Rare Photos from the 1975 NFL Season

SI Staff | May 15, 2013

Rare Photos from the 1975 NFL Season /

Rare Photos from the 1975 NFL Season

o.j.-simpson-joe-namath.jpg — Robert L. Smith/Getty Images

Talk about a breakfast of champions: O.J. (Simpson) and Joe (Namath) got together here at Shea Stadium. (Send comments to siwriters@simail.com)

Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton hands the ball off to running back Chuck Foreman. While Foreman would become the first Viking to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, Tarkenton was named the NFL's MVP in 1975.

Running back Marv Hubbard, wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff and quarterback Ken Stabler of the Raiders take in a preseason game against the Steelers.

Olen Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images

In his last season with the Jets before joining the Washington Redskins, Riggins rushed for over 1,000 yards. He and the Jets were thrilled when their 3-11 season mercifully came to an end after a 31-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 21.

Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert and defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene chat before a home game against the Broncos. Lambert had an interception in the game.

0.raiders.71632728.jpg — Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

Raiders defenders Otis Sistrunk (60), George Atkinson (43) and Jack Tatum take a break during a 25-0 win over the Chargers.

Redskins coach George Allen congratulates wide receiver Charley Taylor, who would go on to finish with 53 receptions and six touchdowns on the season.

With tackles Art Shell (left) and John Vella at his side, Raiders coach John Madden watched his offense go to work in a 31-20 victory over the Colts on Sept. 28. Oakland came back from an early 10-point deficit to win.

Lynn Swan was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 after being selected as a finalist for 13 consecutive years. Swann led the league with 11 touchdowns in his second NFL season, in 1975, when the Steelers won Super Bowl X.

o.j.-simpson-001302478.jpg — Walter Iooss Jr./SI

O.J. Simpson takes in some of the Oct. 12th, 38-31 road win over the Baltimore Colts.

Roger Staubach had joined the Cowboys in 1969, after completing four years of service in the Navy, where he won the 1963 Heisman Trophy. Staubach made up for lost time by throwing for 22,700 yards and 153 TDs in his Hall of Fame career. He made the second of his six Pro Bowl appearances in 1975.

The Los Angeles Rams' defensive line duo of Fred Dryer and Jack Youngblood formed quite a pair. Youngblood led the team with 15 sacks, and Dryer wasn't far behind with 12. Both players earned trips to the Pro Bowl that season.

0.reggie-jackson.81478484.jpg — Arthur Anderson/Getty Images

Oakland A's outfielder Reggie Jackson chats with Bengals linebacker Ron Pritchard during a Cincinnati visit to Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Neal Colzie burst onto the scene in 1975 with a fantastic rookie season. The former Ohio State Buckeye picked off four passes and averaged 13.6 yards per punt return for the Oakland Raiders.

0.chuck.noll.52957923.jpg — Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

Chuck Noll led the Steelers to their second consecutive Super Bowl title in '75; he finished his career with a record-four Super Bowl championships.

During the Lions' 24-13 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in December, tight end Charlie Sanders made one of his 37 catches on the season. Sanders earned one of his seven career trips to the Pro Bowl in '75.

Ken Anderson led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 10-2 record in 1975 before losing to the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round of the playoffs by a field goal. Anderson threw for 3,169 yards with 21 TDs and only 11 interceptions.

Steve Spurrier was calling signals for the San Francisco 49ers during their 1975 win over the Chicago Bears. Spurrier did not enjoy a particularly fruitful NFL career but went on to become one of the most successful coaches in college football.

For the Minnesota Vikings, this huddle included one Hall of Fame head coach (Bud Grant), one Hall of Fame quarterback (Fran Tarkenton, left) and one "General," backup quarterback Bob Lee.

Chicago Bears general manager Jim Finks stands in the locker room following a 31-3 loss to San Francisco on Nov. 16. Though the Bears finished 4-10 in 1975, Finks was in the first stages of a process of turning the team into a perennial Super Bowl contender.

St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman Conrad Dobler made his first of three consecutive Pro Bowl trips in 1975. Two years later, he would make the cover of Sports Illustrated as "Pro Football's Dirtiest Player."

A close-up look at Steelers defensive lineman Ernie Holmes, who was part of the team's "Steel Curtain" defense in '75.

At halftime, Oilers head coach Bum Phillips gave his team the motivation it needed to come back from a three-point deficit to defeat the Raiders 27-26.

In an I-formation, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach prepares to take a snap in an October game against the Giants. Dallas used a fourth-quarter touchdown to capture an important 13-7 victory.

Cowboys tackle Rayfield Wright led the way for Robert Newhouse during a 31-10 win over the Redskins.

Mel Gray enjoyed his most productive professional season in 1975, catching 11 touchdowns for the St. Louis Cardinals and being named first-team All Pro on an 11-3 team.

Giants quarterback Craig Morton could not escape the pressure from Redskins lineman Diron Talbert. The Giants lost twice to the Redskins in 1975.

Baltimore Colts quarterback Bert Jones scrambles away from pressure against the Dolphins. The Colts defeated the Dolphins twice in the 1975 season.

Roger Wehrli was named first-team All Pro after pulling down six interceptions for St. Louis. Wehrli finished his 14-year Hall of Fame career with 40 interceptions and 19 fumble recoveries.

Defensive back Windlan Hall and defensive end Cedrick Hardman stretched together before their 49ers took on the Giants in December. The 49ers would go on to lose 26-23 after blowing a fourth-quarter lead.

Billy "White Shoes" Johnson gets his shoes taped before the Oilers' game against the Raiders. Johnson had three receptions for 37 yards.

Before one of the best games of the 1975 season, Houston Oilers defensive end Elvin Bethea prepared in the locker room. The Oilers scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to beat the Raiders 27-26.

Tom Landry and Roger Staubach personified the virtue of patience in the game of football. Staubach waited through four years of military service and three years as a back up before getting his opportunity to start for the Cowboys. Landry began his first and only head coaching job with an 0-11 season in 1960, and followed that year up with five or fewer wins in each of the next four seasons. The results: Staubach led the Cowboys to four NFC titles and two Super Bowl victories and Landry guided the franchise to 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966 to 1985, and both are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Willie Lanier of the Kansas City Chiefs finished his career with 27 interceptions from his linebacker position and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986. Lanier made eight Pro Bowls and was first-team All Pro three times during an 11-year career.

Steelers' quarterback Terry Bradshaw led the Steelers to a 24-17 win over the Houston Oilers on Nov. 9, throwing three touchdown passes and controlling the clock by calling 40 running plays, including this pitch to Franco Harris. (Send comments to siwriters@simail.com)

Published May 15, 2013

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