List of the Day: Best Pass Receiving Seasons, 1950s NFL

Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch

TOP 10 RECEPTIONS
1- Tom Fears, 1950 Los Angeles Rams
84 rec., 1116 yds., 13.3 avg., 7 TD

2(tied)- Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch, 1951 Los Angeles Rams
66 rec., 1495 yds., 22.7 avg., 17 TD

2(tied)- Raymond Berry, 1959 Baltimore Colts
66 rec., 959 yds., 14.5 avg., 14 TD

4- Pete Pihos, 1953 Philadelphia Eagles
63 rec., 1049 yds., 16.7 avg., 10 TD

5(tied)- Mac Speedie, 1952 Cleveland Browns
62 rec., 911 yds., 14.7 avg., 5 TD

5(tied)- Elbie Nickel, 1953 Pittsburgh Steelers
62 rec., 743 yds., 12.0 avg., 4 TD

5(tied)- Pete Pihos, 1955 Philadelphia Eagles
62 rec., 864 yds., 13.9 avg., 7 TD

8- Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch, 1953 Los Angeles Rams
61 rec., 941 yds., 15.4 avg., 4 TD

9(tied)- Pete Pihos, 1954 Philadelphia Eagles
60 rec., 872 yds., 14.5 avg., 10 TD

9(tied)- Billy Wilson, 1954 San Francisco 49ers
60 rec., 830 yds., 13.8 avg., 5 TD

9(tied)- Billy Wilson, 1956 San Francisco 49ers
60 rec., 889 yds., 14.8 avg., 5 TD


Tom Fears

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Chicago Cardinals: Fran Polsfoot, 1951
57 rec., 796 yds., 14.0 avg., 4 TD

Green Bay Packers: Billy Howton, 1956
55 rec., 1188 yds., 21.6 avg., 12 TD

Chicago Bears: Jim Dooley, 1953
53 rec., 841 yds., 15.9 avg., 4 TD

New York Yanks: Dan Edwards, 1950*
52 rec., 775 yds., 14.9 avg., 6 TD

New York Giants: Frank Gifford, 1956
51 rec., 603 yds., 11.8 avg., 4 TD

Detroit Lions: Cloyce Box, 1950
50 rec., 1009 yds., 20.2 avg., 11 TD

Washington Redskins: Hugh Taylor, 1952
41 rec., 961 yds., 23.4 avg., 12 TD

Dallas Texans: Dick Wilkins, 1952**
32 rec., 416 yds., 13.0 avg., 3 TD

* Yanks folded following 1951 season
**Texans played in 1952 only


Raymond Berry



Pete Pihos

TOP 10 YARDS
1- Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch, 1951 Los Angeles Rams
1495 yds., 66 rec., 22.7 avg., 17 TD

2- Billy Howton, 1952 Green Bay Packers
1231 yds., 53 rec., 23.2 avg., 13 TD

3- Bob Boyd, 1954 Los Angeles Rams
1212 yds., 53 rec., 22.9 avg., 6 TD

4- Billy Howton, 1956 Green Bay Packers
1188 yds., 55 rec., 21.6 avg., 12 TD

5- Harlon Hill, 1956 Chicago Bears
1128 yds., 47 rec., 24.0 avg., 11 TD

6- Harlon Hill, 1954 Chicago Bears
1124 yds., 45 rec., 25.0 avg., 12 TD

7- Tom Fears, 1950 Los Angeles Rams
1116 yds., 84 rec., 13.3 avg., 7 TD

8- Del Shofner, 1958 Los Angeles Rams
1097 yds., 51 rec., 21.5 avg., 8 TD

9- Pete Pihos, 1953 Philadelphia Eagles
1049 yds., 63 rec., 16.7 avg., 10 TD

10-Cloyce Box, 1950 Detroit Lions
1009 yds., 50 rec., 20.2 avg., 11 TD


Bob Boyd



Harlon Hill


BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Chicago Cardinals: Bob Shaw, 1950
971 yds., 48 rec., 20.2 avg., 12 TD

Washington Redskins: Hugh Taylor, 1952
961 yds., 41 rec., 23.4 avg., 12 TD

Baltimore Colts: Raymond Berry, 1959
959 yds., 66 rec., 14.5 avg., 14 TD

Cleveland Browns: Mac Speedie, 1952
911 yds., 62 rec., 14.7 avg., 5 TD

Pittsburgh Steelers: Jimmy Orr, 1958
910 yds., 33 rec., 27.6 avg., 7 TD

San Francisco 49ers: Billy Wilson, 1956
889 yds., 60 rec., 14.8 avg., 5 TD

New York Yanks: Dan Edwards, 1950*
775 yds., 52 rec., 14.9 avg., 6 TD

New York Giants: Frank Gifford, 1959
768 yds., 42 rec., 18.3 avg., 4 TD

Dallas Texans: Dick Wilkins, 1952**
416 yds., 32 rec., 13.0 avg., 3 TD

* Yanks folded following 1951 season
** Texans played in 1952 only


Elbie Nickel



Billy Wilson

List of the Day: Best Passing Yardage Seasons, 1950s NFL

Johnny Unitas

TOP 10
1- Johnny Unitas, 1959 Baltimore Colts
2899 yards, 193-367, 52.6 %, 32 TD, 14 INT

