The Story And Significance Of Jim Otto - Played 210 Consecutive Games Over 15 Seasons For The Raiders

James Edwin Otto is an American former professional football player who played as a center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League for 15 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami for the Miami Hurricanes.

Otto was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.

No National Football League team showed interest in the undersized center. Otto was drafted by the proposed Minneapolis franchise of the new American Football League. When the Minneapolis contingent reneged to accept an NFL franchise, Otto's rights defaulted to the AFL's Oakland Raiders. He then signed with the Raiders and played for the entire ten years of the league's existence and five years beyond. He was issued jersey number 50 for the AFL's inaugural season, 1960, but switched to his familiar 00 the next season. Otto worked diligently to build his body up to his playing weight of 255 pounds.

For the next 15 years, Otto was a fixture at center for the Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury, and played in 210 consecutive games. He won one AFL/AFC championship in 1967 against the Houston Oilers with the Raiders, but lost five: in 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, and 1974 to the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively, with all five teams winning the Super Bowl. He played alongside Gene Upshaw, another Hall of Famer, at left guard from 1967 to 1974. In the 1967 regular season, Oakland scored 468 points (33.4 points/game), leading the AFL, but lost Super Bowl II to the Green Bay Packers. In 1968, Oakland scored 453 points (32.4 points/game) in the regular season, again leading the AFL, and beat the Chiefs in the divisional round (unscheduled tiebreaker) before losing to the Jets. In the 1969 regular season, Oakland scored 377 points (26.9 points/game) to lead the AFL for the third consecutive year, and beat the Houston Oilers in the new divisional round of the AFL playoffs before losing to the Chiefs. In the 1970 regular season, the first year of the NFL-AFL merger, Oakland scored 300 points (21.4 points/game), ranking ninth in the 26-team NFL, and beat the Miami Dolphins in the AFC playoffs before losing to the Colts. The Raiders missed the playoffs for the first time in five years in 1971, despite scoring 344 points (24.6 points/game), second highest in the NFL.

The Raiders came back stronger in 1972, scoring 365 points (26.1 points/game), ranking third in the NFL, but lost 13–7 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, the famous Immaculate Reception game, in which Otto also made the only pass reception of his professional career. In the 1973 regular season, Oakland scored 292 points (20.9 points/game), tenth in the NFL, and avenged their defeat to the Steelers but lost to the Dolphins. In Otto's final year, 1974, Oakland scored 355 points (25.4 points/game), leading the NFL, and avenged their playoff loss to the Dolphins but lost to the Steelers again. In 1975, he was replaced by Dave Dalby, in his fourth season out of UCLA. Otto was the last member of the Oakland Raiders inaugural team from 1960 to retire.

Otto was one of only twenty players to play for the entire ten-year existence of the American Football League, and one of only three players to play in all of his team's AFL games. Otto was also selected as The Sporting News All-League center from 1960 through 1969. He was an All-Star in the first 13 of his 15 seasons – every year in the AFL from 1960 through 1969 and three of his five seasons in the NFL. He was also named the starting center on the AFL All-Time Team.

He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, the first year he was eligible. In 1999, he was ranked number 78 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. In 2019, he was revealed as being selected to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Otto's body was punished greatly during his NFL career, resulting in nearly 74 operations, including 28 on his knee (nine of them during his playing career) and multiple joint replacements. His joints became riddled with arthritis, and he developed debilitating back and neck problems. In his book, "The Pain of Glory" Otto described near-death experiences from medical procedures, including fighting off three life-threatening infections due to complications from his artificial joints. During one six-month stretch, he was without a right knee joint because he had to wait for an infection to heal before another artificial knee could be implanted. Otto eventually had to have his right leg amputated on August 1, 2007. Despite his maladies, Otto says he has no regrets and wouldn't change a thing even if given the opportunity to do it over again. He discussed his sports injuries as well as the concussions issue in a 2013 Frontline interview for "League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis".

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main

https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

Tafur, Vic (May 19, 2024). "Raiders Hall of Famer Jim Otto Dies at 86". New York Times.

 Tafur, Vic (May 20, 2024). "Raiders Hall of Famer Jim Otto dies at 86". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 Force, Jim (July 7, 2024). "Wausau's Jim Otto: A football story". Wausau Pilot & Review.

 "Wausau's Jim Otto All-AFL Center". Wausau Daily Herald. December 29, 1960. p. 14.

 Network, Wisconsin Sports (March 1, 1980). "Win Brockmeyer - Wausau". Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 Olderman, Murray (February 11, 1981). "Why Jim Otto faces a life of pain". The Niles Daily Star (Niles, Michigan). p. 9.

 "Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Otto, 'Mr. Raider,' dead at 86 | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 Evans, Luther (September 7, 1958). "'Have Muscles, Will Flex' – That's Miami". The Miami Herald. p. 150.

 "Three Navy Backs Join South Stars". The Miami News. December 20, 1959. p. 20.

