Jay Company You Forgot One of The Best People, Best Blocking Tight End as well. Too bad he suffered that knee injury and also too Bad his son is one of the Biggest Pieces of Shit. How could such an Amazing Person and Football Player raise a Wasted Talent disgraceful person??
@@sandiegosalperez2743 @Jay Company he was a beast but you also had TEs like Russ Francis, Dave Casper and Raymond Chester all these guys were Pro bowlers great catchers and blockers and put up good numbers. Kellen is prob the only one that couolda been a receiver tho and if he played more games would have better numbers. Boy do I ever miss the 70s and early 80s football ...
@@salvatoreperez5113 I agree with Ozzie and Todd but Dave was a 5x Pro bowler and 4x All Pro he has 9 more TDs than Todd. Todd has about 1000 more yds and 60 more catches and one more ring. Dave is in the hall Todd should be
I live in Michigan, HUGE Charger fan. I think I liked them as a kid back in the 70's because the uniforms were the best ever. Lightning bolts on the shoulder, and the pants....tooooooo cool. I was 8 years old, but John Jefferson made me a life long Charger fan. The guy could get anything in his radar. He could out run a deer. He was the king 4 me.
Enjoyed reading your post! Their uniforms do stand out huh? haha. We are quietly building another great team of defensive players i've seen in a long time. The offense is gonna be rock solid. I'm hoping the 6th round pick rb Justin Jackson plays lights out in pre season and makes the team. The 5th round pick wr Dylan Cantrell has a huge catching radius.
Grew up in NC, around the same time, and became a Chargers fan for the very reasons you just mentioned. Now live in Vegas and plan on seeing them in LA this season and in Vegas 2020 when Raiders hit town!
Absolutely my story as well, although I may be a little older than you the Lightning Bolts drew me in and Dan Fouts got me hooked! I worshiped Dan, Charlie, Kellen and Wes. Oh and lets not forget Chuck Muncie what a great running back. The late 70's and early 80's were such a blast to watch. Almost all the games ended with scores reminiscent of basket ball, 49-42 or 56 - 49 etc... SD had the best offense and some of the worst defense in the league. Air Coryell made those 3rd and 4th quarter comeback so exciting. Thank you so much for the the video!
Wow, I was a 12 year old in Nevada, and those uniforms and helmets caught my attention. And then, that offense was so fun to watch. I think the second Charger game I ever saw on TV was the "Holy Roller" game. Have hated the Raiders ever since.
And as of October 5th 2017 - Don Coryell, the greatest coach of all-time is still Not in the HOF. This video is without a doubt the best thing on CZcams.
5 stars!! Grew up in Wisconsin a Chargers fan. First season I watched football was 1980 as an 8 yr old. Chargers were often on TV as the late afternoon game. John Jefferson was my first favorite player. Only to be followed by the incredible Wes Chandler. Winslow, Joiner, Fouts, Muncie, and Brooks!!!
Man, why is it that on ESPN Classics or NFL's Greatest Games they always show the Freezer Bowl but never the Epic in Miami that was played the week before the Freezer Bowl? The Freezer Bowl was a 27-0 blowout whereas the Epic in Miami truly was one of the all time classic games, maybe the greatest game in NFL playoff history. The 24-0 first quarter lead for the Bolts, the Tony Nathan hook and lateral at the end of the first half to cut the lead to 24-17, the missed FG by Benerschke with 50 seconds left and the 41-38 final score. Winslow Sr being helped off the field suffering severe dehydration and heat exhaustion is one of the iconic moments in NFL lore.
There go the Super Chargers to L.A. Those teams in the 70's and 80's were doing then in the passing game what everybody is doing now.Amazing they were original as hell.
Dan Fouts,Chuck Muncie,Wes Chandler,Charlie Joiner,Kellen Winslow and "Long John" Jefferson this was the greatest show on turf 20 years before the greatest show on turf...
The receivers of today should watch these films and study these receivers. They played with athleticism, heart and a burning desire to win. They are smiling while they are playing.
Whatever happened to the sport? It turned into a business, one with complicated contracts, millions of dollars in salaries and enhanced performance meds. Where will it go for the fan? I used to be able to watch football on t.v.., not anymore.
THEY WERE SMILING...BECAUSE THE NEW RULES IN EFFECT SINCE 1978 LIBERATED THEM FROM THE EVIL CLUTCHES OF DEFENSIVE BACKS...EXCEPT WHEN THEY WENT OVER THE MIDDLE 3RD OF THE FIELD!!
@@wheelchairmanjon Fred Dean was forced out because Gene Klein wouldn’t pay him. Dean got 2 SB rings because Klein traded him to the 49ers. Those ‘76 thru ‘81 Chargers had a great front 7 on defense but the secondary was not good. Louie Kelcher, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, Fred Dean, Woodrow Lowe, Leroy Jones and others were pro bowl & some 1st team all-pro. The real problem was the owner Gene Klein. He was as cheap as they come.
