Hall of Fame Selection Committee,

This year as a club we’re trying to “Catch a Wave of Support” to get Mick Tingelhoff (53) and Jim Marshall (70) voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is another letter on the merits of Mick and Jim.
My goal of these letters is not to cover all the points that Mick Tingelhoff and Jim Marshall bring forth when you consider a person for the Hall of Fame. My idea is to limit myself to one topic and cover that topic in as clear a way possible and then approach you again with a separate topic.

Today I want to discuss “The Wrong Way Run”.

It’s my impression that Jim Marshall’s wrong way run has worked against him when it comes to being selected into the Hall of Fame. It’s not my intention to criticize or accuse any member of the selection committee of being consciously unjust in their selection process. I just believe that this play is in the minds of all knowledgeable football people and is a reality – so I want to bring it out into the open and discuss it for a few minutes.

The game was in 1964; the Vikings were playing the 49ers and George Mira (quarterback for the 49ers) threw a pass to Billy Kilmer (playing halfback at the time) that was completed for about a sixteen yard gain. Karl Kassulke, Vikings safety, created a fumble and here is where it gets interesting. Jim picks up the fumble and runs the wrong way, approximately 65 yards the wrong way and throws the ball in the stands when he crosses the end zone line, and scores a safety for the 49ers. And since that day, October 25th, 1964, Jim has had to deal with the wrong way run question, the wrong way video clip and I think being slighted from the Hall of Fame.

My first point is: Jim was the defensive end putting pressure on Mira that created the scramble prior to the pass. Jim plays right defensive end; forced the 49ers quarterback to scramble to his right, away from Jim. Mira found Kilmer on the right side of the field – his right. My first thought is (with the exception of Jim being twisted around and his run) this play does describe how Jim played. Here is a defensive end forcing the quarterback to scramble, seeing the pass completed for a sixteen to twenty yard completion and was still able to get across and down the field to get in on the tackle and forced fumble. I’m not sure you can find another play where a defensive end covered as much ground as quickly as Jim did on that play.

This brings me to the real point – aggression. Jim’s motto was “Be aggressive! If you’re going to make a mistake; do it aggressively”. This is the style of defense the Minnesota Vikings played. This was confirmed to me by Alan Page personally – everything about this defense revolved around aggression and Jim was the captain of the defense and the team leader, the aggression play started with Jim. So; the next time you watch this play on You Tube, look to see who’s rushing the passer, look to see who’s chasing down the play from behind (and getting there while the play is live) and see if you can spot the most aggressive player on the field – it will be Jim.

If the wrong way part of this play is what you remember of Jim, then you don’t remember the true Jim Marshall. There are hundreds of examples, but, I’ll give you one to help with the image of Jim’s play. A play that Alan Page described as possibly the greatest play he was ever involved in because of the greatness of Jim’s play.

It’s snowing, it’s muddy, there’s poor visibility – Jim drops back into coverage and intercepts a pass and heads for the end zone. Two would be tacklers have the angle on Jim and are closing fast. Somehow through the snow Jim sees a trailing runner about three yards behind the tacklers. Jim waits until the tacklers are just about ready to hit him and he reaches around and under them and laterals to the runner. Alan Page, the trailing teammate, catches the lateral and trots into the end zone untouched. This play is hard to describe; the Vikings are wearing their white uniforms, but you can’t tell because of all the mud. You can’t see very far because of the snow and somehow Jim was able to see he had a teammate to his left and behind him and he made the perfect lateral. To quote Alan “All I had to do was catch it; the ball was exactly where you wanted it.” This was a great play!

There are literally hundreds of examples of Jim’s aggressive play (and probably thousands of examples) where Jim’s play was outstanding. And every time; you find at its core the motto, “Be aggressive! If you’re going to make a mistake; do it aggressively”.

Okay Jim got turned around chasing Mira out of the pocket and running down Kilmer; he was the guy putting the pressure on the quarterback, he was the guy running down the receiver and he made a mistake, but he did it aggressively. He chased a quarterback seven to ten yards deep in the backfield; then ran down the completed pass, only a heck of an athlete can make that play. Oh and yes; the Vikings won that game thanks to a Carl Eller fumble recovery he ran for a touchdown, created by a sack of George Mira by, you guessed it, Jim Marshall. And what was Jim doing on that play – being aggressive!

Let’s put the true NFL Iron Men in the Hall of Fame (and let’s do it aggressively)!

Skol

Wm. R. Martin
President