No. 88 | |||||||||
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Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | November 18, 1946||||||||
Died: | December 27, 2016 | ||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Marrero (LA) Lincoln | ||||||||
College: | Grambling State | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 1971 / round: 17 / pick: 434 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Joseph Coleman Zeno Jr. (born November 18, 1946) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver in 1971 for the New York Giants.
Zeno played football and ran track at Grambling State.[1][2] He was selected by the New York Giants in the 17th round of the 1971 NFL draft.[3][4] Zeno caught three touchdowns in the preseason and earned a place on the practice squad, where he spent seven weeks focusing on learning the routes.[1]
Zeno was elevated to the main roster in November 1971 after the Giants were left with just two receivers.[1] He made his NFL debut against the San Diego Chargers, recording four receptions for 90 yards, and even caught a touchdown pass which was called back due to a penalty.[2][5] "I was nervous," he said, "I knew I'd play, but not this much."[2] Giants quarterback Fran Tarkenton opined that Zeno had "as much big play potential as Homer Jones."[6] Zeno earned the start the following week against the Atlanta Falcons and recorded one reception for seven yards. However, he broke his left arm in a collision with Bennie McRae during practice on November 17, ending his season.[7]