Sometimes I feel like choosing a blog topic just because it gives me a chance to write and you a chance to read about an obscure moment that one does not remember, but which has significance nonetheless.
That’s the route this one is taking.
As many of you know, I am enamored with the “Golden Ages” of pro football. Despite the current off-the-field situation, we are in a golden age right now, and it will be back in full swing soon, we all hope.
The first golden age came in the late 1940s and early 1950s, a glorious time just after the war when America exploded with growth, development and new ideas.
That age led to the Greatest Game Ever Played, the famous championship game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants that helped propel pro football to the “most favorite sport” category. Following up that moment was the early 1960s and the American Football League, the greatest and ultimately most successful expansion league in American sport history.
It was in that golden age that the Broncos had some legendary moments on the playing field, now almost entirely forgotten. But this being draft time on the website, I noticed a connection tying together the era with the draft and an all-time Broncos record that deserves to be remembered, just for a moment if nothing else.
Every team has a record book, and every team has the longest touchdown reception in franchise history. Regardless of length, the record mathematically exists.
In the case of the Broncos, who made the longest scoring reception in franchise history?
Lionel Taylor? Steve Watson? Jack Dolbin? Haven Moses? Eddie Royal? Brandon Marshall? Rod Smith? Ed McCaffrey? One of the Three Amigos—Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson, or Ricky Nattiel? How about Brandon Lloyd, who had a career year in 2010?
The answer, to all of the above, is “no.”
The longest touchdown reception in Broncos history came on September 9, 1962 at Boston against the Patriots at Boston University Field. In the early days of the AFL the Patriots were waifs who played all over Boston. The Broncos were getting whacked that day, with the final score 41-16, and head coach Jack Faulkner—who would go on to be AFL coach of the year that season, leading Denver to a 7-7 record that was the team’s best to date—pulled some starters and let the reserves finish it up.
So it came to be that George Shaw connected with Jerry Tarr on a 97-yard touchdown pass that has remained the team’s longest for 49 years now. That length makes it a tough one to break.
Coincidentally, both players had come out of the draft, but worlds apart.
Tarr had been a great track athlete at Oregon, setting numerous records on his way to being named the most outstanding track performer in the Pacific Eight Conference.
Tarr was a 17th round draft choice by the Broncos. He could really fly, and was the Broncos’ first experiment at taking a track guy and trying to make him a wide receiver. Unfortunately, what Tarr had as a plus in the speed department he more than made up for in a negative way in the hands department, so 1962 proved to be his only pro season.
His speed showed in his limited stats: eight receptions for 211 yards and a 26.3 average and eight kickoff returns for 217 yards and a 27.1 average.
In one of the amazing coincidences that sport provides, George Shaw too was an Oregon alum, but he was the first-round draft choice of the Baltimore Colts in 1955. Shaw played for the Colts, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings before closing out his checkered pro career with the Broncos as Tripucka’s backup in 1962.
Perhaps the biggest claim to fame for Shaw as a pro player is that he was the quarterback cut by Baltimore when the Colts decided that Johnny Unitas might have a future as their signal caller.
In any case, on that day in Boston, number 11 — Shaw, a number one draft choice in the NFL — threw a 97-yard TD pass to number 41 — Tarr, a 17th round pick in the AFL — and they created a moment in time that is still in the record book today.
Every draftee has a different moment, and some of them last forever.
Tags: George Shaw, Jerry Tarr
That one is definitely good for trivia, LOL.
Anyhow it was a good story, it is so old it happened about 16 years before you joined the Broncos in about 1978. Which brings up a question:
Where you a fan of the Broncos before you joined the organization, and if so when did you start? I know you don’t usually answer questions but that would really interest me, thank you.
Shaw had Brian Griese’s # and Tarr Dawkins’ #.
Sorry, that’s the stupid things I say when I’m talking to myself, haha.
That is a pretty random piece of Bronco trivia history!
Good post, now let’s draft Fairley.
Busts the both of them lol. It is good to hear about the old days as it builds my know-how of the Broncos, which i must say is VERY limited.
Samoa, you my friend should invest in a copy of Denver Broncos: Complete Illustrated History
Wrote by none other than the gentleman who penned this blog. An investment everybody on this blog should not pass up on!
Which I’m still waiting to hear about an appearance so I can get my copy autographed!!!
Amazon- 23 US dollars.
Let’s add Fairley to our history books as one of the best defensive linemen Denver has ever seen.
A couple of blog responses. As to what I did before joining Broncos in 1978, I am Denver native, saw virtually every Broncos game shown on TV and bough first season ticket in 1965. Probably no one more familiar with overall roster, historically (I do not mean that as any kind of boast, it just helps explain my interest in some of the older guys). I spent three years with the Denver Bears before joining the Broncos (my first ring was minor league baseball championship in 1977, very proud of it), so I am quite familiar with Denver sports and media history. Our history is a big part of what we are. “Broncos Country” is a nice marketing theme, etc., but if you are a fan, it is not just about the here and now, what are we now, etc. We have had great success, overall, but the failure is a part of what we are as well. I know Shaw and Tarr did not have great success here, but that is not the point at all. They did something once. And that “once” is still in the record book, 49 years later. It was just a look at a forgotten moment, and I probably will do more here and then. Like a family, the blotches are a part of our history as well as the successes. Thanks for asking, for commenting, and for reading.
Thank you so much for the response Mr Saccomano, I’m humbled.
I kind of figured you had an interest in our team before you worked there and I sure appreciate the details. No arguments from here that you are probably as qualified as anyone to cover the history of our Broncos, season ticket holder since 1965 and 34 years working in the organization! That’s more than Mr Bowlen, John Elway, Mike Shanahan, Dan Reeves or anyone for that matter I can think of.
Very, very happy to hear that you were first and foremost a Bronco fan, just like all of us!
According to Stephen Hawking, sub atomic particles were able to move faster than the speed of light during the early stages of the “Big Bang”. Although it is well accepted that the speed of light is now the cosmic speed limit it, is equally revealed that anything is possible, even if only once.
Let’s hope that once the football universe cools and contracts inward on itself that we have another stellar record for the Broncos.
Great analogy, especially when one considers how much “dark energy”, not to mention “black holes” consuming all the money they see, that are in the NFL currently.
compare resume services…
[...]A Record from a Golden Age « DenverBroncos.com[...]…
Couple Pendants…
[...]A Record from a Golden Age « DenverBroncos.com[...]…