By Chris Williams
Published
Updated February 1, 2022
Sports
FOX TV Digital Team
Tom Brady is officially retiring as one of the NFL’s oldest players at 44 years old.
The greatest quarterback in NFL history announced his retirement on Feb. 1 on Instagram, after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year-career.
"This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore," Brady wrote in a lengthy post. "I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."
Brady goes out after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title last season and NFC South championship this season. He has long stated his desire to spend more time with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, and three children.
However, Brady wasn’t the only professional footballer to be considered "over the hill" by many Americans. Here are some others who played football longer than most.
Hall of Famer George Blanda played for several teams, ending his football career with the Oakland Raiders in 1975 as a placekicker. He played professional football for 26 years before retiring at the age of 48. He died in 2010 at the age of 83.
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NFL kicker Morten Andersen retired in 2007 at 47 years old. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the leading scorer in NFL history with 2,544 points. He played in a record 382 games during his 25-year career. He played for several teams, ending his career with the Atlanta Falcons.
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Adam Vinatieri retired from NFL at 48 years old in 2021. Vinatieri scored 2,673 points and made 599 field goals, breaking both records previously held by Andersen. Vinatieri also played in 365 regular-season games, second behind Andersen (382), and is the only player in league history to top the 1,000-point mark with two different franchises.
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The New Orleans Saints released John Carney as its kicker in 2010 at 46 years old. He became San Diego's regular kicker in 1990 and spent 11 seasons with the Chargers, followed by six with the Saints, parts of one season with Jacksonville and Kansas City, one season with the New York Giants, and then one last season again with New Orleans.
FOX News and the Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
All-NFL Second Team: 1970K (PFWA)
All-AFL: 1961 (AP, UPI, OL, SN, NY), 1967K (SN)
All-AFL Second Team: 1962 (AP, UPI), 1963 (AP, NEA, NY), 1966K (OL)
All-AFC: 1973K (SN)
K Honored as a kicker All other honors as a quarterback
(4) – 1962, 1963, 1964, 1968
(at time of his retirement following 1975 season)
• [1st] Most Seasons – 26
• [1st] Most Games Played, Career – 340
• [1st] Most Consecutive Games Played, Career – 224 (1960-1975)
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 2,002
• [1st] Most Season Leading League in PATs – 8 (1956, 1961-62, 1967-69, 1972, 1974)
• [1st] Most PAT Attempts, Career – 959
• [1st] Most PAT Attempts, Season – 65 (1961)
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Career – 943
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Season – 64 (1961)
• [1st] Most Field Goal Attempts, Career –
638
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Career – 335
• [1st] Most Pass Attempts, Game – 68 (vs. Buffalo, Nov. 1, 1964)
• [1st] Most Pass Completions, Game – 37 (vs. Buffalo, Nov. 1, 1964)
• [1st] Most Pass Interceptions, Career – 277
• [1st] Most Pass Interceptions, Season – 42 (1962)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Passing Touchdowns, Season – 36 (1961)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Passing Touchdowns, Game – 7 (vs. N.Y. Titans, Nov. 19, 1961)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Seasons, 100 or More Points – 6 (1960-61, 1967-69, 1973)
• [2nd] Highest PATs Conversion Percentage, Career – 98.3
• [2nd] Most Pass Attempts, Season – 505 (1964)
• [Tied for 2nd] Most PATs Converted, Season – 56 (1967)
