Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time: No. 15: Roger Staubach

In selecting the 25 greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, I took into account QB stats, accolades, (Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Offensive Player of the Year honors, MVP's, etc.) as well as regular season and postseason success—making note of the era each signal caller played in and how the game operated at that time. 

15. Roger Staubach

Dallas Cowboys, 1969-1979

(ABC News Photo)

Staubach was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 10^th-round of the 1964 NFL Draft as a future draft pick. The Cowboys were permitted to pick the Navy QB who won the 1963 Heisman Trophy, despite the fact that he was legally bound to serve in the military until June of 1969[1].

            After serving his time in the Naval Academy, Staubach joined the Cowboys prior to the 1969 season. The 29-year-old Staubach did not become the full-time starter until 1971, replacing Charlie Morton. A mobile QB with a cannon arm, Staubach won his final seven starts in the regular season as the Cowboys won the NFC East with an 11-3 record. Behind its tenacious defense—which let up just 18 points in three postseason games—Dallas won its first Super Bowl in franchise history. Staubach was named MVP of Super Bowl VI after completing 12 out of 19 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-3 win over the Miami Dolphins.

            The Cowboys returned to the Super Bowl four years later but were upended by Terry Bradshaw’s Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas won their next trip to the Super Bowl, Super Bowl XII, against the Denver Broncos. Staubach tossed a touchdown and 183 yards in the 27-10 victory. The Cowboys repeated as NFC champions the following season but came up short against the Steelers in Super Bowl XIII.

            In Staubach’s final NFL season (1979), the Hall of Famer set career highs in completions (267), passing yards (3,586) and touchdown passes (27).  He ended his storied career with 22,700 passing yards and 153 touchdowns versus 109 interceptions. Staubach also scrambled for 2,264 yards and scored 21 rushing touchdowns on 410 carries. He led the NFC in passer rating six times and retired with the best career passer rating at the time. Appearing in four Super Bowls (winning two), Staubach won roughly 74% of his regular season starts and 64.7% in the postseason.

*All stats courtesy of Pro-Football Reference and NFL.com.

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  [1] “Navy’s Roger Staubach Signs Contract Dallas Contract But Must Wait 4 Years”. Lawrence World-Journal. Associated Press. December 7, 1965.

Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time: No. 16: Sammy Baugh

In selecting the 25 greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, I took into account QB stats, accolades (Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Offensive Player of the Year honors, MVP's, etc.), as well as regular season and postseason success--making note of the era each signal caller played in and how the game operated at that time. 

In this post, I depict the career of Sammy Baugh, the 16th greatest quarterback in NFL history.
16. Sammy Baugh

Washington Redskins, 1937-1952

AP Photo

A three-sport athlete at Texas Christian University, Sammy Baugh was selected by the Washington Redskins with the sixth overall pick in the 1937 NFL Draft. Before Baugh had even graduated from TCU, Washington showed immense interest in the versatile athlete. Redskins’ owner George Marshall offered the senior QB $4,000 to sign with the club. Baugh—unsure if he wanted to pursue a professional career in football, baseball or basketball—turned down Marshall’s request. Marshall held no rancor towards Baugh, though, as the owner knew the talent Baugh possessed and wisely chose him with a first-round draft pick in the ensuing draft.

            The rookie QB earned $8,000 in the 1937 season, making him the highest paid player on the team. The multifaceted first-year pro was worth every penny, playing quarterback, punter and defensive back for the Redskins.

            Baugh was the forefather of the passing game in the NFL. In the league’s first 17 years of existence (1920-1936), NFL teams relied heavily on the running game for offense. Passing the ball was not banal—plays designed to air the ball out were taken with strong precaution. “Slingin’ Sammy” made the forward pass a primary offensive option by the time his career had ended.

            In his rookie season, Baugh set an NFL record for completions, throwing for a league-high in passing yards in the process. Behind Baugh, the Redskins won the 1937 NFL Championship over the Chicago Bears. In the title-clinching victory, Baugh threw for three TDs and 335 yards—the second-most passing yards thrown by a rookie QB in a postseason contest in NFL history, trailing just Russell Wilson’s 385-yard performance in the Seattle Seahawks’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round of the 2012 NFL Playoffs.

