Jump to content
Indianapolis Colts
Conversations are moderated for civility. We ask that you please stay on topic. For more info, see our Community Guidelines ×
Indianapolis Colts Fan Forum

Don Coryell, the man who created the modern NFL

Dustin

By Dustin
in NFL General

 Share

Recommended Posts

NewColtsFan Ring of Honor

NewColtsFan

Posted
Posted

 

Thanks, Dustin....

 

That was a great read!    Great fun!

 

Safe to say that the Coryell coaching tree is simply amazing....   one of the greatest ever!

 

A real shame he's not in the Hall of Fame.    And if and when they ever get around to it,  I think he has passed....  

 

Really unfortunate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Flying Elvis Walk On

Flying Elvis

Posted
Posted

Nice article. I was fortunate to watch Air Coryell's Chargers (3-0) play the Patriots (2-1) at the old Schaefer Stadium in 1979. It was my first live game. Dan Fouts, John Jefferson, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner all played but were held in check by Mike Haynes and Raymond Clayborn. Steve Grogan, Russ Francis and Sam Cunningham were the stars on offense in the 27-21 Patriots win.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
21isSuperman Walk On

21isSuperman

Posted
Posted

don't down play it. He invented hydrogen and oxygen

Your history book is likely more accurate than mine.  Mine is an intro book, so it doesn't get into specifics.

 

You know how doctors will give babies a little spank on their behind to get them to start breathing when they're born?  When Bill Belichick was born, he spanked time, thus setting time into motion.

 

Amazingly, someone was there the second he invented football to catch his reaction (again, the date might be off a little)

BB-I-Like-Football.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Girlzarefanstoo Walk On

Girlzarefanstoo

Posted
Posted

As a Chargers fan since 1970 - I got to witness the before and after.  His first day as the Charger head coach was a tragic day in our community when a jetliner crashed in the North Park/Downtown area of SD.  I saw the smoke plume from my home 15 miles north.  

 

He was electrifying to our city, and his offensive mind was electrifying to the NFL.  It is sad that with the Hall of Fame it is often the "only thing that matters" is a Super Bowl ring.  Dan Fouts fought hard for Don in the years before he died, saying, "I wouldn't have been a HOF QB if there wasn't a Don Coryell."  

 

Coryell was a rare breed - if you took out every innovation (big and small) that he brought to the game you wouldn't be watching anything like what the NFL is today.  

 

As a professional artist you learn - vision is everything.  When you can envision something no one else has thought of or do it in a revolutionary way it's an incredible break through.... one that will instantly be copied by lesser artists.  Lots of people can look at something that exists, then figure out how to reproduce it - not many can look at what is and envision what can be.

 

RIP Coach Coryell you were an amazing coach, mentor, friend and family man.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BloodyChamp Walk On

BloodyChamp

Posted
Posted

He's considered the best coach to never win a SB. I think that's fair enough. His offense is kinda overrated. It was Vince Lombardi, Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh who were responsible for today's offenses more than anybody. Don's offenses were baller when everything was clicking but they got ugly in some games (coughPackerscough).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
amfootball Walk On

amfootball

Posted
Posted

Your history book is likely more accurate than mine.  Mine is an intro book, so it doesn't get into specifics.

 

You know how doctors will give babies a little spank on their behind to get them to start breathing when they're born?  When Bill Belichick was born, he spanked time, thus setting time into motion.

 

Amazingly, someone was there the second he invented football to catch his reaction (again, the date might be off a little)

BB-I-Like-Football.jpg

Not only did he invent football, he wrote the book on how to be gracious in victory or defeat as well ....

 

brrrrr_handshake.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BOTT Walk On

BOTT

Posted
Posted

He's considered the best coach to never win a SB. I think that's fair enough. His offense is kinda overrated. It was Vince Lombardi, Joe Gibbs and Bill Walsh who were responsible for today's offenses more than anybody. Don's offenses were baller when everything was clicking but they got ugly in some games (coughPackerscough).

Not sure you can say Gibbs is a bigger influence when Gibbs is a disciple of Coryell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BloodyChamp Walk On

BloodyChamp

Posted
Posted

Not sure you can say Gibbs is a bigger influence when Gibbs is a disciple of Coryell.

 

Not sure you can say Gibbs is a bigger influence when Gibbs is a disciple of Coryell.

 

Gibbs basically invented the concept of having the quarterback hold the football until the last second in the face of the all out blitz, so he could then throw it to a wide open target down field. That's so common now that it's not even an offense or a pholosophy today, it's a basic concept that every quarterback is expected to know and do. In 1991 it was an innovative passing scheme that took the Redskins to the SB when everybody said their glory was behind them and exposed the weaknesses of Buddy Ryan's defense that was considered untouchable.

 

Coryell, Spurrier Bill Peterson (who actually came first) and the slew of other coaches who thought they could just play NFL Blitz and win were on to something but they could never fine tune the playbook to a Tecmo Bowl level that Gibbs could.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OLD FAN MAN Team Captain

OLD FAN MAN

Posted
Posted

As a Chargers fan since 1970 - I got to witness the before and after.  His first day as the Charger head coach was a tragic day in our community when a jetliner crashed in the North Park/Downtown area of SD.  I saw the smoke plume from my home 15 miles north.  

