 Kellen Winslow was once said to have defied the "All Pro" classification. He was "All Universe." The Chargers traded up in the 1979 draft to take Kellen with their first round pick. Don Coryell coveted the big tight end out of Missouri, considering Winslow the final weapon needed to gain aerial supremacy over the entire NFL. Kellen came to camp in 1980 with something to prove, and by the end of the year he had convinced teammates, opponents, and journalists alike that he was clearly the best tight end in the game. He led the NFL with 89 receptions, 30 more than the next closest tight end. Too fast for NFL linebackers, he frequently found himself checked by defensive backs, whose tackles he broke with relative ease. He snared 88 passes for an encore the following season, again leading the NFL. Once more, he left an impressive trail of highlights in his wake. In a must-win Week 12 game vs. arch-rival Oakland, Winslow hauled in 13 passes, five of which were touchdowns. In a Week 14 contest against Buffalo, he turned a 5-yard out pattern from Dan Fouts into a 67-yard sideline scamper for a touchdown. In 1983, many of the Chargers' offensive weapons were slowed with injuries. Not so for Winslow. He pulled down 88 passes for 1,172 yards and 8 TDs, including a 14-catch, 3 touchdown outburst in Week 14 at home against the Chiefs. Another point of note was that, by 1983, many other teams were utilizing tall, fast Winslow-type tight ends in their offensive schemes. Doug Cosbie (Dallas), Paul Coffman (Green Bay), Todd Christensen (L.A. Raiders), and Ozzie Newsome (Cleveland) were just a few of this "new breed" of tight end. Winslow and Coryell were not only achieving remarkable accomplishments in their own right, they were reshaping the game itself. In 1984, Winslow set off on the most torrid pace of his career. By Week 8 he had 55 receptions and was on pace to catch 110--an unheard of accomplishment in 1984! He caught 10 passes in a Week 4 contest at home versus Houston, then grabbed 15 on the road in Week 6 against Green Bay. He had caught 8 for 197 yards in the Week 8 game versus the L.A. Raiders. In 1995 Winslow was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There, along with Joiner and Fouts, he serves as a continual reminder of the most powerful offense in pro football history.
|
