Pro Football : Stark of Colts May Be Man to Kick Out Baugh

Sammy Baugh of the Washington Redskins, the Hall of Fame quarterback who played from 1937-52, has long been recognized as probably the finest punter in National Football League history.

Baugh’s career average, 45.10 yards, is the best ever in the NFL, and in 1940, his best season as a punter, he averaged 51.40 yards. But Rohn Stark, the Indianapolis Colts’ fourth-year punter, may someday kick Baugh off the top rung.

Stark’s career average is 45.15 and climbing. Last week he punted eight times, averaging 47 yards.

A lefty kicker, Stark, 6-3 inches and 203 pounds, was drafted second in 1982 with a choice the Colts got from the Rams in the Bert Jones deal.

“The Colts’ offense isn’t much,” an Eastern Division AFC coach said. “Stark is always punting from the 25-yard line for that team--and he can kick it a mile. That’s the combination it takes to beat Baugh.”

What’s most important in punting: gross yardage--which results from long, booming kicks--or net yardage?

To get the net figure, statisticians subtract 20 yards for each punt that carries into the end zone plus all runback yardage.

Stark’s net average this year is 35.0, which puts him behind seven others in the AFC, including the Raiders’ Ray Guy at 36.9.

He has put only eight punts out of bounds inside the 20 to Guy’s 22.

But measure him for distance and Stark is comparable with a Hall of Famer. He’s also one of the most consistent punters. Since his junior year at Florida State, Stark has averaged 45.2, 46, 44.4, 45.3, 44.7 and, now, 46.6.

Baugh led the league in punting a record four times. Stark, in his first three pro seasons, finished second, first and third. This year he is more than a yard ahead of the field.

His talent and consistency are doubtless due in part to the fact that, like Guy, he is an athlete. As a Florida State senior, Stark finished eighth in the NCAA decathlon.

The Redskins have prospered for years with Joe Theismann, a quarterback who has problems throwing on third and long.

To combat that shortcoming, Coach Joe Gibbs designed an offense that since 1981 has been committed to getting first downs in two plays--instead of three--with John Riggins’ runs and Theismann’s passes. That means the Redskins have been trying to throw primarily on running downs--first and 10 or second and two.

But the defensive teams seem to have caught up with Gibbs and Theismann this year. After losing again to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, they’re 5-5.

Former Super Bowl Coach John Madden summed it all up in a sentence this week:

“The Redskins can’t play in long-yardage situations, and the Cowboys stopped them on first down.”

Center Dave Dalby of the Raiders will reach a milestone at the Coliseum Sunday.

This will be Dalby’s 200th consecutive NFL game. In the league’s 66-year history, only 12 others have appeared that often consecutively.

Among the pros active today, Dalby is No. 1.

Of the 13 in the 200-game club, five played for the Raiders, although not all of them played for the Raiders exclusively.

“We bring in tough players to begin with,” Raider executive Al LoCasale said. “And we try not to lose them in training camp. We don’t beat each other up.”

Former Raiders with the most mileage are quarterback-kicker George Blanda, 224 straight games; linebacker Ted Hendricks, 215; center Jim Otto, 210, and guard Gene Upshaw, 207. Both Otto and Upshaw played all of their games for the Raiders.

Dalby, who has shared center this year with Don Mosebar, still snaps the ball for field goals and extra points.

A fourth-round draft choice from UCLA in 1972, Dalby played in his first game as a rookie and hasn’t missed one since. That’s 14 years of pounding, rather amazing.

Mike Ditka’s Chicago Bears (10-0) have been a team without an apparent weakness this year.

Their opponents Sunday in the game of the week at Texas Stadium, Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys (7-3) have shown one weakness.

The Cowboys have everything but wide receivers. Although Tony Hill is good enough, Mike Renfro is a slow journeyman, and their backups are undistinguished rookies.

In situations calling for three wide receivers, Dallas quarterback Danny White figures to be seriously handicapped, as he has been all year.

This has been White’s best season, considering the lack of talented receivers. But it will be an upset if he can drive the Cowboys through the Chicago defense with 1 1/2 receivers.