 "Jim Otto (1957-59) – Hurricane Warriors". Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "Jim Otto - University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame". UM Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 Shuck, Barry (October 1, 2021). "Vikings leave American Football League at the altar in 1960". Dawgs By Nature. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "Jim Otto Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 Miller, Jeff (April 21, 2024). Going Long: The Wild Ten-Year Saga of the Renegade American Football League in the words of those who lived it. McGraw Hill. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-07-141849-2.

 "Jim Otto | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "Championship - Houston Oilers at Oakland Raiders - December 31st, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

 "Championship - Oakland Raiders at New York Jets - December 29th, 1968". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

 "Championship - Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - January 4th, 1970". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

 "Championship - Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Colts - January 3rd, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

 "AFC Championship - Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins - December 30th, 1973". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

 "AFC Championship - Pittsburgh Steelers at Oakland Raiders - December 29th, 1974". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.

 "Super Bowl III - New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts - January 12th, 1969". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Super Bowl IV - Minnesota Vikings vs. Kansas City Chiefs - January 11th, 1970". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Super Bowl V - Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Colts - January 17th, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Super Bowl VIII - Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins - January 13th, 1974". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Super Bowl IX - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings - January 12th, 1975". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Gene Upshaw Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

 "1967 AFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Super Bowl II - Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders - January 14th, 1968". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "1968 AFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - December 22nd, 1968". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Championship - Oakland Raiders at New York Jets - December 29th, 1968". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "1969 AFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Houston Oilers at Oakland Raiders - December 21st, 1969". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Championship - Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - January 4th, 1970". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "1970 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders - December 27th, 1970". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Championship - Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Colts - January 3rd, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Las Vegas Raiders Team Records, Leaders, and League Ranks". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "1971 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "1972 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers - December 23rd, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 Benderson, William (October 30, 2007). "In their own words: Great NFL rivalries". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers - December 23rd, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 Tomasson, Chris (October 7, 2012). "Jim Otto: For him, no doubt or catch". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. C-9.

 "1973 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Pittsburgh Steelers at Oakland Raiders - December 22nd, 1973". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "AFC Championship - Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins - December 30th, 1973". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "1974 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders - December 21st, 1974". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "1974 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "Pity Raider backup center Dave Dalby". The Press-Democrat (Santa Rosa, California). United Press International. October 8, 1975. p. 19.

 "D-Day at Center?". The Sacramento Union. United Press International. August 6, 1975. pp. C2.

 Richmon, Milton. "Jim Otto: A Raider original". The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California). p. 33.

 "Last Original Raider Jim Otto Retires: Named to Front Office". Oroville Mercury Register (Oroville, California). United Press International. September 4, 1975. p. 8.

 "The Sporting News 100 Greatest Players of All-Time (1999)". futurefootballlegends.com. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "NFL 100". NFL.com. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 Tafur, Vic (July 18, 2023). "NFL 100: At No. 97, Jim Otto led the Raiders with his sweat, tears and a lot of blood". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "The AFL's Twenty for Ten". www.remembertheafl.com. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "The Sporting News American Football League All-League Players". remembertheafl.com. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "1966 AFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.

 "American Football League All-time Team". www.remembertheafl.com. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 Thomas, Jim. "Robinson was the best safety of both pro leagues in the '60s". Canton Repository. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "Behind the Bronze: Willie Lanier | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 2, 2024.

 "Bill Walsh | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Bobby Bell | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved September 14, 2025.

 "Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame-Jim Otto". Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 3, 2024.

 "The Frontline Interview: Jim Otto \ League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis". PBS Frontline. 2013.

 "Hall of Famer Jim Otto recovering after having right leg amputated". Yahoo! Sports. August 1, 2007. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2014.

 "The Frontline Interview: Jim Otto". PBS.

 "Disposable Heroes: The Other Side of Football (1985)".

 "Art Now: Matthew Barney: OTTOshaft". Tate Britain.

 Boner, Jeannette (June 23, 2021). "Local dog sledder Amanda Otto chases down Iditarod dream". East Idaho News. Retrieved June 29, 2023.

 Holleran, Andrew (May 19, 2024). "Legendary Oakland Raiders Star Died Sunday At 86". The Spun. Retrieved May 20, 2024.

 Gordon, Grant (May 19, 2024). "Jim Otto, legendary Raiders center and Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at 86". NFL.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.

 Gutierrez, Paul (May 19, 2024). "Hall of Fame center Jim Otto, 'Mr. Raider,' dies at 86". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.

 "Raiders mourn the passing of Jim Otto". Raiders.com. May 19, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.

