John Mackey

#35 John Mackey

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6'3"

222 lbs

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HS: Hempstead

Hempstead, NY

Born: 9/24/1941

New York, NY

**Season Stats**
Season	Cl	Pos	G	GS	FG	FGA	%	FT	FTA	%	Reb	Fls	DQ	Pts	PPG	RPG
1960-61	So	F	6	0	12	31	38.7%	4	13	30.8%	28	15	---	28	4.7	4.7
Career			6	0	12	31	38.7%	4	13	30.8%	28	15	---	28	4.7	4.7

John Mackey Syracuse Orangemen John Mackey was an outstanding athlete who excelled in football and track, and lettered in basketball for one season, as he tried to help out a slumping program, along with fellow football players Ernie Davis and Don King.

Mackey grew up in New York, idolizing Jim Brown. When the opportunity came for him to go to Syracuse, he jumped at it. Mackey played both tight end and running back at Syracuse. On a run dominated offense, he led the team in receiving his senior season in 1962.

In 1963, Mackey was a second round draft pick of the Baltimore Colts. It was a move that would end up revolutionizing football. Prior to his emergence, tight ends were viewed as an extension of the offensive tackle position. With his size, speed and athletic ability, Mackey changed that by making the tight end a legitimate receiving option, and in his particular case, a threat on the deep pass.

Mackey played in Super Bowl III and V. In Super Bowl V he caught a deflected pass from Johnny Unitas to go for a 75 yard touchdown, then a Super Bowl record, as the Colts went on to win the world championship. In 1966 he caught a career high 50 receptions for 829 yards, and 9 touchdowns. That year, he averaged 16.5 yards per reception, and had six touchdown catches for more than 50 yards.

**College Football Stats**
Season	Cl	Pos	G	Rush Att	Yards Rush	YPA	Rec.	Rec. Yards	TDs	Yds/ Rec
1960	So	TE	-	32	129	4.0	5	29	1	5.8
1961	Jr	TE	-	0	0	---	14	321	4	22.9
1962	Sr	TE	-	26	130	5.0	8	131	4	16.4
Career			-	58	259	4.5	27	481	9	17.8

Mackey played in the NFL for ten seasons, the first nine with the Colts, and the last with the San Diego Chargers. He was All Pro five of those seasons.

**NFL Statistics**
Seasons	Pos	G	Rush Att	Yards Rush	YPA	Rec.	Rec. Yards	TDs	Yds/ Rec	Pass Yds	Pass Att.	Pass Com.	%	TDs	Int
10	TE	139	19	127	6.7	331	5236	38	15.81	0	0	0	0	0	0

Leg and knee injuries cut his career short, and Mackey retired in 1972. He would become the first president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and established the basis for many of the players basic rights.

In 1992 Mackey was inducted in to the NFL Hall of Fame, becoming the second pure tight end so honored. College Football has named the annual award for the outstanding college tight end the "John Mackey Award". In 1986, he was honored at Syracuse as a Letterwinner of Distinction, and in 2007 the football team retired his #88 jersey.

Mackey suffered with dementia toward the end of his life, resulting from his years of playing football. He passed away on July 6, 2011.