Art Powell (wide receiver)

Art Powell
Powell in 1960 posing at the Polo Grounds
No. 75, 76, 87, 84, 24
Positions
Personal information
Born(1937-02-25)February 25, 1937
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
DiedApril 6, 2015(2015-04-06) (aged 78)
near San Diego, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight211 lb (96 kg)
Career information
High schoolSan Diego
(San Diego, California)
CollegeSan Jose State (1953–1956)
NFL draft1959: 11th round, 123rd overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL/AFL statistics
Receptions479
Receiving yards8,046
Receiving touchdowns81
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Arthur Louis Powell (February 25, 1937 – April 6, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the Canadian Football League (CFL), the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). An outspoken receiver that was noted at the time for his stances against segregation in football (which saw him protest several times over segregated housing for football players), Powell was best known for his play with the Oakland Raiders, where he had 50 of his 81 receiving touchdowns with. With five 1,000-yard seasons and five seasons with 10+ touchdowns, Powell was one of just three players with 80 receiving touchdowns in pro football history, and he earned All-AFL honors (first/second) six times to go along with four AFL All-Star selections. Injuries saw the end of his career in 1968 that saw him retire at the age of 31. For his contributions as one of the top receivers in AFL history, Powell was named to the second team of the American Football League All-Time Team in 1970.