Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

looking at two of Ken Stabler's great games...74 Dolphins and 77 Colts...key factor in 74 win was Jake Scott leaving the game due to injury...key factor in 77 win was Lyle Blackwood leaving the game due to injury...which leads us to Tim Baylor!

Baylor is the guy who replaced Blackwood and was burned on the Ghost to the Post. He spent 4 seasons in the NFL as a reserve but always seeing playing time. The interesting thing about Baylor is that he was 6'6". Has there ever been a DB in the NFL who was 6'6" or taller? Baylor is the tallest I've come across.

Mel Blount was said to be big for a CB, and he was 6'3". I remember James Hunter (6'3") being a big and fast CB for the Lions in the 80's, but he didn't react to the ball very well (perhaps too tall?). Joe Lavender is the tallest CB I've come across at 6'4". I looked at Emmitt Thomas and Mike Haynes, but they were only 6'2".

For SS/FS, Gary Barbaro was 6'4" and a very good safety for Marv Levy-era Chiefs. I looked at David Fulcher and Steve Atwater, but they were both 6'3".

Does anyone remember any unusually tall DBs in NFL history?

Bryan wrote:looking at two of Ken Stabler's great games...74 Dolphins and 77 Colts...key factor in 74 win was Jake Scott leaving the game due to injury...key factor in 77 win was Lyle Blackwood leaving the game due to injury...which leads us to Tim Baylor!

Baylor is the guy who replaced Blackwood and was burned on the Ghost to the Post. He spent 4 seasons in the NFL as a reserve but always seeing playing time. The interesting thing about Baylor is that he was 6'6". Has there ever been a DB in the NFL who was 6'6" or taller? Baylor is the tallest I've come across.

Mel Blount was said to be big for a CB, and he was 6'3". I remember James Hunter (6'3") being a big and fast CB for the Lions in the 80's, but he didn't react to the ball very well (perhaps too tall?). Joe Lavender is the tallest CB I've come across at 6'4". I looked at Emmitt Thomas and Mike Haynes, but they were only 6'2".

For SS/FS, Gary Barbaro was 6'4" and a very good safety for Marv Levy-era Chiefs. I looked at David Fulcher and Steve Atwater, but they were both 6'3".

Does anyone remember any unusually tall DBs in NFL history?

Pat Watkins was a 6-5 safety.

http://www.nfl.com/player/patwatkins/2495968/profile

Jeff Nixon was 6'3"

Brandon Browner was a corner at 6-4, 220, and of course a holding machine!

Bryant Salter was 6-4, so was Don Burroughs. Mark Murphy was also 6-4

Recently, Brandon Browner was tall as was Lenny Walls.

Otto Schnellbacher was 6-4, Jim Tolbert, who was in secondary with Salter for a time was also 6-4 Randy Hughes was tall but I think you nailed it with Baylor. Has to be tallest

rhickok1109 wrote:

Bryan wrote:looking at two of Ken Stabler's great games...74 Dolphins and 77 Colts...key factor in 74 win was Jake Scott leaving the game due to injury...key factor in 77 win was Lyle Blackwood leaving the game due to injury...which leads us to Tim Baylor!

Baylor is the guy who replaced Blackwood and was burned on the Ghost to the Post. He spent 4 seasons in the NFL as a reserve but always seeing playing time. The interesting thing about Baylor is that he was 6'6". Has there ever been a DB in the NFL who was 6'6" or taller? Baylor is the tallest I've come across.

Mel Blount was said to be big for a CB, and he was 6'3". I remember James Hunter (6'3") being a big and fast CB for the Lions in the 80's, but he didn't react to the ball very well (perhaps too tall?). Joe Lavender is the tallest CB I've come across at 6'4". I looked at Emmitt Thomas and Mike Haynes, but they were only 6'2".

For SS/FS, Gary Barbaro was 6'4" and a very good safety for Marv Levy-era Chiefs. I looked at David Fulcher and Steve Atwater, but they were both 6'3".

Does anyone remember any unusually tall DBs in NFL history?

Pat Watkins was a 6-5 safety.

http://www.nfl.com/player/patwatkins/2495968/profile

Watkins played his final 5 pro seasons in the CFL with Toronto and Edmonton.

In December 2014 I went to a Colts-Cowboys game at AT@T Stadium and I met former Cowboy CB Everson Walls. He is 6-1, but appears taller and he told me that in the early 80s he was one of tallest CB in the league after Mel Blount and Mike Haynes. He told me also that safety MIchael Downs (like Walls, a Texas native and undrafted by Dallas in 1981) was 6-3.