Thanks for putting together an awesome tribute to the best offence the NFL has ever seen!! John Jefferson will always be the most exciting receiver in my lifetime, and then to find an "almost" as exciting guy in Wes Chandler to replace him is crazy. Best era of football for me at least!
@@sandiegosalperez2743 1984-88 Dan Marino & The Marks Brothers (Clayton & Duper) Miami Dolphins, 1989-first 4 games of 1992 K-GUN No Huddle Buffalo Bills, 2000-05 Indianapolis Colts, 1999-06 Greatest Show on Turf St.Louis Rams, 1998-04 Randy Moss Minnesota Vikings, 1981-98 Joe Montana/Steve Young, Roger Craig/Ricky Watters/Garrison Hearst, Jerry Rice, & T.O. San Francisco 49ers, & 2006-present day Sean Payton/Drew Brees Saints come the closest.
@@renragged Exactly, the helmets. Yellow on white looks stupid the dark blue helmets with the yellow face masks and lightning bolt was major part of it. That along with the yellow pants is what made it for me. And the white jersey with the yellow and dark blue trim. Screw the white helmets and powder blue anything lol.
Wow, great video, even as a Cowboys fan living in San Diego at the time, I really admired this remarkable Chargers offense and I can still hear broadcaster Ted Leitner doing the play by play. They had a bunch of nice guys, a few of the guys volunteered their time to help coach the pop warner team I was coaching. Super Chargers for sure.
This was when football was enjoyable to watch. San Diego Chargers were a joy to watch. Loved the players and the uniforms. Could not wait to get quarters from my father so that I could run off to the store to see if I could get a San Diego Chargers mini football helmet from the those little gumball machines back in the day.
Before the 49ers west coast offense, and the Bills no huddle, there was the Chargers Air Coryell. He revolutionized the passing game, and created the modern NFL offense as it is today.
Thanks for sharing this. With this current situation this just makes me sad. They can't take away the memories though. They were so close in 1979, 80 and 81. I remember sitting in my seat as a 9 year old when they demolished the super bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 35-7. Piittsburgh went on to win it again and had the Chargers got by Houston, I think it would have been them representing the AFC. The next year as a 10 year old, I was fortunate enough to witness the miracle win vs Buffalo in the playoffs when Fouts hit Ron Smith in stride and the stadium erupted. with the AFC title game at home, welost a heart breaker to Oakland after digging ourselves an early hole. These teams were so close. I don't need to get into 1981 as it's just more of the same...miracle wins and heart wrenching defeats on the doorstep of the super bowl. This team deserved better. Had they kept Fred Dean and JJ....smh...hurts to even remember how close they were. They will never get their due
+Keith Hinkley In my mind, Wes Chandler did as good of a job, if not a little better, than John Jefferson. Fred Dean was the major loss of the 'Air Coryell' Chargers. He was their best pass rusher. The 49ers said thank you to the Bolts after the trade.
+joesakic91 No doubt Fred Dean was the biggest blow. When JJ left, I thought there is no way we can replace that guys freakish ability as a wr. Up to that point in my life, I had never seen a guy do what he was doing. Then when Wes came, he picked right up where JJ left off. Wes was a complete WR...had one of the best seasons ever going when they went on strike. Was the first, and still may be the only WR that had 1,000 receiving after the first 8 games.The Chargers had a good defense before Dean left. Big Hands, Louie Kelcher and Fred Dean were one of the best, if not most underrated defensive lines in the league
Keith Hinkley If Don Coryell had a stabilized defensive coordinator while he was head coach of the Chargers, the Bolts could've made a Super Bowl or two. The offense was great. The defense, especially trading Fred Dean, not so much.
+Keith Hinkley - I was there a few years before you but I too remember these great days as a Charger fan. I lived in the Bay area during the 70's and 80's and had to take a lot of crap from all of my Raider friends but Air Coryell certainly gave as good as it got. Nobody was as exciting as JJ though - He made some of the greatest catches in the history of the game. Not as big as OBJ or Megatron but just as skilled.
To Today's NFL: For the love of god, please bring back the Chargers vintage 1979 Air Coryell uniforms. Happy 40th birthday to the 1979 AFC West Championship San Diego (now unfortunately Los Angeles) Chargers, (in which for the upcoming 2019 season that is).🏈😎📺❄️🥓🍳🥞🇺🇸❄️🎆 RIP Dick Enberg and Don Air Coryell. This could be special for all of you Chargers fans. Oh , don't worry! You can still keep your current and powder blue uniforms as well 😉👍🇺🇸❄️🎆☕📺
Jefferson blew it when he left for GB and Chandler wasted earlier part of his career on terrible Saints teams. Had both of them spent their entire careers under Air Coryell...they'd be in Hall, cuz when they played in SD, they were the best receivers on those teams.
