1985: the year of the sack artist.

[Tucker Case]

In an effort to help lessen my NFL withdrawal symptoms, I started looking up some career statistics in various football categories, when I noticed something that was very surprising to me: The top four career sack leaders all started playing in the NFL in 1985.

Now, since stats didn't become an official stat until 1982, the entire category has a great big asterisk next to it since legendary sack artists like Deacon Jones and Coy Bacon never had an "official" tally, and others had careers like Bubba Baker, which crossed over into the "official" sack era, but fails to count those that occurred before the stat was official in the career totals.

But with the official sack stat, the top four all entered the league in 1985: Bubba Smith (200), Reggie White (198), Kevin Greene (160 and why the **** isn't he in the HOF yet?) and Chris Doleman (150.5). There's also an honorable mention for Simon Fletcher who tallied 97.5 sacks during his career with Denver which spanned from 1985-1995. Ray Childress (76.5 career sacks) and Freddie Nunn (67.5 career sacks) also crack the top 100 career sacks list at 60th and 77th place respectively) .

So anyway, the 2011 draft has been called the draft of the pass rusher by some since the top three sacks leaders last year (JJ Watt 20.5, Aldon Smith 19.5, and Von Miller 18.5) were all drafted in 2011, along with some other players who have shown some talent at getting to the QB like Robert Quinn (10.5 sacks last year), Justin Houston (10 sacks last year), and Cameron Jordon (8 sacks last year).

But even with the talent of the 2011 rookie class, the 1985 rookie class is still the class to beat, IMO.

Anyway, the point of a thread is to get a discussion going. Can anyone else think of some particular season that had an overabundance of talent at a single position like that? The 1983 QB draft (that was a phenomenal draft all around, actually, with 7 hall of famers, 6 in the first round) comes to mind, of course, but what about other positions?

 

[rocket88]

Just thought a picture of a Bills great was appropriate.

 

[Tucker Case]

After seeing that picture, I noticed that Bruce Smith's name somehow got switched to bubba smith in my OP, and I was like "How the **** did that happen?".

I think I was thinking of Bubba because of Bubba baker and wrote teh wrong thing. My bad. ****, that's embarrassing.

 

[Knowledge=power]

After seeing that picture, I noticed that Bruce Smith's name somehow got switched to bubba smith in my OP, and I was like "How the **** did that happen?".

I think I was thinking of Bubba because of Bubba baker and wrote teh wrong thing. My bad. ****, that's embarrassing.

Lol it's all good.

The first thing that comes to mind is this year's draft actually, with more offensive linemen being drafted in the top ten than in any other draft, and more linemen in the first round all together than any other draft as well.

 

[Knowledge=power]

In an effort to help lessen my NFL withdrawal symptoms, I started looking up some career statistics in various football categories, when I noticed something that was very surprising to me: The top four career sack leaders all started playing in the NFL in 1985.

Now, since stats didn't become an official stat until 1982, the entire category has a great big asterisk next to it since legendary sack artists like Deacon Jones and Coy Bacon never had an "official" tally, and others had careers like Bubba Baker, which crossed over into the "official" sack era, but fails to count those that occurred before the stat was official in the career totals.

But with the official sack stat, the top four all entered the league in 1985: Bubba Smith (200), Reggie White (198), Kevin Greene (160 and why the **** isn't he in the HOF yet?) and Chris Doleman (150.5). There's also an honorable mention for Simon Fletcher who tallied 97.5 sacks during his career with Denver which spanned from 1985-1995. Ray Childress (76.5 career sacks) and Freddie Nunn (67.5 career sacks) also crack the top 100 career sacks list at 60th and 77th place respectively) .

So anyway, the 2011 draft has been called the draft of the pass rusher by some since the top three sacks leaders last year (JJ Watt 20.5, Aldon Smith 19.5, and Von Miller 18.5) were all drafted in 2011, along with some other players who have shown some talent at getting to the QB like Robert Quinn (10.5 sacks last year), Justin Houston (10 sacks last year), and Cameron Jordon (8 sacks last year).

But even with the talent of the 2011 rookie class, the 1985 rookie class is still the class to beat, IMO.

Anyway, the point of a thread is to get a discussion going. Can anyone else think of some particular season that had an overabundance of talent at a single position like that? The 1983 QB draft (that was a phenomenal draft all around, actually, with 7 hall of famers, 6 in the first round) comes to mind, of course, but what about other positions?

As far as draft years with unusually high number of talented players racking up stats at their positions, or later being inducted into the HOF, I'll have to do some research.

 

[Tucker Case]

As far as draft years with unusually high number of talented players racking up stats at their positions, or later being inducted into the HOF, I'll have to do some research.

Interestingly enough, the 1984 and 1985 seasons are unusual because of the USFL. No players taken in the 1984 regular draft have gone into the hall of fame, and only three players taken in the 1985 NFL draft have gone into the Hall of Fame (Smith, Doleman, and Jerry Rice).

But three players taken in the 1984 supplemental draft o fUSFL and CFL Players went on to have hal lof fame careers: Reggie White, Steve Young, and Gary Zimmerman. Of those three, Steve Young and Reggie White began their NFL careers in 1985.

So there were five players that were NFL "rookies" in 1985 that have been inducted into the hall of fame (and I think that Greene will get in eventually, he's been a finalist two years in a row now), and only one from 1984 (Warren Moon, who came from the CFL in 1984).

 

[Knowledge=power]

Interestingly enough, the 1984 and 1985 seasons are unusual because of the USFL. No players taken in the 1984 regular draft have gone into the hall of fame, and only three players taken in the 1985 NFL draft have gone into the Hall of Fame (Smith, Doleman, and Jerry Rice).

But three players taken in the 1984 supplemental draft o fUSFL and CFL Players went on to have hal lof fame careers: Reggie White, Steve Young, and Gary Zimmerman. Of those three, Steve Young and Reggie White began their NFL careers in 1985.

So there were five players that were NFL "rookies" in 1985 that have been inducted into the hall of fame (and I think that Greene will get in eventually, he's been a finalist two years in a row now), and only one from 1984 (Warren Moon, who came from the CFL in 1984).

Somewhere, right now, John Clayton is reading this with a massive erection.

 

[Tucker Case]

Somewhere, right now, John Clayton is reading this with a massive erection.

I'm like the amateur Jay-clay.

 

[Knowledge=power]

I'm like the amateur Jay-clay.

Have you seen his ESPN commercial? Where he finishes his segment and then starts rocking out and eating chinese? lol it's hilarious.

 

[Tucker Case]

Have you seen his ESPN commercial? Where he finishes his segment and then starts rocking out and eating chinese? lol it's hilarious.

Slayer T-Shirt, mullet and all. One of the better ESPN commercials in a while.

 

[rocket88]

After seeing that picture, I noticed that Bruce Smith's name somehow got switched to bubba smith in my OP, and I was like "How the **** did that happen?".

I think I was thinking of Bubba because of Bubba baker and wrote teh wrong thing. My bad. ****, that's embarrassing.

I figured you meant Bruce.

 

[rocket88]

When I was a kid in the 'burbs of Buffalo, we had a drug dealer on our street and we didn't even know it. Now I know why Darryl Talley was there a lot!

 

[Tucker Case]

I figured you meant Bruce.

It's still an embarrassing **** up. I can look stupid about politics and be fine with it, but with football it's a sin.

 

[Knowledge=power]

Slayer T-Shirt, mullet and all. One of the better ESPN commercials in a while.

Absolutely. ESPN has some very talented people working in their advertising department. All of their commercials are funny.