John Mackey (American football) facts for kids
Mackey in a press photo of 1972
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| No. 88, 89 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | September 24, 1941 Roosevelt, New York |
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| Died: | July 6, 2011 (aged 69) Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Hempstead High School (NY) | ||||||||||
| College: | Syracuse (1960–1962) | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1963 / Round: 2 / Pick: 19 | ||||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1963 / Round: 5 / Pick: 35 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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John Mackey (born September 24, 1941 – died July 6, 2011) was an amazing American football player. He played as a tight end for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. John was born in Roosevelt, New York, and went to Syracuse University.
He was also a big leader off the field. John Mackey was the first president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) after the NFL and AFL merged. He helped create the "88 Plan," which gives money to former players who need help with their living costs later in life. John Mackey was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992. Many people think he was one of the best tight ends ever!
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John Mackey's College Days
John Mackey played football for Syracuse University from 1960 to 1962. He played different positions like running back, tight end, and wide receiver. In his first two years, he played with Ernie Davis, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1961.
During his college career, Mackey caught 27 passes for 481 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. He also ran with the ball for 259 yards and scored 4 more touchdowns. In his junior year, he set a school record with 321 receiving yards. He also caught 4 passes in Syracuse's 15–14 win over the University of Miami in the 1961 Liberty Bowl. Syracuse had a good record of 20 wins and 10 losses while Mackey was there. They won the Liberty Bowl every year he played.
Becoming an NFL Star
The Baltimore Colts picked John Mackey in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft. He was the 19th player chosen overall. In his first year, he was a rookie star. He averaged over 20 yards for each catch and scored seven touchdowns. He even got to play in the Pro Bowl in his first season! He also returned 9 kickoffs for 271 yards, which is an average of 30 yards per return.
Mackey played 10 seasons in the NFL as a tight end. He was known for being both big and fast. He played his first nine seasons with the Colts. After the 1972 season, he asked to be traded. The Colts tried to stop him from playing for another team. But John Mackey eventually signed with the San Diego Chargers on September 18, 1972. He retired from playing after that season. Even though a knee injury made him retire early, Mackey only missed one game in his entire career.
Over his 10 seasons, John Mackey scored 38 touchdowns. He caught 331 passes for a total of 5,236 yards. He also ran with the ball 19 times for 127 yards. His average of 15.8 yards per catch is one of the highest for any Hall of Fame tight end. Only Jackie Smith has a higher average.
Super Bowl V: A Famous Play
John Mackey played in Super Bowl V on January 17, 1971. He was part of a very famous play that helped his team win. He caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Johnny Unitas. The ball was actually tipped twice before he caught it! It was tipped by another Colts player, Eddie Hinton, and then by a Dallas Cowboys player, Mel Renfro. The Baltimore Colts won the game 16–13. The winning score was a 32-yard field goal by Jim O'Brien with only five seconds left.
Honors and Awards
During his time playing, John Mackey was chosen for five Pro Bowls. He was also named All-NFL three times. In 1992, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was only the second tight end to receive this special honor.
Mackey has been on many lists of great NFL players. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him 48th on their list of "The 100 Greatest Football Players." In 2010, the NFL Network put him at number 42 on their list of the "Top 100 Football Players."
In 2001, the John Mackey Award was created. This award is given every year to the best college tight end. On September 15, 2007, Syracuse University, his old college, retired his jersey number 88. This means no other player at Syracuse will wear that number again. In 2017, John Mackey was also added to the Nassau County High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
John Mackey's NFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fum | |||||||||
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| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 1963 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 35 | 726 | 20.7 | 61 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1964 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 22 | 406 | 18.5 | 62 | 2 | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1965 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 40 | 814 | 20.4 | 68 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 1966 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 50 | 829 | 16.6 | 89 | 9 | 1 | -6 | -6.0 | -6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 55 | 686 | 12.5 | 34 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 1968 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 45 | 644 | 14.3 | 45 | 5 | 10 | 103 | 10.3 | 33 | 0 | 1 |
| 1969 | BAL | 14 | 14 | 34 | 443 | 13.0 | 52 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970 | BAL | 14 | 11 | 28 | 435 | 15.5 | 54 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| 1971 | BAL | 14 | 5 | 11 | 143 | 13.0 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 1972 | SD | 13 | 4 | 11 | 110 | 10.0 | 21 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Career | 139 | 118 | 331 | 5,236 | 15.8 | 89 | 38 | 19 | 127 | 6.7 | 33 | 0 | 11 | |
A Leader for Players: The NFLPA Presidency
In 1970, John Mackey became the first president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). This happened after the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL) joined together. Mackey was a great choice because both sides agreed on him. He was president until September 1973.
In his first year, Mackey led a strike because players wanted better benefits. They wanted more money for their pensions and better insurance. They also wanted more pay for playing before and after the regular season. The strike worked! NFL players got over $12 million more in benefits. His former teammate, Ordell Braase, said Mackey had a "vision" for the job. He wanted to make real changes for the players.
In 1972, Mackey also led a court case that changed a rule called the "Rozelle Rule." This rule made it hard for players to become free agents and choose which team to play for. In 1976, the court decided the Rozelle Rule was against the law. This was a big win for player rights.
Helping Other Players: The 88 Plan
After he stopped playing football, John Mackey started to have memory problems. His condition got worse, and his family had to move him into a special assisted living home. Even though he received a small pension, it wasn't enough to pay for his care. His wife, Sylvia, reached out to the NFL commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, for help.
When they learned about the problem, Paul Tagliabue and Gene Upshaw (who led the NFLPA) created the "88 Plan" in February 2007. The plan was named after Mackey's jersey number, 88. This plan helps former NFL players who have memory issues like dementia or Alzheimer's. It provides money for nursing home care or daily care. John Mackey passed away on July 6, 2011, at 69 years old. Later, a study on his brain showed he had a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is often linked to head injuries.
