100 Years of NFL: The Wide Receivers Quiz

Answer: 2

Though Lance Alworth was an amazing receiver, in Super Bowl VI he made only two receptions. However, those two receptions were the opening touchdown for the Dallas Cowboys, and a conversion on third-and-long. These helped the Cowboys seal the win 24-3 over the Miami Dolphins. He played two seasons with the Cowboys to end his career, but his main achievements were made with the San Diego Chargers of the AFL. This was before the merger, and the AFL was supposedly the league with the inferior players. However, Alworth was recognized as having outstanding abilities and was even featured on the cover of "Sports Illustrated", something that many AFL greats were denied.

Alworth set many records with the Chargers, notably, he shattered the one for consecutive seasons with 1000+ receiving yards with seven straight. The previous record had been just three.

Answer: Crazylegs

Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was a wide receiver who opted to sign for the AAFL's Chicago Rockets (later the Hornets) even though he had been drafted by the Cleveland Rams in the 1945 NFL draft. He reached professional football late due to World War II where he had enlisted in the US Marine Corps, though he never saw active duty. His three seasons with Chicago were later looked back upon as a terrible decision. His years were lackluster and limited by injuries. He sought a reason to be released from the team so that he could sign with the Green Bay Packers, but discovered that his rights were held by the Rams, now in Los Angeles.

With the Rams, Crazylegs Hirsch flourished. His best year came in 1951 wne the Rams won the NFL Championship Game and Hirsch was named to his first Pro Bowl and placed second for Player of the Year. He set numerous records and was named to two more Pro Bowls in his career.

Answer: Most touchdown receptions in a season

Randy Moss started out a Minnesota Viking in 1998 and had an immediate impact on the team. He helped the Vikings become the top rated offence as they would roll to score 556 points that season. That record was later broken by the 2007 New England Patriots, a team featuring, you guessed it, Randy Moss. Moss made the Pro Bowl that year, the first of his six nods to the game. He would have a good few years with Minnesota, but the offence dwindled in its efficiency and Moss would grow increasingly frustrated. He was traded to the Oakland Raiders which proved to be an even worse fit.

Randy Moss requested a trade and two teams stepped up; the Packers lost out, though, and Moss was traded to the New England Patriots. Working with Tom Brady made Moss more productive than he ever was. The Patriots would have a record-setting season and Moss put up incredible numbers to help them. He continued to play until the 2010 season when he felt like he wasn't wanted. He was traded to the Vikings, played four games for them, and was waived, mostly because of a clash with the head coach. He was claimed off of waivers by the Tennessee Titans, played eight lackluster games with them, and then opted to retire.

Moss spent one season in retirement before coming back. He joined the San Francisco 49ers and had a great year with them under coach Jim Harbaugh. They went to the Super Bowl that year but the Niners eventually lost. Moss retired for the last time.

Answer: Indianapolis Colts

Marvin Harrison was drafted 19th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He spent all thirteen seasons with the team and had amazing numbers, especially when paired with quarterback Peyton Manning. He started off as a good receiver in his rookie season hauling in 64 passes for 836 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was a very consistent player. He played from 1999 to the fifth game of the 2007 season without missing a game due to injury, and missing only two for personal reasons during that entire stretch.

In 2002, Marvin Harrison had a stellar year when he broke the single season record for receptions by 20 receptions. His record was only broken in 2019 and by only one pass. It was not until the 2006 season that Harrison got his Super Bowl win as the Colts beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Harrison would be named to eight Pro Bowls in his 13-year career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Answer: Johnny Unitas

Raymond Berry played thirteen amazing seasons for the Baltimore Colts, from 1955 to 1967. In that time he was named to the Pro Bowl six times, led the league in receptions and reception yards three times and led the league in receiving touchdowns twice.

He was a key part of the Colts' success in the late 50s when they won back-to-back championships in 1957 and 1958. Despite all of these accolades, Berry almost didn't make it into the NFL. He was considered small and had lackluster high school and college seasons, he was projected to be cut from the Colts' roster.

