NFL History Mix [ 2 ] Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joe Namath

In 1967, Broadway Joe threw for 4,007 yards (despite throwing more interceptions that touchdowns; 28 to 26). The following year, he led the New York Jets to an unlikely win in Super Bowl III, prevailing over Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts, 16-7. He was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance, and it showed the world that the AFL was worth taking seriously.

Answer: Tom Brady

On October 18, 2009, Tom Brady put up six touchdowns in total, leading the Patriots to a 59-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans. It tied the previous record for largest margin of victory since the Super Bowl era began in 1966. In 1976, the L.A. Rams beat the Atlanta Falcons by the exact same score.
[ Chicago beat Washington 73-0 in the 1940 NFL Championship Game ]

Answer: 1920

On August 20th, 1920, the league that we know today was formed as the American Professional Football Association (it became the NFL after two seasons). The same cannot be said of the teams that played in it, as all of the original franchises either moved or folded. The Packers were the first of any modern team to be introduced, in 1921.

Answer: Peyton Manning

Manning's 1998 season was plagued with turnovers, throwing a career-high 28 interceptions versus 26 touchdowns. He turned things around in 1999, improving his passer rating by almost 20 points, from 71.2 to 90.7 (not to mention winning ten more games than the year before).

Answer: O.J. Simpson

Although Eric Dickerson had more total yards in one season that O.J. Simpson (2,105 vs 2,003) "The Juice" rushed his best season during a 14-game schedule, making his average higher overall. Simpson totaled 143.1 yards per game, Jim Brown 133.1, Walter Payton 132.3, and Eric Dickerson 131.6. Of the four, only Dickerson posted his numbers during a 16 game schedule.

Answer: Mark Moseley

Selected in the 14th round (346th overall), Moseley went on to be the first kicker in history to be named league MVP. He accomplished this unlikely feat during a 9-game, strike-shortened season, and was crucial to the success of his team throughout. He went on to win the Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins that same year. Morten and Gary Anderson were both drafted in 1982 (by the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively), and Adam Vinatieri was only 10 years old in 1982.

Answer: Michael Strahan

Strahan played from 1993 to 2007 with the New York Giants. In 2001, he sacked the quarterback 22.5 times, breaking the previous single-season record of 22 set by Mark Gastineau in 1984. Steve Young began his career with the Buccaneers, Johnny Unitas ended his career with the Chargers, and Brett Favre played for four different teams (Falcons, Packers, Jets, and Vikings).

Answer: O.J. Simpson

Although O.J. Simpson is best known for his performance in a Bills uniform, the Hall of Famer ended his career with a 2-year stint in San Fransisco (rushing for 1053 yards in 23 games).

Answer: 50

The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a test given to prospective employees in a variety of professions, not just football players. It consists of 50 questions over 12 minutes, and a score of 20 indicates average intelligence (or an IQ of 100). Offensive ends, centers, and quarterbacks are the three highest scoring positions on average.

However, there is no significant correlation between high test scores and the success of a player (for example, Donovan McNabb got a score of 14). Only one player has ever received a perfect score; Pat McInally, a Harvard graduate and punter for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1976-1985. Ryan Fitzpatrick, also from Harvard (and also a Bengal from 2005-2006), got a 48.

Answer: George Halas

Shula was the head coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1969 (leaving the year before Johnny Unitas won the Super Bowl). He then coached the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995, leading them to the only perfect season in NFL history. Their 17-0 performance (14 regular season wins and 3 in the playoffs) was followed up with another Super Bowl victory in 1973.