The Story And Significance Of Bob Lilly - Seven Time All-Pro Selection At Defensive Tackle

Robert Lewis Lilly, nicknamed "Mr. Cowboy", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League for 14 seasons. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs. Lilly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

The Dallas Cowboys traded their first-round draft choice in the 1961 NFL draft, as part of the deal to get Eddie LeBaron from the Washington Redskins, so the Cowboys had to trade their first-round pick (#4-Gary Collins) in the 1962 NFL draft along with offensive tackle Paul Dickson, in exchange for the Cleveland Browns' first-round draft choice (13th overall) in 1961, to select Lilly, the first draft choice in franchise history.

Lilly began his career as a defensive end in 1961, but midway through the 1963, his third season, Cowboys coach Tom Landry moved him to defensive tackle. Lilly made the adjustment, becoming the main man in Dallas' vaunted "Doomsday Defense". As a tackle, Lilly was a first-team All-NFL choice every year from 1964 through 1969, then again in 1971. In 1970, the Cowboys finally made the Super Bowl, against the Baltimore Colts, only to lose the game (V), 16-13, on a field goal in the final nine seconds; after the game, he infamously tossed his helmet in the air, frustrated at the loss. In 1971, the rest of the Cowboys and he convincingly won Super Bowl VI over the Miami Dolphins, 24-3. His 29-yard sack of Dolphin quarterback Bob Griese (at the time an NFL record) is one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl defensive history. This was the signature play of his 14-year hall-of-fame career.

Lilly was named an All-Pro seven times, and was selected to play in 11 Pro Bowl games. He was also drafted in the second round (14th overall) in the 1961 AFL Draft by the Dallas Texans (now Kansas City Chiefs). His greatest assets were his pass-rushing skills and his ability to slice plays open with his agility and instincts. He had a distinct stance, the so-called four-point stance, placing both hands on the field instead of the more usual one, generating greater force when rushing straight ahead. Lilly's agility and quickness helped him score four defensive touchdowns in his career. His first was returning an interception 17 yards in 1964. while the other three came on fumble recoveries.

What separated Lilly from other defensive tackles was his combination of agility, conditioning, and strength (although he did not start lifting weights until his sixth season in the NFL), that allowed him to make tackles from sideline to sideline. NFL Films did an eight-minute feature on Lilly and called him the "unblockable, unstoppable, force of the Doomsday Defense". He was regularly double- and triple-teamed for the majority of his career due to his impact in the games. Although the head slap was legal when he played, he never liked to use it to gain an advantage over opponents. Lilly played in 196 consecutive regular-season games. The only NFL game he missed in his career was the 1973 NFC Championship Game loss (10-27) on December 30 against the Minnesota Vikings due to a leg injury. Lilly injured his hamstring in the Cowboys victory (22-10) against the Denver Broncos on December 2. In the first play of the 1973 NFC Divisional playoff game three weeks later on December 23 versus the Los Angeles Rams (Cowboys 27-Rams 16), he reinjured the same hamstring.

Affectionately known as "Mr. Cowboy," his name was the first to be inscribed in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, above Texas Stadium and the current AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys had a Bob Lilly Day on November 23, 1975, to honor him and make Lilly the first inductee into the Ring of Honor. He has attended every ceremony for each Ring of Honor inductee since.

Lilly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility, and was the first player who spent his entire career with the Cowboys to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He entered the Hall of Fame along with former teammate Herb Adderley (for two seasons), as well as David "Deacon" Jones and Jim Otto. The Sporting News named him a member of the All-Century NFL Team and "the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history". Lilly, Adderley, and Jones were all drafted in 1961. Tom Landry said of Lilly: "As I've said before, another Lilly won't come along in my time. We're observing a man who will become a legend". This comment is from the 1972 Street and Smith's Pro Football Yearbook. He also said that "Nobody is better than Lilly". He is a member of the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team and National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team.

In 1999, he was ranked number 10 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking defensive lineman and the highest-ranking Cowboy. The only defensive players ranked ahead of Lilly were Dick Butkus and Lawrence Taylor. Sports Illustrated named him one of the 10 most revolutionary defensive players.

Although the Cowboys do not have a practice to retire jersey numbers, Lilly is the only player to wear #74 in team history (with the exception of preseason games).

When he began traveling with the Cowboys, Lilly regularly had his camera at his side. His interest in photography began when he was named to the College Football All-America Team in 1961, which was sponsored by Kodak. As a part of the honor, he was given a 35 mm camera and a year's supply of film by the company. Before and after games, he spent an increasing amount of time studying and photographing old sports stadiums. Lilly co-authored the 1983 book Bob Lilly Reflections with sportswriter Sam Blair, featuring scores of his black-and-white photographs of teammates in candid poses. He was also a photographer for the Texas Air National Guard where he was an airman 2nd class. Lilly spent two weeks in 1967 as part of the Texas National Guard at the Rhein-Main Air Base in West Germany.

