George Blanda, one of the greatest players of his era, has died at the age of 83. Blanda spent 26 seasons in the NFL – 10 with the Chicago Bears, part of one with the Baltimore Colts, 7 with the Houston Oilers, and the final 9 with the Oakland Raiders.
Blanda was most known for the time he spent with the Raiders and he and owner Al Davis remained close friends before passing away on Monday. The Raiders released a statement, stating “We are deeply saddened by the passing of the great George Blanda. George was a brave Raider and a close personal friend of Raiders owner Al Davis.”
When Blanda retired before the 1976 season, he was the all-time leader in points scored with 2,002 points – he kicked 335 field goals and 943 extra points, along with 236 passing touchdowns and 9 rushing touchdowns. He was also elected to four Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
Blanda entered the NFL in 1949 as a 12th-round draft pick out of Kentucky
He is perhaps the best player in AFL history. In seven seasons with the Oilers, Blanda threw for 19,149 yards and 165 touchdowns. He was named the AFL Player of the Year in 1961.
Oilers owner Bud Adams, who was another good friend of Blanda, said of ex-Oilers great, “He was the perfect fit for the start of the AFL, joining our league from the NFL and displaying the ability to lead a high-flying offense. His play garnered our league a lot of attention and fans. We had a celebration last year in Houston
In 1967, Blanda left the Oilers and many considered his career to be finished. However, the Raiders took a shot on him and wanted to use him as a back-up quarterback and kicker. He would last nine seasons with the Raiders and perhaps played his greatest for the Raider faithful. He played great for the team and led the Raiders on a remarkable five-game stretch in 1970 – he led the Raiders to four wins and a tie, while advancing to the playoffs. Blanda led them to late touchdowns or field goals to seal the victories. In the playoffs, he became the oldest quarterback to start in a championship game, but lost to the Baltimore Colts in the AFC Championship game.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said of Blanda, “George Blanda will always be remembered as a legend of our game including his amazing career longevity of 26 seasons in four different decades. George’s multi-talented flair for the dramatic highlighted the excitement of pro football during an important period of growth for our sport.”
For that 1970 season, here’s what Blanda accomplished:
- Replaced injured Daryle Lamonica and threw three touchdowns in a 31-14 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kicked a 48-yard field goal in the final seconds to tie the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-17
- Threw a tying touchdown pass with 1:34 remaining in the game; he then proceeded to kick a 52-yard game-winning field goal against the Cleveland Browns; the Raiders won the game 23-20
- Threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff to secure a 24-19 victory over the Denver Broncos
- Kicked a 16-yard field goal in the final seconds to beat the San Diego Chargers, 20-17
On Monday, the NFL lost one of the greatest players in pro football history. He was elected to four Pro Bowls and won two AFL championships. The NFL will sorely miss Blanda and we appreciate everything he did for the NFL to make it what it is today.
R.I.P. George Blanda (September 17, 1927 – September 27, 2010)
