The Deacon's Travelin' Revival Show-1972 San Diego Chargers

[Music] the season of 72 dawned over san diego in a rosy blush of rebirth sunshine flooded into mission valley and revealed a new face on charger football harlan safari had made a clean break with the past and boldly set out to determine his own future with 24 trades safari had gathered a motley crew the spiritual leader of the new chargers was number 75 deacon jones and his fellows included rogues rejects and rap scallions from every corner of the nfl all bursting with the spirit of change all ready to step lively to the hand-clapping new rhythm of charger football [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the revival tent was san diego stadium and to it safari gathered the makings of a fire and brimstone defense starting with the deacon and brother lionel aldridge number 87. [Music] deacon preached the word and lost souls like denver's dave costa came to be saved salvation beckoned and leonard dunlap arrived from baltimore [Applause] for the offense safari brought in a faded superstar named john mackey and let him feel the spirit [Music] from saint louis came another man who saw and believed number 37 cleophus sid edwards the converts congregated then took the vow of victory [Music] their faith would soon be tested by the most demanding schedule in san diego history but the good gospel spirit was infectious and it spilled over into the stands and onto the faces of the people the deacon had preached the word his followers had heard and believed yet no one could have predicted the trials and tribulations that lay just ahead [Music] [Music] so [Music] as unpredictable as the capricious boundings of a mindless football the season of change soon turned into a frustrating paradox the spirit of revival burned brightly throughout but was tempered by a damning tendency toward turnover and once again san diego failed a challenge in the western division but through it all the charges kept the faith this was a mature team adversity could not drive the wedge of doubt into its resolve its vision of a brighter horizon and in times of need the deacon kept his revival show alive sowing the seeds of optimism by encouragement and example legendary number 75 began his san diego crusade by stating i'll come out breathing fire the deacon didn't lie [Music] he had been put to pasture by the rams but the one-time secretary of defense proved that he could still play the role of intimidator in the past the charges had gone into battle with boys now they sent a man among men a legend to set the standards for a new era of san diego defense in sunlit memorial stadium the baltimore colts wore witness to the effectiveness of san diego's new preacher and his true believers the new charger defense poured in and controlled tempo and then decided the issue by forcing three fumbles in the final quarter san diego recoveries led to three dennis partee field goals one from a team record 51 yards and the chargers had a satisfying 23-20 victory san diego had discovered a new way to win with defense seldom has a team changed its identity so dramatically in just one season when deacon's disciples entered the game they came full ready to dominate it blew in from the right this searing outside rush opened up the middle and tackles dave costa and ron east poured in quarterback's acts increased and the new robust rush benefited charger defense in other areas [Applause] interception totals also increased as brian salder took seven and leonard dunlap gathered in five statistically charged defense improved in every area but facts and figures don't tell the whole story how do you measure desire on what scale do you weigh eagerness to hit by any standard the one-time nice guy charges altered their image in 1972 they became the mission valley maulers [Music] new faces added much to the revival but old ones fell right in step rick redmond was the perfect compliment to his quick reacting hard-pursuing new teammates someone needs to stay home and watch for the tricks the charger veteran took heart at the good vibrations that swirled around him and had his finest season in 72 he also assumed added responsibility in san diego's destiny as a player coach he could instruct fellow linebackers like bob babbage by word andy welcome contribution from charger pass was made by defensive back joe beauchamp for six years gentleman joe had done a prose job with a minimum of fanfare a maximum of toughness versatile number 40 came to play whether called on at corner or free safety yet through the years his fame did not spread past the san diego city limits but beauchamp also drank in the spirit of 72 and his role suddenly shifted from the shadows to the spotlight and when the brash young denver broncos came to town led by enthusiastic new head coach john ralston they looked on as unsung joe beauchamp finally took center stage [Music] now right [Applause] ralston never did find the answer to new star joe beauchamp and while number 40 led the defense john hadel keyed an offensive assault hadel threw for two scores the first to new charger davey williams the second to all reliable charger gary garrison the typical garrison catch rounded out a 37-14 victory and underscored a nearly overlooked facet in this year of flux throughout the transition of harlan safari's first season the ghost had glided along with undiminished excellence with over 40 catches for the seventh consecutive season garrison successfully wedded his touch and talent to a new philosophy in the past charger offense depended solely on the flying feet of the passing game now the san diego attack would move to the beat of a different drummer the huge men of the offensive line picked up this