1979 New York Jets Team Directory
Chairman of the Board: Leon Hess
President: Jim Kensil
Pro Personnel Coordinator: Jim Royer
Business Manager/Traveling Secretary: John Free
Director Player Personnel: Mike Hickey
Director of Public Relations: Frank Ramos
Head Coach: Walt Michaels
Home Field: Shea Stadium (60,000)
-The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
OFFENSE
"Walt Michaels was asked about the dilemma of having two good quarterbacks. 'There's no dilemma,' he replied. 'A dilemma is when you don't have one.' That is well phrased, but Michaels must still pick between Richard Todd and Matt Robinson and keep both happy. Odds are good it will be Todd and happiness will remain, nonetheless. Todd will wind up and throw deep to Wesley Walker and everyone will smile. Kevin Long will continue to run for big yardage and everyone will feel good inside. If you're a Jets fan or part of the organization, that is. If you're the opposition, even the thought of Walker jetting past (pardon the pun) is enough to make one's stomach jump.
The Jets have that old-time explosiveness again, just like when Namath pitched to Maynard and Sauer and Snell was carving out yardage between the tackles. Last year, the Jets' 359 points were second only to Miami in the AFC. Derrick Gaffney and old-timer Jerome Barkum, 28, add receiving strength, while Scott Dierking complements Long at running back. Two tremendous young tackles, Marvin Powell and Chris Ward, plus ageless Randy Rasmussen, lead the offensive line."
-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
DEFENSE
"Quiz time, gang. We all know that Ahmad Rashad used to be Bobby Moore, right? Well, who is Abdul Salaam? No, not Kareen Abdul-Salaam. Give up? Larry Faulk. Larry Faulk of the New York Jets, a nose tackle. His new name means 'soldier of peace.' That could be part of the reason the Jets' defense finished 27th last year. Too many peace offerings.
Quite a front three the Jets have. One end, Lawrence Pillers, had ulcers for two years. The other end, Joe Klecko, once drove a truck for a living. You wonder why the Jets were 26th against the rush. Of course, they didn't have linebacker Greg Buttle for half of last season. Another linebacker, John Hennessey, started the year as a defensive end. Now it's St. Patrick's Day every Sunday with the Jets' two inside linebackers- Hennessey and Mike Hennigan. However, the Jets' most consistent linebacker is Bob Martin.
A midget, 5-9 Bobby Jackson, cracked the Jets' secondary last year and now teams with Ed Taylor, Shafer Suggs and Burgess Owens. Jackson and Owens tied for the team interception lead with five. Something else the Jets tied for- fewest sacks in the league, 28, with Buffalo."
-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
KICKING
"Fantastic place kicker Pat Leahy led AFC scorers with 107 points. Punter Chuck Ramsey was fifth (40.1). Bruce Harper had the most return yardage of any player in football- 1,280 on kickoffs and 378 on punts, including an 82-yarder for a score. Bruce can turn on the juice."
-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
THE ROOKIES
"The Jets are tired of laying down and having people run over them, so they took two defensive ends- Marty Lyons of Alabama and Mark Gastineau of East Central Oklahoma. Donald Dykes of Southeastern Louisiana might crack the secondary. Six of their first seven draft picks were defensive players."
-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
OUTLOOK
"Jets fans are thinking about wearing blindfolds when the defense takes the field; it's that bad. If New York's defense suddenly goes through a transformation and reappears as Pittsburgh's, the Jets will be sent automatically to the Super Bowl in September. Otherwise, forget it."
-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
"If any one word characterized the Jets during the '78 campaign, that word is- inconsistency. Just past mid-season, the Jets seemed to be riding a wave of victory that would carry them straight into the playoffs. Even after they lost to New England in the ninth game, the Jets did an amazing turnabout the following week and clipped the Denver Broncos, 31-28. That gave Coach Walt Michaels' outfit a 6-4 record as they faced, admittedly, a tough succession of opponents in the season's final six games.
As the record shows, the Jets managed to win only two of those contests and had to be content with a break-even 8-8 record and only fond hopes about any future playoff consideration. Still, Walt Michaels could rightly feel his efforts were beginning to pay off, particularly where the story could be told in one set of comparative figures: Total Jet points in '77: 191. Total in '78: 359.
