On this day in Professional Football History

1975-7-5 San Antonio Wings at Southern California Sun Exhibition

Born on this day (7/5) in 1956: James Lofton

Selected in the 1st Round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers

Played Professionally for the Following teams:

(1978-1986) Green Bay Packers
(1987-1988) Los Angeles Raiders
(1989-1992) Buffalo Bills
{1993) Philadelphia Eagles (9 Games)
(1993} Los Angeles Rams (1 Game)

Career Accomplishments:
2nd team All-American: 1977
1st team All-Pac 8: 1977
PFWA All-Rookie team: 1978
1st team Al-Pro: 1980 & 1981
2nd team All-Pro: 1982 & 1983
NFL Pro Bowl: 1978, 1980-1985 & 1991
NFL 1980's All-Decade team
Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary team
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame: 1999
Pro Football Hall of Fame: 2003
California Sports Hall of Fame: 2017
California High School Football Hall of Fame: 2023

1972-7 Pro Quarterback - Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Len Dawson

1962-7-5: On this day in pro football history: The Buffalo Bills got some offensive help when they received running back Wayne Crow from the Oakland Raiders. In the deal, Buffalo also received Oakland’s 2nd round pick in the 1963 AFL draft. In return, Oakland received quarterback M.C. Reynolds and all-pro defensive tackle Chuck McMurtry.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson said that he has been working on the trade for months along with Oakland team president Wayne Valley. The deal was finally struck at the AFL owners meeting in Boston last week.

Buffalo needed another running back as Wilson alluded, “There is a strong possibility that halfback Fred Brown of Georgia may not be back in 1962.” Brown had missed the majority of his rookie campaign due to various leg injuries.

Wilson added that, “Crow could make us a solid threat on the ground.” Crow led the Raiders in rushing last season with 490 yards. He added 196 yards receiving on 23 receptions.

Raiders starting quarterback Tom Flores looked as if he was not going to be ready to play by the start of the season or may not be able to play at all during the 1962 season. Doctors had said that Flores had a 50% chance of being able to play due to a respiratory issue. The doctors were playing on making a final decision on Flores the following week.

Raiders general manager Wes Fry said, “We’re still hoping he will get the medical okay. But even if he does, he won’t be able to get into action for a month.”

Oakland head coach Marty Feldman said, “Of course, we’re unhappy at having to give up a player of Crow’s versatility. He was a great help to us last year. But if Tom Flores is unable to play this season, we simply have to have strength at quarterback.”

66 days before the start of the 2026 NFL season

#66 Bill Bergey - Bill Bergey was born and raised in South Dayton, New York. Both he and his brother Bruce attended high school at Pine Valley Central. Bill played both sides of the ball, fullback and linebacker.

Despite being a star athlete, Bergey had only played 5 games as a senior and he was not recruited. Plus, Pine Valley Central was a small school. Bill’s senior class consisted of 48 people.

Bill asked his guidance counselor to write to 10 different head coaches of college football programs and ask about their interest in him. Just two responded, New Mexico and Arkansas State.

He had to get a map out to see which school was closer to Western New York. So, he chose Arkansas State. The coaches agreed to meet with him the following spring when they were going to be in New York City for a conference.

Bergey took them up on the offer and he drove over 400 miles to meet with them. He left with a partial scholarship to Arkansas State.

During his freshman season, he was red shirted. In his sophomore season, Bill started at offensive guard and nose guard.

By his junior year, Bergey was moved to linebacker. Now he could see everything in front of him and he started racking up the tackles. Despite the move, Arkansas State finished with a losing record.

During his senior season against Eastern Michigan, he made a school record 33 tackles. For the season he averaged 19.6 tackles per game which was another school record for the 7-2-1 the Indians.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Bergey with their 2nd round pick of the 1969 NFL Draft. When he got to training camp, Bergey sized up the linebackers he would be battling for a starting linebacker spot. He told himself, “If you don’t beat out one of those guys, you don’t belong in the game of pro football.”

Not only did he beat those guys out for a starting spot, but he was also a tackling machine. He made the AFL All-Star team and was named the AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The Bengals moved to the new AFC Central Division for their 1st season in the NFL. Cincinnati stunned the league and won the division title with a 8-6 record.

Bergey was emerging as one of the premiere linebackers in the NFL over the next two seasons. However, the Bengals took a step back, winning just 12 games during that time span.

In 1973, the Bengals bounced back and won their 2nd AFC Central Division title with a record of 10-4. Bergey had another bunch of tackles and added 3 interceptions to his resume. Cincinnati faced the defending Super Bowl Champions, Miami Dolphins in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Dolphins were too much for the Bengals as Miami won 34-16.

The previous October, a new threat emerged for the NFL, the World Football League was announced. By the time the NFL offseason had begun, the WFL began signing NFL players to “future contracts”. The Bengals had been watching as the upstart World Football League signed star players from other NFL teams.

Then on April 15th, 1974, it was the Bengals turn. Bergey announced that he was signing a “futures” contract with the Virginia Ambassadors. Bergey was under contract with the Bengals until May 1976 with the 1975 season being a team option. The Bengals contract paid him $38,750 per year. The Ambassadors contract would be for 3 years and would pay Bergey $125,000 a year.

There was an “acceleration” clause in the contract. If Bergey should be released from his contract with Cincinnati so as to be available for the entire 1974 and 1975 football seasons or the entire 1975 football season, then the Ambassadors contract shall cover the 1974, 1975 and 1976 football seasons or the 1975, 1976 and 1977 football seasons. Bergey received a bonus of $150,000, $42,000 of which was payable upon the signing of the contract plus the contract included a “no-cut” clause.

