A one card post featuring the field general of the Air Coryell system, Dan Fouts of the then San Diego Chargers.
This of course is his 1978 Topps Card, bought for a dollar a couple months ago at the Port St. Lucie card show. I don't quite remember the blue jerseys with the white stripe through the shoulder, but the blue helmets with the lightning bolt on both sides are unforgettable.
1978 was a year or two before the offense began to explode; Dan began to torch defenses to the tune of 3 straight 4000-yard seasons, and the 4th would have happened had he played a full season in 1982 (player strike).
Those offenses were LOADED with talent. Chuck Muncie at RB. Kellen Winslow at TE. John Jefferson and Charlier Joiner were the wideouts. Wes Chandler came along in 1981.
These teams were just a step away from the Super Bowl in 80 & 81, losing the conference championship games to the Raiders and the Bengals. His single season mark of 4802 passing yards in 1981 held the NFL record, surpassed 3 seasons later by Dan Marino.
Marino and Fouts held the top two places until the 21st century came along; now that 4802-yard season is 33rd all time. Have some fun and look at the all time passing yard leaders here
The 1978 set has barely started for me, just 26 cards out of the 528-card set have arrived here at the house. I'm hoping to find a nice starter set somewhere for a reasonable price to get started.
Robert
Loved this team ... The '78 football set is so unfamiliar to me that I can't even tell you the border colors used with which team, except for the Bills (and now, the Chargers).
ReplyDeleteI was a big fan of Marino and Moon as a kid so I'm sure I would have loved watching Fouts throw the football. Crazy how the Chargers had to play a hot/muggy playoff game in Miami one weekend and then play in record freezing Cincinnati the very next weekend.
ReplyDeleteKellen Winslow being led off the field, exhausted with a towel draped over his head was the enduring memory for me.
DeleteSeeing the words Air Coryell was like a slap to the face in the sense that it woke me up and took me back to the early 80's. Loaded is the perfect word to describe their offense. Fouts with the beard. Muncie and his glasses. I wonder how I didn't become a Chargers fan.
ReplyDeleteThat's a nice looking card back, don't think I've seen one from that set before.
ReplyDeleteDan Fouts doesn't seem to get a lot of love anymore, and that's a real shame! Nice post.
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