Highlighted Year: John Brockington, 1973

Fullback, Green Bay Packers

Age: 25 (Sept. 7)

3^rd season in pro football & with Packers

College: Ohio State

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 225

Prelude:

Brockington started at halfback as a sophomore in college, backed up FB Jim Otis for a year, and then started at fullback as a senior and rushed for a team-record 1142 yards and scored 17 TDs in 1970. He was chosen by the Packers in the first round (ninth overall) of the ’71 NFL draft and moved directly into the starting lineup in combination with HB Donny Anderson. Brockington led the NFC with 1105 rushing yards and received consensus first-team All-NFL as well as Rookie of the Year honors. In 1972 he had a new backfield mate in HB MacArthur Lane and ran for 1027 yards as the Packers won the NFC Central, achieving All-NFC honors and again being selected to the Pro Bowl.

1973 Season Summary

Appeared and started in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 265 [4]

Most attempts, game – 28 (for 137 yds.) vs. St. Louis 11/11

Yards – 1144 [2, 1^st in NFC]

Most yards, game – 142 yards (on 22 carries) at Chicago 12/16

Average gain – 4.3 [19]

TDs – 3

100-yard rushing games – 5

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 16

Most receptions, game – 3 (for 17 yds.) vs. New Orleans 12/2

Yards – 128

Most yards, game – 45 (on 2 catches) at New England 11/18

Average gain – 8.0

TDs – 0

Passing

Attempts – 1

Completions – 0

TDs – 0

INT – 0

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: NEA

2^nd team All-NFL: AP, PFWA

1^st team All-NFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

Pro Bowl

Packers went 5-7-2 to finish third in the NFC Central.

Aftermath:

After having become the first player in NFL history to reach a thousand rushing yards in each of his first three years, Brockington found the going more difficult over time as the team’s lack of a credible passing attack had defenses keying on stopping the ground game. After gaining 883 yards rushing in 1974, in addition to catching a career-high 43 passes, his production dropped sharply as the wear and tear of his punishing, straight-ahead running style began to take its toll and he never again gained as many as 500 yards in a season. Released by the Packers early in the 1977 season, he finished up with the Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, Brockington rushed for 5185 yards on 1347 carries (all but 161 yards and 54 carries coming with Green Bay) and caught 157 passes for 1297 yards (19 for 222 yards with the Chiefs), scoring a total of 34 touchdowns (30 rushing, four receiving). He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection once, received first- or second-team All-NFL and All-NFC honors after two other seasons, and was a three-time Pro Bowl choice.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970