Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. From 1949-1975, I played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers, and Oakland Raiders. Over that time I played quarterback, kicker, and punter regularly, while also going in as a linebacker occasionally. After 4 Pro Bowls, being named on the All-Time All-AFL Team, and being elected to the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame, I was finally elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, my first year of eligibility. Of course, I am also known as the first person to ever play for over 25 years in professional football.
2. Some running backs may have rushed for over 200 yards in a game, but sometimes a team just needs a guy to take the ball as many times as he possibly can during the course of a game. On December 17, 1988, Washington would run the ball 47 times for 166 yards, though they still lost the game 20-17 to Cincinnati. I took the majority of those carries, and set a record for becoming the first person ever to make 45 rushing attempts in a single game.
3. In the NFL, it is a fact that the offenses and defenses get most of the glory. However, all the analysts say that special teams usually decides the game. I decided to take that upon myself for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by returning punts. In doing so, I set the record for being the first person to return 70 punts in a single season, even though I didn't bring any back for a touchdown.
4. Passer rating is perhaps the most confusing statistic in the NFL. On a scale of 0 to 158.3, quarterbacks are rated by a combination of several statistics over the course of a game. Over 15 NFL seasons, I was on some of the best teams in the history of the league, and made my mark by being one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. With only 2 teams, I became the first person to retire with a career passer rating of over 95.
5. Every once in a while a quarterback will have an errant throw or two that will end up in the hands of the defense via an interception. I had a little more trouble than most. Over the course of 14 starts, I led my team to an 11-3 record, though we would lose to Dallas in the postseason. Along with those 11 wins came an infamous mark as well, as I became the first person ever to throw over 40 interceptions in one season.
6. Over 16 NFL seasons as quarterback of the same team, I learned many things, not the least of which was that the offensive line cannot be trusted at all times. In fact, the offensive lines throughout my career ranged from championship caliber to seemingly transparent. Though I may have retired on top, I landed on my back during the course of my career plenty of times, becoming the first player ever to be sacked over 500 times in a career.
7. One might think that due to the nature of the position, running backs would be much more apt to set fumbling records. However, try as I might to prove that true, I could not. Over 17 seasons in the NFL at the quarterback position, I set a career record for fumbles, becoming the first player ever to cough up the ball over 160 times.
8. The Oakland Raiders had a rough season in 1998. They started 7-3 and finished the season 8-8, thanks in no small part to their offense, ranked 22nd out of 30 teams. The inadequacies of that offense were shown especially in week 6 against San Diego, in which Oakland won 7-6. Oakland had such a hard time scoring, I went on to set a record for becoming the first person to punt over 15 times in a single game.
9. Punting is a craft that many fans of the NFL do not fully appreciate. The better a team's punter is, the harder it is for the opposing offense to score on the following drive. When I take the field, I try to punt as far as I possibly can every time I have to. In fact, I am such a perfectionist that I set a record for becoming the first person to punt a ball over 95 yards.
10. The vast majority of the time, NFL teams will kick an easy extra point whenever they score a touchdown. However, that is not their only option. They can always choose to attempt an offensive play and try to get 2 points instead of the measly 1 from the PAT. I was fortunate enough to be on several aggressive offenses, and I set a record for becoming the first person to score seven 2-point conversions during a career.
Source: Author
illiniman14
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.