John Fuqua

Last updated
John Fuqua
No. 29, 33
Position: Running back
Personal information
Born: (1947-09-12) September 12, 1947 (age 74)
Detroit, Michigan
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school: Detroit (MI) Eastern
College: Morgan State
NFL Draft: 1969  / Round: 11 / Pick: 273
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:3,031
Rush Attempts:719
Receptions:135
Rushing TDs:21
Games played:100
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

John William "Frenchy" Fuqua (born September 12, 1947) is a retired professional American football running back who played from 1969 to 1976, for the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the New York Stars of the World Football League (WFL).

Contents

Biography

John Fuqua was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 12, 1947. A 1965 graduate of Detroit's Eastern High School, Fuqua played college football at Morgan State University and was drafted in the eleventh round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. The next season, Fuqua was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was while with the Steelers that Fuqua would become part of NFL history as the intended target for Terry Bradshaw's pass that resulted in the Immaculate Reception. Oakland Raiders safety Jack Tatum hit Fuqua just as the ball arrived. It has never been established whether the ball hit Fuqua or Tatum. This was critical, since under the rules of the time, once a pass touched an offensive player he was the only one eligible to catch the pass. If the ball had hit Fuqua without touching Tatum, the rules called for the play to be blown dead once Franco Harris touched the ball. Fuqua reportedly insists to this day that he knows whom the ball hit first, but will never tell. [1]

Fuqua nicknamed himself "The French Count". He is remembered for being one of the flashiest dressers in the NFL, and would occasionally appear in public wearing platform shoes having see-through heels that contained water and a live tropical fish selected from his aquarium to match the color of the day's outfit. [2] He won two Super Bowl titles during his Steelers tenure, which were also the first two championships in the team's history.

Over the course of his career, Fuqua played in 100 games, rushing for 3,031 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns. His best season was in 1970, his first with the Steelers, when he rushed for 691 yards and seven touchdowns. In this season, he set a then Steelers single-game rushing record of 218 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. This was later surpassed in 2006 by Willie Parker when he gained 223 yards against the Cleveland Browns.

Teammate Franco Harris had his fanclub "Franco's Italian Army", and Fuqua had "Frenchy's Foreign Legion". [3]

In celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, Fuqua created a candy bar called "The Immaculate Confection". [4]

In Episode 31 of the fantasy comedy television series The Good Place , demon Michael, while visiting Earth, tells people that his assistant Janet is named Frenchy Fuqua.

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References

  1. ↑ Two Words Say It all: "Immaculate Reception"
  2. ↑ 12/24/73 Sports Illustrated, People Section.
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2009-10-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". frenchyfuqua.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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