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George Blanda, whose 26-year career as a quarterback and kicker was the longest in NFL history and who was the oldest man to play in an NFL game, is dead at age 83 Blanda died early Monday morning at his home in California, the Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed.
Blanda, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981, began his career with the Chicago Bears as a quarterback in 1949 and played until 1975, when he retired as a kicker for the Oakland Raiders at age 48 after having scored 2,002 career points, a record at that time. He even played some linebacker for the Bears after signing out of the University of Kentucky for a $600 bonus, money that George Halas demanded Blanda return when he made the team.
His best seasons came with the Houston Oilers in the American Football League from 1960 to 1966. In his first two seasons with the Oilers, he threw 60 touchdown passes in just 28 games in the pass-happy AFL.
They also were the only two years as a starting quarterback in which he had more TDs than interceptions. In the second year, 1961, he had 36 TD passes and 22 interceptions and threw seven touchdown passes in a game against the New York Titans, the precursors of today's Jets. He also totaled 418 yards passing in that game.
That came two weeks after he threw for 464 yards against Buffalo.
Blanda also had 335 field goals and 962 extra points as a kicker although he was sub-.500 until he hit 11 of 16 field goals in 1955.
Blanda, who was coached in college by Paul "Bear" Bryant, had his best season as a quarterback in 1961, when he threw 36 touchdown passes with just 22 interceptions for Houston, one of only two seasons as a starter in which he had more touchdown passes than interceptions.
Later in his career, he was strictly a kicker, but helped coach younger quarterbacks like Ken Stabler, who began with the Raiders as a backup to Daryle Lamonica.
"George Blanda was kind of my mentor," Stabler said recently. "The thing that pulled us together was George played at Kentucky for coach Bryant. He grabbed me and said, 'Lets go watch Daryle play.' I went over and kneeled next to George and George did all the talking and I did all the listening. George used to tell me the same thing all the time: 'You don't get many opportunities in this game. When you get your opportunity, be ready to play.'"
Services will be private.
Read More: Chicago Bears
Blanda, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981, began his career with the Chicago Bears as a quarterback in 1949 and played until 1975, when he retired as a kicker for the Oakland Raiders at age 48 after having scored 2,002 career points, a record at that time. He even played some linebacker for the Bears after signing out of the University of Kentucky for a $600 bonus, money that George Halas demanded Blanda return when he made the team.
His best seasons came with the Houston Oilers in the American Football League from 1960 to 1966. In his first two seasons with the Oilers, he threw 60 touchdown passes in just 28 games in the pass-happy AFL.
They also were the only two years as a starting quarterback in which he had more TDs than interceptions. In the second year, 1961, he had 36 TD passes and 22 interceptions and threw seven touchdown passes in a game against the New York Titans, the precursors of today's Jets. He also totaled 418 yards passing in that game.
That came two weeks after he threw for 464 yards against Buffalo.
Blanda also had 335 field goals and 962 extra points as a kicker although he was sub-.500 until he hit 11 of 16 field goals in 1955.
Blanda, who was coached in college by Paul "Bear" Bryant, had his best season as a quarterback in 1961, when he threw 36 touchdown passes with just 22 interceptions for Houston, one of only two seasons as a starter in which he had more touchdown passes than interceptions.
Later in his career, he was strictly a kicker, but helped coach younger quarterbacks like Ken Stabler, who began with the Raiders as a backup to Daryle Lamonica.
"George Blanda was kind of my mentor," Stabler said recently. "The thing that pulled us together was George played at Kentucky for coach Bryant. He grabbed me and said, 'Lets go watch Daryle play.' I went over and kneeled next to George and George did all the talking and I did all the listening. George used to tell me the same thing all the time: 'You don't get many opportunities in this game. When you get your opportunity, be ready to play.'"
Services will be private.
Read More: Chicago Bears