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1956 Baltimore Colts
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Record: 5-7-0, Finished 4th in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 270 points (22.5/g), 4th of 12 in the NFL.
Allowed 322 points (26.8/g), 11th.
Differential of -52 points (-4.3/g), 10th.
Expected W-L: 4.8-7.2.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -4 (-0.3/g), 9th.
Coached by Weeb Ewbank (5-7-0)
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1956 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Johnny Unitas | 23 | Rook | 7 | 110 for 198, 1,498 yards, 9 td, 10 int, & 28 rushes for 155 yards and 1 td | Pittsburgh Steelers / 9th / 102nd pick / 1955 |
| FB | Alan Ameche* | 23 | 1 | 0 | 178 rushes for 858 yards, 8 td, & 26 catches for 189 yards and 0 td | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 3rd pick / 1955 |
| LH | Billy Vessels | 25 | Rook | 0 | 44 rushes for 215 yards, 2 td, & 11 catches for 177 yards and 1 td | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 2nd pick / 1953 |
| RH | Lenny Moore* | 23 | Rook | 0 | 86 rushes for 649 yards, 8 td, & 11 catches for 102 yards and 1 td | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 9th pick / 1956 |
| LE | Raymond Berry | 23 | 1 | 0 | 37 catches for 601 yards, 2 td | Baltimore Colts / 20th / 232nd pick / 1954 |
| LT | George Preas | 23 | 1 | 0 | Baltimore Colts / 5th / 51st pick / 1955 |
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| LG | Art Spinney | 29 | 6 | 0 | Baltimore Colts / 15th / 184th pick / 1950 |
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| C | Buzz Nutter | 25 | 2 | 0 | Washington Redskins / 12th / 136th pick / 1953 |
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| RG | Alex Sandusky | 24 | 2 | 11 | Baltimore Colts / 16th / 184th pick / 1954 |
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| RT | Ken Jackson | 27 | 4 | 0 | New York Yanks / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1951 |
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| RE | Jim Mutscheller | 26 | 2 | 0 | 44 catches for 715 yards, 6 td | Dallas Texans / 12th / 134th pick / 1952 |
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Gino Marchetti* | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Dallas Texans / 2nd / 14th pick / 1952 |
| LDT | Art Donovan*+ | 31 | 6 | 0 | New York Giants / 22nd / 204th pick / 1947 |
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| MG | Joe Campanella | 26 | 4 | 0 | Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 36th pick / 1952 |
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| RDT | Tom Finnin | 29 | 3 | 0 | New York Giants / 24th / 306th pick / 1950 |
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| RDE | Don Joyce | 27 | 5 | 0 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 18th pick / 1951 |
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| LLB | Bill Pellington | 29 | 3 | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | |
| RLB | Doug Eggers | 26 | 2 | 0 | 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered | |
| LDH | Don Shula | 26 | 5 | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Cleveland Browns / 9th / 110th pick / 1951 |
| LDH | Carl Taseff | 28 | 5 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Cleveland Browns / 22nd / 267th pick / 1951 |
| RDH | Carl Taseff | 28 | 5 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Cleveland Browns / 22nd / 267th pick / 1951 |
| RDH | Don Shula | 26 | 5 | 0 | 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered | Cleveland Browns / 9th / 110th pick / 1951 |
| LS | Jesse Thomas | 28 | 1 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | New York Yanks / 10th / 119th pick / 1951 |
| RS | Bert Rechichar* | 26 | 4 | 0 | 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Cleveland Browns / 1st / 10th pick / 1952 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Bert Rechichar* | 26 | 4 | 0 | 3 of 13 field goals & 8 of 10 extra points | Cleveland Browns / 1st / 10th pick / 1952 |
| P | Bert Rechichar* | 26 | 4 | 0 | 33 punts for a 38.7 average, 0 blocked | Cleveland Browns / 1st / 10th pick / 1952 |
| PR | Carl Taseff | 28 | 5 | 0 | 27 punt returns for a 8.6 average and 1 td | Cleveland Browns / 22nd / 267th pick / 1951 |
| KR | Billy Vessels | 25 | Rook | 0 | 16 kick returns for a 23.7 average and 0 td | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 2nd pick / 1953 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Ameche* | 23 | FB | 12 | 0 | 218 | 6-0 | Wisconsin | 6/1/1933 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 3rd pick / 1955 |
| Raymond Berry | 23 | E | 12 | 0 | 187 | 6-2 | Schreiner College,SMU | 2/27/1933 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 20th / 232nd pick / 1954 |
| Joe Campanella | 26 | LB-DT-T | 10 | 0 | 242 | 6-2 | Ohio State | 9/3/1930 | 4 | Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 36th pick / 1952 |
