John Mackey (American football)
Mackey in a press photo of 1972 | |||||||||
| No. 88, 89 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | September 24, 1941 Roosevelt, New York, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | July 6, 2011 (aged 69) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Hempstead (NY) | ||||||||
| College | Syracuse (1960–1962) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1963: 2nd round, 19th overall pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft | 1963: 5th round, 35th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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John Mackey (September 24, 1941 – July 6, 2011) was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers. He was born in Roosevelt, New York, and attended Syracuse University. He was the first president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) following the AFL-NFL merger, serving from 1970 to 1973. Mackey was also a major reason the NFLPA created the "88 Plan", which financially supports ex-players who required living assistance in later years.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Mackey was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992, the second pure tight end elected and is widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends ever.