Jim Whalen facts for kids

James Francis Whalen, Jr. (born May 20, 1943 – died December 18, 2012) was a professional American football player. He played as a tight end.

Jim Whalen was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He played in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston Patriots. Later, he joined the National Football League (NFL) with the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles.

Whalen played college football at Boston College. He was chosen for the First-team All-East twice. He was also named an All-American once. He was picked in the third round of the 1965 American Football League Draft. The Minnesota Vikings also drafted him in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL Draft.

Jim Whalen is the only football player to catch three touchdown passes in a college game at Boston College Alumni Stadium. He also caught three touchdown passes in a professional game there. On October 15, 1967, he set a team record for the Boston Patriots. He caught three touchdown passes in their big win against the Miami Dolphins. This game was played at Boston College because the Boston Red Sox were in the World Series. Earlier, in 1962, as a college sophomore, Whalen also caught three touchdowns against Boston University.

Whalen became the first Patriots receiver to be named First-team All-Pro in 1968. That same year, his team voted him as their Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was later chosen as the tight end for the Patriots All-Decade Team of the 1960s.

Early Life and Sports

James Francis "Jim" Whalen, Jr., grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents were James Francis "Brud" Whalen and Helen Whalen. He had one sister named Rosemary.

Jim Whalen was a star in three sports at Cambridge High and Latin school. This school also had other great athletes. These included MLB Hall-of-Fame pitcher Tim Keefe. Another was MLB player Eddie Waitkus, whose story inspired the movie The Natural. Olympic high jumper John Thomas also went there. Whalen was great at football, baseball, and ice hockey. He was later inducted into the Cambridge Rindge and Latin Athletic Hall of Fame.

College Football Career

Overview at Boston College

Many people think Whalen was one of the best pass catchers and all-around athletes from Boston College. When he graduated in 1964, he held the record for most catches in Boston College history. He had 73 career receptions. This was more than Art Graham, who also played well for the Boston Patriots later. Besides being a top tight end, Whalen also punted the ball during his senior year. While at Boston College, Whalen also played baseball and ice hockey. The BC Eagles hockey teams won the Beanpot Tournament in 1963, 1964, and 1965. The 1963 and 1965 teams even reached the national Frozen Four tournament.

Whalen was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1995.

1962 Season Highlights

Whalen started playing for Boston College as a sophomore. He made 16 catches for 309 yards. He averaged 19.3 yards per catch. He scored six touchdowns, which was second-highest on the team. Boston College finished that season with an 8–2 record. They won games against Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, and Houston.

1963 Season Highlights

Whalen was named a First-team All-East offensive end. He led the country in yards per catch, averaging 20.1 yards. He had 523 receiving yards on 26 catches, ranking eighth nationally. Whalen led Boston College in both receiving yards and total catches. Boston College finished with a 6–3 record, including wins over Virginia and Vanderbilt.

1964 Season Highlights

Whalen was named a Third-team All-American. He was also chosen for the First-team All-East again. After the 1964 season, Whalen was picked to start in two important games: the East – West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl.

Whalen made 31 catches and gained 398 receiving yards, leading his team in both. He also punted the ball, averaging almost 35 yards per kick. Boston College finished 6-3 that year. They had big wins against #9 ranked Syracuse and Cincinnati. In a game against Air Force, Whalen caught a 30-yard touchdown pass. This helped them win 13–7. Later that season, his 15-yard catch led to a 10–8 victory against Holy Cross.

Professional Football Career

Jim Whalen chose to play professional football. He was recruited by teams from the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. But he decided on football. He signed with the Boston Patriots, who had drafted him as the 23rd overall pick.

1965 Season with Patriots

Whalen made 22 catches for 381 receiving yards. These numbers ranked him eleventh among all tight ends in both the AFL and NFL. On October 24, 1965, Whalen had his first professional game with over 100 receiving yards. He gained 109 yards against the Oakland Raiders. The Patriots ended the season with a 4-8-2 record.