Two years ago, the Jets scored just six touchdowns rushing throughout the entire season, managing somehow to avoid an overland touchdown in any of their last nine games. That was hardly the case last season. They scored 21 rushing touchdowns and established a club rushing record with 2,250 yards. Other aspects of offense showed marked improvement, including the receiving department where Wesley Walker led the league in a couple of categories, and placekicking where Pat Leahy led the American Conference in kick-scoring with 107 points. Also, in punt return average the Jets were first in the NFL, due largely to the sterling efforts of Bruce Harper.
In fact, Walt Michael's achievement of bringing the Jets to the very brink of the playoffs and winning the UPI's Coach of the Year award was attributed to his conversion to a ball-control team. That, of course, took some of the pressure off the defense but, as it turned out, the defensive unit wasn't able to capitalize on the advantage.
Perhaps an even more impressive reason for the overall rise of the Jets was their success in choosing recruits from the so-called 'middle rounds' of the college draft. These are the 5th through 10th rounds- rounds in which the talent is more difficult to distinguish from the more highly publicized ones who were chosen earlier. Defensive end Joe Klecko, for instance, was a round six choice. Larry Pillers, the other defensive end, was discovered in the 11th round. Nose guard Abdul Salaam was a seventh-rounder. Derrick Gaffney, who won a starting spot last season in his second season out of Florida, had to wait eight rounds before his talent was recognized. Linebacker Bob Martin was a sixth-round choice from Nebraska who made the grade. Kevin Long, the club's top running back, was a seventh-rounder and guard Dan Alexander sat around for ten rounds. Bobby Jackson, cornerback, was drafted in round six, linebacker John Hennessey in round ten. And how about quarterback Matt Robinson who threatens to take Richard Todd's job? Opportunity knocked for Robinson in round nine.
When asked to comment on his club's achievements, Michaels talked at length about the offense but had little to say about the defensive unit, except to praise Joe Klecko's performance and complement Larry Keller on his backup work at linebacker. Little wonder that Michaels was silent on this score. The final 1978 statistics showed the Jets ranking 23rd in NFL defense against the pass, 26th in rushing defense and 27th in total defense among the league's twenty-eight teams. Even though there was marked improvement in such defensive areas as pass interceptions, defense remains a critical priority in 1979 if the Jets are to continue their upward mobility.
The quarterback matter must be settled. Michaels, instead of actually choosing between Richard Todd and Matt Robinson (with Pat Ryan an outside longshot), may actually choose them both- that is, if one falters, replace him with the other. This personnel strategy has been known to function very well with other clubs plagued by the presence of two good quarterbacks.
Last season the Jets had what many considered the league's toughest schedule. It could be just as tough this year, given the expected improvement by several NFL clubs, whose fortunes, like those of the Jets, are on the rise. Perhaps, it was wishful thinking, but after the Jets played their final game on December 17, losing to Dallas, they left for their various homes, to enjoy Christmas, totally confident, according to one observer, it would be the last year they would enjoy this particular holiday without worrying about an upcoming playoff game.
There's always something that threatens to spoil Christmas."
-Herbert M. Furlow, The 1979 Pocket Handbook of Football
OFFENSE
"Quarterbacks: At season's end, Michaels was still being cagey about his choice for No. 1 quarterback. Todd, who was going great guns last season until he broke his collarbone on September 24 against the Redskins, injured it again on November 19 against the Patriots. In his absence, Robinson started seven games and did so well that Todd's starting role was no longer taken for granted, or so Michaels indicated. Ryan didn't play as much as Robinson, but he showed something when he did, such as nine completions in 14 throws for 106 yards and a 64.3 average.
When asked which of the trio would start for the Jets this season, Michaels replied, 'I'm gonna start a guy from the SEC.' Todd, Ryan and Robinson all learned their football at Southeast Conference schools.
Running Backs: Whenever Scott Dierking was out because of injury, the Jets' running game sagged, and it didn't escape the coaching staff's notice. Long led the club's rushers with almost 1,000 yards (954) and Dierking was his No. 1 blocker. Harper, only a part-time running back, led the entire NFL with 2,157 all-purpose yards: 306 rushing, 1,280 on kickoff returns, 378 on punt returns, along with 196 receptions. Not bad for a 5-8, 182-pound player from Pennsylvania's Kutztown State who, two years ago, invited himself to the Jets' training camp and announced he was going to make the team. Who needs the draft?