• [Tied for 2nd] Most PATs Converted with no Misses, Season – 54 (1968)
• [Tied for 2nd] Most Seasons, 3,000 or More Passing Yards – 3 (1961, 1963-64)
• [3rd] Most Consecutive PATs Converted – 201 (1967-1971)
• [Tied for 3rd] Most PAT Attempts, Season – 57 (1967)
• [Tied for 3rd] Most PATs Converted, Season – 54 (1968)
• [Tied for 3rd] Most Pass Attempts, Game –
60 (vs. Oakland, Nov. 7, 1965)
Post Season Records
• [1st] Most Games – 19
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 115
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Career – 49
• [1st] Most Field Goal Attempts, Career – 39
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Career – 22
• [1st] Most Pass Interceptions, Career – 17
• [Tied for 1st] Most PATs Converted, Game – 8 (vs. Houston, 1969)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Field Goals Attempted, Game – 6 (vs. Houston, 1967)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Game – 4 (vs. Houston, 1967; vs. Pittsburgh, 1973)
AFL/AFC-NFL/NFC Championship Game Records • [1st] Most Games – 11
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 64
• [1st] Most Pass Attempts, Career – 184
• [1st] Most Pass Completions, Career – 88
• [1st] Most Pass Interceptions, Career – 15
AFL/AFC Championship Game Records
• [1st] Most Games – 10
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 63
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Career – 18
• [1st] Most Field Goal Attempts, Career – 27
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Career – 15
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Game – 4 (vs. Houston, 1967)
• [1st] Longest Field Goal Converted – 48 (vs. Baltimore, 1970)
• [1st] Most Pass Attempts, Career – 157
• [1st] Most Pass Completions, Career – 76
• [1st] Most Pass Completions, Game – 23 (vs. Dallas, 1962)
• [1st] Most Passing Yards, Career – 1,017
• [1st] Longest Pass Completion – 88 (to Billy Cannon, vs. Los Angeles, 1960)
• [1st] Most Passing Touchdowns, Career – 7
• [1st] Most Pass Interceptions, Career – 14
• [1st] Most Pass Interceptions, Game – 5 (vs. San Diego, 1961; vs. Dallas, 1962)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Passing Touchdowns, Game – 3 (vs. Los Angeles, 1960)
AFL/AFC Divisional Playoff Game Records
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 49
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Career – 28
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Game – 8 (vs. Houston, 1969)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Career – 7
• [Tied for 1st] Most Games, Winning Team – 6
• [Tied for 1st] Most Field Goal Attempts, Game – 5 (vs. Pittsburgh, 1973)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Game – 4 (vs. Pittsburgh, 1973)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Games – 7
Bears’ records held by Blanda
(Records through the 1958 season, Blanda’s final season with Chicago)
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 541
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Career – 247
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Career – 88
• [1st] Most Consecutive PATs Converted – 156 (1951-56)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Season – 14 (1957)
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Season – 45 (1956)
• [Tied for 1st] Most Pass Completions, Game – 29 (vs. San Francisco, Nov. 1, 1953)
• [2nd] Most Pass Completions, Season – 169 (1953)
Oilers’ records held by Blanda
(Records through the 1966 season, Blanda’s final season with Houston)
• [1st] Longest Pass Completion – 95 (to Dick Compton, vs. Buffalo, Dec. 5, 1965)
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 596
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Season – 115 (1960)
• [1st] Most Rushing Touchdowns Rushing, Game – 3 (vs. Los Angeles, Sept. 18, 1960)
• [1st] Longest Field Goal – 55 (vs. San Diego, Dec. 3, 1961)
• [1st] Most Passing Attempts, Game – 68 (at Buffalo, Nov. 1, 1964)
