John Henderson (wide receiver)

Last updated

John Henderson
No. 87, 80
Position Wide receiver
Personal information
Born (1943-03-21) March 21, 1943 (age 82)
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Career information
College Michigan
NFL draft 1965: 5th round, 63rd overall pick
AFL draft 1965: 17th round, 136th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics
Receptions 108
Receiving yards1,735
Touchdowns 10
Stats at Pro Football Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

John William Henderson (born March 21, 1943) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines in 1963 and 1964. He played in the NFL from 1965 to 1972. He was the leading receiver in Super Bowl IV with seven catches for 111 yards for the Minnesota Vikings.

Henderson was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1943 and attended Roosevelt High School. He played college football at the end position for Michigan in 1963 and 1964. He gained 330 receiving yards on 27 catches in 1963 and 377 yards on 31 catches in 1964. [1]

Henderson was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round (63rd overall) of the 1965 NFL draft. He played eight seasons in the NFL for the Detroit Lions (1965–1967) and Minnesota (1968–1972). [2] His best year in the NFL was 1969 when he caught 34 passes for 553 yards and five touches. [2] The Vikings won the 1969 NFL Championship Game and advanced to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV; Henderson was the game's leading receiver with seven catches for 111 yards. [3] In his eight-year NFL career, Henderson appeared in 93 games and had 108 receptions for 1,735 yards and 10 touchdowns. [2]

He was one of the fifteen plaintiffs in Mackey v. National Football League in which Judge Earl R. Larson declared that the Rozelle rule was a violation of antitrust laws on December 30, 1975. [4] [5]

References

  1. "Michigan Football Statistical Archive". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "John Henderson". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  3. "Super Bowl IV". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  4. Wallace, William N. "Rozelle Rule Found In Antitrust Violation," The New York Times, Wednesday, December 31, 1975. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  5. Mackey v. National Football League, 407 F. Supp. 1000 (D. Minn. 1975) Justia.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.