Throwback Thursday: A 1962 Snapshot At The Career Statistical Leaders

I was recently reading Tex Maule's The Game. It's a fun, interesting look at the NFL's history up to the time that the book was published. The Game was published following the 1962 season. So all league, team, and game histories were through the 1962 season. I get a kick out of looking at NFL history from such a snapshot perspective. Nestled between a league chronology and an author's note in The Game, Maule included the career leaders of some of the major statistical categories. Most of the career leaders in 1962 played 12-game seasons. In 1961, the league bumped the schedule to 14 games. The passing numbers, in particular, are tiny compared to today. It was a very different game. There were significantly fewer games and the games were much more violent. Both were reflected in the passing numbers. Even the league’s best quarterbacks completed just over 50% of their passes and they often threw as many interceptions as touchdowns. The only protection provided the quarterbacks was from those blocking for him. Unlike today, there was no assistance from the rules or the officials. One might even argue that today’s pampered quarterbacks wouldn’t even attempt to play a game under the conditions of those long gone days. They certainly wouldn’t do so under the pay scale of the day. The Game is an interesting look at football's first 43 years. 

A 1962 Snapshot Of The Career Statistical Leaders:

Most Yards Rushing, Lifetime
1. Joe Perry, 49ers, Colts, 1950-62: 8,280
2. Jim Brown, Browns, 1957-62: 7,459
3. Steve Van Buren, 1944-51: 5,860

Joe Perry’s numbers (wrongly) do not include the two years that he played in the All-America Football Conference. He retired after the 1963 season with 9,723 yards (that’s rightly including his AAFC numbers). Jim Brown kept running for another three years. He retired after the 1965 season with 12,312 yards. That number stood as the league record until Walter Payton chased it down in the 1980s. 

Current Leader:
Emmitt Smith: 18,355

Most Passes Attempted, Lifetime
1. Bobby Layne, Bears, Bulldogs, Lions, Steelers, 1948-62: 3,700
2. Y.A. Tittle, Colts, 49ers, Giants, 1950-62: 3,169
3. Sammy Baugh, Redskins, 1937-52: 3,016

Bobby Layne retired after the 1962 season. Y.A. Tittle had one more All-Pro season in him and retired after the 1964 season. 

Current Leader:
Tom Brady: 12,050

Most Passes Completed, Lifetime
1. Bobby Layne, Bears, Bulldogs, Lions, Steelers, 1948-62: 1,814
2. Y.A. Tittle, Colts, 49ers, Giants, 1950-62: 1,750
3. Sammy Baugh, Redskins, 1937-52: 1,709

Current Leader:
Tom Brady: 7,753

Most Yards Gained Passing, Lifetime
1. Bobby Layne, Bears, Bulldogs, Lions, Steelers, 1948-62: 26,768
2. Norm Van Brocklin, Rams, Eagles, 1949-60: 23,611
3. Y.A. Tittle, Colts, 49ers, Giants, 1950-62: 23,396

Norm Van Brocklin was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1962. 

Current Leader:
Tom Brady: 89,214

Most Touchdown Passes, Lifetime
1. Bobby Layne, Bears, Bulldogs, Lions, Steelers, 1948-62: 196
2. Sammy Baugh, Redskins, 1937-52: 186
3. Norm Van Brocklin, Rams, Eagles, 1949-60: 173
3. Charles Conerly, Giants, 1948-61: 173

Current Leader:
Tom Brady: 649

Fran Tarkenton held all of the above passing records for about 20 years. That’s longer, by a wide margin, than any quarterback has ever held those records. 

Completion Percentage, Lifetime
1. Milt Plum, Browns, Lions, 1957-62: 57.2
2. Sammy Baugh, Redskins, 1937-52: 56.7
3. Bart Starr, Packers, 1956-62: 56.6

Milt Plum played through the 1960s but his best years were in this time frame. Bart Starr was just getting started. 

Current Leader:
Drew Brees: 67.7

(5. Kirk Cousins: 66.8)

Most Passes Caught, Lifetime
1. Don Hutson, Packers, 1935-45: 488
2. Billy Howton, Packers, Browns, Cowboys, 1952-62: 470
3. Raymond Berry, Colts, 1955-62: 419

Raymond Berry finished his great career in 1967 with 631 catches. 

Current Leader:
Jerry Rice: 1,549

Most Touchdown Passes Caught, Lifetime
1. Don Hutson, Packers, 1935-45: 101
2. Pete Pihos, Eagles, 1945-55: 61
3. Hugh Taylor, Redskins, 1947-54: 58

Current Leader:
Jerry Rice: 197

Most Points Scored, Lifetime
1. Lou Groza, Browns, 1950-62: 902
2. Bobby Walston, Eagles, 1951-62: 881
3. Don Hutson, Packers, 1935-45: 825

Lou Groza played forever (22 years). He retired after the 1967 season with 1608 points scored. 

Current Leader:
Adam Vinatieri: 2,673

Most Touchdowns Scored, Lifetime
1. Don Hutson, Packers, 1935-45: 105
2. Jim Brown, Browns, 1957-62: 81
3. Steve Van Buren, 1944-51: 77

Current Leader:
Jerry Rice: 208

Jim Brown retired with 126 touchdowns. 

Don Hutson’s touchdown numbers are probably the only numbers in this snapshot that aren’t tiny. His 105 touchdowns are nearly half of Jerry Rice’s 208. Hutson played 11 years. Rice played 21 years. 

Today's game is a very different game.