• [1st] Most Passing Completions, Game – 37 (at Buffalo, Nov. 1, 1964)
• [1st] Most Pass Interceptions, Game – 6 (vs. Denver, Nov. 14, 1965; at Buffalo, Sept. 9, 1962)
• [1st] Most Yards Passing, Game – 464 (at Buffalo Oct. 29, 1961)
• [1st] Most Passing Touchdowns, Game – 7 (vs. N.Y. Titans, Nov. 19, 1961)
• [1st] Most Plays in One Game, Rushing and Passing – 68 (at Buffalo, Nov. 1, 1964)
• [1st] Most Total Yards Rushing and Passing, Game – 467 (at Buffalo Oct. 29, 1961)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Attempted, Game – 6 (vs. New York, Oct. 9, 1960; vs. Denver, Sept. 14, 1963)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Game – 4 (at Buffalo, Oct. 31, 1965)
• [1st] Most PAT Attempts, Game – 8 (vs. New York, Oct. 14, 1962)
• [1st] Most Pass Attempts, Career – 2,789
• [1st] Most Pass Attempts, Season – 505 (1964)
• [1st] Most Pass Completions, Career – 1,347
• [1st] Most Pass Completions, Season – 262 (1964)
• [1st] Most Yards Passing, Career – 19,149
• [1st] Most Yards Passing, Season – 3,330 (1961)
• [1st] Most Field Goal Attempts, Career – 189
• [1st] Most Field Goal Attempts, Season – 34 (1960)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Made, Career – 91
• [1st] Most Field Goals Made, Season – 16 (1961, 1962)
• [1st] Most PAT Attempts, Career – 304
• [1st] Most PAT Attempts, Season – 65 (1961)
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Career – 299
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Season – 64 (1961)
• [1st] Most Passing Touchdowns, Career – 165
• [1st] Most Passing Touchdowns, Season – 36 (1961)
• [1st] Most Passing Interceptions, Career – 189
• [1st] Most Passing Interceptions, Season – 42 (1962)
• [2nd] Most Pass Attempts, Season – 362 (1953)
• [2nd] Longest Field Goal – 54 (vs. Oakland, Nov. 12, 1962)
• [2nd] Most Passing Attempts, Game – 60 (vs. Oakland, Nov. 7, 1965)
• [2nd] Most Passing Completions, Game – 31 (at Los Angeles, Nov. 13, 1960)
• [2nd] Most Pass Interceptions, Game – 5 (at San Diego, Dec. 24, 1961; vs. Denver, Dec. 2, 1962; vs. Dallas, Dec. 23, 1962; at Kansas City, Oct. 4, 1964; at Denver, Oct. 17, 1965)
• [2nd] Most Passing Touchdowns, Game – 6 (vs. New York, Oct. 14, 1961)
• [2nd] Most Plays in One Game, Rushing and Passing – 60 (vs. Oakland, Nov. 7, 1965)
• [2nd] Most Field Goals Attempted, Game – 5 (vs. San Diego, Nov. 25, 1962)
• [2nd] Most Field Goals Converted, Game – 3 (vs. Boston, Dec. 18, 1960; vs. San Diego, Nov. 25, 1962)
• [2nd] Most Points Scored, Season – 112 (1961)
• [2nd] Most Points Scored, Game – 26 (vs. Los Angeles, Sept. 18, 1960)
• [2nd] Most PAT Attempts, Game – 7 (at Denver, Nov. 5, 1961; vs. New York, Nov. 16, 1961; at Oakland, Dec. 22, 1963)
• [2nd] Best Passing Completion Percentage, Career – 48.9
• [2nd] Best Passing Completion Percentage, Season – 52.9 (1963)
• [2nd] Best Average Gain Per Pass Completion, Career – 14.2
• [2nd] Best Average Gain Per Pass Completion, Season – 17.8 (1961)
• [Tied for 2nd] Most Touchdowns, Game – 3 (vs. Los Angeles, Sept. 18, 1960)
• [3rd] Longest Field Goal – 53 (vs. Dallas, Oct. 22, 1961; vs. Buffalo, Dec. 11, 1960; vs. Buffalo, Oct. 14, 1962)
• [3rd] Most Passing Attempts, Game – 55 (at Los Angeles, Nov. 13, 1960)
• [3rd] Most Passing Completions, Game – 29 (at San Diego, Sept. 12, 1964)
• [3rd] Most Yards Passing, Game – 418 (vs. New York, Nov. 19, 1961)
• [3rd] Most Passing Touchdowns, Game – 5 (at Oakland, Dec. 22, 1963; vs. Kansas City, Oct. 24, 1965; at Denver, Oct. 2, 1966)
• [3rd] Most Plays in One Game, Rushing and Passing – 59 (at Los Angeles, Nov. 13, 1960)
• [3rd] Most Total Yards Rushing and Passing, Game – 418 (vs. New York, Nov. 19, 1961)
Raiders’ records held by Blanda
(Records through the 1975 season, Blanda’s final season with Oakland)
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Career – 863
• [1st] Longest Pass Completion – 94 (to Warren Wells, at Denver, Nov. 10, 1968)
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Career – 395