            The Redskins returned to the NFL Championship game in 1940, only to be humiliated by the Bears, 73-0, the most lopsided playoff contest in league history. Washington redeemed itself two years later. The Baugh-led Redskins upset the previously undefeated Bears to win the 1942 NFL title.

            The best season of Baugh’s career followed in 1943. He led the NFL in passing yards and punting, netting 45.9 yards per punt. Baugh also registered a league-high 11 interceptions at cornerback. The most notable game of Baugh’s Hall of Fame career came in 1943 in a victory over the Detroit Lions. In a blowout win, Baugh threw for four TDs and intercepted four passes on the defensive end.

Baugh led the Redskins to the NFL Championship contest in 1943 and 1945, but came up short in the title game in each year.

            The two-time NFL champion won six NFL passing titles—tied for the most in league history with Steve Young. A 16-year pro, Baugh recorded the league-low in interception percentage five times—the most seasons by a QB in NFL history.  His 70.33 completion percentage in 1945 ranks second highest by a QB in a single-season in NFL history, trailing only Ken Anderson, who completed 70.55% of his pass with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1982.

            Baugh led the NFL in completions five times. Only Steve Young had more seasons (6) leading the league in completions. Baugh also led the league in completion percentage in seven seasons, second all-time behind Len Dawson (8). 

Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time: No. 17: Len Dawson

In selecting the 25 greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, I took into account QB stats, accolades (Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Offensive Player of the Year honors, MVP's, etc.), as well as regular season and postseason success--making note of the era each signal caller played in and how the game operated at that time. Quarterbacks In this post, I depict the career of Len Dawson, the 17th greatest quarterback in NFL history.
17. Len Dawson

Pittsburgh Steelers, 1957-1959; Cleveland Browns, 1960-1961; Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs, 1962-1975

Note: The AFL’s Dallas Texans (1960-1962) moved their franchise to Kansas City following the 1962 season, where they became the Chiefs. The Chiefs joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger that occurred prior to the 1970 NFL season.

Also Note: The AFL (1960-1969) and NFL each had their own respective championships from 1960-1965. However, for the 1966-1969 seasons—and their subsequent playoffs the following January—the AFL conference champion battled the NFL conference champion in an AFL-NFL World Championship Game. This was created so that there would only be one champion per year as the two leagues prepared for their agreed-upon merger beginning in 1970. These four AFL-NFL World Championships eventually became known as the first four Super Bowls—Super Bowl I, Super Bowl II, Super Bowl III, and Super Bowl IV.

A first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1957 NFL Draft, Len Dawson never managed to make an impact in any of his first five seasons. He started one game in his rookie year with the Steelers, before riding the pine the next two years behind Hall of Famer Bobby Lane—who the Pittsburgh acquired before the start of the 1958 season. Dawson was traded to the Cleveland Browns prior to the 1960 season. He started just one game in two seasons with the Browns. Dawson was released by Cleveland following the 1961 season, having completed only 21 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his five seasons of NFL play.

            Dawson’s career turned around after signing with the AFL’s Dallas Texans. In his first year with the team, Dawson steered the Texans to 11 wins, firing 29 TD’s versus 17 interceptions with a league-best 61 percent completion rate and 98.3 passer rating. Crowned the AFL’s 1962 MVP, Dawson spearheaded the Texans to their first AFL title in an exhilarating double-overtime victory over the Houston Oilers.

            Despite winning the championship, the franchise moved to Kansas City, where they became known as the Chiefs. The inaugural season (1963) in K.C. was a disappointment—the Chiefs went 5-7-2 and missed the playoffs.

            The Chiefs went .500 in the ensuing season as Dawson led the AFL in passing for the second time in three years, posting another potent touchdown-interception ratio (30-18). 

            Kansas City missed the playoffs again in 1965, even with Dawson leading the league in completion percentage, TD passes and passer rating.

