Zone defense in the 1950s?

[fgoodwin]

I found an article in the SI archive about the 1959 Colts-Giants NFL Championship Game:

http://www.si.com/vault/1960/01/04/5823 ... u-ever-saw

The Colts' zone defense is mentioned several times. Did other teams employ the zone defense in the 1950s? If so, can anyone point me to online articles that discuss the zone?

Thanx

[JohnTurney]

http://www.amazon.com/The-Birth-Footbal ... 1442237953

The Birth of Football's Modern 4-3 Defense: The Seven Seasons That Changed the NFL Paperback – August 20, 2014
by T. J. Troup (Author)

__________________

It covers lots of that and Coach Troup describes lots of uses of zone defense in the 1950s in it

[bachslunch]

All of which shows that the assertion that the zone defense was invented to stop Bob Hayes is baloney. But we here all knew that. Still, a Google search calls up several examples perpetuating this fallacy.

[fgoodwin]

All of which shows that the assertion that the zone defense was invented to stop Bob Hayes is baloney. But we here all knew that. Still, a Google search calls up several examples perpetuating this fallacy.

And that's exactly why I asked the question. I know it's a myth, but Cowboy fans continue to believe it, and it doesn't help when the local media (who should know better) continue to perpetuate the myth:

"Not only was Hayes the Cowboys' leading receiver five times from 1965 to 1971, but he essentially forced the invention of the zone defense with his speed"

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas- ... ys-history

Use of the weasel-word "essentially" doesn't change the falseness of the claim.

[JohnTurney]

that there were times that everyone would be zone but him, he'd play the best receiver all over the field. Coach TJ has mentioned that man/zone combo coverages were around, but not often used.

And the Bob Hayes, thing, what they were trying to claim is that the zone would roll to the weakside to the "X" receiver, which Bob Hayes was. Usually you roll the zone to the strong or two receiver side (at least back then) but they were scared of Hayes's speed. But Coach TJ pointed out that teams did that to Del Shofner before they did it to Hayes.

So, that story has gotten all tangled up.