Jay Company You Forgot One of The Best People, Best Blocking Tight End as well. Too bad he suffered that knee injury and also too Bad his son is one of the Biggest Pieces of Shit. How could such an Amazing Person and Football Player raise a Wasted Talent disgraceful person??
@@sandiegosalperez2743 @Jay Company he was a beast but you also had TEs like Russ Francis, Dave Casper and Raymond Chester all these guys were Pro bowlers great catchers and blockers and put up good numbers. Kellen is prob the only one that couolda been a receiver tho and if he played more games would have better numbers. Boy do I ever miss the 70s and early 80s football ...
@@salvatoreperez5113 I agree with Ozzie and Todd but Dave was a 5x Pro bowler and 4x All Pro he has 9 more TDs than Todd. Todd has about 1000 more yds and 60 more catches and one more ring. Dave is in the hall Todd should be
I live in Michigan, HUGE Charger fan. I think I liked them as a kid back in the 70's because the uniforms were the best ever. Lightning bolts on the shoulder, and the pants....tooooooo cool. I was 8 years old, but John Jefferson made me a life long Charger fan. The guy could get anything in his radar. He could out run a deer. He was the king 4 me.
Enjoyed reading your post! Their uniforms do stand out huh? haha. We are quietly building another great team of defensive players i've seen in a long time. The offense is gonna be rock solid. I'm hoping the 6th round pick rb Justin Jackson plays lights out in pre season and makes the team. The 5th round pick wr Dylan Cantrell has a huge catching radius.
Grew up in NC, around the same time, and became a Chargers fan for the very reasons you just mentioned. Now live in Vegas and plan on seeing them in LA this season and in Vegas 2020 when Raiders hit town!
Absolutely my story as well, although I may be a little older than you the Lightning Bolts drew me in and Dan Fouts got me hooked! I worshiped Dan, Charlie, Kellen and Wes. Oh and lets not forget Chuck Muncie what a great running back. The late 70's and early 80's were such a blast to watch. Almost all the games ended with scores reminiscent of basket ball, 49-42 or 56 - 49 etc... SD had the best offense and some of the worst defense in the league. Air Coryell made those 3rd and 4th quarter comeback so exciting. Thank you so much for the the video!
Wow, I was a 12 year old in Nevada, and those uniforms and helmets caught my attention. And then, that offense was so fun to watch. I think the second Charger game I ever saw on TV was the "Holy Roller" game. Have hated the Raiders ever since.
And as of October 5th 2017 - Don Coryell, the greatest coach of all-time is still Not in the HOF. This video is without a doubt the best thing on RU-vid.
5 stars!! Grew up in Wisconsin a Chargers fan. First season I watched football was 1980 as an 8 yr old. Chargers were often on TV as the late afternoon game. John Jefferson was my first favorite player. Only to be followed by the incredible Wes Chandler. Winslow, Joiner, Fouts, Muncie, and Brooks!!!
Man, why is it that on ESPN Classics or NFL's Greatest Games they always show the Freezer Bowl but never the Epic in Miami that was played the week before the Freezer Bowl? The Freezer Bowl was a 27-0 blowout whereas the Epic in Miami truly was one of the all time classic games, maybe the greatest game in NFL playoff history. The 24-0 first quarter lead for the Bolts, the Tony Nathan hook and lateral at the end of the first half to cut the lead to 24-17, the missed FG by Benerschke with 50 seconds left and the 41-38 final score. Winslow Sr being helped off the field suffering severe dehydration and heat exhaustion is one of the iconic moments in NFL lore.
Thanks for putting together an awesome tribute to the best offence the NFL has ever seen!! John Jefferson will always be the most exciting receiver in my lifetime, and then to find an "almost" as exciting guy in Wes Chandler to replace him is crazy. Best era of football for me at least!
The receivers of today should watch these films and study these receivers. They played with athleticism, heart and a burning desire to win. They are smiling while they are playing.
Whatever happened to the sport? It turned into a business, one with complicated contracts, millions of dollars in salaries and enhanced performance meds. Where will it go for the fan? I used to be able to watch football on t.v.., not anymore.
