#35 John Mackey
Back to Player Index
6'3" 222 lbs Forward
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 OrangemenJohn 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
 29
 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.

©RLYoung 2005, 2011, 2012, 2015