George Blanda NFL
George Blanda NFL
American quarterback and placekicker George Frederick Blanda played in both the American Football League and the National Football League. At the time of his retirement, Blanda had played 26 seasons of professional football, the most in the sport’s history, and had amassed the most points ever.
At 48 years old, Blanda was the oldest player to ever retire from professional football in August 1976.
He holds the record for most extra points made (943) and attempted (943), and is one of just two players (the other being John Carney) to have played in four separate decades (959).
George Blanda NFL Early Life
On September 17, 1927, George Blanda was born in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. George Frederick Blanda is his full name. He played on the University of Kentucky (UK) stage in Lexington, Kentucky, during his time in college.
In college, he played football for the Kentucky Wildcats. He is the son of Mary Blanda and Michael Blanda. His father worked as a coal miner.
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George Blanda NFL Career
George Blanda played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Colts, Houston Oilers, and Oakland Raiders during his career. In 1949, George Blanda was officially drafted. He was taken 119th overall in the 12th round by the Chicago Bears. In 1949, he spend time playing for this group. He played for the Baltimore Colts the following season.
He played for the Chicago Bears from 1950 through 1958. From 1960 until 1966, he wore a Houston Oilers jersey. He spent 1967 to 1975 playing for the Oakland Raiders during the last part of his career.
Blanda led the AFL in scoring with 116 points in 1967, his first season with the Raiders, thanks to his kicking abilities.
Two times, his leg contributed to Raider victories: on October 1, three field goals helped the Raiders defeat the league’s defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, and in the final weeks of the regular season, Blanda kicked four field goals against his former team, the Oilers, in front of a hostile Houston crowd to help exact some measure of retribution.
The Raiders defeated the Oilers 40-7 in the AFL Championship Game three weeks later. On January 4, 1976, at the age of 48, he participated in his final game at Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, which was the 1975 AFC Championship Game, in which the Raiders lost to the Steelers 16-10 despite his 41-yard field goal and one extra point.
After being replaced as the kicker by rookie Fred Steinfort in late August 1976 during training camp, Blanda was fired from the team but returned as the Raiders went on to win the NFL championship in Super Bowl XI. Errol Mann, a 35-year-old veteran, took over for Steinfort after he suffered an injury in the middle of the season. In 1976, he would leave the Raiders and retired.
George Blanda NFL Personal Life
Blanda was the son of a coal worker from the Pittsburgh region who was born in Slovakia. Ten days after turning 83, on September 27, 2010, he passed away. He had been married to Betty Harris since December 17, 1949.The couple had two kids together
George Blanda Net Worth
Geoge Blanda had an estimated net worth of $13 million at the time of his death. He was receiving an annual salary of $1 million when he was an active player.