The Bengals offered to tear up his contract and replace it with a new five-year contract with a significant increase in pay. Altogether it amounted to about a $400,000 package plus fringe benefits. It was eventually turned down.

The Bengals would promptly file an injunction against the WFL. On May 14th, the injunction would be struck down by Judge David Porter ruling that Bergey had not breached his contract with the Bengals. The Bengals would appeal the decision. It was assumed that it would be July or August before the United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals would hear and possibly rule on the appeal.

Cincinnati would eventually trade Bergey to the Philadelphia Eagles on July 10, 1974. The Bengals would receive Philadelphia’s 1977 1st round draft pick and 1978 1st & 2nd round draft picks.

By the time of the trade, the Ambassadors had been sold to a group headed by Rommie Loudd and the team had been moved to Orlando and renamed the Blazers. Blazer’s Bob Deutsch said that Bergey agreed to return the initial payment of $40,000 to the team.

The Eagles agreed to advance Bergey the $40,000 plus expenses to repay the Blazers. Bergey would agree to a 5-year deal worth $400,000 with the Eagles a few days later.

However, there was another problem. The contract was written by the “former” owner Joseph Wheeler. Bergey’s attorney, Bart Brown, said that the money should be returned to Wheeler, not the Blazers.

The Blazers were due to pay Bergey $60,000 of the signing bonus on July 1st, but they didn’t because of Bergey’s negotiations with the Eagles. Deutsch said that the Blazers had a $60,000 check ready but Loudd had agreed to release Bergey because of his uncertain status with the Bengals. Bergey’s final portion of the $150,000 signing bonus was due January 1, 1975.

After Bergey got that all squared away, it was time to play some football. And boy did he ever, the 1974 NFL season was a year to remember for Bergey. He had five interceptions, 3.5 sacks and a ton of tackles.

The Eagles were a mediocre team as they finished 7-7 and in 4th place in the NFC East division. Bergey was named 1st team All-Pro, made the NFC Pro Bowl squad and was 2nd in the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award.

In 1975, Bergey was named to the 1st team All-Pro team again after finishing with 3 interceptions and recovering 6 fumbles which was tops in the NFL. But the Eagles struggled through a 4-10 campaign bringing up the rear in the NFC East.

By the time the NFL 1978 Season rolled around, the Eagles finished with a winning record and earned a spot in the NFC Wild Card Game. Bergey was his usual dominant self as he made his 3rd straight NFL Pro Bowl and 3rd straight 2nd team All-Pro. The Eagles lost to the Atlanta Falcons, 14-13 in the NFC Wild Card Game.

After just playing in just 3 games in 1979 due to a knee injury, Bergey was back for all 16 games in 1980. The Eagles won 12 games and won the NFC East title.

Philadelphia defeated the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys to advance to the Super Bowl. The Eagles faced the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV. The Raiders prevailed by a score of 27-10. Following the season, Bergey retired from the NFL.

Career Accomplishments:
1st team Little All-American
All Southland: 1966-1968
Southland 1960’s All-Decade team
North-South Shrine Game Most Valuable Player: 1968
Worthern Amateur Athlete of the Year: 1968
AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: 1969
Philadelphia Eagles Most Valuable Player: 1974
NFL Fumble recovery leader: 1975
1st team All-Pro: 1974 & 1975
2nd team All-Pro: 1976-1978
NFL Pro Bowl: 1969, 1974, 1976-1978
Cincinnati Bengals 50th Anniversary team
Arkansas State Hall of Honor: 1982
Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame: 1986
Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame: 1988
Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame: 1989
Great Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame: 2004
Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame: 2011

1968-7-5: On This Day in Professional Football History: Minnesota Vikings general manager Jim Finks announced a trade with the Washington Redskins. The Vikings acquired safety Paul Krause. In exchange for Krause, the Vikings sent tight end Marlin McKeever and a 7th round draft pick in the 1969 NFL draft.

Krause led the NFL in interceptions (12) in 1964 setting an NFL record with intercepting a pass in seven consecutive games. He grabbed a total of 28 interceptions during his 4 years with the Redskins which ranked 12th among active NFL players in career interceptions.

He became the 1st safety in NFL history to be named a consensus all-pro. He did this in two consecutive years (1965 & 1966).

“We’re delighted to get him. He’s a proven football player; four years as a regular, and a great all-around athlete,” Finks said. “Jimmy Carr (Vikings defensive backfield coach) played two years with Krause and he’s very optimistic about Krause’s chances of helping our ball club,” Finks added.

The knock-on Krause was his poor tackling. Former Redskins defensive backfield coach Ed Hughes, now with the San Francisco 49ers, clashed with Krause due to his poor tacking and Krause felt that this was part of the reason for the trade.

McKeever was obtained by the Vikings a year ago in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. He played out his option year and indicated that he would not return to Minnesota.

Redskins’ head coach Otto Graham said that with the addition of McKeever, that he would move tight end Jerry Smith out to the flanker position. Also, flanker Bobby Mitchell would receive some playing time in the backfield.

Vikings defensive backfield coach, Jimmy Carr, said, “Krause’s main attribute is his ability to play centerfield - to be able to go and get the ball - to either sideline or in the middle. Put it this way, Krause is a good football player, and anytime you get a chance to pick up a good one, you take him.”