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Career – 156
• [1st] Most Field Goal Attempts, Career – 249
• [1st] Most Points Scored, Season – 117 (1968)
• [1st] Most PATs Converted, Season – 56 (1967)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Converted, Season – 23 (1973)
• [1st] Most Field Goals Attempted, Season – 37 (1969)
• [2nd] Most Points Scored, Season – 116 (1967)
• [2nd] Most PATs Converted, Season – 54 (1968)
• [2nd] Most Field Goals Converted, Season – 21 (1968)
• [2nd] Most Field Goals Attempted, Season – 34 (1968)
• [Tied for 2nd] Best Pass Completion Percentage, Career – 50. 6
AFL Statistical Championships:
Passing Titles: 1961
Passing Touchdown Titles: 1961
Scoring Titles: 1967
Team Statistical Championships:
Passing Titles: 1953Chi, 1960Hou, 1961Hou, 1962Hou, 1963Hou, 1964Hou, 1965Hou, 1966Hou,
Scoring Titles: 1952Chi, 1953Chi, 1957Chi, 1960Hou, 1961Hou, 1962Hou, 1963Hou, 1964Hou, 1965Hou, 1966Hou, 1967Oak, 1968Oak, 1969Oak, 1970Oak, 1971Oak, 1972Oak, 1973Oak
Chi Chicago Hou Houston Oak Oakland
• All-Time AFL Team
• 1961 AFL Player of the Year (UPI, SN)
• 1970 Player of the Year (MX)
• 1970 AFC Player of the Year (UPI, SN)
| 1949 | Chicago Bears | 9 | 3 | 0 | (2nd) |
| 1950 | Baltimore Colts | 1 | 11 | 0 | (7th*) |
| 1950 | Chicago Bears | 9 | 3 | 0 | (2nd) |
| 1951 | Chicago Bears | 7 | 5 | 0 | (4th) |
| 1952 | Chicago Bears | 5 | 7 | 0 | (5th) |
| 1953 | Chicago Bears | 3 | 8 | 1 | (4th) |
| 1954 | Chicago Bears | 8 | 4 | 0 | (2nd) |
| 1955 | Chicago Bears | 8 | 4 | 0 | (2nd) |
| 1956 | Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | (1st) |
| 1957 | Chicago Bears | 5 | 7 | 0 | (5th) |
| 1958 | Chicago Bears | 8 | 4 | 0 | (2nd) |
| 1959 | DID NOT PLAY | ||||
| 1960 | Houston Oilers | 10 | 4 | 0 | (1st) |
| 1961 | Houston Oilers | 10 | 3 | 1 | (1st) |
| 1962 | Houston Oilers | 11 | 3 | 0 | (1st) |
| 1963 | Houston Oilers | 6 | 8 | 0 | (3rd) |
| 1964 | Houston Oilers | 4 | 10 | 0 | (4th) |
| 1965 | Houston Oilers | 4 | 10 | 0 | (4th) |
| 1966 | Houston Oilers | 3 | 11 | 0 | (4th) |
| 1967 | Oakland Raiders | 13 | 1 | 0 | (1st) |
| 1968 | Oakland Raiders | 12 | 2 | 0 | (1st) |
| 1969 | Oakland Raiders | 12 | 1 | 1 | (1st) |
| 1970 | Oakland Raiders | 8 | 4 | 2 | (1st) |
| 1971 | Oakland Raiders | 8 | 4 | 2 | (2nd) |
| 1972 | Oakland Raiders | 10 | 3 | 1 | (1st) |
| 1973 | Oakland Raiders | 9 | 4 | 1 | (1st) |
| 1974 | Oakland Raiders | 12 | 2 | 0 | (1st) |
| 1975 | Oakland Raiders | 11 | 3 | 0 | (1st) |
| *Blanda played one game with the Baltimore Colts | |||||
Under 40
The "Old Gunner" established himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time long before he got old. During three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, he won the Super Bowl and was named MVP three times.
After 40 years
Twice “retired”, Farv was reborn in Minnesota in 2009year. In a season that turned 40, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 11th time and led the Vikings to the conference finals, where they lost to New Orleans in overtime. Farva's unwillingness to say goodbye to football has become a joke. The Rams even tried to pull him out of retirement in 2013. “I am very grateful, but you know, nothing will come of this,” Farv replied.
Under 40
Arguably the best wide receiver of all time, Rice won the Super Bowl three times, made the All-Pro team ten times, and led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns at the reception even before his fortieth birthday.
After 40 years
Rice turned 40 in 2002 and caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards. Those were his best performances since 1996. Rice played until 2004 and signed a one-day deal with San Francisco for almost $2 million before officially hanging up his boots in 2006. That amount - 1,985,806.49 - meant his first year in the league (1985), his playing number (80), year (06) and the team for which he played for the first 16 seasons ("49s").
