NFL Fans

Milt Plum ; 1960 Was A "Plum" Good Year !



Dan Marino and Steve Young were recently inducted into the Football Hall
Of Fame in Canton, Ohio and deservingly so. Marino was probably the best
pure passer I've seen in my lifetime. He has set a multitude of passing
records that may never be broken. Mr. Young had a hard act to follow in San
Francisco when he took over for the beloved Joe Montana. To his credit using
class, poise, a rifle arm and the legs that many NFL running backs would
envy, he kept the 49ers among football's elite during his tenure as the
starter there.

What about some of the " Forgotten QB's " ? I was looking over the All
Time Passing Leaders ( Year by year ) chart in an issue of Football Digest.
The great Sammy Baugh was the first to break the 100% QB rating in 1945 with
an outstanding 109.9 rating. Charlie Conerly approached the record in 1959
by becoming the second QB to top 100% with a 102.7.

In 1960 a somewhat obscure QB with the very successful Cleveland Browns had
the audacity to break Baugh's record with a mark of 110.4% !!! His name was
Milt Plum. Although Milt's record was challenged over the years by some guys
with names like Tittle, Dawson, Starr, Staubach, Stabler and Marino. All of
them broke the 100% plane but could not surpass Milt's magic number.
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FINALLY...29 years later in 1989, Joe Montana set a new high water mark of
112.4.Five years later in 1994, Steve Young posted a 112.8%.
Since Montana's 1989 campaign, the 100% level has been reached or surpassed
in every year except for 1986. Still since 1932 only three QB's have reached
or gone over a 110% QB Rating. They are Steve Young, Joe Montana and Milt
Plum.



NOTE ; Quarterback rating statistics taken through the 2003 season.