After his retirement from professional football, Lilly moved to Waco, Texas, where he successfully operated a beer distribution business until 1982, when he saw the impact of a traffic accident caused by drunken driving and decided to sell the company and launch his landscape photography career. He lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico, from 1984 to 1989, where he opened a photo art gallery, complete with both color and black-and-white darkrooms. In 1989, he moved back to Texas, settling in Graham. As of 2016, the grandfather of 12 and great-grandfather of three lived with his wife, Ann, whom he married in 1974, in Georgetown, Texas.

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main

https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

Lilly, Bob; Kristine Setting Clark (2008), A Cowboy's Life, Chicago, Illinois: Triumph Books, p. 3, ISBN 978-1-60078-101-8

Monk, Cody (2004). Legends of the Dallas Cowboys. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-58261-707-7.

Anderson, Dave (1967). Great defensive players of the NFL. Random House. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-394-80197-1.

Smith, Don (1988). NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame All Time Greats. Gallery Books. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-8317-6300-8.

National Football League (1992). Official 1992 National Football League Record & Fact Book. Workman Pub. Co. ISBN 978-1-56305-247-7.

Smith, Ron (1997). NFL Football: The Official Fan's Guide. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-57243-214-7.

Johnson, Rafer (2009). Great Athletes. Salem Press. ISBN 978-1-58765-473-2.

 "Lilly Family Search". FamilySearch. Retrieved February 19, 2016.

 "Bob Lilly Biography". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.

 Sigma Phi Epsilon (March 1, 2009). "Dallas Cowboys player and SigEp Bob Lilly publishes autobiography". Sigma Phi Epsilon Journal. 106 (2): 13–14. Retrieved February 22, 2015.

 Discovering New Grounds. ULM Chacahoula. p. 283.

 "Did Eagles pick new lark player?". Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. December 28, 1960. p. 21.

 "Hall of Famer Bob Lilly lauds J.J. Watt's style of play". August 18, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2016.

 "10 things to know about Cowboys Hall of Famer Randy White". Retrieved February 19, 2016.

 MacMahon, Tim (April 23, 2010), Cowboys' Bryant to wear sacred No. 88, ESPNDallas.com

 Photography Archived July 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. - Bob Lilly Promo

 Lilly, Bob, and Sam Blair, (1983). - Bob Lilly Reflections. - Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing Company. - ISBN 0-87833-338-X.

 "10 things to know about Cowboys legend Bob Lilly". Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2016.

The Story And Significance Of David (Deacon) Jones - Coined The Word "Sack"

David D. "Deacon" Jones was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Jones specialized in sacks, a term that he coined. Nicknamed "the Secretary of Defense", Jones is considered one of the greatest defensive players ever. The Los Angeles Times called Jones "most valuable Ram of all time," and former Rams head coach George Allen called him the "greatest defensive end of modern football".

Due to a lack of television coverage and modern scouting networks, Jones was largely overlooked during his college career. According to an NFL Films interview with writer Ray Didinger, "Deacon was discovered kinda by accident. The Rams were scouting some running backs and they found this defensive tackle who was outrunning the running backs that they were scouting." Jones was drafted in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He then earned a starting role as a defensive end and teamed with tackle Merlin Olsen to give Los Angeles a perennial All-Pro left side of the defensive line. He became a part of the Fearsome Foursome defensive line of the Rams (along with Lamar Lundy, Rosey Grier, and Olsen), which is now considered to have been one of the best defensive lines of all time.

Jones won consensus All-Pro honors five straight years from 1965 through 1969 and was second-team All-Pro in 1964, 1970, and 1972. He was also in seven straight Pro Bowls, from 1964 to 1970, and was selected to an eighth after the 1972 season with the San Diego Chargers. He was voted the team's Outstanding Defensive Lineman by the Los Angeles Rams Alumni in 1962, '64, '65, and '66. In 1971, Jones suffered a severely sprained arch, which caused him to miss four starts, and he ended the season with 4½ sacks, his career-low to that point.

Jones was traded along with Lee White and Greg Wojcik from the Rams to the San Diego Chargers for Jeff Staggs, a second-rounder in 1972 (30th overall—Jim Bertelsen) and a second and third-rounder in 1973 (31st and 60th overall—Cullen Bryant and Tim Stokes respectively) on January 29, 1972. He was named San Diego's defensive captain and led all Chargers' defensive linemen in tackles and won a berth on the AFC Pro Bowl squad. He concluded his career with the Washington Redskins in 1974. In the final game of his NFL career, the Redskins allowed him to kick the point-after-touchdown for the game's last score. Along the way, Jones was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week four times: week 14, 1967; week 12, 1968; week 11, 1969; and week 10, 1970.

An extremely durable player, Jones missed only six games of a possible 196 regular-season encounters in his 14 National Football League seasons.

Jones was considered by many to revolutionize the position of defensive end. He was credited with coining the phrase "sacking the quarterback". He once stated that a quarterback being sacked devastated the offense in the same way that a city was devastated when it was sacked. In 1999, Jones provided a Los Angeles Times reporter with some other detailed imagery about his forte: "You take all the offensive linemen and put them in a burlap bag, and then you take a baseball bat and beat on the bag. You're sacking them, you're bagging them. And that’s what you're doing with a quarterback."

