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33-746: The team name references mob enforcers , alluding to Chicago's history of mafia influence. The team's fight song would later become the entrance music for professional wrestler Brock Lesnar who had signed a contract with the WWE but was yet to debut. The "Chicago Enforcers" name is used by the Chicago Police Department for their works team in the National Public Safety Football League. Originally, rumors swirled that former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan would be hired as

66-408: A blocker to protect the left side of right-handed quarterbacks. The end stayed at the end of the offensive line in what today is a tight end position, while the running back - who would line up a yard or so off the offensive line and some distance from the end in a "flank" position - became known as a "flanker". Lining up behind the line of scrimmage gave the flanker two principal advantages. First,

99-484: A flanker has more "space" between themselves and their opposing defensive cornerback , who can not as easily "jam" them at the line of scrimmage; second, flankers are eligible for motion plays, which allow them to move laterally before and during the snap. Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch is one of the earliest players to successfully exploit the potential of the flanker position as a member of the Los Angeles Rams during

132-709: A handoff or backward lateral. In Super Bowl XL , Antwaan Randle El , a four-year quarterback at Indiana University , threw a touchdown pass at the wide receiver position playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Seattle Seahawks , the first wide receiver in Super Bowl history to do so, along with Jauan Jennings in Super Bowl LVIII . Wide receivers often also serve on special teams as kick or punt returners , as gunners on coverage teams, or as part of

165-480: A small percentage of murders. For example, they accounted for about 5% of all murders in Scotland from 1993 to 2002. Wide receiver A wide receiver ( WR ), also referred to as a wideout , and historically known as a split end ( SE ) or flanker ( FL ), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football . A key skill position of the offense , WR gets its name from the player being split out "wide" (near

198-409: Is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be a person, group, or organization. Contract killing has been associated with organized crime , government conspiracies , dictatorships , and vendettas . For example, in

231-670: Is colloquially known as a hitman . A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology of 162 contract murders and attempted contract murders in Australia between 1989 and 2002 indicated that the most common reason for murder-for-hire was insurance policy payouts. The study also found that payments varied from $ 5,000 to $ 30,000 per killing, with an average of $ 15,000, and that the most commonly used weapons were firearms . Contract killings accounted for 2% of murders in Australia during that time period. Contract killings generally make up

264-829: The Green Bay Packers , Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants . He was starting tailback for the Cardinals for most of 1996. He led the Enforcers with 6 rushing touchdowns , which was second in the league. They also had former NFL running back John Avery who played for the Miami Dolphins . Their wide receiver/kick returner Roell Preston (who previously played for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , Miami Dolphins , San Francisco 49ers , and Tennessee Titans ) held

297-418: The end . Originally, the ends played on the offensive line , immediately next to the tackles, in a position now referred to as the tight end . By the rules governing the forward pass, ends (positioned at the end of the line of scrimmage) and backs (positioned behind the line of scrimmage) are eligible receivers . Most early football teams used the ends sparingly as receivers, as their starting position next to

330-407: The end zone to score a touchdown . Especially fast receivers are typically perceived as "deep threats", while those with good hands and perhaps shifty moves may be regarded as "possession receivers" prized for running crossing routes across the middle of the field, and converting third-down situations. Taller receivers with a height advantage over typically shorter defenders tend to play further to

363-503: The "slot" (open space) between the furthest receiver and the offensive line, typically lining up off the line of scrimmage like a flanker. The first use of a slot receiver is often credited to Al Davis , a Gillman assistant who took the concept with him as a coach of the 1960s Oakland Raiders . Other members of the Gillman coaching tree , including Don Coryell and John Madden , brought these progressive offensive ideas along with them into

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396-480: The 1950s. While some teams did experiment with more than two wide receivers as a gimmick or trick play , most teams used the pro set (of a flanker, split end, half back, full back, tight end, and quarterback) as the standard group of ball-handling personnel. An early innovator, coach Sid Gillman used 3+ wide receiver sets as early as the 1960s. In sets that have three, four, or five wide receivers, extra receivers are typically called slot receivers, as they play in

429-673: The 1970s and early 1980s, but it was not until the 1990s that teams began to reliably use three or more wide receivers, notably the " run and shoot " offense popularized by the Houston Cougars of the NCAA and the Houston Oilers of the NFL, and the "K Gun" offense used by the Buffalo Bills . Charlie Joiner , a member of the " Air Coryell " San Diego Chargers teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s,

462-400: The NFL, wide receivers use the numbers 0–49 and 80–89. A "route tree" system typically used in high school and college employs numbers zero through nine, with zero being a "go route" and a nine being a "hitch route" or vice versa. In high school they are normally a part of the play call, but are usually disguised in higher levels of plays. The wide receiver grew out of a position known as

495-630: The United States, the Italian- and Jewish-American organized crime gang Murder, Inc. committed hundreds of murders on behalf of the National Crime Syndicate during the 1930s and 1940s. Contract killing provides the hiring party with the advantage of not having to carry out the actual killing, making it more difficult for law enforcement to connect the hirer with the murder. The likelihood that authorities will establish that party's guilt for

528-459: The Year . In every other year it was awarded to either a quarterback or running back. No wide receiver has ever won MVP . Jerry Rice is the leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns on the all-time list for receivers, along with being a 3-time SB champion and 10-time All-Pro selection. The wide receiver's principle role is to catch forward passes from the quarterback . On passing plays,

561-485: The committed crime, especially due to lack of forensic evidence linked to the contracting party, makes the case more difficult to attribute to the hiring party. Contract killers may exhibit serial killer traits, but are generally not classified as such because of third-party killing objectives and detached financial and emotional incentives. Nevertheless, there are occasionally individuals that are labeled as both contract killers and serial killers. A contract killer

