Yesterday, we began our journey through the history of the Safety Championship Belt: i.e., the history of who was the titleholder of “Best Safety in Football” in each year from 1950 to 1970. Today, the next twenty years.

1971-1972: Bill Bradley, Philadelphia Eagles

At the University of Texas, Bradley was a running quarterback and punter before moving to defensive back. That position was a natural fit for Bradley, who would become the best safety in the NFL during the early ’70s.  In 1971, he led the NFL with 11 interceptions and 248 return yards, and was a first-team All-Pro choice by the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers, and Pro Football Weekly (the NEA selected Rick Volk and Paul Krause that year).  In ’72, Bradley’s nine interceptions led the league, and he was a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection (AP, PFW, PFW, and NEA).  Bradley would make the Pro Bowl in ’73, but his career arc had peaked in ’72.

1972 (Super Bowl): Jake Scott, Miami Dolphins

Scott was named the MVP of Super Bowl VII, capping the team’s 17-0 season. That’s worth a mention, particularly given the fact that Scott was a Pro Bowler every year from ’71 to ’75, and was named a first-team All-Pro by at least one organization in the last four of those years. He was probably the second or third best safety each of those seasons, so the Super Bowl MVP means he earns at least an honorable mention here. Scott was one of two safeties that made the AP All-Pro team in ’73, but that year, he wasn’t even the best safety on his own team.

1973 – Dick Anderson, Miami Dolphins

Anderson was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1973, capping a dominant two-year stretch. He was a first-team All-Pro with Bradley in ’72, then led the league with eight interceptions and two pick sixes in 1973.  Joe Greene was the AP DPOY in ’72 and ’74, and was a first-team All-Pro in ’73.  In other words, it wasn’t easy to steal the award — Anderson received 16 votes in ’73 to Greene’s 9 — a sign of how impressive a season it truly was. Anderson was a unanimous first-team All-Pro choice from all four major services that season (AP, FW, NE, PW), although his peak was relatively short-lived: all of his career postseason recognition came during the ’72 to ’74 seasons.

1974: Tony Greene, Buffalo Bills

It’s easy to think of the ’70s Bills as just O.J. Simpson, the Electric Company, and a bunch of no names. But in 1974, the Bills also had the game’s top safety, if you believe in the Wisdom of Crowds.  Greene was a unanimous selection as first-team All-Pro that season: the Associated Press and Pro Football Weekly also picked Jake Scott, the Pro Football Writers selected Ken Houston as its other safety, and the NEA chose Dick Anderson. The UPI and the Sporting News only named All-Conference teams, but Greene was first-team All-Conference on both squads. ^[1]Cliff Harris, Ken Houston, and Dick Anderson were the other SN first-team choices, while Jack Tatum, Harris, and Houston were the other UPI choices, which means Scott was not really viewed in the … Continue reading

So what made Greene a unanimous choice?  He recorded nine interceptions in ’74, including two in a key December victory over Cleveland. My hunch is that sportswriters of the ’70s weren’t ranking defenses by ANY/A, but the Bills defense ranked 3rd in ANY/A and were driven by their secondary stars, Greene and cornerback Robert James.  Greene would start for five more years in Buffalo, but never was able to match the success he had in 1974. James blew out his knee in the ’75 preseason, and never played again.

1975: Ken Houston, Washington Redskins

Houston was one of just three safeties to make the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time team, and it’s easy to see why.  He made the Pro Bowl in every season from 1968 to 1979, and he was the leading vote-getter at the position for the NFL’s team of the 1970s. And in every year from 1971 to 1978, Houston could make the claim for being one of the game’s top safeties.  In ’71, ’74, ’76, ’77, and ’78 he was named a first-team All-Pro by at least one organization, but his peak — at least if you believe in All-Pro nominations — was from ’75 to ’76.

In 1975, Houston was a unanimous choice as first-team All-Pro (AP, PFW, NEA, PFW), although it’s not necessarily easy to identify why. He recorded 4 interceptions that year, unremarkable relative to his other seasons.  And Washington’s defense that season was nothing special.  Of course, judging safeties by interceptions or team success is hardly precise, so we’ll just have to believe the voters who identified this as Houston’s best year.  In 1976, three out of four organizations again selected Houston as a first-team All-Pro, with the AP selecting Cincinnati’s Tommy Casanova.  But all four organizations agreed on their other choice for their All-Pro teams that season…

1976-1978: Cliff Harris, Dallas Cowboys

Harris was a career overachiever.  Born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the only school to offer Harris a scholarship was Ouachita Baptist.  How did he do there? Well, Division II, Division III, and the NAIA colleges now give out the Cliff Harris award for the best defensive player in those leagues.  But success in college didn’t prevent Harris from going undrafted in 1970; from there, he worked his way into the Dallas starting lineup in 1971, and made the first of six straight Pro Bowls in 1974 (he retired after the ’79 season).