What separated Jones from every other defensive end was his speed and his ability to make tackles from sideline to sideline, which was unheard of in his time. He also was the first pass rusher to use the head slap, a move that he said was, "to give myself an initial head start on the pass rush, in other words an extra step. Because anytime you go upside a man's head … or a woman; they may have a tendency to blink they [sic] eyes or close they eyes. And that's all I needed." "The head slap was not my invention, but Rembrandt, of course, did not invent painting. The quickness of my hands and the length of my arms, it was perfect for me. It was the greatest thing I ever did, and when I left the game, they outlawed it."

Pro Football Weekly reported he accumulated 173.5 sacks over his career. The total would be third on the all-time sack list, which would have ranked first all-time at the time of his retirement by a substantial margin. Pro-Football-Reference.com in 2021 confirmed this sack total with their research.

In 1967, Jones had 21.5 sacks in only 14 games; he tallied 22 sacks in 14 games the following year. If official, this would have stood as an NFL record until Harvey Martin's 1977 campaign in which he totaled 23 sacks. This number was also equaled by Al Baker a year later. (The term "sack" had not yet been coined at the time, and official sack statistics were not recorded by the NFL until 1982.)

Jones worked as a television actor, and appeared in numerous TV programs since the 1970s, most often appearing in cameo roles. He appeared in an episode of The Odd Couple where he and Oscar were in a television commercial selling shaving products. He appeared on The Brady Bunch, and in a Bewitched episode in 1969, he played a guard to the Giant's castle in "Sam & the Beanstalk". Jones also played himself on an episode of Wonder Woman in 1978.

In 1978, he played a Viking named Thall in The Norseman. Fellow Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff joined Jones in the film, also portraying a Norseman. That same year, Jones portrayed a fierce defensive lineman named Gorman in the film Heaven Can Wait.

In the series G vs E, he played himself, but as an agent of "The Corps". He also played a role in the hit show, ALF, where he played a father figure to Alf.

Jones served as a color analyst for Rams broadcasts on KMPC radio in the 1994 season, teaming with Steve Physioc and Jack Snow. In 1998, shortly before Super Bowl XXXII between the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers, Jones correctly predicted the Broncos, 11 1/2 point underdogs, would win the game and Terrell Davis would be named MVP of the game.

Jones worked for many companies, including the Miller Brewing Company, Haggar Clothing, Pacific Coast Medical Enterprises, and Epson America, and represented the NFL and Champion Products as spokesman for their Throwback campaigns. Jones was also chairman for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in their national hypertension awareness program.

NFL.com reported that Jones made several trips to Iraq to visit the U. S. military.

Jones served as the president and CEO of the Deacon Jones Foundation, an organization he founded in 1997 "to assist young people and the communities in which they live with a comprehensive program that includes education, mentoring, corporate internship, and community service."

Jones was one of the many former L.A. Rams players who disliked the team's controversial relocation to St. Louis in 1995. He was adamant in interviews and appearances that he played for Los Angeles, not St. Louis, and considered the Rams franchise there a different team that should have a different name. He participated in many grassroots efforts to bring NFL football back to L.A. and also voiced support on many new stadium proposals. The Rams eventually returned to Los Angeles in 2016 after Jones had died.

He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1980, and was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994. In 1999, he was ranked number 13 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranked player to have played for the Rams franchise, the highest-ranked defensive end, and the second-ranked defensive lineman behind Bob Lilly. The same year, he was named by Sports Illustrated as the "Defensive End of the Century". In 2010, he was named to the inaugural class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame.

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main

https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

"About Deacon". Deacon Jones Foundation. Retrieved July 18, 2008.

 "Deacon Jones special: Page One". Pro Football Weekly. Archived from the original on September 5, 2001.

 "The Very Frightening Secretary of Defense: Was Deacon Jones the NFL's Meanest". Deacon Jones Foundation. Retrieved July 23, 2008.[permanent dead link]

 Goldstein, Richard (June 6, 2013). "Deacon Jones Dies at 74; Made Quarterback Sack Brutal and Enthralling". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2013.

 "Deacon Jones' HOF Profile". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 18, 2008.

 Goldstein, Richard (February 26, 2007). "Lamar Lundy, Lineman on the Rams' Fearsome Foursome, Dies at 71". The New York Times. Retrieved July 21, 2008.

 "10 Burning Questions for Deacon Jones". ESPN. Retrieved July 21, 2008.

 "Chargers Trade for Deacon Jones," United Press International (UPI), Saturday, January 29, 1972. Retrieved November 1, 2020

 1972 NFL Draft Pick Transactions, February 1 (Rounds 1–7) & 2 (Rounds 8–17) – Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved November 1, 2020

 Deacon Jones' Equal Rights (& Lefts) For Women! on YouTube

 Turney, John (June 26, 2000). "Setting the record straight on all of those QB takedowns". Pro Football Weekly online. Retrieved July 21, 2008.