            The Chiefs rebounded in 1966. The team finished 11-2-1 as Dawson was named to the AP First Team All-AFL for the first time in four years. After defeating the Buffalo Bills in the AFL conference championship game, the Chiefs went on to play in the first-ever AFL-NFL World Championship—later known as Super Bowl I. The Chiefs fell short in their title quest as the Green Bay Packers claimed the first Super Bowl victory, 35-10.

            Dawson earned AFL All-Star honors in each of the next three years. His most memorable season of the three came in 1969. Despite missing five games to what appeared to be a season-ending knee injury, Dawson and the Chiefs went 11-3 in the regular season and defeated the Oakland Raiders in the last-ever AFL Championship game. This time, the Chiefs were able to finish the job in the AFL-NFL Championship contest. In the fourth and final AFL-NFL Championship (Super Bowl IV), the Chiefs secured a 23-7 win over the heavily-favored Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs' victory squared the AFL-NFL Championship/Super Bowl series between the AFL and NFL at two games apiece. Dawson was named MVP of Super Bowl IV.

            The AFL-NFL merger transpired the next season. After a year absence from the postseason, Dawson led the Chiefs back into the playoffs in 1971. The veteran QB guided the Chiefs to a 10-3-1 record in the regular season, the second-best mark in the AFC. The Chiefs, however, were upset by the Miami Dolphins, 27-24, in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

           Dawson retired following the 1975 NFL season, capping off a 19-year career. The six-time AFL All-Star and 1971 NFL Pro Bowler completed a total of 2,136 passes for 28,711 yards and 239 touchdowns. Dawson also rushed for 1,293 yards in his lengthy career.

Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time: Nos. 20-18

In selecting the 25 greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, I took into account QB stats, accolades (Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Offensive Player of the Year honors, MVP's, etc.), as well as regular season and postseason success--making note of the era each signal caller played in and how the game operated at that time. In this post, I rank QB's Nos. 20-18 in league history.
20. Fran Tarkenton 
Minnesota Vikings, 1961-1966; New York Giants, 1967-1971; Minnesota Vikings 1972-1978

AP Photo

Tarkenton was drafted twice—first selected by the Boston Patriots in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL Draft—then picked a month later by the Minnesota Vikings, an expansion team, in the third round of the 1961 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old Tarkenton signed with the Vikings and saw game action in the franchise’s first ever contest, replacing ineffective veteran starter George Shaw. Despite coming off the bench, Tarkenton accounted for five touchdowns—four passing TDs in a 250-yard debut and one rushing TD as the Vikings upset the Chicago Bears in commanding fashion, 37-13. Tarkenton remains the only player in NFL history to pass for four touchdowns in his first NFL game. He played for the Vikings for the next six years, earning Pro Bowl honors in 1964 and 1966. However, he butted heads with head coach Norm Van Brocklin, who disparaged the idea of a mobile QB. Brocklin wanted a traditional pocket passer, making an eventual divorce between the coach and QB inevitable.

The Vikings traded Tarkenton and his uncanny scrambling abilities to the New York Giants in 1967 for a pair of first-round and second-round picks. The swift “Frantic Fran” brought the cellar-dwelling Giants (who went 1-12-1 in previous year) back to respectability in his five-year tenure in New York. In his first game as a member of the Giants, he threw two fourth quarter TDs to complete a comeback victory over his former team, 24-23. The Giants finished the season at the .500 mark, a year after posting the league’s worst record. Tarkenton made the Pro Bowl with the Giants in his first four seasons with the Giants (1967-1970), but was unable to lead the franchise to any postseason action (the team fell just shy of reaching the playoffs in 1970 with a 9-5 record).

With Brocklin long gone, the Vikings traded back for Tarkenton in 1972 via another blockbuster deal that cost Minnesota their All-Pro receiver Bob Grim, three-time Pro Bowl QB Norm Snead, rookie Vince Clements and a 1st-round choice in ‘72 and ‘73. In his second stint with the Vikings, he made three Pro Bowls (1974-1976) and won the MVP award in 1975, a year in which he registered 2,994 passing yards and 25 TDs versus 13 interceptions in a 12-2 campaign for Minnesota.