Receivers: Walker's 24.4 average on 48 catches was the NFL's best. Also, his NFL high of 1,169 yards was the most by a Jet since Don Maynard's 1,297 back in 1968. Gaffney came into his own last season, a club second to Walker with 38 receptions. Two years ago, Gaffney was an eighth-round draft pick from Florida. Jerome Barkum continues to do a better-than-most job at tight end.
Bob Raba can play linebacker if needed. Bruce Stephens sometimes doubles as a kick returner. Running backs Long, Dierking and Harper caught a total of 58 passes coming out of the backfield.
Interior Linemen: The offensive line is the biggest step forward for the revived Jets. From left tackle to right tackle, Chris Ward, Randy Rasmussen, Joe Fields, Dan Alexander and Marvin Powell gave opposing defenses plenty of trouble, particularly in the first half of last season. Tackles Ward and Powell, two first-round draft choices in recent years, gained notice as the 'Jet book ends' on the offensive line. Ward received credit for much of the running game's improvement. Rasmussen enters his 13th year, the only active player who took part in the Jets' historic 16-7 victory over Baltimore in Super Bowl III. Says Rasmussen: 'I was the youngest player here 11 years ago. I don't feel old but I'm the oldest in time. Still, I've seen the guys coming and going each year so I don't feel anything unusual about being the only one left.'
Kickers: Leahy didn't play football in college, but he did play soccer. He led the AFC in scoring last season with 107 points (41-for-42 on PATs, 22-for-30 on field goals).
Chuck Ramsey's 79-yard punt against Baltimore on October 15 was one of the longest in NFL history, but not the longest. (Another Jet, Steve O'Neal, set the league record of 98 yards against Denver in 1969). After being drafted by New England in 1974, Ramsey signed with Detroit in 1977 and came to the Jets last December. 'I was doing well with Detroit,' says Ramsey, 'until they decided they didn't like my three-step approach and changed to one-and-a-half steps. That really messed me up, and they put me on waivers.' His 40.1 average for the Jets (with no blocked punts) could even make three steps fashionable."
-Herbert M. Furlow, The 1979 Pocket Handbook of Football
DEFENSE
"Interior Linemen: The Jets were weak in pass rushing last season, sacking the quarterback a mere 22 times. But Klecko did his part, leading the club with eight sacks. A high-priority need for the Jets is another defensive lineman who can join Klecko in the pass rush. As it is now, Klecko feels that he's a marked man whenever the opposition sets up a pass play. Klecko was more than a pass rusher last season. He also blocked two PATs and a field goal and was among the club's leaders in tackles with 77 solos and 62 assists. But the Jet defense needs shoring up, and Michaels may even switch back to a 4-3.
Linebackers: The lagging Jet defense doesn't say a great deal for this unit. True, the linebacking corps did receive a critical setback in late October when Greg Buttle was lost for the season with a knee injury, suffered in the disastrous 55-21 loss to New England. Keller, usually a capable replacement, came on for Buttle and then he, too, went down with a similar injury in the fourth period of the same game. Mike Hennigan is the veteran and holds his own, mainly because none of the younger linebackers are showing progress. Steve Head and Lynn Hover, signed as free agents, should keep in mind there's plenty of room at the top. Hennessey can double as a defensive end if need be, and Mike Mock has good credentials as a punter if he's called.
Defensive Backs: Bobby Jackson and Brig Owens tied for the club interception lead, each with five. Jackson, who led in pass defenses with 13, made the team as a rookie, mainly because he not only has speed but he can jump higher than any other Jet. Actually, he can leap as high as 32 inches, and that's about two inches above the average kitchen table.
During the last three games of '78, the Jets' pass defense improved considerably. The opposition in each game was held to less than 100 net yards in the air. At season's end, interceptions were up, too, totaling 23 compared with only 11 a year earlier. Shafer Suggs was one of the prime movers in the resurgent pass defense. Steve Taylor and Eddie Woods were signed as free agents."
-Herbert M. Furlow, The 1979 Pocket Handbook of Football
"After three straight 3-11 seasons, the league's youngest team took on the league's toughest schedule last year and battled it on even terms. The fuzzy-cheeked Jets proved they can score points (359) as fast and as often as any team in the league, which in itself makes them a 1979 wild card contender and a club not to be taken lightly.