1966 Season with Patriots

He caught 29 passes for 502 receiving yards, ranking ninth among all tight ends. His four receiving touchdowns were the most among AFL tight ends. On November 13, 1966, Whalen scored his first professional touchdown. It was a 42-yard pass from Babe Parilli. He then scored three more touchdowns in the next five games. The Patriots finished with an 8-4-2 record.

1967 Season with Patriots

Whalen had 39 catches for 651 yards. These numbers ranked him seventh among all tight ends in the AFL and NFL. His five receiving touchdowns ranked second in the AFL. Whalen's 651 receiving yards were the most for any Patriots receiver that year.

On October 15, 1967, Whalen tied the Patriots' record. He scored three touchdowns in one game against the Miami Dolphins. This record for tight ends still stands for the Patriots. The Patriots finished 3–10–1 that season.

1968 Season with Patriots

Whalen made 47 catches and scored seven touchdowns. Both numbers led the AFL for tight ends. He also gained 718 receiving yards, ranking second among AFL tight ends. No other Patriot had more than 19 catches or 331 receiving yards that year.

Whalen's 87-yard pass reception on October 27, 1968, was a record for the Patriots. It was the longest play from scrimmage in their history at the time. It is still the longest reception by a tight end in Patriots history. On September 22, 1968, the Patriots played the New York Jets in Alabama. This was the first professional football game ever held in that state. Whalen had six catches in that game.

After a win against the Denver Broncos on September 29, 1968, Whalen received a game ball from his teammates. He later played for the Broncos. He had a career-high eight receptions against the Oakland Raiders on October 6, 1968. He also had two games with multiple touchdowns.

Whalen led the Patriots in touchdowns and total yards from scrimmage (718) in 1968. He was named the Patriots team MVP. For his great performance in 1968, Whalen was named First-team All-Pro. This was the first time any Patriots receiver received this honor. The Patriots finished 4-10.

1969 Season with Patriots

In 1969, Whalen had 16 receptions for 235 yards and one touchdown. On September 28, 1969, he scored his last touchdown as a Patriot. After this season, Whalen was traded to the Denver Broncos. The Patriots finished 4-10.

1970 Season with Broncos

In his first season with the Denver Broncos, Whalen had 36 receptions for 503 yards and three touchdowns. These numbers placed him in the top ten among all NFL tight ends. On October 18, 1970, Whalen scored his first touchdown as a Bronco. It was an 8-yard pass from QB Pete Liske. A month later, on November 22, 1970, Whalen scored his last NFL touchdown.

1971 Season with Broncos and Eagles

As a Denver Bronco, Whalen caught four passes for 53 yards in one game. The next week, he had three more catches for 71 yards. However, during that game, he missed a block that led to the other team's winning touchdown. The Broncos released him two days later. The Philadelphia Eagles then picked him up. He caught a 41-yard pass for them before he retired from football.

Jim Whalen's Legacy

Jim Whalen played his entire career during shorter 14-game seasons. He also played for teams that often struggled with passing. Despite this, his achievements are still impressive. He is one of only four Patriots tight ends to have three straight seasons with over 500 receiving yards. He is also one of only three to have over 650 yards in back-to-back seasons.

Whalen's average of 16.3 yards per reception as a Patriot is the best among all Patriots tight ends. It ranks sixth all-time among all Patriots receivers. His career average of 16.0 yards per catch is outstanding. Five of Whalen's 20 career touchdowns were for 40 yards or more. He still holds Patriots tight end records for the longest reception (87 yards) and most touchdown receptions in a single game.

Whalen also protected the ball very well. He fumbled only twice in his entire career. He had a career-high game with 134 receiving yards against the Miami Dolphins in 1967. He is one of only five Patriots tight ends to have at least four career games with over 100 receiving yards.

Whalen was elected to the Patriots 1960s All-Decade Team.

See also

• List of American Football League players