However, he was willing to put in hard work and soon gained a reputation for having sure hands and running reliable routes and became the Hall-of-Famer that we now know him to be.

Answer: Megatron

Calvin Johnson was given the nickname "Megatron" after the "Transformers" character by his teammate Roy Williams and the name stuck. It was fitting that this tall, speedy, and powerful wide receiver could control his body really well, whether on the ground or in the air. Drafted with the second overall pick of the 2007 draft, Johnson surprised many by retiring after just nine great NFL seasons.

In his career, Calvin Johnson amassed several records. He broke the record for most receiving yards in a season in 2012, the most consecutive games with over 100 yards receiving, most consecutive games with at least ten receptions, to name a few. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times, but, a Super Bowl win was never in the cards as the Lions were never able to mount a significant run.

Answer: World Football League (WFL)

Paul Warfield was a remarkable wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins who played for 13 seasons in the NFL. He also played for one season with the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League (WFL) in 1975. As an NFL player, Warfield was an outstanding receiver who was able to make many yards after the catch.

As well, he used his speed (which he gained as a track and field star) to get downfield quickly and make big plays for big yardage. With the Browns, Warfield was able to win the NFL Championship in 1964, and with the Miami Dolphins he won Super Bowls VII and VIII.

As a player he was an eight-time Pro Bowler and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. For players who have more than 300 receptions, Warfield retired with the record of having an average of 20.1 yards per catch.

Answer: Green Bay Packers

Don Hutson was a split end who played 11 seasons for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL pre-merger days. He is often credited as the receiver who established the role of wide receiver in the NFL. Between him and his coach, Curly Lambeau (after whom Lambeau field is named), they developed modern pass routes and scrimmage formations that made Hutson dominant as a receiver. In fact, his first play from scrimmage in the NFL as a rookie was an 83-yard reception for a touchdown.

In his eleven seasons, Don Hutson retired holding nearly all of the receiving records in the NFL. When the NFL Hall of Fame was established, Hutson was a founding inductee. His jersey was retired by the Packers, the first jersey to get that honour. He was named as an NFL All-Star four times, the precursor to the Pro Bowl, and won three NFL Championships, 1936, 1939, and 1944, while making it to a fourth as well, 1938. He was injured, and that may have contributed to the fact that the Packers lost.

In addition to his receiving duties, Don Hutson was also the Packers' kicker as well as a safety on defence.

Answer: Houston Oilers

Steve Largent had 14 seasons in which he stood out, all for one team - the Seattle Seahawks. However, his NFL career almost ended before it even started; Largent was drafted in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and he played in four preseason games with the team. He was then about to be cut from the roster, but, the Seattle Seahawks traded for him. The Seahawks were an expansion team at the time and they needed depth in their roster, and they only gave up an eighth-round pick for him.

In the end, Steve Largent turned out to be an amazing trade for the new team. He became the first Seahawk to appear in the Pro Bowl (he would appear seven times over his career) and later became the first player to play more than one season as a Seahawk in the Hall of Fame, inducted in 1995. Despite not being particularly quick, Largent still retired holding most of the receiving records due to his sure hands and route-running skills.

After his retirement, Steve Largent was a Republican member of the House of Representatives for Oklahoma's 1st District.

Answer: Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice was the wide receiver who set the bar for all receivers in the NFL. He played 20 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers, but also for the Oakland Raiders as well as six games for the Seattle Seahawks. Coming out of Mississippi Valley State, he was drafted with the 16th pick overall of the 1985 draft.

He immediately made an impact with the already stacked team, finding a rhythm with Joe Montana and earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year honours. Over his career, Rice led the league six times in receiving touchdowns, also six times in receiving yards, and was named to 13 Pro Bowls.

He won three Super Bowls with the 49ers (XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX) and got the MVP for the first of these wins. When he retired he held more records than I can list here, probably most of the receiving records that you can think of.

His number, #80, was retired by the 49ers and he was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.