The Five Greatest Relief Pitchers In NFL History

This entry is dedicated to the backup Quarterback. Some have fans chanting for their insertion into games. Some have fans begging for their non-involvement.

The life of the career backup can be tenuous or tedious. It depends on the team they are on. Many backups rarely played behind guys like Ron Jaworski or Brett Favre, while quite a few did get to play behind guys like Jim McMahon and Chris Chandler.

Here are a few great backups in no particular order:

DON STROCK

Don was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1973 draft. Miami was just coming off of the only perfect season in the modern NFL era.

Stock had just led the NCAA in total offense and passing yards as a senior, and still has many passing records that stand today at Virginia Tech. Strock is a member of the school's Hall of Fame.

Though the Dolphins had a young future Hall of Fame Quarterback in Bob Griese, they needed an heir apparent for the aging Earl Morrall. Strock did not play in 1973, but got a ring as the Dolphins repeated as Super Bowl Champions.

When Griese got hurt in 1975, Strock started three games while Morrall started once. Strock became the primary backup from that moment on, and Morrall retired after the 1976 season.

Griese had an injury plagued 1978 season, and Strock ended up starting seven games. Don stayed with the Dolphins until 1987. In his time with Miami, he started 22 games and won 16 of them.

His greatest moment in Miami happened during the 1981 playoff game against the San Diego Chargers. Miami was losing 24-0 in the 3rd quarter, and Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula decided to pull starter David Woodley and insert Strock. Strock led the Dolphins back to tie the game and put it in overtime. Though the Chargers won 41-38, Strock threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns.

Miami got to Super Bowl XVII in 1982 after exacting revenge on the Chargers in the playoffs. Strock played very briefly, and was 0-3 in passing attempts as the Dolphins lost.

In Strock's last season with Miami, he was asked to punt for the first time of his career. He had nine attempts, and had a long of 44 yards.

Don was signed by the Cleveland Browns in 1988. Bernie Kosar was injured and only able to play nine games that season. The Browns had tried Gary Danielson and Mike Pagel as replacements, but both combined for a 2-3 record. Strock won both games that he started.

He got the Browns into the playoffs in the last game of the regular season against the Houston Oilers. Down 23-7 in the third quarter, Strock tossed two touchdown passes and engineered a 28-23 win.

The Browns played the Oilers again in the Wildcard Game. Strock went two-for-three for 13 yards, but had to be replaced by Pagel after an injury. The Browns lost the game, and Strock retired.

If you click on the link below, you can see a humorous skit where Strock and Don Shula participate in a debate over the "Hook and Lateral" play that Strock took part in during that epic playoff game versus San Diego.

http://www.miamidolphins.com/introduction.asp

FRANK REICH

Frank was a third round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 1985. He came from Maryland University, where he had once engineered what was then the greatest comeback in NCAA Division 1A history.

With the Terrapins losing to the Miami Hurricanes 31-0 at halftime, Reich replaced the starter Stan Gelbaugh and led Maryland to a 42-40 win.

Reich got his first significant action in 1989, when Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly was injured. Frank went 3-0 as a starter, which helped the Bills win the AFC East Division title. Reich was called upon the next season when Kelly was hurt again late in the season.

He helped the Bills clinch their division, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Kelly returned, and the Bills would go on to lose the first of their four Super Bowl losses.

The 1992 season featured a Wildcard Playoff Game between the Bills and Houston Oilers that would engrave Reich's name forever in NFL lore.

Kelly was hurt as the Oilers built a 38-3 lead. Frank stepped in and led the Bills to a 41-38 win by tossing 371 yards and four touchdown passes. Reich then chucked two TDs the next week, as the Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-3. Kelly then returned to lead the Bills to another Super Bowl loss to the Dallas Cowboys 52-17.

Frank was asked to try to lead the Bills back again after Kelly was ineffective. He went 18-of-31 for 194 yard and tossed a touchdown pass, but it wasn't nearly enough to help Buffalo. As a Bill, Frank won four AFC Championships, but no Super Bowls.