2- Bill Wade, 1958 Los Angeles Rams
2875 yards, 181-341, 53.1 %, 18 TD, 22 INT

3- Otto Graham, 1952 Cleveland Browns
2816 yards, 181-364, 49.7 %, 20 TD, 24 INT

4- Otto Graham, 1953 Cleveland Browns
2722 yards, 167-258, 64.7 %, 11 TD, 9 INT

5- Norm Van Brocklin, 1954 Los Angeles Rams
2637 yards, 139-260, 53.5 %, 13 TD, 21 INT

6- Norm Van Brocklin, 1959 Philadelphia Eagles
2617 yards, 191-340, 56.2 %, 16 TD, 14 INT

7- Johnny Unitas, 1957 Baltimore Colts
2550 yards, 172-301, 57.1 %, 24 TD, 17 INT

8- Bobby Layne, 1958 Detroit Lions/Pittsburgh Steelers*
2510 yards, 145-294, 49.3 %, 14 TD, 12 INT

9- Bobby Thomason, 1953 Philadelphia Eagles
2462 yards, 162-304, 53.3 %, 21 TD, 20 INT

10-Norm Van Brocklin, 1958 Philadelphia Eagles
2409 yards, 198-374, 52.9 %, 15 TD, 20 INT


Bill Wade



Otto Graham



Norm Van Brocklin

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Detroit Lions: Bobby Layne, 1951
2403 yards, 152-332, 45.8 %, 26 TD, 23 INT

Green Bay Packers: Tobin Rote, 1954
2311 yards, 180-382, 47.1 %, 14 TD, 18 INT

New York Yanks: George Ratterman, 1950**
2251 yards, 140-294, 47.6 %, 22 TD, 24 INT

San Francisco 49ers: Y.A. Tittle, 1954
2205 yards, 170-295, 57.6 %, 9 TD, 9 INT

Chicago Bears: George Blanda, 1953
2164 yards, 169-362, 46.7 %, 14 TD, 23 INT

New York Giants: Charlie Conerly, 1957
1712 yards, 128-232, 55.2 %, 11 TD, 11 INT

Chicago Cardinals: Jim Hardy, 1950
1636 yards, 117-257, 45.5 %, 17 TD, 24 INT

Washington Redskins: Eddie LeBaron, 1957
1508 yards, 99-167, 59.3 %, 11 TD, 10 INT

Dallas Texans: Frank Tripucka, 1952***
769 yards, 86-174, 49.4 %, 3 TD, 17 INT

* Layne appeared in 2 games with Detroit, 10 with Pittsburgh
** Yanks folded following 1951 season
***Texans played in 1952 only


Bobby Thomason



Bobby Layne



Tobin Rote



Charlie Conerly

List of the Day: Best Rushing Seasons, 1950s NFL

Jim Brown

TOP 10
1- Jim Brown, 1958 Cleveland Browns
1527 yards, 257 att., 5.9 avg., 17 TD

2- Jim Brown, 1959 Cleveland Browns
1329 yards, 290 att., 4.6 avg., 14 TD

3- Rick Casares, 1956 Chicago Bears
1126 yards, 234 att., 4.8 avg., 12 TD

4- Joe Perry, 1954 San Francisco 49ers
1049 yards, 173 att., 6.1 avg., 8 TD

5- J.D. Smith, 1959 San Francisco 49ers
1036 yards, 207 att., 5.0 avg., 10 TD

6- Joe Perry, 1953 San Francisco 49ers
1018 yards, 192 att., 5.3 avg., 10 TD

7- Eddie Price, 1951 New York Giants
971 yards, 271 att., 3.6 avg., 7 TD

8- Alan Ameche, 1955 Baltimore Colts
961 yards, 213 att., 4.5 avg., 9 TD

9- Rob Goode, 1951 Washington Redskins
951 yards, 208 att., 4.6 avg., 9 TD

10-Jim Brown, 1957 Cleveland Browns
942 yards, 202 att., 4.7 avg., 9 TD


Rick Casares



Joe Perry



Eddie Price

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Chicago Cardinals: Ollie Matson, 1956
924 yards, 192 att., 4.8 avg., 5 TD

Los Angeles Rams: Dan Towler, 1952
894 yards, 156 att., 5.7 avg., 10 TD

Green Bay Packers: Howie Ferguson, 1955
859 yards, 192 att., 4.5 avg., 4 TD

Pittsburgh Steelers: Tom Tracy, 1959
794 yards, 199 att., 4.0 avg., 3 TD

Philadelphia Eagles: Frank Ziegler, 1950
733 yards, 172 att., 4.3 avg., 1 TD

Detroit Lions: Bob Hoernschemeyer, 1951
678 yards, 132 att., 5.1 avg., 2 TD

New York Yanks: Zollie Toth, 1950*
636 yards, 131 att., 4.9 avg., 5 TD

Dallas Texans: George Taliaferro, 1952**
419 yards, 100 att., 4.2 avg. 1 TD

*Yanks folded after 1951 season
**Texans played in 1952 only


Alan Ameche



Ollie Matson



"Deacon" Dan Towler