Ed Podolak
Running Back
Career: 1969-1977
Induction: 1988
It was a warm Christmas afternoon in 1971. But the heat was about to be turned up a few degrees thanks to a sizzling performance by Kansas City's all purpose running back Ed Podolak.
No one entering Municipal Stadium that day knew they were about to witness NFL history. But Podolak had a gut feeling that this might be his day. He was right and wrong.
He enjoyed, what many experts have called, the greatest single-day performance in the history of the NFL. He scored two touchdowns, rushed for 85 yards, caught passes for another 110 and returned punts and kickoffs for another 155 total 350 yards of total offense.
But Miami used a Garo Yepremian 37-yard field goal in overtime to claim a 27-24 victory in the AFC title game and a trip to the Super Bowl. "From the moment I first touched the football that day I felt like I could do no wrong," Podolak said from his office in Aspen, Colorado, where he is involved in real estate, oil, and gas.
"When I ran, there was a big hole. When I was catching a pass, I found a way to avoid the defender. On returns, I was in the right place at the right time. It was unbelievable." But one play sticks out most in his mind. It was 78-yard kickoff return that happened within seconds left in regulation and the score tied at 24 all. "I'll never forget that return," he said. "I'm coming down the sidelines and (Miami defender) Curtis Johnson has the angle on me." "You have to remember, I'd played 60 minutes and I'd been on the special teams. Curtis played me right. He gave me an extra 10 yards so he'd have the angle. I watched the films over and over again and there was no way to avoid him." The return gave the Chiefs and reliable Jan Stenerud the chance to win the game in regulation, but Stenerud missed a 32-yard kick and the game went into overtime, where the Dolphins won on Yepremian's kick. Surprisingly, Podolak doesn't rate that effort as his most memorable game. "Maybe if we'd have won it," he said. "The game I really remember was a victory over Washington." The score of that game was 27-20 and Podolak rushed for 140 yards.