THEY WERE SMILING...BECAUSE THE NEW RULES IN EFFECT SINCE 1978 LIBERATED THEM FROM THE EVIL CLUTCHES OF DEFENSIVE BACKS...EXCEPT WHEN THEY WENT OVER THE MIDDLE 3RD OF THE FIELD!!
There go the Super Chargers to L.A. Those teams in the 70's and 80's were doing then in the passing game what everybody is doing now.Amazing they were original as hell.
@@wheelchairmanjon Fred Dean was forced out because Gene Klein wouldn’t pay him. Dean got 2 SB rings because Klein traded him to the 49ers. Those ‘76 thru ‘81 Chargers had a great front 7 on defense but the secondary was not good. Louie Kelcher, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, Fred Dean, Woodrow Lowe, Leroy Jones and others were pro bowl & some 1st team all-pro. The real problem was the owner Gene Klein. He was as cheap as they come.
Dan Fouts,Chuck Muncie,Wes Chandler,Charlie Joiner,Kellen Winslow and "Long John" Jefferson this was the greatest show on turf 20 years before the greatest show on turf...
@@renragged Exactly, the helmets. Yellow on white looks stupid the dark blue helmets with the yellow face masks and lightning bolt was major part of it. That along with the yellow pants is what made it for me. And the white jersey with the yellow and dark blue trim. Screw the white helmets and powder blue anything lol.
@@sandiegosalperez2743 1984-88 Dan Marino & The Marks Brothers (Clayton & Duper) Miami Dolphins, 1989-first 4 games of 1992 K-GUN No Huddle Buffalo Bills, 2000-05 Indianapolis Colts, 1999-06 Greatest Show on Turf St.Louis Rams, 1998-04 Randy Moss Minnesota Vikings, 1981-98 Joe Montana/Steve Young, Roger Craig/Ricky Watters/Garrison Hearst, Jerry Rice, & T.O. San Francisco 49ers, & 2006-present day Sean Payton/Drew Brees Saints come the closest.
Wow, great video, even as a Cowboys fan living in San Diego at the time, I really admired this remarkable Chargers offense and I can still hear broadcaster Ted Leitner doing the play by play. They had a bunch of nice guys, a few of the guys volunteered their time to help coach the pop warner team I was coaching. Super Chargers for sure.
This was when football was enjoyable to watch. San Diego Chargers were a joy to watch. Loved the players and the uniforms. Could not wait to get quarters from my father so that I could run off to the store to see if I could get a San Diego Chargers mini football helmet from the those little gumball machines back in the day.
Before the 49ers west coast offense, and the Bills no huddle, there was the Chargers Air Coryell. He revolutionized the passing game, and created the modern NFL offense as it is today.
Thanks for sharing this. With this current situation this just makes me sad. They can't take away the memories though. They were so close in 1979, 80 and 81. I remember sitting in my seat as a 9 year old when they demolished the super bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 35-7. Piittsburgh went on to win it again and had the Chargers got by Houston, I think it would have been them representing the AFC. The next year as a 10 year old, I was fortunate enough to witness the miracle win vs Buffalo in the playoffs when Fouts hit Ron Smith in stride and the stadium erupted. with the AFC title game at home, welost a heart breaker to Oakland after digging ourselves an early hole. These teams were so close. I don't need to get into 1981 as it's just more of the same...miracle wins and heart wrenching defeats on the doorstep of the super bowl. This team deserved better. Had they kept Fred Dean and JJ....smh...hurts to even remember how close they were. They will never get their due
+Keith Hinkley In my mind, Wes Chandler did as good of a job, if not a little better, than John Jefferson. Fred Dean was the major loss of the 'Air Coryell' Chargers. He was their best pass rusher. The 49ers said thank you to the Bolts after the trade.
+joesakic91 No doubt Fred Dean was the biggest blow. When JJ left, I thought there is no way we can replace that guys freakish ability as a wr. Up to that point in my life, I had never seen a guy do what he was doing. Then when Wes came, he picked right up where JJ left off. Wes was a complete WR...had one of the best seasons ever going when they went on strike. Was the first, and still may be the only WR that had 1,000 receiving after the first 8 games.The Chargers had a good defense before Dean left. Big Hands, Louie Kelcher and Fred Dean were one of the best, if not most underrated defensive lines in the league
Keith Hinkley If Don Coryell had a stabilized defensive coordinator while he was head coach of the Chargers, the Bolts could've made a Super Bowl or two. The offense was great. The defense, especially trading Fred Dean, not so much.