beat and bore it along as the run returned to charger football the hard rock men norman washington sweeney mark wilkerson and in his finest year number 76 terry owens ball control demands unit coordination two blockers one runner flying goldberg in brutal choreography this new plan of attack placed no one individual above the whole against houston the runners mike garrett number 20 and sid edwards number 37 did their share the offensive line did theirs and more all together the running game buried houston 3420 and sid edwards gave proof positive of his emergence as the power back san diego had been seeking [Music] said edwards is a high velocity runner teaming unusual acceleration and agility with pure bone jarring power [Music] in his first san diego season sid edwards was named most valuable chargers and left a distinct impression upon the opposition while edwards delivers a knockout blow tiny mike garrett is the classic counter puncher a stick and move bob and weave man who dazzles with faints and [Music] footwork [Music] garrett slips and slides ebbs and flows and the yards sweep by 1072 but nothing gives him more satisfaction than scoring against the kansas city chiefs since coming to san diego in 1970 garrett has celebrated seven touchdowns against his former team and he has kept all seven footballs to mark the measure of his joy garrett's joy fits right in with the spirit of the good gospel group and he led all his brothers into a monday night revival meeting with the cleveland browns garrett's score with just over one minute remaining seemed to clinch a san diego victory but all the hosannas and hallelujahs were a bit premature on one play cleveland came back to win as once again adversity tested devotion of the true believers but the revival show was not yet complete and eager new convert tim rossovich still waited in the wings prosovich was california born and bred and an all-american defensive end at usc but he ended up 3 000 miles away as a philadelphia eagle middle linebacker in a strange town at a strange position rosovich spent a lot of time being a little confused but there was one thing he didn't have to learn he knew how to rip people and rattle heads [Music] [Applause] krosovich was leading wild man on a defense called the antibodies and philly fans ate him up yet rosawich was not pleased in his own success in the east he was a lost soul adrift in a strange sea he longed for beach and blue sky in 1972 rosawich was granted his wish but part of the ache still remained two weeks after arriving in san diego he injured a knee in pre-season and doctors told him this year would be wasted a subdued tim rosevich was left with only his rich imagination in his mind's eye he saw number 82 at middle linebacker for the san diego chargers the image was so vivid that he was left with no choice rossovich set out on his own personalized rehabilitation program rosso prepared himself both physically and mentally slowly the former leader of the antibodies recaptured the wealth of all his weirdness miraculously the strange person defied medical science in just nine weeks the rickety knee had knitted and rocovich was back in uniform it would make a nice story to say he proceeded to tear up the league but that wouldn't be strictly true he was a little rusty at first but bit by bit he climbed back into the groove soon the wild man had returned and was back rattling heads rozovich is still learning his craft he may not be pro football's finest middle linebacker yet but he added another vital ingredient to the revival show in fact rosovich returned just in time to add his special touch to san diego's finest moment of 72 in the frozen splendor of new arrowhead stadium harlan fari's master plan of change worked to blueprint perfection [Music] to top off this glimpse of the future mike garrett did his favorite thing and san diego had a 27-17 victory over the jeeps but still the picture is not complete another heisman trophy winner who also wears number 20 is eager to be included in the fold johnny rogers is college football's most celebrated performer in three years at nebraska rogers averaged a 13.8 yard gain every time he touched the ball statistics are meaningless when compared to visual proof that this man is capable of feats never before witnessed on the field of [Music] football [Applause] [Music] so [Music] in 1973 young johnny rogers will bring his magical moves to san diego there to join a pro football immortal in 1958 a skinny young pro took part and then while harlan's vary and his new york giant teammates waited number 19 handed off to end the greatest game ever played this game established a legend and during the next decade the man in black high tops lived up to it as johnny united emerged as the greatest quarterback in nfl history but after 17 seasons there are those who say that the legend has faded indeed his team for all 17 of those seasons benched him during 1972 but before they sat him down united answered his critics with one performance against the new york jets [Music] the supposedly washed up arm threw for 374 yards the fourth highest total in a grand career now the legend moves to san diego to get young again on some of that good old-time religion so you see the deacon's traveling revival show just keeps gathering steam for 73 stoking up the storehouse of that good gospel spirit as the deacon says keep the faith brother our time is about to come [Music] amen [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Grey Beard

Views: 1,714

Keywords: John Facenda, NFL Films, Steve Sabol, Ed Sabol, San Diego Chargers, John Hadl, Deacon Jones

Id: rw820_aiyC0

Length: 24min 29sec (1469 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 22 2020