Under 40
One of the fastest defensive backs in league history. Green has been selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. He won the Super Bowl twice with Washington.
After 40 years
Green has had at least one steal in 19 seasons, an NFL record. After 40 years, he made four interceptions. In his final two seasons (at 41 and 42), he played all 16 matches of each of them. Green celebrated his fiftieth birthday in 2010 by claiming to have run 40 yards in 4. 43 seconds. “I think today I became the fastest 50-year-old man in the world!” he tweeted.
Under 40
The first pick in the 1987 draft was a two-time Pro Bowler and the last quarterback to win a playoff game with the Cleveland Browns.
After 40 years
On December 2, 2007, 44-year-old Testeverde helped the Carolinas beat San Francisco, becoming the oldest quarterback to win an NFL game and the second-oldest to play on a base. He joined the team in the off-season and won his first match as well. “It took me three days to prepare for the match that my team won. I am proud that I managed to do it,” said Testeverde.
Under 40
Moon, in his forties, already had a resume that was enough to enter the Hall of Fame. Eight Pro Bowls and NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors followed a career in the Canadian Football League that included five straight Gray Cup wins.
After 40 years
By the time Moon turned 40, it seemed that his career had come to an end. However, he managed to sing a swan song in Seattle at 1997th at 41. Twice that season he was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, and his first in passing yards per game earned him his ninth Pro Bowl spot.
Under 40
Coming from soccer, the Danish kicker was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times and ended up in the All-Pro first team three times.
After 40 years
Andersen played seven seasons in his 40s, scored 704 points and converted 83.7 percent of his field goals, ending his NFL career in points. He did not enter the Hall of Fame, but called it a "gift" that he was among the finalists three times. "I'm glad to know that people consider me to be an elite company," he said last month. Morten retired from the Falcons in 2007.
Under 40
Blanda rushed for 25,196 yards, 214 touchdowns and 1,148 points as a quarterback and kicker with the Chicago Bears and hooked with the Aulers Oakland Raiders.
After 40 years
On the day of his second game for the Raiders, Blanda celebrated his 40th birthday. After that, as a quarterback, he came out only once. However, he scored 863 points, being the main kicker. George is the oldest player in NFL history to retire in season 1975 when he was 48. Blanda holds the records for seasons (26), extra points (959), but he once said: “There is a record that I was glad to get rid of the authorship of is the number of interceptions. The day the record-breaking Brett Farve quit."
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Source: ESPN
Some athletes need time to develop at a professional level. It also happens that a veteran player only gets better with age, gaining high-quality endurance. In the case of George Blanda, both of these rules are true.
Blanda became a legend, extending his career longer than anyone before him. He became a star in his 30s, and then he struggled with the times and continued to perform right up to the age of 48, while younger, faster and stronger guys filled the league.
In the late 1940s, he played for the University of Kentucky under Bear Bryant, who convinced George Halas of the Chicago Bears that Blanda would never break into the NFL as a kicker. It turns out that even the greats make mistakes sometimes.
Blanda is one of the top 10 scoring players in pro football history with 2002 points and is the only one on the list to score at least one touchdown. He holds the record for the most seasons in the league and the number of scoring seasons (26), the number of completed (959) and converted (943) one-point conversions. He spent enough time in the league to catch John Madden with the Raiders, although he himself was born already in 1927.
***
Blanda's football career began with an acquaintance with God. At least that's the impression he got after meeting Paul "Bear" Bryant, who led the Kentucky in Blanda's second year there.
“I thought that God probably looks like this,” Blanda said.
God or not, Bryant understood something about football. In the 1945 season, Kentucky went 1-9, and after the arrival of Bryant, they lost only three games over the next three seasons. Blanda achieved starting quarterback status and became first the team's passing yard leader in 1947 and then the team's offensive yard leader in 1948.
Blanda had 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final two seasons. By the standards of their time, these were not outstanding numbers, so Blanda did not hope too much to break into the NFL. George Halas, however, turned out to have a different opinion about Blanda's skills and chose him under 11912th round pick in the 1949 NFL Draft.
