No. 89, 81 | |||||||
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Position: | Tight end | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. | September 24, 1950||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 232 lb (105 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Tucker (Tucker, Georgia) | ||||||
College: | Clemson | ||||||
NFL Draft: | 1972 / Round: 3 / Pick: 63 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
John Garvin McMakin (born September 24, 1950) is a former professional American football tight end who played five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) from 1972 to 1976 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks. He was a member of the Steelers first World Championship, Super Bowl IX over the Minnesota Vikings. [1] He was the Steelers' 3rd round draft pick in the 1972 NFL Draft. [2] [3]
McMakin played a role in one of the most famous plays in football history, the Immaculate Reception. In a 1972 playoff game between the Steelers and Oakland Raiders, the Raiders were leading 7-6 with a few seconds left. Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass to John Fuqua that deflected off either Fuqua, Raider safety Jack Tatum or both, and was caught by Steeler running back Franco Harris who ran for the winning touchdown. The main controversy of the play was whether ball hit Tatum or not; under the rules of the time Harris' catch would have been illegal if it had not. But another point of controversy was McMakin's block from behind on Raider linebacker Phil Villapiano which helped free Harris for the touchdown. Villapiano has always maintained that the block was an illegal clip and so even if the catch was legal the touchdown should have been called back. [4] [5] [6] [7]
McMakin's pro career ended when he was waived by the Seahawks prior to the 1977 season after the Seahawks acquired tight end John Sawyer from the Houston Oilers. [8]
The Immaculate Reception is one of the most famous plays in the history of American football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game of the National Football League (NFL), between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1972.
Franco Harris was an American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Penn State University and was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft. Harris spent his first 12 seasons with Pittsburgh, earning nine Pro Bowl selections, and was a member of the Seattle Seahawks in his last.
Clifford Branch Jr. was an American professional football wide receiver who played with the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders during his entire 14-year National Football League (NFL) career. He won three NFL championships with the Raiders in Super Bowl XI, XV and XVIII. He was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 1972 NFL Draft after playing college football for the Colorado Buffaloes. He was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
John David "Jack" Tatum was an American professional football safety who played 10 seasons, from 1971 through 1980 with the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL). He was popularly known as "the Assassin" because of his playing style. Tatum was voted to three consecutive Pro Bowls (1973–1975) and was a member of one Super Bowl-winning team in his nine seasons with the Raiders. He is also known for a hit he made against New England Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley in a 1978 preseason game, that paralyzed Stingley from the chest down.
The National Football League playoffs for the 1972 season began on December 23, 1972. The postseason tournament concluded with the Miami Dolphins defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII, 14–7, on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, becoming the only NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied.
Cedrick Wilson Sr. is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005. Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL, beating the Seattle Seahawks. With that achievement, he became one of very few football players to earn a championship ring at all three levels of football - high school, college, and professional.
John William Fuqua, nicknamed "Frenchy", is a former 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).
George Henry Atkinson II is an American former professional football safety and return specialist who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for the Oakland Raiders from 1968 to 1977. He played college football at Morris Brown and was drafted by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft.
Philip James Villapiano is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
The 1972 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 40th in the National Football League.
Marcel Antoine Wayne Reece is an American former professional football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a wide receiver for the Washington Huskies and was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent after the 2008 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Oakland Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks. After his playing career, Reece became an executive with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Fred Swearingen was a former official in the National Football League (NFL), serving as both a referee and field judge from 1960 through 1980. He wore uniform number 21 for the majority of his career. He worked Super Bowl XIII as a field judge, where he called a controversial pass interference against the Dallas Cowboys' Benny Barnes.
Luke Michael Willson is a Canadian former professional American football tight end. He has played for the Seattle Seahawks, the Detroit Lions, the Oakland Raiders, and the Baltimore Ravens.
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Nick Vannett is an American football tight end for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State. He has been a member of the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos.
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Will Dissly is an American football tight end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington. Dissly was Montana's Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2013.
Noah Fant is an American football tight end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa, and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
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