Sammy Baugh - RIP

He's not exactly passing, though.

We're going with the one where he is showing off his side-stepping moves.

 

Here's a trailer for some anti-Nazi propaganda movie Baugh was the star of back in 1941:

 

who are jim grange and red thorpe?

 

In the full picture, he's dropping back with the whole line blocking for him. It's obvious he's getting ready to pass. Are you looking for his arm going forward and the ball in the air 6 feet away? Those pictures don't exist.

 

Baugh was the NFL's greatest QB prior to Unitas (and maybe including him, too).

He was also arguably the greatest punter in the history of the league.

And also one of the best defensive backs in the league for much of his career.

He's got a pretty supportable argument as the greatest all-around player in the history of the league.

 

Well, this is more what I was thinking:

 

He was a hoot on some of the old NFL Films shows, usually bitching about how much money players made today.

RIP to one of the great crotchety old fuckers that every lived ...

 

This isn't shocking because of his age, but one of those stop-you-in-your-tracks moments when you find out because of what he meant to the league and its history.

I'll echo the sentiments about Baugh and the NFL Films features he was a part of... always came off as an extremely interesting personality.

RIP Sammy...

 

Not to mention one of the people who made among the most sizable impacts on the game of anyone.

I don't think you can overstate the importance of Baugh to the modern passing game. Before he got there, passing was something you did when you were desperate. He made that a legitimate part of an offense. If I remember correctly, he completed 17-of-33 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns in the 1937 NFL Championship Game.

Back then, you didn't throw 33 passes unless you were waaaaay behind and you were deluding yourself that you could come back. Those numbers are numbers you would have expected to see more recently than 1937.

 

I seriously hope the AP story refers to him as Slingin' Sammy Baugh. Back in the day when nicknames were a big deal, he had a great one.

 

check out this clip of Sammy from his Hollywood days - King of the Texas Rangers - he is a cross between Clint Eastwood and Chuck Norris:

 

The forward pass owes a debt of gratitude to Sammy Baugh.