New Life With A New Team (1970s Players Switching Teams)

There were several prominent NFL players during the 1970s who were traded or waived by one team and then managed to reestablish themselves as outstanding components to their new teams. The reasons behind their departure from their previous teams are varied, but they are all encompassed by the desire from their previous team to go in a new direction.

As it turned out, many of these discarded athletes decided to wear a chip on their shoulders as a motivational factor when going to their new team. They were simply going to play harder than ever before, as they made the best of a new chapter in their pro careers.

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Delvin Williams

One of those players was running back Delvin Williams, who was the featured runner for the San Francisco 49ers from 1974 to 1977. In the spring of 1978, Miami head coach Don Shula was in need of a youthful runner who could be his featured offensive weapon, and Williams fit the bill.

Many people derided Shula’s signing of Williams, citing that the speedy runner gained only 931 yards in 1977. But Shula stuck to his guns, and Williams signed a Dolphins contract. By the end of his first year in Miami, Williams gained a career-best 1,258 yards as he was named to the All-Pro team.

He also scored eight touchdowns in 1978, and he played in the Pro Bowl that year. Thanks in large part to Williams’ efforts, the Dolphins returned to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.

Preston Pearson

Another player who excelled for his new team was Preston Pearson, who played for Baltimore from 1967 to 1969. He then played for Pittsburgh from 1970 to 1974. Following the 1974 season, however, Pearson was waived and was signed by Dallas in 1975 for the customary waiver fee of $100.

It might have been the best $100 that the Cowboys ever spent. Pearson played for Dallas from 1975 to the end of his pro career in 1980. He quickly became their designated third down back, and his innate ability to catch passes coming out of the offensive backfield gave his opponents fits.

Perhaps Pearson’s greatest game was the 1975 NFC Championship Game, where his three touchdown receptions led the Cowboys to their 37-7 rout of the Los Angeles Rams.

Mike Sensibaugh

Still another player who went from one NFL team to another during the 1970s and who performed well for each was defensive back Mike Sensibaugh. Now Sensibaugh’s story is kind of unique, in that he played for both of the Missouri NFL teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

While he was playing for the Chiefs from 1971 to 1975, Sensibaugh intercepted 20 passes. In 1976, he was traded to the Cardinals, where he played until the end of his pro career at the completion of the 1978 season. Sensibaugh managed to pick off a total of seven passes which he played for St. Louis. He also recovered 12 fumbles during his pro career.

Roman Gabriel

Rounding out this list is none other than Roman Gabriel, who established for himself a very strong career as the quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. Gabriel was under center in Los Angeles from 1962 to 1972. But following an injury-plagued season in 1972, Gabriel was deemed to be expendable.

He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1973. Even though he could not turn the Eagles into a winning club, Gabriel nevertheless managed to lead the NFL in passing yardage and touchdown passes in 1973.

He was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1973. Perhaps no pro player during the 1970s epitomized succeeding at one team, being considered washed up by that team, then going to another team and succeeding again with his new team more than Roman Gabriel.

Now it’s important to note that not every NFL player who was ever released or traded to a new team experienced a rebirth of their talents.

In fact, the vast majority did not. But for those that did, they substantiated their worth to their new team and thus enhanced their pro football careers.

Trivia Question:

Today’s Trivia Question isn’t really a trivia question, but it’s a question, nonetheless. Which player (or players) do you remember from the 1970s that seemed to do better for their new team than they did for their former team?

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Host of Pro Football in the 1970s - Joe Zagorski

Throughout his days, Joe spent some time as a sportswriter and has been a member of the Pro Football Researchers Association since the mid-1980s. Joe is also a proud member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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