He was left exposed to the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft, and was scooped up by the Carolina Panthers. He started the first three games for the franchise, and tossed the first touchdown pass in Panthers history, before he was replaced by first round draft pick Kerry Collins.

Frank went to the New York Jets in 1996. He ended up replacing fellow Terp Neil O'Donnell at quarterback, leading the 1-15 Jets to their lone win.

Frank then joined the Detroit Lions in 1997, and was asked to replace Scott Mitchell when the Lions were losing 20-0 in the third quarter of a playoff game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Frank went 11-15 for 129 yards, but the Lions fell short 20-10.

The next year, he was asked to start two games for the 5-11 Lions, and threw five touchdown passes.

Frank Reich retired after the 1998 season, but will be forever remembered by Bills and NFL fans for his exceptional relief efforts.

JIM PLUNKETT

Jim was the first pick of the 1971 draft by the New England Patriots. Plunkett went to Stanford University and won the 1970 Heisman Trophy after leading Stanford to a Rose Bowl win. He is a member of both Stanford's, the El Centro Chicano, and the College Football Hall of Fame.

He started his first five seasons on some poor Patriots teams. He spent most Sundays running for his life and being battered. After an injury-plagued 1975 season, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers were about as good as the Patriots, and Plunkett lasted two years there before being released. The Oakland Raiders picked him up, and he spent the next two seasons mostly on the bench.

In 1980, Raider starter Dan Pastorini broke his leg in the fifth week of the season. Plunkett led the Raiders the rest of the way to a Super Bowl XV win over the Philadelphia Eagles, and was named the game's MVP.

The next season, Plunkett was back on the bench behind Marc Wilson. Wilson was injured in the third week during the 1983 season, and Plunkett took over again. He led the Raiders to Super Bowl XVIII, where they blew out the heavily favored Washington Redskins.

Jim started 17 games over the next three seasons, winning nine. He retired after the 1986 season.

Jim Plunketts career record as a starter was 72-72, but his two Super Bowl wins has him in the rarest of company reserved for legends like him.

GEORGE BLANDA

Blanda was a 12th round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1949 draft. He went to college at the University of Kentucky, and started his final two seasons there at quarterback under legendary coach Bear Bryant. Blanda is a member of the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame.

Blanda then went on to play pro football under NFL founder and Hall of Famer George Halas. The two did not get along.

Blanda was given $600 to sign with the Bears, but Halas took the money back after Blanda made the team.

George kicked, punted, and quarterbacked his rookie year. He ran for a touchdown that year. Blanda started the next season with the Baltimore Colts, but found himself back on the Bears for the final 11 games of that season.

While mainly used as a kicker for three years, he spent the 1951 season also playing linebacker. George intercepted the only pass of his career that season.

Blanda earned the starting job at Quarterback in 1953, and led the NFL in attempts and completions. He started seven games the next year, and led the NFL in yards gained-per-games played.

He would accomplish that feat two more times in the AFL. Blanda was then mainly used as a kicker until 1958. He decided to retire because of his difficulties with Halas.

He said that Halas no longer seemed interested in the NFL and the game had passed him by. Blanda was quoted to have said, "Halas was too cheap to even buy me a kicking shoe."

After sitting out of the 1959 season, George decided to play for the expansion Houston Oilers in the fledgling American Football League. The Oilers would go on to win the first AFL Championship with Blanda at the helm.

The Oilers repeated as AFL Champions the next year, as Blanda was named to his first All Pro team while leading the AFL in passing yards, touchdowns, and several other categories. He also set a record for fewest receiving yards in a career, when he caught a pass for negative 16 yards.

He would be named an All-Pro the next two seasons as well. He led the AFL in attempts and completions from 1963 to 1965. Blanda also led the AFL in interceptions thrown from 1962 to 1965.

At 40 years old, Blanda joined the Raiders in 1967. He was named to his last All Pro team, this time as a kicker, helping the Raiders get to Super Bowl II.

He led the league in extra points attempted and made in four of his first eight seasons with Oakland. He led the NFL in scoring in 1967 with 116 points, and had a career high 117 points the following year.

His biggest year in Oakland was in 1970, when he would be named the Bert Bell Award winner for Player of the Year. Blanda had actually been released for a short time in preseason, but was quickly brought back.

