Greg Landry
Encyclopedia
Gregory Paul Landry is a former American football
player and coach who played quarterback
in the National Football League
from 1968 to 1981 and again in 1984. He played for the Detroit Lions
, Baltimore Colts
, and Chicago Bears
.
He was the first quarterback selected in the first round (11th overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft
after a stellar career at the University of Massachusetts
where he was selected All-Yankee Conference
for two seasons. In 1971, as a member of the Lions, he passed
for 2,237 yards and 16 touchdown
s and was named to his only Pro Bowl
that year. He remains the last Detroit Lions quarterback to be selected to the Pro Bowl.
In 1976, he passed for 2,191 yards and 17 touchdowns and was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year.
After setting a couple of passing records with the Lions, he moved on to play for the Baltimore Colts for three seasons where in 1979, as a member of the Colts, he played brilliantly despite a 5-11 record and a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Bert Jones
. He passed for a career best 2,932 yards and 15 touchdowns that season. He then played for George Allen on the Chicago Blitz
and Arizona Wranglers
in the United States Football League
in 1983 and 1984. He also played one season with the Chicago Bears
before retiring as a player in 1984.
Landry was also notable as a rusher, in addition to his passing. He rushed for over 2600 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career, exceeding 500 yards on the ground in both 1971 and 1972, as well as averaging ten yards per carry in 1970 and scoring 9 touchdowns in 1972.
Landry began his coaching career in 1985, handling the Cleveland Browns
quarterbacks and later joined Mike Ditka
's staff as quarterback coach in 1986, following the Bears Super Bowl
rout of the New England Patriots
.
With the Bears, he was also the wide receiver
s and tight end
s coach before taking over as offensive coordinator from 1988 to 1992 where he was a part of six division championships.
Following the 1992 season he was hired as the offensive coordinator at the University of Illinois
for 2 seasons. In 1994, Illinois had the second-best passing offense in the Big Ten Conference
, which carried the team to a 30-0 win in the Liberty Bowl
over East Carolina
, which was making its first bowl appearance in 16 seasons.
After that, Landry was back with the Lions as the team's quarterback coach, where in 1995 the Lions were the top offensive unit in the NFL and tutored Scott Mitchell to record setting passing numbers that season. He retired from coaching after the 1996 season and became a local radio
host.
He currently ranks third on all-time Lions career yardage list (12,451) and ranks second in touchdown passes with 80.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach who played quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1968 to 1981 and again in 1984. He played for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
He was the first quarterback selected in the first round (11th overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft
1968 NFL Draft
The 1968 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, in the second year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on January 30–31.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
after a stellar career at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
where he was selected All-Yankee Conference
Yankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. It once sponsored competition in many sports, but eventually became a football-only league...
for two seasons. In 1971, as a member of the Lions, he passed
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
for 2,237 yards and 16 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and was named to his only Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
that year. He remains the last Detroit Lions quarterback to be selected to the Pro Bowl.
In 1976, he passed for 2,191 yards and 17 touchdowns and was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year.
After setting a couple of passing records with the Lions, he moved on to play for the Baltimore Colts for three seasons where in 1979, as a member of the Colts, he played brilliantly despite a 5-11 record and a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Bert Jones
Bert Jones
Bertram Hays "Bert" Jones is a former LSU and NFL quarterback who played for the then Baltimore Colts and, briefly, the Los Angeles Rams. At Ruston High School, he was given the nickname, "The Ruston Rifle"...
. He passed for a career best 2,932 yards and 15 touchdowns that season. He then played for George Allen on the Chicago Blitz
Chicago Blitz
The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :...
and Arizona Wranglers
Arizona Wranglers
The Arizona Wranglers were a professional American Football team in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, a suburb of Phoenix.-Founding:...
in the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
in 1983 and 1984. He also played one season with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
before retiring as a player in 1984.
Landry was also notable as a rusher, in addition to his passing. He rushed for over 2600 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career, exceeding 500 yards on the ground in both 1971 and 1972, as well as averaging ten yards per carry in 1970 and scoring 9 touchdowns in 1972.
Landry began his coaching career in 1985, handling the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterbacks and later joined Mike Ditka
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
's staff as quarterback coach in 1986, following the Bears Super Bowl
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
rout of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
With the Bears, he was also the wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s and tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
s coach before taking over as offensive coordinator from 1988 to 1992 where he was a part of six division championships.
Following the 1992 season he was hired as the offensive coordinator at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
for 2 seasons. In 1994, Illinois had the second-best passing offense in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
, which carried the team to a 30-0 win in the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
over East Carolina
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
, which was making its first bowl appearance in 16 seasons.
After that, Landry was back with the Lions as the team's quarterback coach, where in 1995 the Lions were the top offensive unit in the NFL and tutored Scott Mitchell to record setting passing numbers that season. He retired from coaching after the 1996 season and became a local radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
host.
He currently ranks third on all-time Lions career yardage list (12,451) and ranks second in touchdown passes with 80.