+Keith Hinkley - I was there a few years before you but I too remember these great days as a Charger fan. I lived in the Bay area during the 70's and 80's and had to take a lot of crap from all of my Raider friends but Air Coryell certainly gave as good as it got. Nobody was as exciting as JJ though - He made some of the greatest catches in the history of the game. Not as big as OBJ or Megatron but just as skilled.
Jefferson blew it when he left for GB and Chandler wasted earlier part of his career on terrible Saints teams. Had both of them spent their entire careers under Air Coryell...they'd be in Hall, cuz when they played in SD, they were the best receivers on those teams.
+cschoen100 I actually think it was more of the stupidity of then owner Gene Klein to not only trade Jefferson to GB, but allow Fred Dean to walk to SF. Letting your best rusher go to what would eventually become the best dynasty in the 80's was disastrous for SD, but allowing JJ to falter in GB not only killed what should've been a sure-fire PFHOF career, but practically killed the momentum for SD as far as their offensive prowess was concerned!!! Chandler was a good WR, but he really belonged in NO, like it or not, and last time I checked, it was he that wanted the stats and money. JJ just wanted to remain in SD under a new contract ensuring that he got paid for his talents since he was the best WR in 1980. He never gotten to contract and his butt was handed to him by Klein. I ensure you that if JJ had gotten the contract and stayed in SD for a majority of his career and remained healthy, he would've been talked as one of the greatest WR's in the history of the game with the likes of Berry, Alworth, Swann, Joiner, Rice, Owens, and Moss and maybe even gotten most of the team records for receiving !!! Chandler, I'm not so sure, but he has to thank the fact that JJ was there first and without JJ, he wouldn't be in SD, but really, he should've been in NO and maybe had been the best WR over there rather than going to SD. Just stating my honest opinion!!!
Every one talks about their "D" against the pass and rightfully so , it made you want to commit suicide!! But the real culprit in this teams lack of success is ownership/ management! So dam cheap!
+cschoen100 Cheapskate Eugene Klein allowed Jefferson and Fred Dean to go because he was a God Damned SOB ! Dan Fouts sat out the 77 season because the Asshole would not pay him what he was worth.
cschoen100 Actually Wes Chandler was TEARING IT UP in New Orleans making Archie look like Peyton! Thats why the Chargers chose him, they knew what they were getting!!! My problem was trading away Joe Washington for Lydell Mitchell!
To Today's NFL: For the love of god, please bring back the Chargers vintage 1979 Air Coryell uniforms. Happy 40th birthday to the 1979 AFC West Championship San Diego (now unfortunately Los Angeles) Chargers, (in which for the upcoming 2019 season that is).🏈😎📺❄️🥓🍳🥞🇺🇸❄️🎆 RIP Dick Enberg and Don Air Coryell. This could be special for all of you Chargers fans. Oh , don't worry! You can still keep your current and powder blue uniforms as well 😉👍🇺🇸❄️🎆☕📺
I'm from Puebla Puebla, Mexico. And this is why I first became a Charger´s fan. The grat Air Coryell offensive game! QB #14 Dan Fouts, WR #18 Charlie Joyner, WR # 83 Johnny Jefferson, WR, # 89 Wes Chandler, TE # 80 Kellen Winslow, FB # 46 Chuck "The Truck" Muncie, RB #21 James Brooks and later Lionel " li'l Train" James... Too bad they didn´t made it to the Big Game. They had great defensive players too but they gone to the SF 49ers. # 71 Fred Dean, # 74 Louie Kelcher and Gary "Big Hands" Johnson. They all got SB Rings with the niners.
I was soooooo young, like kindergarten (maybe it was the uniforms?). Dan Fouts is my fav QB (but I'm sure it had alot to do w/them boys he was throwing to)
Chargers owner (at that time) Gene Klein gave the 49ers not only Fred Dean but Gary (Big Hands) Johnson in the mid 80's setting San Francisco up with the defense to compliment the vaunted West Coast offense.