How good was Harris in his prime? In 1992, Dr. Z named his Dream Team, and selected Houston and Harris as his two safeties.  Was Dr. Z caught up in the nostalgia of the ’70s? Perhaps, but Harris was also a first-team choice for the All-Decade team, garnering just one fewer vote than Houston.

In ’76 and ’77, Houston was playing at a high-level, of course, but it was Harris who was a unanimous first-team All-Pro choice both seasons.  Harris was also selected by the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers, and Pro Football Weekly as the game’s best safety in ’78, with only the NEA not selecting him.  Cleveland’s Thom Darden had a magnificent year as well, matching Harris award for award, but you can’t dethrone the champion in such a manner.

From ’76 to ’78, the Cowboys boasted fantastic defenses, and Harris was a major season why.  He teamed with Charlie Waters to form the game’s best safety combination.  Because Harris had a relatively short peak, at least compared to the Houstons and Krauses of his era, he’s been kept out of the Hall of Fame. But all the evidence indicates that he was a Hall of Fame caliber safety, and particularly dominant during this three-year stretch.

1979: Mike Reinfeldt, Houston Oilers

In 1979, Reinfeldt picked off 12 passes and returned them for 205 yards, figures that led the league. That helped Houston lead the NFL in both interceptions and turnovers in ’79, en route to a playoff berth. It was a magical year for Reinfeldt, who was an otherwise solid starter the rest of his career. In fact, the Kansas City 101 Awards selected him as its AFC Defensive Player of the Year (Lee Roy Selmon was the NFC choice, and was the Defensive Player of the Year by all major organizations; Reinfeldt was still the runner-up in the AP vote, albeit by a score of 38-10).

The ’79 Oilers were a fun bunch on the defensive side of the ball: Bum Phillips  was the head coach, with Wade Phillips as the defensive line coach. The Oilers had Curley Culp, Elvin Bethea, Robert Brazile and Reinfeldt on defense, leaving it high on star power.  And yet it was the team’s other safety, rookie Vernon Perry, who saved the day in Houston’s second playoff game. For those curious, you can hear my podcast from April 2009 about Perry’s magical day, which included four interceptions on a certain Hall of Fame quarterback. ^[2]The context: I interviewed Jonathan Rand about his book, Run It! And Let’s Get the Hell Out of Here!: The 100 Best Plays in Pro Football History. One of the segments I found most interested was … Continue reading

1980-1982: Nolan Cromwell, Los Angeles Rams

Let’s get to the honorable mentions first: Pittsburgh’s Donnie Shell and Chicago’s Gary Fencik were dominant from ’79 to ’82, but both had to be kept off the list. Ditto Kansas City’s Gary Barbaro, a star in the early ’80s who then left to play in the USFL.  But Cromwell gets the nod here, a man who was as athletic as any player in the NFL during his prime, and who received high-level praise from coaches from Bill Walsh to Bud Carson.

Cromwell was dominant in 1980: he was a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection, and Dr. Z called him a clear choice for that spot.  And the UPI and the KC 101 Awards both selected Cromwell as NFC Defensive Player of the Year. ^[3]Oakland’s Lester Hayes was the league-wide choice for that award, while Cromwell finished fourth in the voting, still impressive for a safety Cromwell had eight interceptions and led a Rams defense that ranked first in Net Yards per Attempt allowed.

In ’81, Cromwell continued his dominant ways, even as the Rams fell apart around him.  He was, again, a unanimous selection as first-team All-Pro safety: the AP, PFW, SN, PFW, NEA, and Sports Illustrated all named him to their first team.  But while Cromwell’s star shined as bright as possible, it didn’t last long.  In ’82, the players’ strike limited things to just nine games, making it hard to evaluate.  Cromwell, Shell, and our next man probably deserve to be in a three-way tie for the title of best safety of 1982, but championship belt rules apply: to be the champ, you’ve got to beat the champ.  Cromwell made the Pro Bowl in ’83, but by then, his best years were already behind him. For what it’s worth, Football Digest named Cromwell its Defensive Back of the Year in each season from 1980 to 1982.

1983-1985: Kenny Easley, Seattle Seahawks

Easley was a first-team All-Pro from ’82 to ’85, and capped things off with the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 1984.  For this four-year stretch, it looked like Easley was a Hall of Fame lock.  He was one of the game’s most vicious tacklers, but he also led the NFL with ten interceptions in ’84.  Through age 26, he was on the path to being one of the game’s greatest safeties, but injuries ended his career after just seven seasons. He still managed to grab 11 of 26 votes to land on the first string on the All-Decade Team of the ’80s.

