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no love for Todd Christensen? he set the all time single season reception record for tight ends with 92 and broke his own record with 95 catches 3 years later.
Would ya believe Mike Ditka was the first to put up numbers similiar to what we see today? He once had a 75 catch season in a 14 game schedule and in his rookie season he had over 1000 yards and scored 12 td's.
While Ditka did put up better numbers it was the Colts John Mackey who gets the ...first great TE...tag. He was a around 240 pounds at a time when D linemen were 270. He had speed and was hard for 190 pound/white db's to handle. He just didn't catch enought passes, Unitas had too many other options.
The next TE that deserves mention was the Eagles Pete Retslaff, he was the first receiver first TE, built more like a wide receiver. His numbers struggled because of HOF receiver to be Tommy McDonald.
Then here came Kellen Winslow followed by Ozzie Newsome. It was here where we saw the position start becoming what we see today. Where TE's started becoming the first option because plays were drawn up with their talents in mind.
Getting back to Ditka. While he was a Bear they had a little white cat out of UCSB named Johnny Morris, he might still be the Bears all time leading receiver. Just think a fast Wes Welker, not as quick however. So if not for Morris, Ditka would have had far bigger numbers.
I've always thiught the TE position was where we saw the biggest mismatch. I'd do just what the Pats did, use two of them. , use them as backs. A lot can be done with guys too fast for backers and too big for DB's.
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While here...
Saw a little bit of an Arena League game, hmmmm?
Last edited by Avante; 07-09-2014 at 01:49 AM.
no love for Todd Christensen? he set the all time single season reception record for tight ends with 92 and broke his own record with 95 catches 3 years later.
I feel like he ruined it all by becoming arguably the worst color commentator in NFL history though.
That wasn't meant to be the all everything for TE's, notice no mention of the greatest TE ever, Tony Gonzalez? Just a little history on the position.
The AFC West the best divsion for TE's it appears. The Chiefs Fred Arbansas was the best TE in the old AFL. Now add Gonzalez. The Raiders with Dave Casper and Christianson. The Chargers with Winslow and Gates. Now add Shannon Sharpe with the Broncos, who also had Junior Miller.
loose end...
translation
What's a TE '?
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