+cschoen100 I actually think it was more of the stupidity of then owner Gene Klein to not only trade Jefferson to GB, but allow Fred Dean to walk to SF. Letting your best rusher go to what would eventually become the best dynasty in the 80's was disastrous for SD, but allowing JJ to falter in GB not only killed what should've been a sure-fire PFHOF career, but practically killed the momentum for SD as far as their offensive prowess was concerned!!! Chandler was a good WR, but he really belonged in NO, like it or not, and last time I checked, it was he that wanted the stats and money. JJ just wanted to remain in SD under a new contract ensuring that he got paid for his talents since he was the best WR in 1980. He never gotten to contract and his butt was handed to him by Klein. I ensure you that if JJ had gotten the contract and stayed in SD for a majority of his career and remained healthy, he would've been talked as one of the greatest WR's in the history of the game with the likes of Berry, Alworth, Swann, Joiner, Rice, Owens, and Moss and maybe even gotten most of the team records for receiving !!! Chandler, I'm not so sure, but he has to thank the fact that JJ was there first and without JJ, he wouldn't be in SD, but really, he should've been in NO and maybe had been the best WR over there rather than going to SD. Just stating my honest opinion!!!
Every one talks about their "D" against the pass and rightfully so , it made you want to commit suicide!! But the real culprit in this teams lack of success is ownership/ management! So dam cheap!
+cschoen100 Cheapskate Eugene Klein allowed Jefferson and Fred Dean to go because he was a God Damned SOB ! Dan Fouts sat out the 77 season because the Asshole would not pay him what he was worth.
cschoen100 Actually Wes Chandler was TEARING IT UP in New Orleans making Archie look like Peyton! Thats why the Chargers chose him, they knew what they were getting!!! My problem was trading away Joe Washington for Lydell Mitchell!
I'm from Puebla Puebla, Mexico. And this is why I first became a Charger´s fan. The grat Air Coryell offensive game! QB #14 Dan Fouts, WR #18 Charlie Joyner, WR # 83 Johnny Jefferson, WR, # 89 Wes Chandler, TE # 80 Kellen Winslow, FB # 46 Chuck "The Truck" Muncie, RB #21 James Brooks and later Lionel " li'l Train" James... Too bad they didn´t made it to the Big Game. They had great defensive players too but they gone to the SF 49ers. # 71 Fred Dean, # 74 Louie Kelcher and Gary "Big Hands" Johnson. They all got SB Rings with the niners.
I was soooooo young, like kindergarten (maybe it was the uniforms?). Dan Fouts is my fav QB (but I'm sure it had alot to do w/them boys he was throwing to)
Chargers owner (at that time) Gene Klein gave the 49ers not only Fred Dean but Gary (Big Hands) Johnson in the mid 80's setting San Francisco up with the defense to compliment the vaunted West Coast offense.
I WOULD HAD A GOOD CAREER IF I PLAYED WITH A TEAM LIKE SAN DIEGO BACK IN THE DAY) THE 1970S WAS A WIDE OUT DREAM COME TRUE) COUNT THE HALLFAMERS ON THE QB SIDE) IT MUCH BE PARDADISE) 5/14/23/
I got a sort of related question. Why did people always consider Archie Manning to be a really good quarterback that just had no talent around him to work with? That was always how he was played off, I just don't get it. Fouts didn't seem to have a problem making due with Saints castoffs that were holding poor Archie back.
How can any say Dan Fouts is not the greatest chargers qb in history is beyond me. He did these things without the current nfl rule changes that helps the offenses . Fouts number one , Herbert number two (for now) and Stan Humphries number three
Back in the air coryell days from 1978-1986 you threw alot of passes 30 or 40 times and scored alot of points but could give up alot of points and still lose. Hall of famers dan fouts, charlie joiner, kellen winslow who as tight end revolutionize the game at his position blocked and caught passes. 1979-1982 coryell teams made the playoffs one a game at home against buffalo bills 20-14. The miami epic 41-38 overtime game classic at orange bowl against miami dolphins.
Sorry LT, but James Brooks is still my favorite #21 to play for the Chargers!! (Even though he had some fumbles in that AFC Championship game in Cincinnati)
@@JAWrightonline Indeed. It's safe to say that the Chargers as an organization when it comes to players wearing #21 first quarterback John Hadl, then James Brooks, & of course Hall of Famer LaDaninian Tomlinson they've gotten SUBSTANTIAL production from ALL 3 of those players would agree sir???
OMG I did not know Chuck passed smh wow man> I gotta give a special RIP to Chuck the monster Muncie, 6'2 227 pounds of all man he left it all on the field...
As fun as this offense was to watch, and they may be top 5 ever, it was so frustrating to watch the Charger's defense give it all back so easily in those years. They made average teams look like Air Coryell too.
The one sin that ended this teams chances of being Super Bowl champions was the owner being cheap and ending the pass threat rush oif their defense by letting Fred Dean go to the 49ers in 1981.
Jefferson should never have challenged Charger owner Gene Kline to renegotiate his contract in 1982---Kline saw too it that Jefferson was traded to the "Siberia" of the NFL in Green Bay-there he had to compete with another great receiver James Lofton--after a couple of sessons Jefferson's career essentially ended
I think Jefferson was playing out of position in GB. Asked to play the Charlie Joiner / Andre Reed role of going over the middle possession receiver. Totally not his thing, he'd a downfield big play guy. But they already had Lofton for that.