 In his final seven years with the Vikings (1972-1978), “The Mad Scrambler” led Minnesota to six NFC Central Division titles and three Super Bowl appearances. He lost all three Super Bowls he played in, failing to attain the coveted NFL title that eluded him throughout his entire career.

Over the 18 seasons he spent in the NFL, Tarkenton threw for 47,003 yards (8^th all-time) and 342 touchdowns (6^th most in NFL history). On the ground, he amassed 3,674 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns.

 19. Bob Griese

Miami Dolphins, 1967-1980

Via NFL.com

Selected No.1 overall by the AFL’s Miami Dolphins in 1967, Griese enjoyed a brilliant rookie season in which he threw for over 2,000 yards with 15 touchdown passes. He was named to the AFL All-Star team in each of his first two years in the league. The Dolphins—an expansion franchise established in 1966—struggled in all three of the years Griese spent in the AFL, posting a dismal 12-28-2 record.

The Dolphins’ fortunes changed with the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The club hired Don Shula, who netted three NFL Coach of the Year honors and an NFL championship in his tenure with the Baltimore Colts. Shula continued his legacy in Miami, developing Griese into an elite signal caller. The Dolphins reached the playoffs for the first time in their short history in Shula’s inaugural year with the club, winning 10 of their 14 contests in 1970 as Griese made the Pro Bowl.

In the 1971 NFL season, Griese—a Pro Bowler and AP First-Team All-Pro—led the Dolphins to Super Bowl VI, but fell flat 24-3 at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dolphins completed the only perfect season in NFL history in 1972 under the helm of Griese and Shula. Griese was sidelined for much of the team’s immortalized season. He broke his leg in Week 5 against San Diego, but miraculously returned for the AFC Championship game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the man under center for the Super Bowl VII victory, defeating the Washington Redskins 14-7.

Repeating as champions in 1973, Griese and CO. cruised to a 12-2 record in the regular season, before throttling all three opponents they faced in the playoffs. The Dolphins won the AFC Divisional Round 34-16 over the visiting Bengals, before dispatching the Oakland Raiders 27-10, en route to the Dolphins’ 24-7 win over the Vikings in Super Bowl VIII.

The Dolphins reached the postseason three times in the final seven years of Griese’s career from 1974-1980, failing to return to the Super Bowl or even the AFC Championship again.

By career's end, Griese tallied two AFL All-Star appearances, six trips to the Pro Bowl and got the nod from the Associated Press for First-All Team twice (1971, 1977). The two-time Super Bowl Champion compiled 25,092 yards and 192 TDs through the air and 994 yards and seven TDs on the ground.
             

18. Kurt Warner

St. Louis Rams, 1998-2003; New York Giants, 2004; Arizona Cardinals, 2005-2009

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

       Kurt Warner’s rise to greatness is a tale of perseverance. After being released from the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad in 1994, Warner opted to work at a grocery store. Following a year of bagging groceries, the indomitable QB took his talents to the Arena Football League to play for the Iowa Barnstormers. Warner, an unstoppable force for the Barnstormers from 1995-1997, transitioned to “NFL’s Europe” to play for the Amsterdam Admirals. There, he caught the eye of various league scouts, particularly the St. Louis Rams, who signed the 27-year-old QB.

            Finally inked to an NFL deal, Warner knew he needed to make the most of this precious opportunity. He was buried in the depth chart as the third-string QB for his rookie season in 1998, but an injury to starting QB Trent Green in 1999 provided Warner the desired opening to showcase his talents. Warner threw TDs in each of his first three starts, a feat that no other QB in NFL history has accomplished. Warner was far from finished after three stellar outings. He orchestrated one of the most prolific seasons by a QB in NFL history, throwing for 4,353 yards with 41 touchdown passes and a completion rate of 65.1%. Warner won the 1999 NFL MVP, and was also named MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV as St. Louis defeated the Tennessee Titans, 23-16, to secure the franchise’s first title since the Los Angeles Rams were crowned champions in 1951.