 "The Norseman (1978)". IMDb. www.imdb.com. Retrieved April 1, 2011.

 "Deacon Jones, Hall of Fame defensive end, dies at 74". National Football League. April 9, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "All Inductees". BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.

 "S.C. Athletic Hall of Fame: Honorees and Inductees". Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "Central Florida Sports Hall of Fame". Central Florida Sports Commission. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "Florida Sports Hall of Fame Inductees 1960 to Present". Florida Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "Spirit Awards Finalists". Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "NFL Alumni to Honor Len Dawson, Deacon Jones and Paul Salata". BW SportsWire. August 24, 1999. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "Felix Jones Named 2011 NFL Alumni Spirit Award Recipient". Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "Legend of the Year". Junior Seau Foundation. Archived from the original on May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 "FHSAA announces 33-member All-Century football team". FHSAA.org. December 12, 2007. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 Burwell, Bryan (September 27, 2009). "Rams finally getting around to retiring Deacon Jones' jersey". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. McClatchey-Tribune News Service. Retrieved March 18, 2014.

 Alper, Josh (January 2, 2014). "Robert Mathis wins inaugural Deacon Jones Award". profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved January 2, 2014.

 Thursby, Keith (June 4, 2013). "David 'Deacon' Jones dies at 74; Fearsome L.A. Rams lineman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 5, 2013.

 Farrar, Doug (June 4, 2013). "Legendary defensive end David 'Deacon' Jones dies at 74". Yahoo!.

 Myers, Marc (September 8, 2015). "How Steely Dan created Deacon Blues". Wall Street Journal. The Wall St. Journal.

 "NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones dead at 74". Fox News. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 Goldstein, Richard (June 4, 2013). "Deacon Jones, Fearsome N.F.L. Defensive End, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020.

 "NFL legend Deacon Jones dies at 74". ESPN. June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

 King, Peter (June 4, 2013). "Late Deacon Jones would have dominated any era". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 29, 2016.

 McIntyre, Brian (June 22, 2013). "NFL to honor annual sacks leader with Deacon Jones Award". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 22, 2013.

The Story And Significance Of Herb Adderly - One Of Only Four Players In Pro Football History To Play On Six World Championship Teams

Herbert Anthony Adderley  was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. In 1980, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Adderley played college football for the Michigan State Spartans and was an All-Big Ten offensive star as a halfback. He is the only player to appear in four of the first six Super Bowls.

Adderley was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft, the 12th overall pick. He began his professional career as a halfback on offense, but was later switched to defense because the Packers already had eventual Hall of Fame runners in Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor. Adderley was first moved to cornerback to replace injured teammate Hank Gremminger against Detroit on Thanksgiving. and made an interception that set up the game-winning touchdown.

In 1962, the move became permanent and Adderley went on to become an all-NFL selection five times in the 1960s. Packers coach Vince Lombardi remarked, "I was too stubborn to switch him to defense until I had to. Now when I think of what Adderley means to our defense, it scares me to think of how I almost mishandled him."

Adderley recorded 39 interceptions in his nine seasons with the Packers. He held the Green Bay records for interceptions returned for touchdowns in a career (seven, tied with Darren Sharper, broken by Charles Woodson), and holds the record for interceptions returned for touchdowns in one season (three, in 1965).

Adderley started for the Packers from 1961–1969, then played three seasons (1970–1972) with the Dallas Cowboys. While with the Packers, he won rings for five NFL championships and wins in the first two Super Bowls. Adderley was a factor in the Super Bowl II win over the Oakland Raiders, intercepting a pass by Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica in the fourth quarter and returning it 60 yards for a touchdown to put the game away. It was the first Super Bowl touchdown scored on an intercepted pass.

Herb stated that "Lombardi had certain players who he’d call into his office and talk to, others he’d talk to on the field or in the locker room. One thing I remember he said to me…He said I was the best cornerback he’d ever seen. In front of the whole team he said I was the best athlete …I’ll always remember that."

Adderley had a strained relationship with Phil Bengtson by the end of the latter's second and penultimate year as Packers head coach. He accused Bengtson of keeping him off the Pro Bowl team in 1969 and requested to be traded. After a holdout and two weeks before the start of the regular season, he was sent from the Packers to the Dallas Cowboys for Malcolm Walker and Clarence Williams on September 1, 1970. He became a vital cog in its "Doomsday Defense," assisting the Cowboys to a Super Bowl appearance in V and a win in VI.

Adderley admired Packer head coach Vince Lombardi, but not Tom Landry of the Cowboys. Benched in favor of a young Charlie Waters during the middle of the 1972 season, Adderley was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in the summer of 1973. He opted not to report and retired on August 7, after a dozen seasons in the NFL.