JJ definitely didn't have a good final game wearing a SD uniform. Couple of TDs right thru his hands, and a couple other drops in an AFC Championship game. I remember watching that game, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing....those drops were huge! SD shouldve been in the SB. He had a killer 1980 regular season too. But, those drops were crucial against Oakland. Then he holds out the next year, and Klein says, see ya. I loved JJ, but Chandler was just as good. Sucks for me to watch this really.
Air coryell playoff teams 1979 to 1982 always missed the super bowl 3 Hallof famers Dan Fouts , kellen winslow and charlie Joiner two afc championahip games 1980 vs Oakland Raiders lost 34-27 and 1981 Freezer Bowl -59 degrees lost Cincinnati Bengals 27-7.
San Diego will always have the Real Chargers. LA Chargers are an expansion team starting in 2017. Nothing to do with the history of the San Diego Chargers. And no 1 year in LA back in 1960mholds no weight to 56 years in San Diego. So just drop the Chargers name Spanish and rebrand in Carson.
Bill Bidwell was an absolute and total IDIOT for allowing Don Coryell to go to the Chargers. He should have spent the rest of his career with the Cardinals. Whenever the Cardinals finally went to the Super Bowl, there was a sports writer from St. Louis that wrote an article regarding Bill Bidwell, and the caption was something to the effect of " Sometimes even a blind squirrel does find an acorn from time to time." My understanding is that he was a kind man and a very generous man (with charities) and a very moral and decent man. But in my opinion, an absolutely TERRIBLE owner
I’m a Lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan,but these Chargers were by far the greatest team to never win a Super Bowl.
The Vikings had some great teams that never won it all either.
The most exciting offense of all time.
John Jefferson AND Charlie Joiner are both UNDERRATED!
I will say again..... Kellen Winslow, greatest pass catching TE in the history of the NFL!
Jay Company You Forgot One of The Best People, Best Blocking Tight End as well. Too bad he suffered that knee injury and also too Bad his son is one of the Biggest Pieces of Shit. How could such an Amazing Person and Football Player raise a Wasted Talent disgraceful person??
@@sandiegosalperez2743 @Jay Company he was a beast but you also had TEs like Russ Francis, Dave Casper and Raymond Chester all these guys were Pro bowlers great catchers and blockers and put up good numbers. Kellen is prob the only one that couolda been a receiver tho and if he played more games would have better numbers. Boy do I ever miss the 70s and early 80s football ...
@@mookeychase0907 Ozzie newsome n Todd Christenson too. Casper was over rated
@@salvatoreperez5113 I agree with Ozzie and Todd but Dave was a 5x Pro bowler and 4x All Pro he has 9 more TDs than Todd. Todd has about 1000 more yds and 60 more catches and one more ring. Dave is in the hall Todd should be
San Diego Sal Perez I don’t think he raised him. Him and his son didn’t have a good relationship
I live in Michigan, HUGE Charger fan. I think I liked them as a kid back in the 70's because the uniforms were the best ever. Lightning bolts on the shoulder, and the pants....tooooooo cool. I was 8 years old, but John Jefferson made me a life long Charger fan. The guy could get anything in his radar. He could out run a deer. He was the king 4 me.
fillees phinest me to
Enjoyed reading your post! Their uniforms do stand out huh? haha. We are quietly building another great team of defensive players i've seen in a long time. The offense is gonna be rock solid. I'm hoping the 6th round pick rb Justin Jackson plays lights out in pre season and makes the team. The 5th round pick wr Dylan Cantrell has a huge catching radius.
Grew up in NC, around the same time, and became a Chargers fan for the very reasons you just mentioned. Now live in Vegas and plan on seeing them in LA this season and in Vegas 2020 when Raiders hit town!
Absolutely my story as well, although I may be a little older than you the Lightning Bolts drew me in and Dan Fouts got me hooked! I worshiped Dan, Charlie, Kellen and Wes. Oh and lets not forget Chuck Muncie what a great running back. The late 70's and early 80's were such a blast to watch. Almost all the games ended with scores reminiscent of basket ball, 49-42 or 56 - 49 etc... SD had the best offense and some of the worst defense in the league. Air Coryell made those 3rd and 4th quarter comeback so exciting. Thank you so much for the the video!
Wow, I was a 12 year old in Nevada, and those uniforms and helmets caught my attention. And then, that offense was so fun to watch. I think the second Charger game I ever saw on TV was the "Holy Roller" game. Have hated the Raiders ever since.
I'm from Buffalo but as a kid had two teams lol. John Jefferson is my favorite player of all time!
If the owner had payed JJ and Fred Dean we might have a ring.Jefferson would have been a 1st ballot HOF
And as of October 5th 2017 - Don Coryell, the greatest coach of all-time is still Not in the HOF.
This video is without a doubt the best thing on CZcams.
