John Mackey (American football player)
| John Mackey | |
|---|---|
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Position (s): Tight End |
Jersey numbers: 88, 89 |
| born on September 24, 1941 in New York City, New York | |
| died on July 6, 2011 in Baltimore , Maryland | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1963 - 1972 | |
| NFL Draft : 1963 / Round: 2 / Pick: 19th | |
| College : Syracuse University | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Pass catches | 331 |
| the resulting gain in space | 5,236 yards |
| Touchdowns | 38 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
John Kevin Mackey (born September 24, 1941 in New York City , † July 6, 2011 in Baltimore , Maryland ) was an American American football player . He played as a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) with the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers .
youth
John Mackey was born in 1941 in New York City, one of six children of a pastor . He grew up in the Roosevelt Ward , Nassau County , and attended high school in Hempstead . Already at school he drew attention to himself as an outstanding athlete and was honored with the "Thorp Award" as the best football player in the district. After graduating from school in 1959, he studied from 1960 at Syracuse University .
Player career
College career
John Mackey studied history and political science at Syracuse University from 1960 to 1963 . He graduated with a bachelor's degree . From 1960 to 1962 he played with the "Syracuse Orange" , the football team of his college , together with Ernie Davis as halfback football . Davis was his roommate on the college campus too. In 1961 it was set up as a tight end by Orange coach Ben Schwartzwalder . A year later he played with his team in the Liberty Bowl against the team from the University of Miami . The game ended in a 15-14 victory for his team. His college team honored him in all three years of study for his athletic achievements.
Professional career
Mackey was in 1963 by the by Don Shula trained Baltimore Colts in the second round 19th in drafted . The Colts had one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history with Johnny Unitas . The tight end position was underdeveloped at the beginning of Mackey's career. That was about to change with Mackey's establishment in the Colts and the NFL. In 1965 he achieved a space gain of 814 yards with pass catchers , making him the team's second best pass recipient. The following year he caught 50 passes for a gain of 829 yards. He was able to use nine of these balls for touchdowns . He was at the top of the team's internal team ranking. In 1968 the Colts could win 13 of 14 games in the regular season and move into the play-offs . There the team first met the Minnesota Vikings . In his team's 24:14 victory over the Vikings, Mackey scored a touchdown. In the NFL championship game, Mackey's team met the Cleveland Browns , who had no chance in their 34-0 defeat. The victory meant qualification for the "AFL-NFL Championship Game" , which was later renamed Super Bowl III . There the Colts met the New York Jets , which were managed by Weeb Ewbank , and whose charismatic quarterback Joe Namath had guaranteed his team a victory before the game. He followed up his announcement with deeds. Although the Colts were favored for the win and Mackey got three pass catches with a space gain of 35 yards, the Jets retained the upper hand 16: 7.
In 1970 Don McCafferty had taken over the coaching position with the Colts. He led the team to the second Super Bowl . After winning eleven of 14 games in the regular season, the team from Baltimore first faced the Cincinnati Bengals , trained by Paul Brown , who were defeated 17-0. The opponents in the AFC Championship Game were the Oakland Raiders . John Madden's team suffered a 27:17 defeat. In Super Bowl V Mackey then showed excellent performance. The Dallas Cowboys quickly took a 6-0 lead. Only in the second quarter of the game Mackey managed a touchdown to equalize. He had caught a pass from Unitas and carried the ball 75 yards into the Cowboys end zone . Mackey caught a second pass in the game and after 60 minutes of play, the Tom Landry supervised cowboys left the field with a 16-13 defeat.
Mackey played another year in Baltimore. His team failed to defend their title. In 1971 the Colts failed in the AFC Championship Game at the Miami Dolphins 21-0 . After another unsuccessful game year with the San Diego Chargers, John Mackey ended his career after the 1972 season.
Off the field
Mackey was from 1969 to 1973 chairman of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). His engagement was due to a contract dispute from 1968. Over the next few years, the players under his leadership and that of other former players, such as Gene Upshaw , were able to ensure that they too benefited from the economic success of the NFL. Rules of the NFL, which largely disenfranchised the players, were gradually overridden.
John Mackey last suffered from Pick's disease . He was a nursing case and lived in a nursing home. The costs of its supply were met by the NFL and the players' union. He died at the age of 69 on July 6, 2011 as a result of his illness. His body was cremated.
Honors
Mackey played five times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He was voted All-Pro three times . The University of Syracuse has banned his jersey number. John Mackey is a member of the 1960s NFL All-Decade Team , the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame . He is honored on the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor .
literature
- David L. Porter (Ed.): African-American sports greats. A biographical dictionary. Greenwood Press, Westport CT et al. 1995, ISBN 0-313-28987-5 .
Web links
- John Mackey at college
- Short biography ( memento from September 21, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
- Short biography II
Individual evidence
- ↑ College awards for John Mackey ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Annual statistics of the Colts 1968
- ↑ Statistics play-off game Colts versus Vikings 1968
- ^ Statistics NFL championship game 1968
- ↑ Super Bowl III statistics
- ^ Annual statistics of the Colts 1970
- ↑ Statistics play-off game Colts versus Bengals 1970
- ↑ Statistics AFC Championship Game 1970
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl V
- ^ Annual statistics of the Colts 1971
- ↑ Statistics AFC Championship Game 1971
- ^ Burial of John Mackey
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mackey, John |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mackey, John Kevin (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 24, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 6, 2011 |
| Place of death | Baltimore , Maryland |