Former Falcons head coach Norm Van Brocklin wasn't the easiest coach for players to get along with. Golden boy Harmon Wages had an especially hard time, so the former Florida QB struggled to get playing time.
But as the 1969 season was closing out all that changed. Harmon's father was near death. This touched a soft spot in the Dutchman's heart. He devised a game plan to get Wages the ball in the last game Harmon's dad would get to see.
The Falcons and rival Saints came into the last game of the season with identical 5-8 records, but the Birds would win big that day.
In the first quarter Harmon threw a halfback pass to Paul Flatley for a touchdown. In the second quarter he caught a long pass up the right sideline from QB Bob Berry and rumbled into the end zone for an 88 yard touchdown – a Falcons record that would stand for 23 years.
In the fourth quarter, as the field became all the more muddy, Charmin Harmon took a handoff from Berry, dashed through the line and cut left, angling toward the sideline and outrunning the defense for his third score of the day. This one went for 66 yards yards, another Falcon record that stood for 21 seasons.
Wages had become the seventh player in NFL history to run for a TD, throw a TD pass, and catch a TD pass in the same game. He joined some elite company, including Frank Gifford and Dan Reeves. Since then hall of famers Walter Payton and LaDainian Tomlinson have joined the club. Wages is the youngest to do this, on Pearl Harbor Day.
I was at the game, and vividly remember all three plays. We were perched high in the upper deck near my dad's season ticket seats. I was only ten years old and realized Harmon was having a big game, but had no idea how unique his day was. Here's the video:
The matchup showed off some of the best-looking uniforms ever worn by both the Falcons and Saints, with the possible exception of the striped tube socks worn by New Orleans. The Birds always looked best in the black jerseys and red lids, and the 1969 version still boasted the gold helmet stripes and striped jerseys and socks. Loved the Saints gold numbered jerseys and grey facemasks. Both teams wore the big NFL 50th Anniversary patch, a nice touch.
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1983/05/05/obituary-cant-cover-van-brocklin/62846858007/
Great recap by IJ Rosenberg.
DON NEWCOMBE [SABR Bio] was the last Brooklyn Dodgers player to win the NL MVP, in 1956. Players who finished 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, and 16th in that same MVP vote that year, were teammates of his: Sal Maglie, Junior Gilliam, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, and Jackie Robinson respectively. Newcombe ended his professional playing career in Japan. He played the 1962 season for the Chunichi Dragons.
No comments:
Post a Comment