Rick Upchurch
| Rick Upchurch | |
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Positions: WR , PR , KR |
Jersey number (s): 80 |
| born on May 20, 1952 in Toledo, Ohio | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1975 - 1983 | |
| NFL Draft : 1975 / Round: 4 / Pick: 95 | |
| College : University of Minnesota | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Games | 119 |
| Fumble secured | 9 |
| Touchdown | 35 |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Richard Upchurch (* 20th May 1952 in Toledo , Ohio ) is a former American American football poker players. He played among other things as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos .
Player career
College career
Rick Upchurch was born in Toledo but grew up in Holland . There he also attended high school . After graduating from school, he moved through Centerville Community College in Centerville , Iowa , to the University of Minnesota , where he was active as a football player and track and field athlete . For the Golden Gophers he played as a wide receiver, as well as a punt and kick-off returnurner. In 1974 he was elected to the second national team of the Big Ten Conference . In both 1973 and 1974 he was recognized by his college for his athletic achievements.
Professional career
Upchurch was drafted 95th in the fourth round in 1975 by the Denver Broncos . Upchurch was used by his head coach John Ralston in the offense of the Broncos as a wide receiver and return specialist. Upchurch drew national attention in his first game as a rookie . On the first day of the match, the Denver team were down 10-0 against the Kansas City Chiefs . Upchurch scored a touchdown in the first half with a run of 13 yards and caught a pass from his quarterback in the second half and ran it over a distance of 90 yards for his second touchdown into the opposing end zone . With two more pass catches over a total of 63 yards of space he contributed decisively to the 37:33 victory of his team. In the 1977 season, Richard Upchurch won the championship in the American Football Conference (AFC) with the team from Colorado . The Broncos had won twelve of 14 games in the regular season and were able to qualify for the play-offs with this performance . Opponents in the AFC final were the Oakland Raiders who could be beaten 20:17. With this victory Upchurch and his team could qualify for the Super Bowl . Opponents in Super Bowl XII were the Dallas Cowboys . Upchurch was able to achieve a space gain of 94 yards with three kick-off returns. He scored another 22 yards with punt returns and nine yards with a pass from quarterback Craig Morton . The Broncos lost the game against the Cowboys with 27:10. Rick Upchurch ended his career after the 1983 season in which he had set various bests of the year. In 1976 he had four touchdowns by punt return. In the following year he was able to achieve a space gain of 653 yards with 51 punt returns.
Off the NFL
Rick Upchurch coached two high school football teams after his career. He was the partner of the future Secretary of State of the United States Condoleezza Rice . Upchurch is married with four children. The on leukemia sufferer Upchurch now lives in Mesquite , Nevada .
Honors
Rick Upchurch played four times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He was voted All-Pro five times . Upchurch is a member of the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team , the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, and the University of Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame .
Individual evidence
- ↑ College Awards from Rick Upchurch ( 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.
- ↑ Statistics Kansas City Chiefs versus Denver Broncos on September 21, 1975
- ↑ Annual Statistics of the Denver Broncos 1977
- ↑ Statistics AFC final 1977
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl XII
- ^ Relationship of Condoleezza Rice and Rick Upchurch
- ↑ Rick Upchurch's Disease
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Upchurch, Rick |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Upchurch, Richard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 20, 1952 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Toledo , Ohio |