Great blocking as well
As of February 9th 2023 - Don Coryell is now a Hall of Famer
@@LilmanRJ long, long overdue… but he’s in!!
Charlie Joiner has to be theeee most underrated STAR the game has ever seen!!!?
I remember the "Frightning Lightning!" Man, had the Bolts had a D back then, they might have made it to the SB.
I love SAN DIEGO CHARGERS........................ RIP:(
5 stars!! Grew up in Wisconsin a Chargers fan. First season I watched football was 1980 as an 8 yr old. Chargers were often on TV as the late afternoon game. John Jefferson was my first favorite player. Only to be followed by the incredible Wes Chandler. Winslow, Joiner, Fouts, Muncie, and Brooks!!!
Teams are still running his plays today. He should be in the Hall of Fame.
Glory Days of some of the most legendary gladiators Of The Game.
Man, why is it that on ESPN Classics or NFL's Greatest Games they always show the Freezer Bowl but never the Epic in Miami that was played the week before the Freezer Bowl? The Freezer Bowl was a 27-0 blowout whereas the Epic in Miami truly was one of the all time classic games, maybe the greatest game in NFL playoff history. The 24-0 first quarter lead for the Bolts, the Tony Nathan hook and lateral at the end of the first half to cut the lead to 24-17, the missed FG by Benerschke with 50 seconds left and the 41-38 final score. Winslow Sr being helped off the field suffering severe dehydration and heat exhaustion is one of the iconic moments in NFL lore.
Hook and Ladder baby!
madcappechlsi
r6 a
Aaron Smith HOOK & LATERAL NOT LADDER THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE MY GOODNES
It's sometimes called a hook and ladder too
I love those air Coryell chargers
Greatest offense of all time
There go the Super Chargers to L.A. Those teams in the 70's and 80's were doing then in the passing game what everybody is doing now.Amazing they were original as hell.
Dan Fouts,Chuck Muncie,Wes Chandler,Charlie Joiner,Kellen Winslow and "Long John" Jefferson this was the greatest show on turf 20 years before the greatest show on turf...
The receivers of today should watch these films and study these receivers. They played with athleticism, heart and a burning desire to win. They are smiling while they are playing.
Whatever happened to the sport? It turned into a business, one with complicated contracts, millions of dollars in salaries and enhanced performance meds. Where will it go for the fan? I used to be able to watch football on t.v.., not anymore.
CLAY Thomas AWWW POOR BABY QUIT COMPLAINING.
THEY WERE SMILING...BECAUSE THE NEW RULES IN EFFECT SINCE 1978 LIBERATED THEM FROM THE EVIL CLUTCHES OF DEFENSIVE BACKS...EXCEPT WHEN THEY WENT OVER THE MIDDLE 3RD OF THE FIELD!!
Such a beautiful team to watch, imagine if Fred Dean never left...
Too bad Don Coryell completely ignored defense
@@wheelchairmanjon Yeah, he did but I forgive him after all this time.
@@wheelchairmanjon Fred Dean was forced out because Gene Klein wouldn’t pay him. Dean got 2 SB rings because Klein traded him to the 49ers. Those ‘76 thru ‘81 Chargers had a great front 7 on defense but the secondary was not good. Louie Kelcher, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, Fred Dean, Woodrow Lowe, Leroy Jones and others were pro bowl & some 1st team all-pro. The real problem was the owner Gene Klein. He was as cheap as they come.
Easily the most exciting team in history...so glad I got to see them!
Thanks for putting together an awesome tribute to the best offence the NFL has ever seen!! John Jefferson will always be the most exciting receiver in my lifetime, and then to find an "almost" as exciting guy in Wes Chandler to replace him is crazy. Best era of football for me at least!
The memories of this team . 👌
How I miss those days!!! excellent Team, fans and organisation! Thanks for the video.
John Jefferson was THE MAN. Odell needs to put more work in to get as good as him!
amen and with no sticky tacky gloves!
people don't realize how good he was. But that wide receiver corp is easily the best all time. Coryell not being in the HOF is a fuckin travesty.
DeeNice681 You got that right. When I think of acrobatic catches, I think of John Jefferson and Wes Chandler.
Rob Paradise JJ was even nice in college (frm tape I saw), but they didn't ms a beat w/Wes replaced him
No gloves from what I see also but he was spectacular. Still one of my all time favorite receivers acrobatic as you will ever see
The Air Coryell Chargers were such a fun team to watch.
The greatest NFL offense I have ever seen in my lifetime.
reGeNeRaTe X You can live 4 Lifetime's and You'll never see anything close
@@sandiegosalperez2743 1984-88 Dan Marino & The Marks Brothers (Clayton & Duper) Miami Dolphins, 1989-first 4 games of 1992 K-GUN No Huddle Buffalo Bills, 2000-05 Indianapolis Colts, 1999-06 Greatest Show on Turf St.Louis Rams, 1998-04 Randy Moss Minnesota Vikings, 1981-98 Joe Montana/Steve Young, Roger Craig/Ricky Watters/Garrison Hearst, Jerry Rice, & T.O. San Francisco 49ers, & 2006-present day Sean Payton/Drew Brees Saints come the closest.
