Lance Alworth

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Alworth's tenure with the San Diego Chargers began after the Raiders traded his rights for Bo Roberson, Hunter Enis, and Gene Selawski. His slender build, speed, grace, and leaping ability earned him the nickname "Bambi," given by teammates who noted his baby face and deer-like running style. In his second year alone, he set franchise records with 61 receptions, 1,205 yards, and 11 touchdowns, earning UPI's AFL Most Valuable Player award. Over the next six seasons (1964–1969), Alworth led the league in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and total touchdowns three times each. He shattered the record for most consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards (7) and was the first player to average 100+ receiving yards per game in back-to-back seasons. His partnership with quarterback John Hadl formed a formidable tandem considered by many to be the best wide receiver and QB combination of the 1960s.

In Their Own Story

On May 19, 1971, Alworth was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for his final two seasons, with the Chargers receiving Tony Liscio, Pettis Norman, and Ron East. In Super Bowl VI following the 1971 season, he scored the game's first touchdown on a 7-yard pass from Roger Staubach in the Cowboys' 24–3 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Alworth later called his two receptions in that game—one converting a third-and-long and the other for the score—the two most important catches of his career. Despite this success, he grew frustrated with the run-first offense employed by head coach Tom Landry, who used him primarily as a blocker. Alworth later commented, "The two years I spent in Dallas completely destroyed my enthusiasm." Although Landry expressed interest in having him back for a third season, Alworth announced his retirement on July 2, 1973.

Reader's Guide

Lance Alworth finished his 11 AFL/NFL seasons with 543 receptions for 10,266 yards and 87 total touchdowns (85 receiving, 2 rushing). He still shares the NFL record for the most regular-season games with 200+ yards receiving (5) and held a franchise-record streak of 96 consecutive games with a reception. His career highlights include leading the league in five categories during the 1966 season. In 1978, he became the first San Diego Charger and the first player who had played in the AFL to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; he chose Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, his former position coach, to present him at the ceremony. His number 19 was retired by the Chargers in 2005. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 31 on its list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranking player to have spent more than one season in the AFL.

Did You Know?

• Alworth was offered professional baseball contracts by the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates but chose to play college football instead.
• His sister Ann was invited to the Olympic Games trials in track for the 50- and 75-yard dashes but declined the invitation.
• Alworth returned a punt for a touchdown in the 1961 Cotton Bowl, the last time this happened in that bowl game until Joe Adams did so 51 years later in 2012.
• He sold his company All-Aboard Mini Storage to Extra Space Storage in 2013 for $196 million.
• Alworth was named to both the AFL All-Time Team (1970) and the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team (1994), the only player ever to be selected for both.