            The Rams high-octane offense—deemed “The Greatest Show on Turf”—mustered three consecutive 500-point seasons (1999-2001), an NFL record. Fresh of a Super Bowl victory, Warner had an electrifying start to his 2000 season,  registering 300 or more passing yards in each of his first 6 games—tying Steve Young's record—throwing for 19 touchdown passes in the process. A hand injury stifled Warner’s stretch of triumph, sidelining him for five games that season.

            After losing in the Wild-Card Round the previous year, Warner directed the Rams back to the Super Bowl in the 2001 NFL season. Crowned MVP for a second time, Warner accumulated 4,830 passing yards and 38 TDs as the Rams claimed the NFL’s top record at 14-2. Warner came up just short in his pursuit of a second championship ring, losing to the underdog New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI.

            Nagging hand injuries shelved Warner from 23 out of a possible 32 games from 2002-2003. Fearful that Warner’s best days were behind him, the Rams cut their Super Bowl winning QB in the onset of the 2004 offseason in favor of Marc Bulger.

            That same offseason the New York Giants signed Warner—just months after trading for the top pick in the 2004 NFL Draft to select Eli Manning. Warner was given the job to start the season, but was yanked by head coach Tom Coughlin after two consecutive losses in the middle of the year that brought the team to a pedestrian 5-4 record. Under Manning, the Giants won just one of their final seven contests.

            Signed by the Cardinals the ensuing offseason, Warner achieved decent success in his first two years with the club. However, it was not until the 2007 season—the year Warner bypassed first-round pick Matt Leinart for the starting gig—that the two-time MVP returned to stardom. Warner had 27 TD passes in 2007, one shy of the Cardinals franchise record.

            A Pro Bowl campaign came next for Warner, who recorded a 96.9 passer rating with 30 touchdowns versus just 14 interceptions in 2008. Warner led the Cardinals to the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 1998, also securing the team’s first division title in 33 years.

            Despite losing in heartbreaking fashion in Super Bowl XLIII to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Warner was able to again demonstrate why he is one of the most clutch QBs in league history. In the 27-23 defeat, Warner threw for 377 yards (the 2nd-highest total in Super Bowl history), completed 72.1% of his passes and had a quarterback rating of 112.3.

            In his final season in the NFL, Warner helped the Cardinals earn consecutive trips to the playoffs for the first time since 1974-1975. Facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, Warner broke the NFL’s single-game record for completion percentage in a regular season game with a 92.3 mark, completing 24 of 26 passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns as he topped the previous league record set by Vinny Testaverde in 1993. A Week 16 win over the Rams witnessed Warner become only the second quarterback in NFL history to throw 100 touchdown passes with two different teams—joining Tarkenton in that regard.

            In his final home playoff game, Warner dazzled the Cardinals’ fans with a remarkable outing, throwing more TDs (5) than incompletions (4) in the club’s thrilling 51-45 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild-Card Round. Warner finished the game with the second-highest quarterback rating (154.1) in NFL playoff history. With the win, Warner finished his career with a 7-0 career home playoff record. Warner and the Cardinals were forced to travel to the SuperDome the following weekend, losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in his final NFL game. 

Greatest Quarterbacks of All-Time: Nos. 25-21

      In selecting the 25 greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, I took into account QB stats, accolades (Pro Bowls, All-Pro selections, Offensive Player of the Year honors, MVP's, etc.), as well as regular season and postseason success--making note of the era the quarterback played in and how the game operated at that time. In this post, I rank QBs Nos. 25-21 in NFL history.
25. Ben Roethlisberger

 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2004-Present

*Active Player; This post was written before the 2014 season.