Wish they would bring back those unis hate the recent ones
Happy now? :D
@@renragged Happy about what? They didnt bring back the old unis lol
@@WE1RDalWANNAbe Oh come on. Close to it. The Home Unis, other than the dark helmet. www.chargers.com/uniforms/
@@renragged Exactly, the helmets. Yellow on white looks stupid the dark blue helmets with the yellow face masks and lightning bolt was major part of it. That along with the yellow pants is what made it for me. And the white jersey with the yellow and dark blue trim. Screw the white helmets and powder blue anything lol.
Wow, great video, even as a Cowboys fan living in San Diego at the time, I really admired this remarkable Chargers offense and I can still hear broadcaster Ted Leitner doing the play by play. They had a bunch of nice guys, a few of the guys volunteered their time to help coach the pop warner team I was coaching. Super Chargers for sure.
My favorite offense of ALL-TIME. The O-line were the unsung heroes. Dan Fouts had a brick wall around him!
Farewell San Diego Chargers.
This was when football was enjoyable to watch. San Diego Chargers were a joy to watch. Loved the players and the uniforms. Could not wait to get quarters from my father so that I could run off to the store to see if I could get a San Diego Chargers mini football helmet from the those little gumball machines back in the day.
That Disco-Fight song WILL BE HEARD AGAIN!! mark my words!!!
Before the 49ers west coast offense, and the Bills no huddle, there was the Chargers Air Coryell. He revolutionized the passing game, and created the modern NFL offense as it is today.
If only the chargers defense from 2018 could go back in time
I remember going to those games. Still love my Chargers. So excited for 2022 season!
Great compilation. Loved to watch those guys play.
Great video, thanksforthememories!!! so much fun to watch!
+Dan Pastirik Go Chargers! Checkout our Chargers' videos!
Nice video! It brings back a lot of great memories! I miss those days of watching the Chargers play!
Thanks for sharing this. With this current situation this just makes me sad. They can't take away the memories though. They were so close in 1979, 80 and 81. I remember sitting in my seat as a 9 year old when they demolished the super bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 35-7. Piittsburgh went on to win it again and had the Chargers got by Houston, I think it would have been them representing the AFC. The next year as a 10 year old, I was fortunate enough to witness the miracle win vs Buffalo in the playoffs when Fouts hit Ron Smith in stride and the stadium erupted. with the AFC title game at home, welost a heart breaker to Oakland after digging ourselves an early hole. These teams were so close. I don't need to get into 1981 as it's just more of the same...miracle wins and heart wrenching defeats on the doorstep of the super bowl. This team deserved better. Had they kept Fred Dean and JJ....smh...hurts to even remember how close they were. They will never get their due
+Keith Hinkley In my mind, Wes Chandler did as good of a job, if not a little better, than John Jefferson.
Fred Dean was the major loss of the 'Air Coryell' Chargers. He was their best pass rusher. The 49ers said thank you to the Bolts after the trade.
+joesakic91 No doubt Fred Dean was the biggest blow. When JJ left, I thought there is no way we can replace that guys freakish ability as a wr. Up to that point in my life, I had never seen a guy do what he was doing. Then when Wes came, he picked right up where JJ left off. Wes was a complete WR...had one of the best seasons ever going when they went on strike. Was the first, and still may be the only WR that had 1,000 receiving after the first 8 games.The Chargers had a good defense before Dean left. Big Hands, Louie Kelcher and Fred Dean were one of the best, if not most underrated defensive lines in the league
Keith Hinkley If Don Coryell had a stabilized defensive coordinator while he was head coach of the Chargers, the Bolts could've made a Super Bowl or two.
The offense was great. The defense, especially trading Fred Dean, not so much.
+Keith Hinkley - I was there a few years before you but I too remember these great days as a Charger fan. I lived in the Bay area during the 70's and 80's and had to take a lot of crap from all of my Raider friends but Air Coryell certainly gave as good as it got. Nobody was as exciting as JJ though - He made some of the greatest catches in the history of the game. Not as big as OBJ or Megatron but just as skilled.
+man you don't know Go Chargers! Checkout our Chargers' videos!
To Today's NFL: For the love of god, please bring back the Chargers vintage 1979 Air Coryell uniforms.
Happy 40th birthday to the 1979 AFC West Championship San Diego (now unfortunately Los Angeles) Chargers, (in which for the upcoming 2019 season that is).🏈😎📺❄️🥓🍳🥞🇺🇸❄️🎆
RIP Dick Enberg and Don Air Coryell.
This could be special for all of you Chargers fans.
Oh , don't worry! You can still keep your current and powder blue uniforms as well 😉👍🇺🇸❄️🎆☕📺
The receiver core had the greatest hands in football. Boltz till death
Its a shame this Chargers squad never made it to the SB
Their offense was really The Greatest Show On Turf in the late 70's & early 80's
The only offense that has a legacy attached to it's name.
