John Mackey (American football)

John Mackey
refer to caption
Mackey in a press photo of 1972
No. 88, 89
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born:(1941-09-24)September 24, 1941
Roosevelt, New York, U.S.
Died:July 6, 2011(2011-07-06) (aged 69)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:331
Receiving yards:5,236
Receiving touchdowns:38
Stats at Pro Football Reference

John Mackey (September 24, 1941 – July 6, 2011) was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was born in Roosevelt, New York[1] and attended Syracuse University. He was the first president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) following the AFL-NFL merger, serving from 1970 to 1973. Mackey was also a major reason the NFLPA created the "88 Plan", which financially supports ex-players who required living assistance in later years.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Mackey was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992, the second pure tight end elected and is widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends ever.[2][3][4]

  1. ^ "John Mackey, NFL Hall Of Famer And Long Island Native, Dies At 69". CBS New York. July 7, 2001. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  2. ^ Scott, J.P. (June 21, 2022). "25 Greatest Tight Ends in NFL History". Athlon Sports. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  3. ^ Fragoza, James (October 24, 2021). "13 greatest tight ends of all time from Tony Gonzalez to Jackie Smith". Pro Football Network. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  4. ^ Brandt, Gil. "Gil Brandt's 14 greatest NFL tight ends of all time". NFL.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.