Embed from Getty Images
Blanda's first contract was for $6,000 and $600 at signing. But for the first four years, the passer could not regularly enter the field. Despite this, Blanda proved his versatility in his first season with 197 passing yards, 15 field goals and 19 punts. In 1950-1951, Blanda even occasionally took the position of linebacker. In 1952, he rediscovered his passer skills, gaining 664 passing yards with 8 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
In 1952, Bland got tired of sitting on the bench, so he negotiated a contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian League. Halas had to fork out in order to keep Blanda - the footballer received a salary increase of up to $11,600. Blanda's 1953 season proved to be a productive, albeit unsuccessful, one - he led the NFL in pass attempts (362) and successful passes (169), throwing 14 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. The Bears went 3-8-1 but lost less than one possession in seven games.
In the 1954 season, Blanda threw 15 touchdowns with 17 interceptions before he got injured and was out for the rest of the season. For the next four years, Blanda remained as a substitute passer behind Ed Brown and also converted 48 of 93 field goals. Between 1955 and 1958, Blanda scored 982 passing yards, throwing 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Halas left the Bears in 1956, Blanda decided he had had enough in 1958.
Blanda spent 10 years with Chicago, but his memories of this team were not the best.
“There wasn't much fun there. Nostalgic moments, of course, were enough. I got to play alongside Sid Lachman and Bulldog Turner against guys like Sammy Bowe. Halas was a great coach. The only problem - and this is not only my claim, everyone complained about it - we were not paid very much, ”Blanda recalled.
After a period of playing for the Bears, Blanda did not intend to continue his career and did not play football for a year. But in 1960, the American Football League (AFL) was formed, and the Houston Oilers contacted Blanda to offer him to become the quarterback and kicker of the newly created team.
In the AFL, Blanda looked very appropriate, since in this league more emphasis was placed on passing play. In the 1960 season, Blanda scored 2,413 yards and for the first time in his career threw more touchdowns (24, third most in the league) than interceptions (22). Plus, he converted 15 of 32 field goals.
Thanks to Blanda's leadership, the Oilers won 10 of 14 games and won the league title. The final against the Los Angeles Chargers proved to be Blanda's benefit as he scored 301 passing yards, threw three passing touchdowns, made all three one-point conversions, and also scored a field goal. Houston won with a score of 24-16, that is, it was Blanda who scored all the points of his team.
In 1961, Blanda went one step further by becoming the AFL's leader in passing yards (3,330). He threw 36 touchdowns with 22 interceptions, and his passing touchdown record was only surpassed by Miami quarterback Dan Marino 23 years later. In that season, Blanda set one of the records that has not been broken to this day - he threw 7 passing touchdowns in a game against the New York Titans. Thanks to Blanda's inspiring play, Houston again reached the championship finals, where they again beat the Chargers (10-3). Blanda again scored all the points of his team in the decisive match. At the end of the season, he was recognized as the MVP of the AFL and got into the team of the best players.
In 1962, Blanda continued his winning streak and scored 2,810 yards with 27 touchdowns. True, he skidded in steals (42, a league record), but that didn't stop Houston from winning 11 of 14 games. The Oilers played in the AFL Finals for the third time in a row, but this time they lost to Dallas with a score 17-20 in two overtimes. At the end of the season, Blanda was named to the second team of the best players in the league.
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In 1963-1967, Blanda continued to show a high level of play, but Houston ceased to be the dominant force in the AFL. For four years, the team failed to reach the playoffs, although Blanda became the leader of the AFL in passing attempts and successful passes. They are still, along with Marino, the only players who managed to become league leaders in completed passes three times in a row.
In 1966, Blanda had his worst yardage (1,764) since joining Houston, and the team had only three wins. The Oilers decided that the best days for Blanda were behind them, the quarterback was expelled in March 1967.
The Oilers were a great team, very fast. I loved the idea of doing something new and I'm proud to have played in the AFL. It seemed to me that the best teams in the AFL were just as good as the teams in the NFL. We had to somehow get the fans and TV people interested, so we threw a lot of passes. In one game I completed 68 passes, in another 58. It was a fun period for me,” Blanda said.
At the time of leaving the Oilers, Blanda was already 40 years old, the final end of his career seemed inevitable. Until Al Davis from the Raiders called, inviting Blanda to be the team's kicker, back-up quarterback behind Daryl Lamonica, and raise Kenny Stabler.
It is unlikely that Blanda imagined that he would spend almost a dozen more years with the Raiders.
