Although the run and shoot came and went, I would like to go on record again as saying that it has never failed as an offense. It simply did not win the superbowl. 1975 -Mouse Davis becomes Head Coach at Portland State University -June Jones throws for a NCAA Division II record 3,518 yards after transferring from Hawaii 1977 -Neil Lomax walks on at Portland State. In the next four years he throws for 13,220 yards, 106 touchdowns, and a 68.4 percent completion rate, setting 8 NCAA records 1980 -Portland State University Averages 49.2 points a game (NCAA record) 1983 -The Toronto Argonauts. led by Mouse Davis, win the Grey Cup (Canada's Super Bowl) 1984 -Mouse Davis becomes Offensive Coordinator of the Houston Gamblers under Jack Pardee -Jim Kelly throws for 5,311 yards-Houston scores 79 touchdowns, 618 points, and amasses 7,684 yards-all professional records -Ricky Sanders and Richard Johnson become the first teammates in professional football history to have 1,000 yard seasons 1987 -June Jones is hired as quarterbacks coach for the Houston Oilers (under Jerry Glandville), Run and Shoot first appears in N.F.L. -Jack Pardee is hired as Head Coach at the University of Houston 1988-Jason Phillips and James Dixon, of the University of Houston, become first duo in collegiate history to catch one hundred passes apiece 1989 -Mouse Davis is hired as Offensive Coordinator of the Detroit Lions-Jack Pardee is hired as Head Coach of the Houston Oilers -Kevin Gilbride is hired as Offensive Coordinator of Houston Oilers -Andre Ware wins the Heisman Trophy (University of Houston) -Chuck Weatherspoon averages 9.6 years per carry (NCAA record)(Univ. of Houston) -Barry Sanders rushes for 1,470 years, wins NFL rookie of the year (Detroit Lions) -The Detroit Lions lead the NFL with an average of 4.6 yards a rush -Manny Hazard catches 142 passes (NCAA record) for 22 touchdowns (NCAA record)(Univ. of Houston) 1990 -Jerry Glandville becomes Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons -Houston Oiler Warren Moon throws for 527 yards in one game (second most in N.F.L. history) -University of Houston quarterback David Klingler throws six touchdown passes in one quarter versus Louisiana Tech -David Klingler breaks or ties 33 season NCAA records including: Single season record for Total Offense (5221 yards) Most touchdown passes in a season (54) -David Klingler throws for 716 yards passing versus Arizona State (NCAA record) -Barry Sanders leads N.F.L. with 1,304 yards rushing -The Houston Oilers productive quartet of wide receivers: Haywood Jeffries 74 catches for 1048 yards Drew Hill 74 catches for 1019 yards Ernest Givins 72 catches for 979 yards Curtis Duncan 66 catches for 785 yards -Warren Moon becomes N.F.L's Most Valuable Player -David Klingler throws 11 touchdown passes vs. Eastern Washington (NCAA record) -The Houston Oilers qualify for the playoffs 1991 -Three N.F.L. (Detroit, Atlanta, Houston) teams make the playoffs with the Run and Shoot as their offense -The Detroit Lions reach the NFC Championship Game-Barry Sanders 1,000+ yard rusher -The Houston Oilers have three receivers over 70 catches and nearly three with 1,000+ yards (1,181- 1,109-996) -Warren Moon breaks N.F.L. record with 404 completions 1992 -Houston Oiler Lorenzo White, 1,000+ yard rusher -Barry Sanders 1,000+ yard rusher -The Houston Oilers qualify for the playoffs 1993 -Houston Oiler Gary Brown rushes for 1,000+ yards in only 9 games -Atlanta Falcon Eric Pegram 1,000+ yard rusher -The Houston Oilers advance to AFC divisional round 1994 -June Jones becomes Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons 1995-The Atlanta Falcons become the first team to have a 4,000+ yard passer (Jeff George), a 1,000+ yard rusher (Craig Heyward), and three 1,000+ yard receivers (Eric Metcalf, Terrance Mathis, and Bert Emanuel) -The Atlanta Falcons qualify for the playoffs.
He was around for a few years and didn't do much because he was still new to the game, he broke into the league as a 26 year old rookie,, being from Nigeria by way of Azusa Pacific U, then had that one breakout season where he put it all together and was awesome in his mid to late 20's, I can't remember the exact year, then he got injured I believe either the next year or the year after and was replaced by another flash in the pan, Barry Word, then they tried to play together and kind of sucked, and both hit 30, which is the end of the line for RBs.
Scott Mitchell had that one decent season for Miami and then sucked for Detroit. Also, Lamar Lathon had one good season for the Oilers and one good one for the Panthers but did nothing else in 10 years in the NFL. Cleveland Gary, Reggie Cobb, Gaston Green, and Harold Green were all backs that were First round picks, had one breakout 1000+ yard pro bowl season, and then faded into nowhere. Probably the most dramatic in recent memory though was Bobby Humphrey. He ran for 1100 yards and won rookie of the year, 1200 the next, and got injured the following year and had some wierd personal problems that I don't recall (they did a halftime feature on it once during MNF or something) and was out of football 4 years after his career started.
I don't know if Lamar Smith would qualify, but he had a pretty good, not spectacular season a couple years ago and now he just seems to have disappeared.
Andre Ware never made an impact in the NFL although he was great during college. Rodnet Peete seems to do good and then fade, do good and then fade. He's still starting in the league (Carolina Panthers) as well.
I'm not going to defend Andre Ware, but he never got a fair shake. He had less than 160 pass attempts in 4 years. The one year he got 80 attempts he completed 58%. Anybody who watched that team remembers that Fontes switched qb's in the middle of games, from one week to the next, and was terrible at managing all the qb's on that team. As I said, I'm not saying he would have been good, but he didn't get a fair shake in the way that some young qb's get. In my opinion he won enuff games to deserve a chance to grow with the team. Problem was that at the time they had a chance to be in playoffs. So Andre just didn't fit.
Mike Anderson and Olandis Gary were both, I think, 1000 yard rushers, yet they disappeared with the emergence of "better" RB. (Stupid backfield by committee, ruin fantasy stats...which is why I fear for Clinton Portis...) I think they qualify as one of the biggest "flashes in the pan" too.
PSJ, I agree with you that the Run n Shoot was not a failure. Winning the Superbowl is not easy with any kind of offensive system. You can't just dismiss it for not having won a Superbowl. In fact, I believe that the main reason why it didn't win was because no NFL powerhouse teams dared to use it. If you are a superbowl contender with a conventional system, you wouldn't take the risk to change it. So all Run n Shoot teams had been rebuilding teams. Rebuilding teams just don't win the superbowl. And most owners didn't have the patience and junked the system before the teams had the chance to reach elite level. The Oilers were the closest to get to the superbowl with the RnS. That Buffalo debacle was just the killer. But for the USFL, since everybody was starting fresh, there was no risk involved. And you can see the Gamblers did win the championship with the system. The only valid criticism against the RnS, imo, is that it does not control the clock. It gives the opposing offense too much time to operate and wears down your own defense. But a well-executed RnS can be very controlled. And it's running game can be very potent, as PSJ pointed out.
True, by contrast, even Akili Smith, who went through 4 years playing sporadically and is the poster boy for mishandled QB's, got 150 attempts in his rookie season and 400-plus before he was ridden out of cincy.
