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John Mackey
[[File::John Mackey (American football).jpg|frameless|upright=1]]
No. 88, 89
Personal information
Born:(1941-09-24)September 24, 1941
New York City, New York
Died:July 6, 2011(2011-07-06) (aged 69)
Career information
College:Syracuse
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
Average yards per catch:15.8
Touchdown Receptions:38
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Pro Football Hall of Fame

John Mackey (September 24, 1941 – July 6, 2011) was an American football tight end who played for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was born in Roosevelt, New York[1] and attended Syracuse University. He also served as the first president of the National Football League Players Association following the AFL-NFL merger, serving from 1970 to 1973. Mackey was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Football career

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Mackey was drafted from Syracuse University by the Baltimore Colts in the 1963 NFL Draft. He went on to play a total of 10 NFL seasons as tight end, and became known for his size and speed.[2] Mackey played his first nine seasons with the Colts before leaving the team in 1971. He played his final season with the San Diego Chargers, retiring at the end of the 1972 season.[3] Although a knee injury forced him into early retirement, Mackey only missed one game in his whole career.[4]

During his 10 seasons in the NFL, Mackey scored 38 touchdowns and caught 331 passes for 5236 yards. Mackey played in five Pro Bowls and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992, only the second tight end to be inducted.[2]

Super Bowl V

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In his final season as a Colt, Mackey played in Super Bowl V on January 17, 1971. He was involved in a famous game-changing play where he caught a record-setting 75 yard pass from quarterback Johnny Unitas after the ball was deflected twice, once by fellow Colts player Eddie Hinton and once by opposing Dallas Cowboys defenseman Mel Renfro. Baltimore won the game 16–13, following a 32-yard field goal by Jim O'Brien with five seconds left.[2][5][4]

NFL Players Association presidency

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In 1970, Mackey became the first president of the National Football League Players Association following the merger of the National Football League and the American Football League.[6] Although the NFL and AFL each had a candidate for president in mind, Mackey emerged as the leader both sides could agree on.[7] Mackey held the position of president until September 1973.[8]

In his first year as president, Mackey organized a strike following a lockout by owners,[2] with NFL players seeking additional pension contributions and insurance benefits, as well as higher pre- and post-season pay. The strike resulted in increased fringe benefits for NFL players totalling more than $12 million.[9] According to former teammate Ordell Braase, Mackey "had a vision for that job, which was more than just putting in time and keeping the natives calm. You don't get anything unless you really rattle the cage."[2] In 1972, Mackey became the lead plaintiff in a court action which led to the overturning of the so-called "Rozelle Rule," which limited a player's ability to act as a free agent. In 1976, the Rozelle Rule was ruled to violate antitrust laws in Mackey v. NFL.[10][11][12]

Honors

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During his playing career, Mackey played in five Pro Bowls, including one his rookie season. He was also named All-NFL three times.[2] In 1992, Mackey was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, becoming only the second pure tight end to be awarded this honor.[4]

Mackey has been included in several lists of great NFL players. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Mackey at 48 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Football Players."[13] He also placed at number 42 on the NFL Network's list of the "Top 100 Football Players" in 2010.[14][3]

In 2001, the John Mackey Award was established by the Nassau County Sports Commission. The award is given yearly to the top college tight end.[15] On September 15, 2007, Mackey's alma mater, Syracuse University, retired number 88 in his honor.[2]

Post-football career health problems

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Several years after retiring from the NFL, Mackey began to suffer from symptoms of dementia. His condition eventually worsened, and his family was forced to put him into a full-time assisted living facility.[16] Although Mackey received a small pension, it was not sufficient to cover the costs of his care, leading his wife Sylvia to reach out to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.[2][16]

Once made aware of the problem, Tagliabue and NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw responded with the "88 plan" in February of 2007.[17][18][19] Named for Mackey's jersey number, the plan provides $88,000 per year for nursing home care and up to $50,000 annually for adult day care for former NFL players, including Mackey, suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's.[5] Mackey died July 6, 2011 at the age of 69.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "John Mackey, NFL Hall Of Famer And Long Island Native, Dies At 69". CBS New York. 7 July, 2001. Retrieved 26 March, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hall of Famer John Mackey dies". ESPN.com. 7 July, 2011. Retrieved 12 March, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b Dick Friedman (18 July, 2011). "He Gave His All. Make It Matter". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 25 March 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "John Mackey". profootballhof.com. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  5. ^ a b James M Klatell (11 February, 2009). "John Mackey: From The NFL To Dementia". CBS News. Retrieved 12 March, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  6. ^ Levine, Matthew (2006). "Despite His Antics, T.O. Has a Valid Point: Why NFL Players Deserve a Bigger Piece of the Pie". Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal. 13 (2): 425–464. Retrieved 22 March, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ Jarrett Bell (12 March, 2011). "Timeline of NFL labor disputes". USA Today. Retrieved 22 March, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Mackey Quits Players Post". Schenectady Gazette. 13 September, 1973. Retrieved 22 March, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  9. ^ "The Year of the Strike". Ebony. November, 1970. Retrieved 22 March, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  10. ^ Novick, David (1975). "The Legality of the Rozelle Rule and Related Practices in the National Football League". Fordham Urban Law Journal. 4 (3). The Berkeley Electronic Press: 581–596. Retrieved 22 March, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ John Mackey et al. v. National Football League, 407 F.Supp. 1000 (United States District Court, D. Minnesota, Fourth Division 1975).
  12. ^ Mark Conrad (2010). The Business of Sports: A Primer for Journalists. Routledge. p. 149. ISBN 0415876532. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ Mike Freeman (1 August, 1999). "PRO FOOTBALL: NOTEBOOK; The Best From 1 to 100, And Subject to Debate". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 March 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Photos: 100 Greatest NFL Players of All Time". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  15. ^ "About Us". johnmackeyaward.org. Nassau County Sports Commission. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  16. ^ a b John Gibeaut (1 November, 2011). "Thrown for a Loss: Retired Players Sue, Claim NFL Hid Brain Damage Info". ABA Journal. Retrieved 12 March, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  17. ^ Stanley H. Teitelbaum (2010). Athletes Who Indulge Their Dark Side: Sex, Drugs, and Cover-Ups. ABC-CLIO. p. 88. ISBN 1469962772. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  18. ^ Peter Keating (4 December, 2007). "Congress questions NFL record-keeping on disabled players". ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved 19 March, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  19. ^ Alan Schwarz (14 March, 2007). "Wives United by Husbands' Post-N.F.L. Trauma". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March, 2013. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
[edit]
Sporting positions
Preceded by NFLPA President
January 16, 1969–1973 		Succeeded by


Category:1941 births Category:2011 deaths Category:American football tight ends Category:Baltimore Colts players Category:Syracuse Orange football players Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Western Conference Pro Bowl players Category:People from Hempstead (village), New York Category:Players of American football from New York (state) Category:African-American players of American football Category:Deaths from dementia Category:Neurological disease deaths in the United States

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