October 28, 2015

Highlighted Year: Terry Bradshaw, 1982

Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers


Age:  34
13th season in pro football & with Steelers
College: Louisiana Tech
Height: 6’3”   Weight: 210

Prelude:
The first overall pick by the Steelers in 1970, Bradshaw took time to develop. In 1974, his fifth season, he lost his starting job early to Joe Gilliam but reclaimed it and led Pittsburgh to the first NFL Championship in franchise history. Unchallenged as the starting quarterback, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 1975 as the Steelers won a second straight Super Bowl. Following an injury-plagued 1976 season, he came back in ’77 to achieve a new high with 2523 passing yards while leading the NFL with 8.0 yards per attempt and in 1978 he received MVP and consensus first-team All-NFL honors as he led the league in TD passes (28) and yards per attempt (7.9) and the AFC in passing (84.7 rating), and the Steelers won another Super Bowl. Bradshaw had another Pro Bowl season in 1979, throwing for a career-high 3724 yards and leading the Steelers to a fourth NFL title. While there were no more championships, Bradshaw played well for a team showing its age in 1980, passing for 3339 yards and 24 touchdowns, and he threw for 2887 yards and 22 TDs in 1981.

1982 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 9 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 240 [15]
Most attempts, game – 42 vs. Cincinnati 9/19
Completions – 127 [15]
Most completions, game – 29 vs. Cincinnati 9/19
Yards – 1768 [14]
Most yards, game – 298 vs. Cincinnati 9/19
Completion percentage – 52.9
Yards per attempt – 7.4 [11]
TD passes – 17 [1, tied with Dan Fouts & Joe Montana]
Most TD passes, game – 3 at Dallas 9/13, vs. Cincinnati 9/19, at Houston 11/21, vs. Kansas City 12/5
Interceptions – 11 [8, tied with six others]
Most interceptions, game – 4 at Cleveland 12/19
Passer rating – 81.4 [8]
200-yard passing games – 6

Rushing
Attempts – 8
Yards – 10
Yards per attempt – 1.3
TDs – 0

Postseason: 1 G (AFC First Round playoff vs. San Diego)
Pass attempts – 39
Pass completions – 28
Passing yardage – 325
TD passes – 2
Interceptions – 2

Rushing attempts – 2
Rushing yards – 12
Average gain rushing – 6.0
Rushing TDs – 1

Steelers went 6-3 in the strike-shortened season and were fourth seed in the AFC playoff tournament that replaced the usual postseason format. Lost First Round playoff to San Diego Chargers (31-28).

Aftermath:
The 1982 season proved to effectively be Bradshaw’s last as a severe elbow injury limited him to the season finale in 1983, and he was forced to retire. For his career, he passed for 27,989 yards and 212 TDs, but most significantly had a 107-51 record as a starting quarterback (as well as 14-5 in the postseason, 4-0 in the Super Bowl). Bradshaw was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection once, received second-team All-NFL or All-AFC honors after two other years, and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1989.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose: Total Yards
Defense: Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff Returns: Average
Punt Returns: Average
Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970