Notable achievements: In 1943, he led the NFL in completions (133), punting average (45.9) and interceptions (as a defensive back) with 11.īaugh, who spent his entire NFL career with Washington, played offense, defense and special teams-commonplace during the era. In his rookie season in 1937, he threw for 335 yards-a remarkable figure for the time-and three touchdowns in a 28-21 win over Chicago.īaugh's 1943 season was the most striking example of his multi-faceted greatness. Washington's Sammy Baugh signed autographs for fans during a late 1940s practice. READ MORE: 10 Extraordinary Pro Football Hall of Fame Classes 2. “He was the first ‘real’ quarterback in the NFL,” Kendle says.
The move paid off handsomely for the Giants, as Friedman threw 20 touchdowns in 1929, as many as the bottom seven teams in the league combined. He worked on strengthening his hand and forearm, developed a throwing motion that kept his arm close to his body and close to his ear and even adjusted his grip to be better suited to the football of that time.įriedman was so influential that the Mara family, owners of the New York Giants, purchased his 1928 team, the Detroit Wolverines, mainly to acquire his rights. The mechanics of quarterbacking that are taken for granted today came from Friedman's innovations. "He wrote books about throwing the football in a time when the football was very large and wasn’t easy to throw,” says Jon Kendle, director of archives and football information at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Notable achievements: He was a four-time All-Pro and modernized the forward pass in the NFL.įriedman, who played for the Cleveland Bulldogs, Detroit Wolverines, New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers during an eight-year career in the NFL, was instrumental in developing the throwing motion for the sport.
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