I WOULD HAD A GOOD CAREER IF I PLAYED WITH A TEAM LIKE SAN DIEGO BACK IN THE DAY) THE 1970S WAS A WIDE OUT DREAM COME TRUE) COUNT THE HALLFAMERS ON THE QB SIDE) IT MUCH BE PARDADISE) 5/14/23/
Back in the air coryell days from 1978-1986 you threw alot of passes 30 or 40 times and scored alot of points but could give up alot of points and still lose. Hall of famers dan fouts, charlie joiner, kellen winslow who as tight end revolutionize the game at his position blocked and caught passes. 1979-1982 coryell teams made the playoffs one a game at home against buffalo bills 20-14. The miami epic 41-38 overtime game classic at orange bowl against miami dolphins.
How can any say Dan Fouts is not the greatest chargers qb in history is beyond me. He did these things without the current nfl rule changes that helps the offenses . Fouts number one , Herbert number two (for now) and Stan Humphries number three
I got a sort of related question. Why did people always consider Archie Manning to be a really good quarterback that just had no talent around him to work with? That was always how he was played off, I just don't get it. Fouts didn't seem to have a problem making due with Saints castoffs that were holding poor Archie back.
Sorry LT, but James Brooks is still my favorite #21 to play for the Chargers!! (Even though he had some fumbles in that AFC Championship game in Cincinnati)
@@JAWrightonline Indeed. It's safe to say that the Chargers as an organization when it comes to players wearing #21 first quarterback John Hadl, then James Brooks, & of course Hall of Famer LaDaninian Tomlinson they've gotten SUBSTANTIAL production from ALL 3 of those players would agree sir???
OMG I did not know Chuck passed smh wow man> I gotta give a special RIP to Chuck the monster Muncie, 6'2 227 pounds of all man he left it all on the field...
As fun as this offense was to watch, and they may be top 5 ever, it was so frustrating to watch the Charger's defense give it all back so easily in those years. They made average teams look like Air Coryell too.
The one sin that ended this teams chances of being Super Bowl champions was the owner being cheap and ending the pass threat rush oif their defense by letting Fred Dean go to the 49ers in 1981.
Jefferson should never have challenged Charger owner Gene Kline to renegotiate his contract in 1982---Kline saw too it that Jefferson was traded to the "Siberia" of the NFL in Green Bay-there he had to compete with another great receiver James Lofton--after a couple of sessons Jefferson's career essentially ended
I think Jefferson was playing out of position in GB. Asked to play the Charlie Joiner / Andre Reed role of going over the middle possession receiver. Totally not his thing, he'd a downfield big play guy. But they already had Lofton for that.
JJ definitely didn't have a good final game wearing a SD uniform. Couple of TDs right thru his hands, and a couple other drops in an AFC Championship game. I remember watching that game, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing....those drops were huge! SD shouldve been in the SB. He had a killer 1980 regular season too. But, those drops were crucial against Oakland. Then he holds out the next year, and Klein says, see ya. I loved JJ, but Chandler was just as good. Sucks for me to watch this really.
Air coryell playoff teams 1979 to 1982 always missed the super bowl 3 Hallof famers Dan Fouts , kellen winslow and charlie Joiner two afc championahip games 1980 vs Oakland Raiders lost 34-27 and 1981 Freezer Bowl -59 degrees lost Cincinnati Bengals 27-7.
How many coaches outside of Bill Belichick and maybe Tom Landry coach both defense and offense? If not for an icestorm they would of won the SB that year.
Aaron Smith I remember that game. Some believe the game should have actually been postponed due to weather! I also heard that the crew of the stadium in Cincinnati opened the tunnel doors when the Chargers had the ball, yet closed them when the Bengals had the ball. So Dan Fouts had to throw in stronger winds than Ken Anderson. I do not know if this is true, or if it mattered, but I agree with you. If that game were played in SD I think the Chargers would have won. If only....
Wrong. They had a very good defense. The problem was they were always playing tired. The offense would score in 1:30-2:00 minutes after the defense got off the field. The other team would drive the ball down the field for 10-15 minutes and score. The defense comes off the field and then go back on in less than 3 minutes. The offense never gave them a break. No sustained drives, alway quick strike. Then you have that kick and pitch the ball downfield for 50 yards play that the refs let happen vs Oakland. That game would have gotten them to the Super Bowl.