I would be remiss if we left this era of NFL history without mentioning another great safety. From ’83 to ’88, Kansas City’s Deron Cherry was a dominant force, and may have been the second or third best safety in the NFL most of those years.  He received five votes, the third most of any safety, to land on the Second Team 1980s All-Decade Team.  Alas, as great as he was, Cherry was stuck playing second fiddle first to Easley, and then to…

1986-1987: Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers

This is a tough one.  We all know about Lott: if we took a vote, he’d get a plurality of the votes as the best safety ever.  The question is how long was his reign truly?  He was a first-team All-Pro according to the AP in  ’86, ’87, ’89, ’90, and ’91; in ’88, he was a second-team choice, and even then the NEA named him to its first-team.  If you want to take the broader view and argue that Lott was the titleholder from ’86 to ’91, I wouldn’t really argue with you.

But let’s deal with ’86 first, which was Lott’s first full season at safety after switching over from cornerback. He led the league with 10 interceptions despite playing just 14 games, and forced three fumbles and recorded two sacks.  For whatever reason, Lott was actually not a unanimous first-team choice: while he made the AP, PFW, PFW, and NEA teams, the Sporting News selected Chicago’s Dave Duerson (I hear the Bears defense was good that year) and Cherry as its top safeties (the Chiefs star was also on the AP’s first team).

In ’87, the 49ers easily led the league in ANY/A allowed, and Lott was again a key reason for the team’s success. The AP, PFW, and PFW again selected Lott as as a first-team All-Pro safety, and the Sporting News came around, too.  But the NEA chose Houston’s Keith Bostic and our next man…

1988: Joey Browner, Minnesota Vikings

Unlike Lott, Browner was actually a unanimous first-team All-Pro choice at safety in ’87, but the overall voting across polls was close enough that the tie goes to the Hall of Famer and the man currently wearing the belt.  But in ’88, Browner repeated as a unanimous (AP, PFW, PFW, NEA, SN) first-team All-Pro.  The second-best safety this year wasn’t Lott, but Cherry, who nabbed the other first-team slot on four of the five major organizations.

Browner is a clear choice in ’88 because of his team’s success, too.  That season, Minnesota allowed just 2.1 ANY/A, well ahead of the next-closest team (3.8).  The Vikings had perhaps the second best pass defense ever and an incredible defensive backs coach: Pete Carroll.  If you want to argue that Browner was the best safety over this two-year period, well, I won’t disagree with that.

1989: Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers

This is another close one where I broke ties in favor of Lott.  The AP, Pro Football Writers, and Pro Football Weekly all selected Lott and Cincinnati’s David Fulcher as first-team All-Pro safeties.  The Sporting News chose Fulcher and Tampa Bay’s Harry Hamilton, which was something of an oddball pick.  The NEA chose Tim McDonald (Phoenix) and Browner, while Dr. Z at Sports Illustrated selected Lott and McDonald.  One could give Fulcher the nod because he was a second-team selection at the NEA, although Gordon Forbes at the USA Today chose Lott and McDonald.

In other words, this one is too close to call, which means it goes to Lott over Fulcher.  The local papers broke in favor of Lott, too, which I think makes sense given the context of the era.  At the time, Lott was staking his claim as the greatest safety ever.  And in ’89, the all-time great was limited to just 11 games, which likely explains why he lost some votes.  But there was no doubt who was the best safety in the league when healthy.  At least, until the title swung back…

1990: Joey Browner, Minnesota Vikings

Another close call in the voting: five (AP, PFW, PFW, NEA, SN) of the six major sources named Browner a first-team All-Pro, while Dr. Z went with Lott and Carnell Lake (Pittsburgh).  Meanwhile, Lott also received five first-team votes (AP, Pro Football Writers, NEA, SN), while Pro Football Weekly chose Browner and Chicago’s Mark Carrier. We could have another “tie goes to Lott” moment, but that would bring us to three, a little rich for my blood.  In addition, Lott again missed five games in 1990, bringing his missed games count up to 13 over the prior three years. And even Dr. Z acknowledged that by now, Lott had lost a half-step.

For Browner, it was another dominant year in a string of successful seasons.  1990 marked his sixth straight Pro Bowl appearance, but it also marked the beginning of the end. Browner set a career high with seven interceptions in ’90, but he missed the Pro Bowl in ’91, his last year in Minnesota.  In 1992, he played in Tampa Bay, but retired after the season.  Had Browner not had to gone head-to-head with Lott for so many years, he might well be in the Hall of Fame: call it the Sterling Sharpe problem.  As it stands, he had a dominant four-year stretch from ’87 to ’90 where he was arguably the best safety in football.  He competed head-to-head with what many consider the best player at his position — in Lott’s prime, no less — and arguably came out on top. Now that’s worthy of some praise.

Check back tomorrow for Part III!