Charlie Joiner

Last updated

Charlie Joiner
Charlie Joiner.jpg
Joiner with the San Diego Chargers c. 1982
No. 40, 18
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1947-10-14) October 14, 1947 (age 75)
Many, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:188 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school: W. O. Boston (Lake Charles, Louisiana)
College: Grambling State
NFL Draft: 1969  / Round: 4 / Pick: 93
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:750
Receiving yards:12,146
Yards per reception:16.2
Receiving touchdowns:65
Player stats at NFL.com

Charles B. Joiner Jr. (born October 14, 1947) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He played 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, with whom he earned all three of his Pro Bowl selections, and was named first-team All-Pro in 1980. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

Contents

Joiner played college football with the Grambling State Tigers and was a three-time, first-team all-conference selection in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). He was selected in the fourth round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft by the AFL's Houston Oilers. Joiner played four seasons each for the Oilers and Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Chargers. He retired with the most career receptions, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history.

Early life and college

Joiner was born in Many, Louisiana, the only child in a low income family. His father, Charlie Sr., was a truck driver. [1] [2] Joiner attended W. O. Boston High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He did not play football until his junior year, but excelled as an all-state receiver and earned a scholarship to Grambling State University to play for coach Eddie Robinson. [2] At Grambling, Joiner played with quarterback James Harris and was a three-time, first-team All-SWAC selection (1966–1968). [2] [3] He was the team's leading receiver from 1966 to 1968 with 2,066 yards. [4]

Professional playing career

Joiner graduated from Grambling in 1969 and was selected in the fourth round of the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft with the 93rd overall pick by the AFL's Houston Oilers. [5] He started his career as a defensive back, but he made the switch to wide receiver in his rookie year after being carted off the field from a hit by Denver Broncos running back Floyd Little. [6] Joiner played for Houston until 1972, when he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. [5] [7] He had his best season to date in 1975, when he had career bests of 37 receptions for 726 yards, an average of 19.6 yards per catch. [8] [9] On November 23, 1975, he set a Bengals' then-single-game record with 200 receiving yards in a 35–23 loss to Cleveland. [10] [11] After the season, Cincinnati traded him to the San Diego Chargers for defensive end Coy Bacon. [12] Joiner was happy to reunite with new Chargers offensive coordinator Bill Walsh, who had been his coach in Cincinnati. [9] [13]

Joiner had 50 receptions for 1,056 yards, averaging 21.1 yards per reception in 1976, [14] when he was named second-team All-Pro by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). [15] The trade for Joiner was the rare swap that benefited both teams, as both he and Bacon were named to the Pro Bowl that year. [16] In 1977, Joiner was often double covered, as newly acquired receiver Johnny Rodgers was injured, and their No. 1 draft pick from the year before, Joe Washington, was recovering from knee issues. Joiner had just 35 catches, which still led all Chargers wide receivers. [1] Ray Perkins became the Chargers' offensive coordinator in 1978, their third offensive coordinator in three years. He emphasized running back Lydell Mitchell as a possession receiver and rookie No. 1 pick John Jefferson as the deep threat. He phased out Joiner, who finished with 33 receptions. [1] Don Coryell had become San Diego's head coach in 1978, replacing Tommy Prothro midseason. [1]

The Chargers bolstered their receiving corps, using their first-round draft pick to select Kellen Winslow in 1979. [2] Coryell also hired Joe Gibbs as the new offensive coordinator that season. They noticed that Joiner had been getting open the year before, and envisioned him as a key to their offense. [1] It was with the Chargers' high-flying "Air Coryell" offense that Joiner had his most productive years, exceeding 1,000 yards receiving in a season three times and being selected for the Pro Bowl twice. [2] Although he never played in a Super Bowl, Joiner, quarterback Dan Fouts, tight end Winslow, and fellow receivers Jefferson and later Wes Chandler helped the Chargers reach consecutive American Football Conference (AFC) championship games in the 1980 and 1981 seasons. [2] [17] In 1979, Joiner helped San Diego earn their first divisional title in 14 years with a 17–7 win over Denver in the regular-season finale. He was forced back to the locker room twice during the game with injuries, but returned to the field bandaged both times. It was an inspirational performance with Jefferson unable to play and John Floyd, the Chargers only other receiver, being just a rookie. [17] He finished second in the AFC in receptions to Baltimore's Joe Washington, his former Chargers teammate, with a career-high 72 catches for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns. [2] [18] At 32 years old, Joiner was the third player in NFL history to catch 70 or more passes after age 30, joining Don Maynard and Ahmad Rashad, who were each 30. [1] He was named to the Pro Bowl, replacing an injured Lynn Swann, who himself was a replacement for Steve Largent. Joiner was the oldest player in the all-star game. [18]

