1974 NAFL season (Jayverse)

The 1974 NAFL Season was the 55th Regular Season of the North American Football League. Players held a strike from July 1 until August 10, prior to the regular season beginning; only one preseason game (that year's College All-Star Game) was canceled, and the preseason contests were held with all-rookie rosters.

New Officials
There were two new referees in 1974, Cal Lepore and Gordon McCarter. Lepore replaced the retired John McDonough, the referee for Super Bowl IV. McCarter succeeded Jack Reader, who left the field to become chief lieutenant to NFL Director of Officiating Art McNally at league headquarters in New York.

Draft
The St. Louis Gunners got the First Pick in the 1974 NAFL Draft to select Colorado RB Bo Matthews, The Dallas Texans got the 2nd pick to draft DE Ed "Too Tall" Jones from Tennessee State then Nebraska DE John Dutton was chosen as the 3rd pick in the 1974 NAFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts

Other Selections Chosen in the Draft Are

Los Angeles Rams draft John Cappelletti (RB)

Miami Dolphins draft Don Reese (DT)

New York Giants draft John Hicks (G)

Chicago Bears draft Waymond Bryant (LB)

Denver Broncos draft Randy Gradishar (LB)

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Lynn Swann (WR)

Cleveland Browns draft Mark Ilgenfritz (DE)

Portland Storm draft Jack Lambert (LB)

New Orleans Saints draft Rick Middleton (LB)

Kansas City Kings draft Woody Green (RB)

Brooklyn Barons draft Mike Webster (C)

New York Jets draft Carl Barzilauskas (DT)

Boston Patriots draft Steve Nelson (LB)

Kentucky Bourbons draft Keith Fahnhorst (T)

Buffalo Bills draft Reuben Gant (TE)

San Francisco 49ers draft Wilbur Johnson (RB)

Edmonton Elks draft Dave Fennell (DT)

Oakland Raiders draft Henry Lawrence (T)

Los Angeles Chargers draft Bill Sandifer (DT)

Atlanta Falcons draft Gerald Tinker (WR)

Philadelphia Eagles draft Mitch Sutton (DE)

Washington Capitals draft Ray Rhodes (FS)

Houston Oilers draft Steve George (DT)

Green Bay Packers draft Barty Smith (RB)

Montreal Beavers draft Gary Chown (LB)

Minnesota Vikings draft Fred McNeill (LB)

Jacksonville Sharks draft Donnie Shell (SS)

Detroit Lions draft Ed O'Neil (LB)

San Diego Destroyers draft Steve Riley (T)

Toronto Huskies draft Larry Uteck (CB)

Standings
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles (11-5), Washington Redskins (9-7), Baltimore Colts (8-8), New York Giants (7-9), Atlanta Falcons (5-11)

NFC Central: Chicago Bears (10-6), Green Bay Packers (10-6), Cleveland Browns (7-9), Pittsburgh Steelers (5-11), Houston Oilers (2-14)

NFC West: Portland Loggers (11-5), Denver Broncos (9-7), Los Angeles Rams (9-7), San Francisco 49ers (5-11), Dallas Cowboys (4-12)

CFC East: Ottawa Northmen (11-5), New York Empire (11-5), Montreal Alouettes (10-6), Hamilton TIger-Cats (9-7), Boston Patriots (2-14)

CFC Central: Minnesota Vikings (9-7), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-8), Toronto Argonauts (8-8), Buffalo Bills (8-8), Detroit LIons (8-8)

CFC West: Calgary Stampeders (12-4), Seattle Jets (12-4), Edmonton Eskimos (9-7), British Columbia Cardinals (7-9), Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-12)

Playoffs
Halas Cup Quarterfinal

Los Angeles Rams 38, Green Bay Packers 33

Grey Cup Quarterfinal

Seattle Jets 38, New York Jets 27

Halas Cup Semi-Final

Philadelphia Eagles 28, Los Angeles Rams 9

Chicago Bears 35, Portland Loggers 27

Grey Cup Semi-Final

Seattle Jets 34, Calgary Stampeders 31

Ottawa Northmen 34, Minnesota Vikings 17

Halas Cup Final

Chicago Bears 40, Philadelphia Eagles 17

Grey Cup Final

Ottawa Northmen 45, Seattle Jets 21

15th World Series of Pro Football (at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, ON)

Ottawa Northmen 38, Chicago Bears 23

NAFL All-Star Game (at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL)

National All-Stars 45, Continental All-Stars 17

Awards
League MVP: Dan Fouts (QB - Portland Loggers)

Playoff MVP: Cecil Saldana (QB - Ottawa Northmen)

Offensive POTY: Dan Fouts (QB - Portland Loggers)

Defensive POTY: Robert Richards (DE - Calgary Stampeders

Offensive ROTY: Ron Jaworski (QB - Philadelphia Eagles) [After Playing for the Philadelphia Eagles Triple-A Affiliate in Allentown last year, Jaworski called up and played for the 1974 season which led to his accomplishment to win the 1974 Offensive Rookie of the Year Title)

Defensive ROTY: Randy Gradishar (LB - Detroit Lions)