| Dick Chorovich | 23 | DT-T | 3 | 0 | 260 | 6-4 | Miami (OH) | 11/29/1933 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 12th / 136th pick / 1955 |
| Lloyd Colteryahn | 25 | E | 3 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | Maryland | 8/26/1931 | 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 4th / 42nd pick / 1953 |
| Art Donovan*+ | 31 | DT-T | 11 | 0 | 263 | 6-2 | Boston College,Notre Dame | 6/5/1925 | 6 | New York Giants / 22nd / 204th pick / 1947 |
| L.G. Dupre | 24 | HB | 11 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Baylor | 9/10/1932 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 3rd / 27th pick / 1955 |
| Doug Eggers | 26 | LB | 12 | 0 | 213 | 6-0 | South Dakota State | 9/21/1930 | 2 | |
| Tom Feamster | 26 | T-DE | 12 | 0 | 260 | 6-7 | Florida State,William & Mary | 10/23/1930 | Rook | Los Angeles Rams / 4th / 40th pick / 1955 |
| Tom Finnin | 29 | DT | 10 | 0 | 262 | 6-2 | Detroit Mercy | 9/28/1927 | 3 | New York Giants / 24th / 306th pick / 1950 |
| Bernie Flowers | 26 | E | 1 | 0 | 190 | 6-2 | Purdue | 2/14/1930 | Rook | Baltimore Colts / 2nd / 14th pick / 1953 |
| Jim Harness | 22 | DB | 1 | 0 | 180 | 5-11 | Mississippi State | 4/6/1934 | Rook | Baltimore Colts / 21st / 247th pick / 1956 |
| Johnny Hermann | 23 | DB | 8 | 0 | 180 | 6-1 | UCLA | 10/17/1933 | Rook | New York Giants / 10th / 117th pick / 1956 |
| Ken Jackson | 27 | T-G | 12 | 0 | 236 | 6-2 | Texas | 4/26/1929 | 4 | New York Yanks / 2nd / 22nd pick / 1951 |
| Tommy James | 33 | DB-HB | 2 | 0 | 185 | 5-10 | Ohio State | 9/16/1923 | 9 | Detroit Lions / 17th / 146th pick / 1947 |
| Don Joyce | 27 | DE-DT | 12 | 0 | 253 | 6-3 | Tulane | 10/8/1929 | 5 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 18th pick / 1951 |
| Gary Kerkorian | 26 | QB | 3 | 0 | 185 | 5-11 | Stanford | 1/14/1930 | 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers / 19th / 222nd pick / 1952 |
| Bill Koman | 22 | LB | 12 | 0 | 229 | 6-2 | North Carolina | 9/16/1934 | Rook | Baltimore Colts / 8th / 91st pick / 1956 |
| Gene Lipscomb | 25 | DT | 11 | 0 | 284 | 6-6 | none | 8/9/1931 | 3 | |
| Gino Marchetti* | 29 | DE-T-DT | 12 | 0 | 244 | 6-4 | San Francisco | 1/2/1927 | 4 | Dallas Texans / 2nd / 14th pick / 1952 |
| Lenny Moore* | 23 | HB-FL | 12 | 0 | 191 | 6-1 | Penn State | 11/25/1933 | Rook | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 9th pick / 1956 |
| Jim Mutscheller | 26 | E-DE | 12 | 0 | 205 | 6-1 | Notre Dame | 3/31/1930 | 2 | Dallas Texans / 12th / 134th pick / 1952 |
| Buzz Nutter | 25 | C-LB | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-4 | Virginia Tech | 2/16/1931 | 2 | Washington Redskins / 12th / 136th pick / 1953 |
| Dick Nyers | 22 | DB-HB | 5 | 0 | 177 | 5-11 | Indianapolis | 9/8/1934 | Rook | |
| Jack Patera | 23 | LB | 12 | 0 | 234 | 6-1 | Oregon | 8/1/1933 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 4th / 44th pick / 1955 |
| Bill Pellington | 29 | LB | 12 | 0 | 234 | 6-2 | Defiance,Rutgers | 9/25/1927 | 3 | |
| Jerry Peterson | 22 | DT | 1 | 0 | 290 | 6-3 | Texas | 10/8/1934 | Rook | Baltimore Colts / 15th / 171st pick / 1955 |
| George Preas | 23 | T-G-LB | 12 | 0 | 244 | 6-2 | Virginia Tech | 6/25/1933 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 5th / 51st pick / 1955 |
| George Radosevich | 28 | T-C | 8 | 0 | 228 | 6-2 | Pittsburgh | 1/25/1928 | 2 | |
| Bert Rechichar* | 26 | DB-LB-HB-E | 10 | 0 | 209 | 6-1 | Tennessee | 7/16/1930 | 4 | Cleveland Browns / 1st / 10th pick / 1952 |
| Alex Sandusky | 24 | G | 11 | 11 | 235 | 6-1 | Clarion | 8/17/1932 | 2 | Baltimore Colts / 16th / 184th pick / 1954 |
| George Shaw | 23 | QB | 5 | 5 | 183 | 6-1 | Oregon | 7/25/1933 | 1 | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 1st pick / 1955 |
| Don Shula | 26 | DB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | John Carroll | 1/4/1930 | 5 | Cleveland Browns / 9th / 110th pick / 1951 |
| Art Spinney | 29 | G-DE | 11 | 0 | 230 | 6-0 | Boston College | 11/8/1927 | 6 | Baltimore Colts / 15th / 184th pick / 1950 |
| Carl Taseff | 28 | DB-HB | 12 | 0 | 192 | 5-11 | John Carroll | 9/28/1928 | 5 | Cleveland Browns / 22nd / 267th pick / 1951 |
| Jesse Thomas | 28 | DB | 11 | 0 | 180 | 5-10 | Michigan State | 5/23/1928 | 1 | New York Yanks / 10th / 119th pick / 1951 |
| Johnny Unitas | 23 | QB | 12 | 7 | 194 | 6-1 | Louisville | 5/7/1933 | Rook | Pittsburgh Steelers / 9th / 102nd pick / 1955 |
| Billy Vessels | 25 | HB | 12 | 0 | 190 | 6-0 | Oklahoma | 3/22/1931 | Rook | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 2nd pick / 1953 |
| Royce Womble | 25 | HB-FL | 12 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | North Texas | 8/12/1931 | 2 | |
| Dick Young | 26 | FB-HB | 12 | 0 | 210 | 5-11 | Tennessee-Chattanooga | 8/25/1930 | 1 | Chicago Cardinals / 18th / 206th pick / 1954 |
| Team Total | 25.5 | 12 | 217.8 | 6-1.3 | 2.2 |