AFC Coach of the Year Walt Michaels has two proven young passers vying for starting quarterback honors. Richard Todd, a more mobile athlete and better downfield thrower, has the edge over Matt Robinson who passed for 13 touchdowns but had only a poor 46.6% completion average while filling in last season for the injured Todd. Talented soph Pat Ryan adds to the competition.
All-Pro flanker Wesley Walker is the most dangerous deep receiver due to his blazing 9.4 speed and explosive acceleration off a cutting pattern. Walker again led all NFL receivers with a 24.4 average (1,189 yards, eight touchdowns) on 48 catches. Elusive Derrick Gaffney proved a nice surprise with his 18.2 average on 38 grabs at the opposite wide receiver post. Kevin Bell, Bobby Jones and Bruce Stephens are reserve flankers. Jerome Barkum has the magical hands while tough Mickey Schuler packs blocking power at the tight end spot where Bob Raba and Mark Iwanowski vie for backup jobs.
The Jets' 'No-Name Backfield' rushed for a club-record 140.6 yards per game and 21 touchdowns. Strong Kevin Long slashed for an impressive 954 yards (4.5 average) and 10 touchdowns while inside banger Scott Dierking added 681 yards (4.0 average). Kick return star Bruce Harper is used in spots for outside speed while Clark Gaines, Jim Earley, Todd Newton and Darnell Powell act as reserves. Chunky Emmitt King (Houston) arrives with excellent halfback credentials.
The key to New York's success is a dynamic young offensive line that features the power blocking of Chris Ward (6-3, 271) and Marvin Powell (6-5, 276), two outstanding fire-out types with awesome strength. Hard-hitting Dan Alexander (6-4, 253) and veteran Randy Rasmussen (6-2, 258) are mobile guards while Joe Fields (6-2, 247) is a quick-charging center. Eric Cunnigham (6-2, 265) of Penn State and Bill Dufel (6-3, 260) of Michigan add considerable muscle up front where tackle Joe Roman, tackle Stan Waldemore and guard Gary Evans hope to retain their reserve jobs.
Harper topped the NFL in combined kickoff and punt return yardage (1,658) and is a touchdown threat every time he touches the ball. Place kicker Pat Leahy, the AFC scoring champion, piled up 107 points including a solid 22-for-30 field goal conversion mark, while punter Chuck Ramsey came through with a solid 40.1-yard average on 74 attempts.
Michaels devoted six of his first seven draft picks to the defense and now appears to have the necessary talent to play the 4-3 alignment of which he is a master. Top pick Marty Lyons (6-5, 250) of Alabama is a quick and strong pass-rushing end while second pick Mark Gastineau (6-5, 260) of East Central State (Okla.) has the strength and mobility to play anywhere up front. The two newcomers will compete with regulars Joe Klecko (6-3, 256), Lawrence Pillers (6-3, 248) and Abdul Salaam (6-3, 262) for starting honors. Reserve candidates include end Gregg Robinson, tackle Joe Pelligrini, end Joe Moreino and rookie and tackle Marshall Harris (6-4, 254) of Texas Christian.
Menacing Greg Buttle is the kingpin of the linebacking unit at his left linebacker slot while clever right linebacker Bob Martin packs good range on the weak side. Hustling Larry Keller and Mike Mock are the outside reserves. Two strong rookies, Kelly Kirchbaum (6-2, 243) of Kentucky and Stan Blinka (6-1, 233) of Sam Houston State come up to challenge Mike Hennigan, John Hennessey and Mark Merrill.
Team captain Burgess Owens is a standout free safety while tough strong safety Shafer Suggs punishes people with his strong hitting. All-Rookie left cornerback Bobby Jackson did a fine job with five interceptions while right cornerback Ed Taylor could be ousted by 4.4 blazer Donald Dykes (Southeast Louisiana) or 4.45 sprinter Johnny Lynn (UCLA). Secondary reserves include safety Ken Schroy, safety Tim Moresco, cornerback Larry Riley, cornerback Reggie Grant and rookie safety Keith Brown (Minnesota).
The Jets are flying high after last season's surprising showing and may be hard to handle if their young defense jells under Michaels' masterful handling.