Along with the Patriots' Tom Brady, and two Packer teammates, offensive linemen Fuzzy Thurston (Colts) and Forrest Gregg (Cowboys), Adderley is one of only four players in pro football history to play on six world championship teams. However, in a revised edition of Instant Replay, a memoir by Packer teammate Jerry Kramer, Adderley is quoted as saying, "I'm the only man with a Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl ring who doesn't wear it. I'm a Green Bay Packer."

In his 12 seasons, Adderley recorded 48 interceptions, which he returned for 1,046 yards and seven touchdowns, an average of 21.8 yards per return. He also recovered 14 fumbles (returning them for 65 yards) and returned 120 kickoffs for 3,080 yards and two scores. Adderly also ran back 7 interceptions for touchdowns in his career (not including playoffs).

Adderley was the first NFL player ever to gain more than 1,000 interception return yards. Only eight other players have achieved this since then, and all of them did so with more interceptions than Adderley.

After Adderley retired, he returned to Philadelphia to broadcast football games for Temple University and the Philadelphia Eagles. He also coached as an assistant at Temple and with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League under head coach Willie Wood, a Packer teammate.

Adderley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980. A year after his induction in Canton, Adderley became a member of the Packer Hall of Fame in 1981. He was also chosen for the AFL-NFL 1960-1984 All-Star teams.

Adderley's cousin's grandson (first cousin twice removed), Nasir Adderley, was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Adderley died on October 30, 2020 at the age of 81.

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main

https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

Goldstein, Richard (October 30, 2020). "Herb Adderley, a Packers Hall of Fame Cornerback, Dies at 81". New York Times.

 Amprey, Joseph L. Jr. (June 7, 2000). "Hall of famer Adderley never forgot Philly roots". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. (editorial). p. B9.

 Windhausen, John D (2002) [1992]. Dawson, Dawn P (ed.). Great Athletes. Vol. 1 (Revised ed.). Salem Press. pp. 14–16. ISBN 1-58765-008-8.

 "Enshrinement Speech, Herb Adderley | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Fitzpatrick, Frank (October 30, 2020). "Herb Adderley, a Philadelphian who became a Hall of Famer as a Packer, dies at 81". Philadelphia Inquirer.

 Blake, Corky (February 21, 2018). "Best Of The Best". The Express-Times (Easton, Pennsylvania). pp. B1, B4.

 Groller, Keith (July 27, 1997). "Big 23 comes up big in Big 33". The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania). pp. C1, C8.

 "Cliveden Award Goes to Adderley". The Philadelphia Inquirer. January 16, 1957. p. 39.

 Black, Ryan. "Why it took so long for Herb Adderley to enter MSU's sports Hall of Fame — and more from Friday's induction ceremony". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 Tucker, Cody. "'Who wore it best' at Michigan State: No. 26". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Herb Adderley Through the Years". NFL.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Michigan State great, NFL Hall of Famer Herb Adderley dies at 81". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Herb Adderly, Packers.com, the official website of the Green Bay Packers". www.packers.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "1959 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1960 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Herb Adderley College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Gary Ballman College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Fred Arbanas College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "George Saimes Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Easy to Battle West Saturday". The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin). December 28, 1960. p. 15.

 "Herbert Allen (Herb) Adderley". Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 Hunt, Donald (April 28, 2021). "Herb Adderley, Pro Football Hall of Famer, 81". Philadelphia Tribune.

 Brooks, Kevin L. (2021). "Fred R. Porter: 10th District". Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men. 9 (1): 355–362. doi:10.2979/spectrum.9.1_2.23. ISSN 2162-3252.

 "1958 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Herb Adderley Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Hughes, Connor. "NFL 100: At No. 58, Herb Adderley was the perfect wingman, and a star cornerback all on his own". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "1962 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers - January 2nd, 1966". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1966 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1967 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers - January 3rd, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl VI - Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins - January 16th, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1961 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Bob Lilly | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1961 AFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1961 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Johnson, Chuck (November 24, 1961). "Packers near title by defeating Lions". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4, part 2.

 Wolf, Bob (May 31, 1979). "When big play was the answer, Packer Adderley was a good bet". Milwaukee Journal. p. 3, part 3.

 Baker, David. "'Greatest Cornerback' Herb Adderley: 1939-2020 | Pro Football Hall of Fame". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Lea, Bud (November 24, 1961). "Packers trip Lions 17-9; 1 win from title repeat". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 4.

 Bochat, Rel (November 24, 1961). "3 service players big boost - Vince". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 4.

 "Emlen Tunnell | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Emlen Tunnell Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1961". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Huber, Bill (October 30, 2020). "Packers Legend Adderley Dies". Green Bay Packers On SI. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Johnny Unitas | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1962 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers - September 30th, 1962". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1962 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Green Bay Packers at New York Giants - December 30th, 1962". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "National Football League, 1963 Regular Season Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1963 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Remmel, Lee (October 7, 1963). "Crunching Block by Gros Springs Adderley for 98-Yard Kickoff Return". Appleton Post-Crescent (Appleton, Wisconsin). pp. B6.

