watching old 'This week in Pro football' or TWIPF videos. These are great to watch! You will see a truly 'diverse' league with white receivers, defensive backs, linemen, etc.
My favorite video is the 1969 San Diego Chargers Year in Review.
They started Gary Garrison and Lance Alworth, 2 fantastic (and fast!) receivers, plus the forgotten Dickie Post at running back. When you see his highlights you are reminded of Christian McCaffrey!
If you don't the patience to watch the entire video, go to 20:35 minutes in and watch highlights specific to Alworth, Garrison, and Post.
My favorite video is the 1969 San Diego Chargers Year in Review.
They started Gary Garrison and Lance Alworth, 2 fantastic (and fast!) receivers, plus the forgotten Dickie Post at running back. When you see his highlights you are reminded of Christian McCaffrey!
If you don't the patience to watch the entire video, go to 20:35 minutes in and watch highlights specific to Alworth, Garrison, and Post.
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That's fun to watch, thanks for posting it. Dickie Post is all but forgotten now and of course Lance Alworth was one of the very best receivers of all time, maybe the best.
The demise of the White football player is almost like an extinction event. One day Whites could play every position on the field at a high level, then all of a sudden they couldn't. That of course is absurd, but it seems to be impossible to get more than a few people to think seriously about the subject, including football fans old enough to remember the way the NFL used to be. Don't like to quote myself, but my observation earlier in this old thread that I just re-read is pretty good: "It just illustrates how easily and thoroughly people's attitudes and opinions can be changed over time through social engineering and Orwellian media techniques. If you would have told football fans in the late 1960s and early 1970s --a time when the NFL had been racially integrated for a number of years -- that the NFL would see an extended era lasting decades when there was not a single white tailback or cornerback, and white receivers, safeties, and defensive players in general were almost non-existent, they would have thought you were nuts. Now, they think you're nuts if you believe whites are capable of playing these positions."
The demise of the White football player is almost like an extinction event. One day Whites could play every position on the field at a high level, then all of a sudden they couldn't. That of course is absurd, but it seems to be impossible to get more than a few people to think seriously about the subject, including football fans old enough to remember the way the NFL used to be. Don't like to quote myself, but my observation earlier in this old thread that I just re-read is pretty good: "It just illustrates how easily and thoroughly people's attitudes and opinions can be changed over time through social engineering and Orwellian media techniques. If you would have told football fans in the late 1960s and early 1970s --a time when the NFL had been racially integrated for a number of years -- that the NFL would see an extended era lasting decades when there was not a single white tailback or cornerback, and white receivers, safeties, and defensive players in general were almost non-existent, they would have thought you were nuts. Now, they think you're nuts if you believe whites are capable of playing these positions."
Freethinker
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Thanks for sharing that. The highlights of Alworth were great as expected but I was really blown away by Post. He looked to have elite quickness, agility and some pretty devastating “wiggle”. Must have loose hips even though White men apparently can’t possess those. His top speed when he got into the open field looked more than adequate as well.
I would have loved to have watched him play in his day!
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Shadowlight
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I agree a wonderful video clip. And narrated by "The Voice Of God" John Facenda. He was the best. Also is it me or were the females in "kilts" and in general giving off a much more positive sexual allure than these constipating times? I guess it is true. People were happy once upon a time.
Gary Garrison is another forgotten great. He was overshadowed by the great Lance Alworth, but he was a fantastic receiver in his own right.
He averaged over 20 yds per catch for 4 years in a row. He also averaged 18.6 yards per catch for his career! That's an incredible stat!
Garrison and Alworth were probably the best white receiver combination ever.
Here are his stats:
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GarrGa00.htm
He averaged over 20 yds per catch for 4 years in a row. He also averaged 18.6 yards per catch for his career! That's an incredible stat!
Garrison and Alworth were probably the best white receiver combination ever.
Here are his stats:
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GarrGa00.htm
sprintstar
Master
thanks for the video, I remember Alworth and Garrison but not Post. Serious cutting ability with strength and flat out wheels, definitely had the balls to go into the middle of the line at 5'9". Just watching this vid clip makes me think the level of football played then is vastly better than todays.