'79 Forecast: 3rd Place"
-Football Forecast 1979, published by Lexington Library, Inc.
1979 New York Jets Veteran Preseason Roster
Head Coach - Walt Michaels
Assistant Coaches: Bob Fry, Joe Gardi, Joe Haering, John Idzik, Bob Ledbetter, John Mazur, Pete McCulley, Dan Sekanovich
60 Dan Alexander (G) LSU
67 Darrell Austin (G-C) South Carolina
83 Jerome Barkum (TE) Jackson State
80 Kevin Bell (WR) Lamar
51 Greg Buttle (LB) Penn State
25 Scott Dierking (RB) Purdue
47 Jim Earley (FB)
65 Joe Fields (C-G) Widener
81 Derrick Gaffney (WR) Florida
21 Clark Gaines (RB) Wake Forest
49 Reggie Grant (CB) Oregon
42 Bruce Harper (RB-KR) Kutztown State
63 John Hennessey (LB-DE) Michigan
52 Mike Hennigan (LB) Tennessee Tech
84 Mark Iwanowski (TE) Pennsylvania
40 Bobby Jackson (CB) Florida State
89 Bobby Jones (WR)
56 Larry Keller (LB) Houston
73 Joe Klecko (DE) Temple
5 Pat Leahy (K) St. Louis
33 Kevin Long (FB) South Carolina
59 Bob Martin (LB) Nebraska
58 Mark Merrill (LB) Minnesota
50 Mike Mock (LB-P) Texas Tech
71 Joe Moreino (DE-DT) Idaho State
37 Tim Moresco (S) Syracuse
44 Tom Newton (FB) California
22 Burgess Owens (S) Miami
77 Joe Pellegrini (DT) Idaho
76 Lawrence Pillers (DE) Alcorn State
20 Darnell Powell (RB) Tennessee-Chattanooga
79 Marvin Powell (T) USC
86 Bob Raba (TE) Maryland
15 Chuck Ramsey (P) Wake Forest
Terry Randolph (S) American International
66 Randy Rasmussen (G) Kearney State
34 Larry Riley (CB) Salem
64 Gregg Robinson (DE-DT) Dartmouth
17 Matt Robinson (QB) Georgia
61 John Roman (T) Idaho State
4 Pat Ryan (QB) Tennessee
74 Abdul Salaam (DT) Kent State
48 Ken Schroy (S) Maryland
82 Mickey Schuler (TE) Penn State
87 Bruce Stephens (WR-KR) Columbia
23 Shafer Suggs (SS) Ball State
38 Ed Taylor (CB) Memphis State
Steve Taylor (S) Kansas
14 Richard Todd (QB) Alabama
70 Stan Waldemore (G-T) Nebraska
85 Wesley Walker (WR) California
72 Chris Ward (T) Ohio State
Top Five Draft Choices
1 Marty Lyons (DE) Alabama
2 Mark Gastineau (DE) East Central Oklahoma
3 Donald Dykes (DB) Southeast Louisiana
4 Eric Cunningham (G) Penn State
4 Johnny Lynn (DB) UCLA
-1979 Complete Handbook of Pro Football
1979 New York Jets Preseason Position Roster
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Matt Robinson (Georgia)
Pat Ryan (Tennessee)
Richard Todd (Alabama)
Running Backs
Scott Dierking (Purdue)
Jim Earley (Michigan State)
Clark Gaines (Wake Forest)
Bruce Harper (Kutztown State)
Andre Herrera (Southern Illinois)
Kevin Long (South Carolina)
Tom Newton (California)
Darnell Powell (Tennessee-Chattanooga)
Receivers
Jerome Barkum (T) (Jackson State)
Kevin Bell (W) (Lamar)
Derrick Gaffney (W) (Florida)
Mark Iwanowski (T) (Pennsylvania)
Bobby Jones (W)
Bob Raba (T) (Maryland)
Mickey Shuler (T) (Penn State)
Bruce Stephens (W) (Columbia)
Wesley Walker (W) (California)
(W)-Wide Receiver (T)-Tight End
Interior Linemen
Dan Alexander (G) (LSU)
Eric Cunningham (G) (Penn State)