 "1963 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1963 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1964 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1964 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1964 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1965 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1965 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Hand, Jack (September 29, 1965). "Packers' Herb Adderley Is Top Defensive Player". The Cumberland News (Cumberland, Maryland). p. 25.

 "Baltimore Colts at Green Bay Packers - September 26th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers - September 19th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers - December 19th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Don Shula | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Baltimore Colts at Green Bay Packers - December 26th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Hartnett, Ken (December 27, 1965). "Battered Packers, Especially Hornung-Starr Really Ache". The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin). Associated Press. p. 32.

 "Colts Are Critical Of Calls". Sun-Democrat (Paducah, Kentucky). Associated Press. December 28, 1965. p. 10.

 "Colts-Packers Playoff Remains Etched In Lore". www.packers.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers - January 2nd, 1966". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Heaton, Charles (January 3, 1966). "Packers Grab NFL Title With 23–12 Win". The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 29.

 "1965 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1966 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1966 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers - October 23rd, 1966". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys - January 1st, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl I - Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers - January 15th, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1967 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Cardinals - October 30th, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Polite Jim Hart Convinced He Could Beat Champs". Green Bay Post-Gazette. October 31, 1967. pp. B-1.

 "1967 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers - December 23rd, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "The Ice Bowl Game | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Packers Do It Again! Green Bay Wins, 21–17". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Associated Press. January 1, 1968. pp. 1-C, 6-C.

 "Super Bowl II - Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders - January 14th, 1968". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Lombardi Retires as Packer Coach, Bengston New Leader in Green Bay". The Expositor (Brantford, Ontario, Canada). Associated Press. February 2, 1968. p. 8.

 "1968 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1969 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1969 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Brown, Clifton (October 13, 2012). "Herb Adderley's book shines negative light on Tom Landry". Sporting News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.

 "Adderely says he's fed up with Packers". The Morning Record. Meriden, Connecticut. Associated Press. December 23, 1969. p. 11.

 Di Petro, Bob (September 2, 1970). "Adderley traded". Times News. Hendersonville, North Carolina. UPI. p. 9.

 Epstein, Jori (October 4, 2022). "'Doomsday is back': How a stellar defense has carried Cowboys to a 3-1 start and hearkened memories of the glory days". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Mel Renfro | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1970 Dallas Cowboys Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys - December 26th, 1970". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers - January 3rd, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl V - Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Colts - January 17th, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1971 Dallas Cowboys Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1971 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings - December 25th, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys - January 2nd, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl VI - Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins - January 16th, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Gil Brandt | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Waters replaces Adderley at cornerback for Dallas". Spartanburg Herald. South Carolina. Associated Press. November 2, 1972. p. D3.

 "Landry: Waters in his defense". The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware). Associated Press. November 2, 1972. p. 42.

 Imelio, Carlo (July 25, 1973). "Patriots Trade Adderley to Rams". The Union (Springfield, Massachusetts). p. 33.

 Baker, Hugh (August 3, 1973). "Emphasis on winning now, Knox says". News-Pilot (San Pedro, California). pp. B3.

 "Rams to look at safeties against Cowboys tomorrow". Santa Barbara News-Press reported (Santa Barbara, California). August 2, 1973. p. 12.

 "Herb Adderley Cut By Rams". The Post-Star (Glens Falls, New York). August 8, 1973. p. 22.

 "Herb Adderly". statscrew.com.

 "Bob Lilly | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Christl, Cliff. "Herb Adderley". Packers.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.

 "Super Bowl 2021: Tom Brady wins seventh title as Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Kansas City Chiefs". BBC Sport. February 8, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Only four players in 100 years have won six NFL titles". FOX Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 Dougherty, Pete. "Hall of Fame Packers cornerback Herb Adderley dies at 81". Packers News. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 "NFL Interception Return Yards Career Leaders (Since 1940)". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

 "Herb Adderley Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "The Sporting News 100 Greatest Players of All-Time (1999)". futurefootballlegends.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Unitas QBs NFL Team". Tampa Tribune. September 7, 1969. p. 34.

 Jerardi, Dick (July 8, 2012). "The men behind the Philly Sports Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Inquirer.

 "Herb Adderley Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 3, 2023.

 "'Greatest Cornerback' Herb Adderley: 1939-2020 | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Nasir Adderley working to live up to DB bloodline". www.giants.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 "Nasir Adderley". www.chargers.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 "Herb Adderley, Packers legend and Hall of Fame CB, passes away at age 81". NFL.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 Smith, Michael David (October 30, 2020). "Hall of Famer Herb Adderley dies at 81". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved October 30, 2020.