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In Blanda's first season in a new location, the Raiders reached the AFL Finals and took out the Oilers 40-7. But at Super Bowl 2, they were no longer enough - a defeat by Green Bay with a score of 14-33. The following year, Blanda again remained a kicker and occasionally entered the field as a passer. In the AFL-19 final68 The Raiders lost 23-27 to the Jets, losing the league finals to Kansas City 7-17 a year later. As a quarterback, Blanda barely played during this period, so Lamonica was named AFL MVP in the 1969 season.
But in the sixth week of the 1970 season, Lamonica was injured, and John Madden opted for the 43-year-old Blanda. The veteran passer did not spoil the furrow - he threw two touchdowns, converted one field goal and helped the team to a victory with a score of 31-14.
Next, Blanda gave a whole series of heroic performances. He first converted a 48-yard field goal in Week 7 of the regular season to equalize in the final seconds of regulation against Kansas City. In Week 8, Blanda threw a touchdown and scored the game-winning 52-yard field goal to give the team a 23-20 victory over the Browns. Blanda's performance was especially admired by Raiders radio commentator Bill King.
"George Blanda has just been elected King of the World," King said on the broadcast.
A week later, Blanda threw the game-winning touchdown against Denver and scored the game-winning field goal against the Chargers (20-17) the following game.
“It got to the point that when George entered the game, all the players reacted in the same way: “Here he is. We will do it". Soon the fans began to believe in victory, they went crazy when they saw George on the field. In the end, even opponents believed in his victorious qualities. It was as if their hands were dropping in the spirit: "Oh no, this guy is coming out."
Blanda's five-game hero streak helped the Raiders to four wins and one draw. The Raiders ended the season 8-4-2, with Blanda having 461 yards with 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions and 16 field goals. Oakland reached the AFC Finals, where they lost to the Colts (17-27). All 17 points were scored by Blanda, who came on as a substitute after Lamonika's injury. It was then that Blanda became the oldest quarterback in the game for the championship (in this case, the conference), Tom Brady broke this record only in 2021.
Blanda did not appear on the field very often, but he did it brightly and spectacularly. True, he himself was infuriated by talk about the respectable age for the NFL.
“It makes me sad to see stars end their careers at their peak. Lou Grosa retired at 43, Ben Agadjan at 45. WHA Tittle finished at 38 and Bob Waterfield at 33. Norm Van Brocklin retired at 35, as did Otto Graham. And he's the best quarterback I've ever seen in my life. It's just a tragedy. True, there are people who believe that Graham could not spend another 6-8 seasons? Of course he could. Even now at 49he looks more confident than most college kids. But he became another victim of the prejudices that reign in professional football. It is believed that after 35 or even 30 years you are no longer capable of anything. Bullshit!" Blanda said in an interview.
In 1971-1975, Blanda finally re-qualified as a kicker, gaining fewer and fewer passing yards. In five years, he threw six touchdowns with seven interceptions and also converted 79 field goals. Even in the final years of Blanda's career, he practically did not miss during one-point conversions. At 1967-1971, he scored 201 consecutive one-point attempts.
Blanda played his last game on January 4, 1976 in the AFC Final against the Steelers. The Raiders trailed 10-16, with Blanda converting a field goal from 41 yards and a successful one-point conversion.
He was expelled from the team before the start of the 1976 season. Unfortunately for Blanda, the Raiders won Super Bowl 11 that year.
In his 26-year career, Blanda has passed 26,920 yards with 1,911 of 4,007 passes. He threw for 236 touchdowns with 277 interceptions. After his retirement, he was included in the list of 100 best players in Chicago history and was included in the Houston Oilers / Tennessee Titans Ring of Fame. He has been included in the Hall of Fame since 1981st, he passed there on the first try.
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What is Blanda's secret to athletic longevity?
“Many people have said that I follow a special diet, that I don't drink or smoke. Some "insider" said that I take hormonal drugs, that's why they play for so long. No, there is no secret. I stick to a special diet all my life - I eat steak with potatoes and vegetables for dinner. I smoke and drink, and the worst period in my career was just when I quit smoking. I smoke a pack or two a day, though I don't puff. From alcohol I prefer bourbon - two or three servings a day.
What's the point of changing my approach if it works? Blanda said in 1970.
Blanda died on September 27, 2010 at the age of 83.