That season, Blanda had to come off the bench four times to replace Darryl Lamonica, the starter, due to injury. Blanda led the Raiders to three comeback wins and a tie.

He then had the come in for an injured Lamonica during the AFC Championship game. He booted a 48 yard field goal, and went 17-32 for 271 yards and two touchdowns, but the Raiders fell to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Colts.

In 1973, at 46 years old, Blanda scored 100 points. He then retired after the 1975 season at 48 years old.

Many fans may know that the Hall of Famer Blanda retired with an NFL record 2002 points, but he also holds several other records.

He shares the record for seven touchdown passes in a game, owns the record for most seasons played, and most seasons scoring a point (26). He's also the first player in history to throw for over 2000 yards, the oldest person to ever play in the NFL and in a title game, and has thrown the most interceptions in a season.

Brett Favre broke his record of 277 passes without an interception in 1987, and Drew Bledsoe broke his record of 68 passing attempts in a game during the 1994 season.

George Blanda is truly on of the legends of the game of football, as a kicker and quarterback.

Still, many Raiders will always remember him coming off the bench and leading the Raiders to thrilling victories.

EARL MORRALL

Morrall was a first round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1956 draft. Earl went to Michigan State, where he led the Spartans to a Rose Bowl victory in 1955.

He was mostly used as a punter in his rookie year, but he did start four games when the starter, Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle, was injured. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers after that year, and was named to his first All-Pro team in 1957.

After starting the first two games of the 1958 season for Pittsburgh, Morrall was traded to the Detroit Lions for Hall of Famer Bobby Layne. There, he backed up Tobin Rote, Jim Ninowski, and Milt Plum until 1964. During the 1963 season, Plum was injured early in the year, and Earl ended up starting 11 games.

Morrall tossed 24 touchdowns on 2,621 yards. Both totals would be the second highest of his career. He was hurt early in the 1964 season, and missed the rest of the year. He was then dealt to the New York Giants during the offseason.

He started the entire 1965 season, and threw the longest pass of that season for 89 yards. Morrall started seven games the next year and threw a pass that is still franchise long of 98 yards to Homer Jones, the man who invented the spiking of the football after a score.

He was replaced by Gary Woods as the Giants went 1-12-1. Morrall became the second stringer behind Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. He then was dealt to the Baltimore Colts, where his career would be reborn.

Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas was injured in the last preseason game and was out for the year, so Morrall became the starter. He led the Colts to a 13-1 record, tossed a career high 26 touchdown passes with a career best 2,909 yards.

He led the NFL in touchdown passes, touchdown percentage and yards gained-per-pass attempt. He was also selected to his last All-Pro team, and was named the 1968 NFL MVP. The Colts would go on to lose in Super Bowl III. With Unitas healthy again, Earl started three games over the next two seasons.

In 1970, the Colts would win Super Bowl V when Morrall was called upon again after Unitas was injured early in the game. Morrall helped the Colts beat the Dallas Cowboys 16-13.

Morrall started the first nine games of the 1971 year, leading the Colts to a 7-2 record.

He was then injured and replaced by Unitas as the Colts would go on to lose to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship game.

The Colts then cut Morrall, but he was claimed by the Dolphins because their coach, Hall of Famer Don Shula, had coached Earl on the Colts' 1968 Super Bowl team.

The move paid off early into the 1972 season, when Hall of Famer Bob Griese was injured during the fifth game.

Morrall started the next 12 games and helped lead the eventual Super Bowl Champion Dolphins to the only perfect season in modern NFL history. He took them to the AFC Championship game, but was replaced by Griese.

Earl was named the AFC Player of the Year, and won the first Comeback Player of the Year Award. He started one game the next year, as the Dolphins repeated as Super Bowl Champions.

Over the next three seasons, Earl started two games, and won both. Morrall retired after the 1976 season at the age of 42 years old.

Though Earl Morrall started only 102 of the 255 games he played over 21 years, he won 60 and tied three. He also was an important part of four Super Bowl teams, and has to be considered one of the best firemen in NFL history.