The following season in 1980, Joiner had 71 receptions for 1,132 yards, and teamed with Jefferson and Winslow to become the first trio of receivers on a team to reach 1,000 yards in the same season. The three were all named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press. [19] In the 1980 AFC championship game, Joiner led the team with six catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. [5] He had a career-high 1,188 yards receiving in 1981, when the Chargers won their third consecutive AFC West title. [2] In the divisional playoffs, he played a key role in San Diego's 41–38 overtime win over the Miami Dolphins, a game that became known as The Epic In Miami. Joiner caught 7 passes for 108 yards, including a 39-yard reception on the penultimate play of the game set up Rolf Benirschke's game-winning 29-yard field goal. [20] The Chargers advanced again to the conference championship, but lost to Joiner's former team Cincinnati. [17] Joiner passed Charley Taylor as the career leader in receptions on November 25, 1984, breaking the mark of 649 with six catches for 70 yards in a 52–24 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers. [21] He also surpassed Maynard's all-time record of 11,834 receiving yards in Week 5 of 1986 against Seattle. [22] [23] Joiner finished the year with 34 catches, his least productive season since 1978, and retired from playing after the season. [24]

Joiner was the last active player from the AFL. [17] He finished his 18 AFL/NFL seasons with 750 receptions for 12,146 yards, averaging 16.2 average per catch, and 65 touchdowns. [5] [25] He caught 586 passes in 11 seasons with San Diego after totaling 164 in seven seasons with Houston and Cincinnati. [2] Joiner had 50 or more catches in seven seasons, five with 60 or more, and three with at least 70 with the Chargers. [2] [26] He retired as the then-NFL leader in career receptions and receiving yards. At the time, he also played the most seasons (18) and games by a wide receiver (239). [5] [25] At age 39, Joiner also retired as the oldest wide receiver in NFL history, [27] [28] broken by Jerry Rice. [29] Joiner had 530 receptions after he was 30 years old, [2] including 396 after turning 33. [30] He credited his success and longevity to Coryell: "Thanks to Coach Coryell’s offense and his revolutionary passing game, he prolonged my career, from the day I got to the Chargers until the day I retired. I will forever be grateful to him and what he did for the game of football." [31]

Legacy

Joiner excelled despite neither being among the quickest nor most talented receivers in the NFL. [17] Throughout his career, he was overshadowed by more glamorous receiving mates, including Jerry LeVias and Ken Burrough in Houston, Isaac Curtis in Cincinnati, and Jefferson, Chandler, and Winslow with San Diego. [1] In addition to good health and longevity, Joiner was an intelligent player and precise pass route runner. [32] Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh called Joiner "the most intelligent, the smartest, the most calculating receiver the game has ever known." [5] Gibbs, his offensive coordinator in San Diego, praised Joiner as "a totally dedicated guy who was just a great producer". [2] "Without guestion, he is the finest technician—running routes and reading coverages—in the National Football League", said Ernie Zampese, the Chargers' receiving coach. [2] He was Fouts' favorite receiver on third down. "All I’m trying to do out there is look for a port in a storm. He’s the port. Having Charlie is like having a fail-safe button," said Fouts. [27]

Joiner was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. [33] He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, becoming the third Grambling player to be selected. [34] In 1999, he was ranked No. 100 on The Sporting News 's list of the 100 greatest football players. [35] He was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. [36]

Coaching career

In 1987, Chargers head coach Al Saunders hired Joiner as an assistant coach. [17] He was later an assistant for the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Joiner returned to San Diego as receivers coach from 2008 to 2012 before retiring after 44 years as a player and coach in football. [37]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Alworth</span> American football player (born 1940)

Lance Dwight Alworth, nicknamed “Bambi”, is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) and Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Often considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, he played for 11 seasons, from 1962 through 1972, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He was the first player inducted whose playing career was principally in the AFL. Alworth is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Fouts</span> American football player and broadcaster (born 1951)

Daniel Francis Fouts is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973–1987). After a relatively undistinguished first five seasons in the league, Fouts came to prominence as the on-field leader during the Chargers' Air Coryell period. He led the league in passing every year from 1979 to 1982, passing for over 4,000 yards in the first three of these—no previous quarterback had posted consecutive 4,000-yard seasons. Fouts was voted a Pro Bowler six times, first-team All-Pro twice, and Offensive Player of the Year in 1982. He was named a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, and elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, his first year of eligibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kellen Winslow</span> American football player (born 1957)

Kellen Boswell Winslow Sr. is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1995), he is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the league's history. Winslow played his entire NFL career from 1979 to 1987 with the San Diego Chargers after being selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Missouri, where he was a consensus All-American. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2002).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Gates</span> American football player (born 1980)

