Age: 28 (Nov.
17)
6th
season in pro football & with Cardinals
College: Texas
A & M
Height: 6’0” Weight: 195
Prelude:
The versatile
Conrad played at quarterback, halfback, and fullback in addition to end in college
and was part of the 1956 Texas A & M team that won the Southwest Conference
title. He also starred in the 1958 College All-Star Game upset of the Detroit
Lions, kicking four field goals and intercepting a pass. Conrad was chosen by
the New York Giants in the fifth round of the ’58 NFL draft but was traded to
the Cards prior to the season and was used in the defensive backfield as a
rookie, intercepting four passes, as well as for returning punts and
placekicking. He was shifted to offense in 1959 and backed up at halfback for
two seasons, rushing for a career-high 328 yards in ’59, before being moved to
flanker in 1961, where he broke out with 30 catches for 499 yards (16.6 avg.)
and two touchdowns. Conrad had a bigger year in 1962, hauling in 62 pass
receptions for 954 yards (15.4) avg. and four TDs as part of a productive
tandem with split end Sonny Randle.
1963 Season Summary
Appeared in all
14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 73
[1]
Most
receptions, game – 8 (for 112 yds.) vs. Green Bay 10/20
Yards – 967 [6]
Most yards,
game – 122 (on 6 catches) vs. Philadelphia 12/8
Average gain
– 13.2
TDs – 10 [4,
tied with Gail Cogdill & Frank Clarke]
100-yard
receiving games – 2
Rushing
Attempts – 1
Yards – 0
TDs – 0
Punt Returns
Returns – 1
Yards – 1
Average per
return – 1.0
TDs – 0
Scoring
TDs – 10 [6,
tied with four others]
Points – 60 [15,
tied with four others]
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News
2nd
team All-NFL: NEA
Cardinals
went 9-5 to finish third in the NFL Eastern Conference.
Aftermath:
Conrad
followed up with 61 catches for 780 yards (12.8 avg.) and six touchdowns in
1964 and achieved Pro Bowl recognition. Consistent if not especially fast or
flashy, he remained a capable possession receiver for the Cards through 1968, a
total of 11 seasons, before finishing up with the Dallas Cowboys in 1969.
Overall, he caught 422 passes for 5902 yards (14.0 avg.) and 38 TDs, with 418
of those catches for 5828 yards and all of the TDs coming with the Cardinals.
Conrad also returned 33 kickoffs for a 24.6-yard average and 51 punts for an
average of 9.1 yards and two TDs. As a placekicker he booted 14 field goals out
of 33 attempts and made good on 95 of 99 extra points which, combined with his
42 touchdowns, accounted for a total of 389 points. Conrad received first-team
All-NFL recognition once, second-team honors after one other season, and was
selected to one Pro Bowl.
--
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