That was a hell of a team well put together most teams were pretty good hard football
Great video!
Jefferson blew it when he left for GB and Chandler wasted earlier part of his career on terrible Saints teams. Had both of them spent their entire careers under Air Coryell...they'd be in Hall, cuz when they played in SD, they were the best receivers on those teams.
+cschoen100 I actually think it was more of the stupidity of then owner Gene Klein to not only trade Jefferson to GB, but allow Fred Dean to walk to SF. Letting your best rusher go to what would eventually become the best dynasty in the 80's was disastrous for SD, but allowing JJ to falter in GB not only killed what should've been a sure-fire PFHOF career, but practically killed the momentum for SD as far as their offensive prowess was concerned!!!
Chandler was a good WR, but he really belonged in NO, like it or not, and last time I checked, it was he that wanted the stats and money. JJ just wanted to remain in SD under a new contract ensuring that he got paid for his talents since he was the best WR in 1980. He never gotten to contract and his butt was handed to him by Klein.
I ensure you that if JJ had gotten the contract and stayed in SD for a majority of his career and remained healthy, he would've been talked as one of the greatest WR's in the history of the game with the likes of Berry, Alworth, Swann, Joiner, Rice, Owens, and Moss and maybe even gotten most of the team records for receiving !!! Chandler, I'm not so sure, but he has to thank the fact that JJ was there first and without JJ, he wouldn't be in SD, but really, he should've been in NO and maybe had been the best WR over there rather than going to SD. Just stating my honest opinion!!!
Every one talks about their "D" against the pass and rightfully so , it made you want to commit suicide!! But the real culprit in this teams lack of success is ownership/ management! So dam cheap!
+cschoen100 Cheapskate Eugene Klein allowed Jefferson and Fred Dean to go because he was a God Damned SOB ! Dan Fouts sat out the 77 season because the Asshole would not pay him what he was worth.
cschoen100 Actually Wes Chandler was TEARING IT UP in New Orleans making Archie look like Peyton! Thats why the Chargers chose him, they knew what they were getting!!! My problem was trading away Joe Washington for Lydell Mitchell!
Chandler and Jefferson on the same team, they would have been better the Swann and Stallworth.
I'm from Puebla Puebla, Mexico. And this is why I first became a Charger´s fan. The grat Air Coryell offensive game! QB #14 Dan Fouts, WR #18 Charlie Joyner, WR # 83 Johnny Jefferson, WR, # 89 Wes Chandler, TE # 80 Kellen Winslow, FB # 46 Chuck "The Truck" Muncie, RB #21 James Brooks and later Lionel " li'l Train" James... Too bad they didn´t made it to the Big Game. They had great defensive players too but they gone to the SF 49ers. # 71 Fred Dean, # 74 Louie Kelcher and Gary "Big Hands" Johnson. They all got SB Rings with the niners.
The SAN DIEGO Chargers.
Other than "MY" team this was my favorite one to watch. A team full of #1 fantasy draft picks lol
Great rendition of the Chargers!
Best team ever!!!!
growing up in Chicago I was a Bear fan.yet I saw Dan fouts an til he left was my favorite team
Well done!
Well, add this to Don Coryell's resume: Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Beautiful video. If Chuck Muncie did not get hurt in the AFC championship game, who knows what could have happened.
if Chuck Muncie didnt fumble so much, watching him here i see why he didnt protect the ball well
Best highlight reel of all time! #bingobaby
I was soooooo young, like kindergarten (maybe it was the uniforms?). Dan Fouts is my fav QB (but I'm sure it had alot to do w/them boys he was throwing to)
Damn fun video. The music carried me to 13:33 !
Chargers owner (at that time) Gene Klein gave the 49ers not only Fred Dean but Gary (Big Hands) Johnson in the mid 80's setting San Francisco up with the defense to compliment the vaunted West Coast offense.
Louie Kelcher
Great aireal dance move by Jefferson at 4:46
Wes Chandler greatest acrobatic WR who had some of the most amazing catches of all time .
Lynn Swann would have something to say about that.
The greatest offense of all times, too bad they didn’t have a defense, or Our Chargers would of won a couple of Superbowls
I WOULD HAD A GOOD CAREER IF I PLAYED WITH A TEAM LIKE SAN DIEGO BACK IN THE DAY) THE 1970S WAS A WIDE OUT DREAM COME TRUE) COUNT THE HALLFAMERS ON THE QB SIDE) IT MUCH BE PARDADISE) 5/14/23/
😭 THE FEEEEEEEEELS
The old days.
Awesome job! Music track list please.
I got a sort of related question. Why did people always consider Archie Manning to be a really good quarterback that just had no talent around him to work with? That was always how he was played off, I just don't get it. Fouts didn't seem to have a problem making due with Saints castoffs that were holding poor Archie back.
best offense in NFL history never mind the crap of today they did it when no one else did
How can any say Dan Fouts is not the greatest chargers qb in history is beyond me. He did these things without the current nfl rule changes that helps the offenses . Fouts number one , Herbert number two (for now) and Stan Humphries number three
Chandler was the perfect replacement for Jefferson.