Antonio Ethan Gates Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for the San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers during his entire career in the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl eight times and was a five-time All-Pro selection. He retired on January 14, 2020, after 16 years with the Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Coryell</span> American football coach (1924–2010)

Donald David Coryell was an American football coach. He coached in high school, college, and the professional ranks, most notably for the San Diego State Aztecs of the NCAA before coaching in the National Football League (NFL) first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic in Miami</span> American football playoff game in 1982

The Epic in Miami was the National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl. The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the enormity of scoring, the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Jefferson</span> American football player (born 1956)

John Larry Jefferson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Arizona State Sun Devils, he was selected in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played three seasons in San Diego, where he became the first NFL player to gain 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers after a contract dispute with the Chargers, and later finished his playing career with the Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel James</span> American football player (1962–2022)

Lionel "Little Train" James was an American professional football player who was a running back for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. Undersized at 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and 171 pounds (78 kg), he spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984 to 1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season, when he set then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage. He also led the American Football Conference (AFC) in receptions that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Chargers</span> American football team history

The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating back to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now known as the Los Angeles Chargers.

In American football, Air Coryell is the offensive scheme and philosophy developed by former San Diego Chargers coach Don Coryell. The offensive philosophy has been also called the "Coryell offense" or the "vertical offense".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 San Diego Chargers season</span> NFL team 31st season

The 1990 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 21st season in the National Football League (NFL) and its 31st overall. After a 1–4 start, the Chargers recovered to 5–5, only half a game out of the playoff picture. Five losses in their final six games, however, saw them finish with a 6–10 record for the third consecutive season. Only one of San Diego's six victories came against a team with a winning record, and none were against eventual playoff teams. As had been the case in 1989, close finishes were a problem—the Chargers were 0–5 in games decided by seven points or fewer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 San Diego Chargers season</span> NFL team season

The 1987 San Diego Chargers was the franchise's 18th season in the National Football League (NFL), and the 28th overall. The team improved on their 4–12 record in 1986, finishing 8–7 but missing the playoffs. The strike of 1987 reduced the regular season schedule from sixteen to fifteen games. The Chargers started the season 8–1, with victories over eventual division winners Indianapolis and Cleveland, before collapsing to lose their final six games of the season, narrowly missing the playoffs. All but one of their final six losses came to teams that made the postseason in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 San Diego Chargers season</span> NFL team season

The 1985 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL), its 26th overall. The team improved on their 7–9 record from 1984 to an 8–8 finish. For the third time in five years, the Chargers led the league in scoring. It was Don Coryell's final full season as the team's head coach, as he would resign halfway through the following season after a 1–7 start.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 San Diego Chargers season</span> 1981 NFL team season

The 1981 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 12th season in the National Football League (NFL) and its 22nd overall. The team failed to improve on their 11–5 record from 1980 and finished 10-6. In the playoffs, they beat the Dolphins in a game known as the Epic in Miami and lost to the Bengals in a game known as the Freezer Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 San Diego Chargers season</span> 1980 NFL team season

The 1980 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's 11th season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 21st overall. The team failed to improve on their 12–4 record in 1979 and finished 11–5, though they won the AFC West and gained the top seed in the AFC playoffs for the second consecutive season. Their season ended in the AFC Championship game when they lost to their divisional rivals the Oakland Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 San Diego Chargers season</span> 1979 NFL team season

The 1979 San Diego Chargers season was the team's 20th season, and tenth in the National Football League. Despite them and the Steelers having identical 12-4 records, the Chargers were awarded the top AFC seed because they beat the Steelers in the regular season.

The 1978 San Diego Chargers season was the team's 19th season, and ninth in the National Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 San Diego Chargers season</span> 1976 NFL team season

The 1976 San Diego Chargers season was the franchise's seventh season in the National Football League (NFL), and its 17th overall. The Chargers improved on their 2–12 record from 1975 and finished 6–8, but missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season. The Chargers started off the season by winning their first 3 games, but they struggled through the rest of the season by losing 8 of their last 11 games, which included 4 shutout losses, two of which were to division rival Denver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keenan Allen</span> American football player (born 1992)