Gary Evans (G) (Grand Valley State)
Joe Fields (C-G) (Widener)
John Gibney (C) (Colgate)
Marvin Powell (T) (USC)
Randy Rasmussen (G) (Kearney State)
John Roman (T) (Idaho State)
Stan Waldemore (T-G) (Nebraska)
Chris Ward (T) (Ohio State)
(T)-Tackle (G)-Guard (C)- Center
Kickers
Pat Leahy (PK) (St. Louis)
Chuck Ramsey (P) (Wake Forest)
(PK)-Place Kicker (P)-Punter
DEFENSE
Front Linemen
Mark Gastineau (E) (East Central Oklahoma)
Joe Klecko (E) (Temple)
Marty Lyons (E) (Alabama)
Joe Moreino (E-T) (Idaho State)
Joe Pellegrini (T) (Idaho)
Lawrence Pillers (E) (Alcorn State)
Gregg Robinson (E-T) (Dartmouth)
Abdul Salaam (T) (Kent State)
Nate Washington (E) (Iowa)
(E)-End (T)-Tackle
Linebackers
Stan Blinka (O) (Sam Houston State)
Greg Buttle (O) (Penn State)
Russ Cooke (O) (Massachusetts)
Steve Head (O) (Kutztown State)
John Hennessey (I) (Michigan)
Mike Hennigan (I) (Tennessee Tech)
Lynn Hover (I) (Wyoming)
Larry Keller (O) (Houston)
Kelly Kirchbaum (O) (Kentucky)
Bob Martin (O) (Nebraska)
Mark Merrill (I) (Minnesota)
Mike Mock (O) (Texas Tech)
(O)-Outside Linebacker (I)-Inside Linebacker
Defensive Backs
Donald Dykes (CB) (Southeast Louisiana)
Reggie Grant (CB) (Oregon)
Bobby Jackson (CB) (Florida State)
Johnny Lynn (CB) (UCLA)
Tim Moresco (S) (Syracuse)
Burgess Owens (S) (Miami, Fla.)
Larry Riley (CB) (Salem)
Ken Schroy (S) (Maryland)
Shafer Suggs (S) (Ball State)
Ed Taylor (CB) (Memphis State)
Steve Taylor (S) (Kansas)
Eddie Woods (CB) (Eastern Michigan)
(CB)-Cornerback (S)-Safety
-The Pocket Book of Pro Football 1979, published by Pocket Books
1979 New York Jets Depth Chart
OFFENSE
QB Richard Todd, Matt Robinson, Pat Ryan
RB Kevin Long, Clark Gaines, Tom Newton, Jim Earley
RB Scott Dierking, Bruce Harper, Darnell Powell, Andre Herrera
WR Wesley Walker, Bobby Jones, Kevin Bell, Bruce Stephens
LT Chris Ward, John Roman, Stan Waldemore
LG Randy Rasmussen, Dan Alexander, Gary Evans
C Joe Fields, Gibney
RG Dan Alexander, Stan Waldemore, Gary Evans, Eric Cunningham*
RT Marvin Powell, John Roman, Stan Waldemore
TE Jerome Barkum, Mickey Shuler, Mark Iwanowski, Bob Raba
WR Derrick Gaffney, Bobby Jones, Kevin Bell, Bruce Stephens
DEFENSE
LDE Lawrence Pillers, Gregg Robinson, Joe Moreino, Nate Washington, Mark Gastineau*
NT Abdul Salaam, Joe Pellegrini, Gregg Robinson
RDE Joe Klecko, Gregg Robinson, John Hennessey, Marty Lyons*
LOLB Greg Buttle, Larry Keller, Mike Mock, Steve Head, Stan Blinka*
LILB John Hennessey, Mark Merrill, Larry Keller, Lynn Hover
RILB Mike Hennigan, Mark Merrill, Larry Keller
ROLB Bob Martin, Larry Keller, Mike Mock, Russ Cooke, Kelly Kirchbaum*
LCB Bobby Jackson, Reggie Grant, Larry Riley, Eddie Woods, Johnny Lynn*
SS Shafer Suggs, Tim Moresco, Ken Schroy
FS Burgess Owens, Ken Schroy, Tim Moresco, Steve Taylor
RCB Ed Taylor, Reggie Grant, Larry Riley, Donald Dykes*
*rookie
-The Pocket Book of Pro Football 1979, published by Pocket Books