594-585: The crossover semifinals. The Enforcers were part of the Eastern Division with the Orlando Rage , New York/New Jersey Hitmen and the Birmingham Thunderbolts . Their radio flagship station was WMVP , ESPN Radio 1000. Poor attendance and the pending renovation of Soldier Field would have meant that, even if the league had continued, the Enforcers would have not; the league was exploring relocating

627-401: The defense, as in an end-around or reverse . All-time NFL receiving yardage leader Jerry Rice also rushed the ball 87 times for 645 yards and 10 touchdowns in his 20 NFL seasons. In even rarer cases, receivers may pass the ball as part of an outright trick play. Like a running back, a receiver may legally pass the ball so long as they receive it behind the line of scrimmage, in the form of

660-503: The distinction of being the only former Pro Bowler (1998 as a Packer) to play in the XFL. The team's starting right guard, Bennie Anderson , went on to be a starter for the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills , and last played professional football in 2006 for the Miami Dolphins . The Enforcers got off to a slow start, losing their first four games with Tim Lester ; at the time, Lester

693-619: The hands team during onside kicks . Devin Hester , from the Chicago Bears , touted as one of the greatest kick and punt returners of all time, was listed as a wide receiver (after his first season, during which he was listed as a cornerback). Five-time All-Pro and ten-time Pro Bowl member Matthew Slater was a gunner for the New England Patriots who was likewise listed as a wide receiver, however he had only one reception in his career. In

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726-433: The intent of drawing defenders away from the intended action. Well-rounded receivers are noted for skill in both roles; Hines Ward in particular received praise for his blocking abilities while also becoming the Pittsburgh Steelers ' all-time leading receiver and one of 13 in NFL history through 2009 with at least 1,000 receptions. Occasionally wide receivers are used to run the ball, usually in plays seeking to surprise

759-448: The offensive side of the ball, typically on the line of scrimmage, and are positioned on the periphery of the formation. They are often split out wide from the offensive line, hence the name "wide" receiver. The primary objective of a wide receiver is to catch passes from the quarterback and gain yardage. Wide receivers must possess a combination of speed, agility, and hands to excel in their role. They must be able to quickly accelerate off

792-407: The offensive tackles at the end of the offensive formation often left them in heavy traffic with many defenders around. By the 1930s, some teams were experimenting with spreading the field by moving one end far out near the sideline, drawing the defense away from running plays and leaving them more open on passing ones. These "split ends" became the prototype for what has evolved into being called today

825-409: The outside and run deep more often, while shorter ones tend to play inside and run more routes underneath the top of the defense. A wide receiver may block theirs or another's defender, depending on the type of play being run. On standard running plays they will block their assigned defender for the running back . Particularly in the case of draws and other trick plays, they may run a pass route with

858-400: The receiver attempts to avoid, outmaneuver, or simply outrun the cornerbacks or safeties typically defending them. If the receiver becomes open on their pass route , the quarterback may throw a pass to them. The receiver needs to successfully catch the ball without it touching the ground (known as a completion ) and then run with the ball as far downfield as possible, hoping to reach

891-568: The sidelines), farthest away from the rest of the offensive formation . A forward pass -catching specialist, the wide receiver is one of the fastest players on the field alongside cornerbacks and running backs . One on either extreme of the offensive line is typical, but several may be employed on the same play. Through 2022 only four wide receivers, Jerry Rice (in 1987 and 1993), Michael Thomas (in 2019), Cooper Kupp (in 2021), and Justin Jefferson (in 2022), have won Offensive Player of

924-438: The team to Milwaukee at the time of the league's closure. Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve 12-25 (48.0)% on extra point conversion attempts Mob enforcer Note: Varies by jurisdiction Note: Varies by jurisdiction Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire )

957-491: The team's coach. Ultimately, Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus was hired for the position. However, just before the season started, he resigned to take a position in the XFL office. He was replaced by Ron Meyer , a former NFL head coach from the 1980s who had not coached professional football since 1994 with the Las Vegas Posse . Among their players was former NFL running back LeShon Johnson , who had played for

990-404: The time) to serve as McDougal's backup. The team went 5–1 in the rest of the season (winning their last four in a row), coming from behind to make the XFL playoffs at 2nd place in the Eastern Division. In addition to their potent rushing attack led by league leading running back John Avery, they were also known for their hard hitting defense. They lost to eventual XFL champion Los Angeles Xtreme in

1023-400: The wide receiver. Don Hutson , who played college football at Alabama and professionally with the Green Bay Packers , was the first player to exploit the potential of the split end position. As the passing game evolved, a second de facto wide receiver was added by employing a running back in a pass-catching role rather than splitting out the "blind-side" end, who was typically retained as

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1056-535: Was the first "slot receiver" to be his team's primary receiver. Wide receivers generally hit their peak between the ages of 23 and 30, with about 80 percent of peak seasons falling within that range according to one study. The designation for a receiver separated from the main offensive formation varies depending on how far they are removed from it and whether they begin on or off the line of scrimmage. The three principal designations are "wide receiver"/"split end", "flanker", and "slot back": Wide receivers line up on

1089-581: Was working as a math teacher and assistant football coach at Wheaton Warrenville South High School in the suburbs of Chicago and played for the Enforcers effectively as a semi-professional player. In week 5, the team replaced Lester with the former Notre Dame Quatrerback Kevin McDougal , cut Lester, and brought in Craig Whelihan (an established NFL backup who had been third string on the Memphis Maniax at

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