Keenan Alexander Allen is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California before leaving after his junior year. He was drafted by the Chargers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Allen won multiple rookie honors after setting Chargers' records for receptions and receiving yards by a rookie. In 2017, he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Zimmerman, Paul (October 8, 1984). "HE'S CATCHING UP TO THE CATCHING RECORD". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Smith, Don (1996). "Charlie Joiner" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. Vol. 18, no. 2. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ Howard, Brian (ed.). "2022 Grambling Football Fact Book" (PDF). Grambling Athletics Communications Office. p. 65. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Charlie Joiner | BCFHOF".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Charlie Joiner". Pro Football Hall of Fame . Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  6. ↑ Jaworski, Ron (2010). The Games That Changed the Game: The Evolution of the NFL in Seven Sundays . Random House. p.  89. ISBN   978-0-345-51795-1.
  7. ↑ Steward, R.L. (October 25, 1972). "Pritchard key, PB says". Journal Herald. p. 12. Retrieved August 26, 2022– via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Bengals Deal Joiner For Chargers' Bacon". The Coshocton Tribune. UPI. April 2, 1976. p. 8. Retrieved January 27, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 "Chargers Get Joiner". Times-Advocate. Escondido, California. AP. April 2, 1976. pp. A-11, A-12 . Retrieved January 27, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Williams, Marty (November 24, 1975). "Browns Spot Flaw, Then Belt Bengals". Dayton Daily News. p. 16. Retrieved January 27, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Regular Season Individual Records - Cincinnati Bengals". Archived from the original on October 14, 2006. Retrieved November 15, 2006.
  12. ↑ "Bengals Deal Joiner for Charger's Bacon". The Coshocton Tribune. UPI. April 2, 1976. p. 8. Retrieved March 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Hoff, Dave (August 4, 1976). "New look spawns Charger hopes". Escondido Times-Advocate. p. A-17. Retrieved March 5, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Hoff, Rick (July 24, 1977). "Rodgers high on Chargers' hopes for '77". Times-Advocate. Escondido, California. p. B-1. Retrieved January 17, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Olderman, Murray (January 11, 1977). "O.J., Ham, Guy Top All-NFL". The Register. Orange Couty, California. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. C-3. Retrieved January 17, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Mitchell, Matt (October 2, 1977). "Look-a-like coaches facing each other". Times-Advocate. Escondido, California. p. B-6. Retrieved March 6, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dolan, Steve (January 13, 1987). "For Joiner, Career Had Thrills and a Regret : He Recalls Records, but Missed Super Bowl". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  18. 1 2 Mayer, Ron (January 24, 1980). "Joiner: A Sub's Still an Honor". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. p. D-1. Retrieved January 18, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Chargers dominate All-Pro squad..." Times-Advocate. Escondido, California. AP. January 7, 1981. p. D-1. Retrieved January 17, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Moran, Malcolm (January 3, 1982). "CHARGERS WIN IN OVERTIME; COWBOYS ROMP; BENIRSCHKE KICK GIVES SAN DIEGO 41-38 DECISION" . The New York Times. Section 5, page 1. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  21. ↑ Norcross, Don (November 26, 1984). "Not As Planned". Escondido Times-Advocate. p. C-1. Retrieved January 14, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Largent, Joiner Set Reception Records". The New York Times. AP. October 7, 1986. p. D28. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  23. ↑ Charlie Joiner, game log
  24. ↑ Judge, Clark (January 12, 1987). "Joiner retires to coach WRs - Chargers release Durden, Bauer" . Evening Tribune. p. C-1. Retrieved January 19, 2023. At 39, Joiner was coming off his least productive season (34 catches) since 1978 and made it known he would like to enter coaching.
  25. 1 2 "Joiner retires". Merced Sun-Star . Associated Press. January 13, 1987. p. 10. Retrieved January 15, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Hall of Fame Thumbnails". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. January 16, 1994. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  27. 1 2 Cobbs, Chris (January 12, 1987). "Joiner May Retire Today, Source Says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Charlie Joiner highlights". The Oregonian . January 14, 1987. p. D5 (61).
  29. ↑ Sando, Mike (August 9, 2012). "From Indoor Football League to the NFL". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  30. ↑ Felser, Larry (August 6, 1995). "WINLSOW LISTENED TO JOINER EVEN IF THE TRUTH HURT". The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 19, 2023. Joiner caught 396 passes after his 33d birthday, 124 more than the next closest man, Monk.
  31. ↑ Center, Bill (July 10, 2010). "Don Coryell, ex-Chargers, Aztecs coach dies at 85". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  32. ↑ Jaworski 2010, p.81
  33. ↑ Trey Iles (July 23, 2014). "NFL Hall of Famer Grambling's Charlie Joiner is No. 28 on Louisiana's list of all-time top 51 athletes | Sports". The Times-Picayune. nola.com. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  34. ↑ Friend, Tom (January 28, 1996). "Dierdorf And Gibbs Lead Five Into Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  35. ↑ Matthews, Bob (August 15, 1999). "Wings' streak was Rochester's best". Democrat and Chronicle. p. 3D. Retrieved December 17, 2019– via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "All Inductees". BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  37. ↑ "Charlie Joiner retires from San Diego Chargers". NFL.com. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.