    Roethlisberger has thrived since entering the league in 2004, earning the NFL Rookie of the Year honors and setting an NFL-record with 13 wins in his rookie campaign. He became the first QB to start Conference Championship games in each of his first two seasons in the NFL—losing at home in the AFC title game to the New England Patriots in 2004—then beating the visiting Denver Broncos for the Conference title in 2005. After defeating Denver, the Steelers ousted the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, making the 23-year-old “Big Ben” the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He won another championship three years later in Super Bowl XLIII versus the Arizona Cardinals, engineering a come-from-behind eight-play, 88-yard drive capitalized by a Santonio Holmes six-yard TD reception. Holmes’ TD gave the Steelers a 27-23 lead with 35 seconds remaining in what turned out to be one of the most dramatic Super Bowl contests in league history. Big Ben guided the Steelers to another Super Bowl game two years later, but fell short to the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV...One of the most efficient passers in league history, Big Ben ranks 9^th all-time in passer rating (92.6). Among QBs with at least 100 starts, Big Ben ranks sixth in winning percentage (.710) all-time in regular season contests.

  24. Dan Fouts

San Diego Chargers, 1973-1987

   Spearheading the “Air Coryell”, Fouts directed a dynamic passing attack for a decade-plus for San Diego. The Chargers led the league in passing yards an NFL-record five consecutive years (1979-1983) under Fout’s tutelage. They also led the league in total yards in offense from 1978–83 and again in 1985. A six-time Pro Bowler, Fouts became the first QB to surpass 4,000 passing yards in three consecutive seasons (1979–81). He ranks 11th all-time in passing yards and 14th in TD passes with 254.

  23. Warren Moon

Houston Oilers, 1984-1993; Minnesota Vikings, 1994-1996; Seattle Seahawks, 1997-1998; Kansas City Chiefs, 1999-2000

After spending the first six years of his professional career north of the border in the Canadian Football League, Moon became the star quarterback of the Oilers for a decade. The highly athletic gunslinger threw for an Oilers franchise record 3,338 yards in his rookie season in 1984. He led the league in passing in 1990, earning him the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, though he placed second in MVP voting behind Joe Montana. Moon led the NFL in passing the follow season as well. He made nine Pro Bowl appearances—six with the Oilers (1988-1993), twice with the Minnesota Vikings (1994,1995) and once with the Seattle Seahawks (1997). He ranks eighth in league history with 291 TDs and 11^th overall in regular season wins with 102.

  22. Jim Kelly

Buffalo Bills, 1986–1996

    After being drafted in 1983 by the Buffalo Bills, he sat out for a season—before joining the United States Football League’s Houston Gamblers for two years. Finally joining the Bills in 1986, Kelly made an immediate impact, jumpstarting a decade of dominance in Buffalo. He made the Pro Bowl five times in a six-year span (1987-1988, 1990, 1991-1992) and earned an All-Pro selection in 1991. Kelly took the Bills to the Super Bowl four straight years (1990-1993). Though he lost all four of those contests, he remains the only QB in NFL history to lead a team to four consecutive Super Bowls. The most painful loss for Kelly and the Bills was their first defeat with the Lombardi Trophy on the line, falling to the New York Giants 20-19 in Super Bowl XXV as kicker Scott Norwood missed a last-second 47-yard field goal attempt wide right of the uprights. Kelly holds the Bills franchise record for passing yards with 35,467 (18th in NFL history). He tossed 237 TD passes in his career, placing him 19th all-time.

  21. Sid Luckman

Chicago Bears, 1939-1950

Luckman registered 11 winning seasons in 12 years with the Chicago Bears. Overall, he won 83 % of his regular season contests. Luckman steered the Bears to five NFL championships contests, winning the title four times (1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946). In his career-year of 1943, he became the first QB to throw seven touchdown passes in one game—a feat that only six other QBs in league history have tied but still none have surpassed. That season, Luckman led the league in passing yards (for the third consecutive year), completing 110 of 202 passes for 2194 yards and 28 touchdowns. His 13.9% touchdown rate, 10.9 yards per completion rate, and his 19.9 yards per pass completion rate from 1943 all still rank No. 1 for a single season in NFL history. Luckman ranks second all-time in passing yards per attempt (8.4), trailing only Cleveland Browns legend Otto Graham (9.0). Luckman led the NFL in yards per attempt an NFL record seven times, including a record five consecutive years from 1939 to 1943. The four-time NFL Champion was also a five-time All-Pro selection.