They gave the Steelers fits back then.
What music did you use for this video? Titles and artists please.
Back in the air coryell days from 1978-1986 you threw alot of passes 30 or 40 times and scored alot of points but could give up alot of points and still lose. Hall of famers dan fouts, charlie joiner, kellen winslow who as tight end revolutionize the game at his position blocked and caught passes. 1979-1982 coryell teams made the playoffs one a game at home against buffalo bills 20-14. The miami epic 41-38 overtime game classic at orange bowl against miami dolphins.
+Michael Liebers Go Chargers! Checkout our Chargers' videos!
*Kellen Winslow was un-Stoppable,*
*so the Raiders Blew Out his Knee, and he was never the same again.*
Bolt Pride!!
What's the name of the song starting at 8:16?
Sorry LT, but James Brooks is still my favorite #21 to play for the Chargers!! (Even though he had some fumbles in that AFC Championship game in Cincinnati)
John Hadl?
@@JAWrightonline Indeed. It's safe to say that the Chargers as an organization when it comes to players wearing #21 first quarterback John Hadl, then James Brooks, & of course Hall of Famer LaDaninian Tomlinson they've gotten SUBSTANTIAL production from ALL 3 of those players would agree sir???
OMG I did not know Chuck passed smh wow man> I gotta give a special RIP to Chuck the monster Muncie, 6'2 227 pounds of all man he left it all on the field...
Whats the music at 8:12?
When the Chargers go "back" to LA, they should use this highlight video as the REMEMBER WHEN video......
Dan Fouts was better in passing accuracy n the better QB....... sorry cry me a rivers!
Can you imagine if Fouts played under today's rules?
can't believe they never went to a superbowl
As fun as this offense was to watch, and they may be top 5 ever, it was so frustrating to watch the Charger's defense give it all back so easily in those years. They made average teams look like Air Coryell too.
I always hated whenJohn Jefferson left the chargers
Anyone know the song at 8:16
Even now 2022 i just noticed no mouth pieces in side these mouths wow hard men back then
CHUCK MUNCIE ...need I say more?!
The one sin that ended this teams chances of being Super Bowl champions was the owner being cheap and ending the pass threat rush oif their defense by letting Fred Dean go to the 49ers in 1981.
SHOULD'VE TRADED WITH THE COLTS FOR JOHN ELWAY!!
Ha ha; keep Fred Dean and draft Howie long. dynasty
Jason Nolan Fred Dean was just as good he got held a lot
And no gloves on even catch the ball in the cold
Them (Charges) huh 👍👍👍🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Jefferson should never have challenged Charger owner Gene Kline to renegotiate his contract in 1982---Kline saw too it that Jefferson was traded to the "Siberia" of the NFL in Green Bay-there he had to compete with another great receiver James Lofton--after a couple of sessons Jefferson's career essentially ended
I think Jefferson was playing out of position in GB. Asked to play the Charlie Joiner / Andre Reed role of going over the middle possession receiver. Totally not his thing, he'd a downfield big play guy. But they already had Lofton for that.
Hell of a team but no ring fun to watch
Wes Chandler not in the Hall of Fame? The Hall of Fame writers Have to Answer to God
JJ definitely didn't have a good final game wearing a SD uniform. Couple of TDs right thru his hands, and a couple other drops in an AFC Championship game. I remember watching that game, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing....those drops were huge! SD shouldve been in the SB. He had a killer 1980 regular season too. But, those drops were crucial against Oakland. Then he holds out the next year, and Klein says, see ya. I loved JJ, but Chandler was just as good. Sucks for me to watch this really.
cschoen100 YOU'LL GET OVER IT LOL.
John The Greatest Jefferson
PFHF
Air coryell playoff teams 1979 to 1982 always missed the super bowl 3 Hallof famers Dan Fouts , kellen winslow and charlie Joiner two afc championahip games 1980 vs Oakland Raiders lost 34-27 and 1981 Freezer Bowl -59 degrees lost Cincinnati Bengals 27-7.
Flight Air Coryell got lost in the Bermuda triangle trying to make it to the Superbowl in the 80's..Lmao🤣🤣🤣😂
San Diego will always have the Real Chargers. LA Chargers are an expansion team starting in 2017. Nothing to do with the history of the San Diego Chargers. And no 1 year in LA back in 1960mholds no weight to 56 years in San Diego. So just drop the Chargers name Spanish and rebrand in Carson.
Bill Bidwell was an absolute and total IDIOT for allowing Don Coryell to go to the Chargers. He should have spent the rest of his career with the Cardinals. Whenever the Cardinals finally went to the Super Bowl, there was a sports writer from St. Louis that wrote an article regarding Bill Bidwell, and the caption was something to the effect of " Sometimes even a blind squirrel does find an acorn from time to time." My understanding is that he was a kind man and a very generous man (with charities) and a very moral and decent man. But in my opinion, an absolutely TERRIBLE owner