This week for Throwback Thursday, I have another “NFL First” for you. We’re taking a look at players who were the first to make the 1000 club. This is the earliest days of the sport led by the pioneers of the game. Trailblazers of professional football who helped it grow and prosper into the phenomenon that it is today. This is a special presentation of 3 legends who were each the first to cross the 1000 mark for their respective positions. 1000 what? Let’s check it out…
Highlights!!!
First Running Back to 1000 Yards
The Chicago Bears are the first franchise in league history, so it’s no surprise they fielded a number of players that captured their share of the “first” achievements. Known for its legacy of historic running backs, the Bears boasted the first one to gain 1000 yards in a season. That season was 1934 and the back was Beattie Feathers.
It was his rookie year, which had only 11 games. Despite that he put up numbers that look exceptional even by today’s standards. He ran for an amazing 8.4 Yards per Attempt and a league leading 91.3 Yards per Game.
His result for Yards per Attempt is an NFL record that STILL STANDS TODAY (minimum 100 attempts in a season), while his Yards per Game is still the Bears’ franchise record for a rookie running back. On top of that… his 1934 campaign is the only time in the history of the NFL that a running back ran for more yards than the leading quarterback threw for. Though he was named a member of the 1930 Hall of Fame All-Decade team, somehow this legend is not actually in the Hall of Fame itself. Somebody call Canton!!!
First Receiver to 1000 Yards
You know the Packers weren’t going to let the Bears have all the glory. While Feathers was carrying ball into history, Green Bay Packer great Don Hutson was the first receiver to have over 1000 yards receiving. He entered the league just one year after Beattie Feathers and played for 11 seasons. To put it plainly, he absolutely dominated his era with not just the 1000-yard performance, but also by winning the most annual receiver stat titles of all time:
- Receptions = 8
- Receiving Yards = 7
- Receiving TDs = 9
- Receiving Yards per Game = 8
“The Alabama Antelope” made history in 1942 with his 1211-yard season and as mentioned before, Hutson also holds the record for the most Receiving Triple Crowns at 5 (4 of which were consecutive). He also did his part to contribute to the team’s 3 NFL Championships in 1936, 1939 and 1944. He was awarded two MVPs during his tenure (then called the Joe F. Carr Trophy), was named to the 1930 Hall of Fame All-Decade team and was voted in as part of its inaugural class in 1963.
First Player to 1000 Points
In the history of the NFL there are only two non-kickers that have scored over 1000 points. That’s Emmitt Smith at 1052 points and Jerry Rice at 1256. The rest are all Kickers. The player with the most points to date is Patriots and Colts veteran Adam Vinatieri. He holds the all-time record at 2673.
That said, the first player to reach 1000 points before any of them was an Offensive Tackle… well… and a kicker. It was an era when players did whatever was needed of them. This guy played Offensive Left tackle for 14 years, racking up 9 Pro Bowl appearances and 6 All-Pro selections. When he wasn’t providing pass protection for Otto Graham or opening holes for Jim Brown, the man simply known as “The Toe” … Lou Groza… kicked the Cleveland Browns field goals and extra points.
His career lasted for 21 years, stretching all the way back to 1946. This made him a member of the Browns’ first team, which was a charter member of the All-American Football Conference (AAFC). That league merged with the NFL in 1950 and recently, the NFL announced that it officially recognizes the AAFC stats and accomplishments. This means he hit the 1000-point mark in 1959 (before it was 1964).
Like I said above, being on the Cleveland Browns’ roster in 1946 made him teammates with all-time great quarterback Otto Graham. He is widely considered one of the greatest in professional football history. He led his team to 7 Championships and threw for 5 passing titles in just 10 seasons. After that… since Groza retired in 1967, he also saw rookie Jim Brown join the team… dominate the league… then eventually retire in 1965. So as it goes, Groza played along side one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time and one of the greatest running backs of all time, doing so for the entirety of their time in the league. He had quite a storied career.
It’s All GREAT!!!
As of 2024, “The Toe” is 24th on the all-time scoring list with 1608 points. 1602 from his toe and 6 from a receiving touchdown. Like I said, he did whatever was needed.
I hope you enjoy peering into league history as much as I do. Learning a bit about the past, reading some stand-out facts, and recognizing great achievements from the greatest players of yester-year.
The NFL has been around for over 100 years. I imagine it will be here for 100 more. That means that the game’s history just keeps getting better and better. In some ways… it’s the best part… says me😉