The strength of three: The 30 greatest trios in NFL history

This one is a story of revenge and redemption. It’s about George Blanda, the man who retired from the Chicago Bears because of their refusal to move him from kicker and soon won two AFL titles with the Houston Oilers as their signal-caller.

It’s about college hotshot Billy Cannon, who signed with the Oilers over the Los Angeles Rams because of an extra $3,000 and a Cadillac. He showed the Rams why they should have just shelled out the money.

It’s about Charley Hennigan, the hard-working, steely receiver who went undrafted out of LSU, with his only opportunity coming from the newly formed Oilers franchise, only to break records and bring pride to the Houston brand.

This trio, headed by Blanda, the NFL reject, quickly made the NFL regret passing up their talents. They won the first two AFL Championships in history and strengthened the prestige of the competing league. The success of this trio laid a foundation that helped lead to the start of the merger discussion in 1966.

Only Blanda is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, for his rare longevity, but Cannon led the AFL in rushing yards in 1961, and Hennigan has Blanda’s endorsement, as well as five Pro Bowl bids, three All-Pro berths, and several now-broken records to his name.

Whatever this Oilers trio’s goal was, whether to sprout envy in the NFL or to dominate the new league, they accomplished what they sought out to do.