 

He was electrifying to our city, and his offensive mind was electrifying to the NFL.  It is sad that with the Hall of Fame it is often the "only thing that matters" is a Super Bowl ring.  Dan Fouts fought hard for Don in the years before he died, saying, "I wouldn't have been a HOF QB if there wasn't a Don Coryell."  

 

Coryell was a rare breed - if you took out every innovation (big and small) that he brought to the game you wouldn't be watching anything like what the NFL is today.  

 

As a professional artist you learn - vision is everything.  When you can envision something no one else has thought of or do it in a revolutionary way it's an incredible break through.... one that will instantly be copied by lesser artists.  Lots of people can look at something that exists, then figure out how to reproduce it - not many can look at what is and envision what can be.

 

RIP Coach Coryell you were an amazing coach, mentor, friend and family man.

before you guys got him, he tore it up with qb jim hart and the old st Louis football cardinals

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Girlzarefanstoo Walk On

Girlzarefanstoo

Posted
Posted

Smashmouth - yes, and before that he tore it up at SDSU where we really got to see him in action.  Fun times!  I don't remember much about him with the St. Louis teams as in those days there weren't tivos, we didn't have NFL ticket and you barely got to follow your own team, let alone any other team in the league.  Sheesh I'm old!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Synthetic Walk On

Synthetic

Posted
Posted

You know what's funny?

 

 

You always hear about the Air Coryell but these dominant super pass, pass,pass, pass offenses aren't winning Super Bowls anymore.

 

If anything, it's the West Coast Offense that is still the real winner of offensive juggernauts, and no one wants to admit it cause a key to it is running the ball efficiently. The running game isn't sexy enough for people that want to drop their jaws and go "Look at him throw bombs all day!"

 

 

And I disagree with the idea this guy was the best coach to never win a SB. I'd take Schottenheimer over him, and those old Browns, Chiefs, and Chargers teams were loaded. But Shotty had more than just strong offenses, his defenses were impressive in their runs as well.

 

The Oilers in 1979 destroyed that Chargers offense. If one game can make you a Hall of Famer, Vernon Perry would be one with his 4 interceptions on Fouts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BOTT Walk On

BOTT

Posted
Posted

You know what's funny?

 

 

You always hear about the Air Coryell but these dominant super pass, pass,pass, pass offenses aren't winning Super Bowls anymore.

 

If anything, it's the West Coast Offense that is still the real winner of offensive juggernauts, and no one wants to admit it cause a key to it is running the ball efficiently. The running game isn't sexy enough for people that want to drop their jaws and go "Look at him throw bombs all day!"

 

 

And I disagree with the idea this guy was the best coach to never win a SB. I'd take Schottenheimer over him, and those old Browns, Chiefs, and Chargers teams were loaded. But Shotty had more than just strong offenses, his defenses were impressive in their runs as well.

 

The Oilers in 1979 destroyed that Chargers offense. If one game can make you a Hall of Famer, Vernon Perry would be one with his 4 interceptions on Fouts.

Running the ball depends on the play caller. Andy Reid runs the west coast offense and hates running the ball....Norv Turner is a Coryell disciple who pounded the ball in Dallas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
crazycolt1 Ring of Honor

crazycolt1

Posted
Posted

Gibbs basically invented the concept of having the quarterback hold the football until the last second in the face of the all out blitz, so he could then throw it to a wide open target down field. That's so common now that it's not even an offense or a pholosophy today, it's a basic concept that every quarterback is expected to know and do. In 1991 it was an innovative passing scheme that took the Redskins to the SB when everybody said their glory was behind them and exposed the weaknesses of Buddy Ryan's defense that was considered untouchable.

 

Coryell, Spurrier Bill Peterson (who actually came first) and the slew of other coaches who thought they could just play NFL Blitz and win were on to something but they could never fine tune the playbook to a Tecmo Bowl level that Gibbs could.

 Invented? I guess you never seen Tarkington play when Bud Grant was his coach.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
21isSuperman Walk On

21isSuperman

Posted
Posted

You know what's funny?

 

 

You always hear about the Air Coryell but these dominant super pass, pass,pass, pass offenses aren't winning Super Bowls anymore.

 

If anything, it's the West Coast Offense that is still the real winner of offensive juggernauts, and no one wants to admit it cause a key to it is running the ball efficiently. The running game isn't sexy enough for people that want to drop their jaws and go "Look at him throw bombs all day!"

 

 

And I disagree with the idea this guy was the best coach to never win a SB. I'd take Schottenheimer over him, and those old Browns, Chiefs, and Chargers teams were loaded. But Shotty had more than just strong offenses, his defenses were impressive in their runs as well.

 

The Oilers in 1979 destroyed that Chargers offense. If one game can make you a Hall of Famer, Vernon Perry would be one with his 4 interceptions on Fouts.

I completely agree.  That's why I was hoping for a Broncos Super Bowl victory, but I wasn't too confident.  For whatever reason, the explosive passing offenses seem to get stopped in the playoffs.  Maybe it's because they throw more and thus there are more interceptions.  Maybe it's because they score so quickly that they don't actually hold a lot of possession, so one stalled drive could be the end of it.  Maybe it's because they put so much into their passing game that they neglect the running game.  But for whatever reason, explosive passing offenses aren't getting it done in the playoffs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...