Del Shofner: Difference between revisions

{{shortShort description|American football player (1934–2020)}}

| name = Del Shofner

| image = Del Shofner - New York Giants - 1965.jpg

'''Delbert Martin Shofner''' (December 11, 1934 – March 11, 2020) was an [[American football]] [[End (gridiron football)|end]] and [[wide receiver|flanker]] who played for eleven seasons with the [[Los Angeles Rams]] and the [[New York Giants]] from 1957 to 1967 in the [[National Football League]] (NFL).

Shofner helped lead the [[Baylor Bears football|Baylor Bears]] to a 13-713–7 victory over Tennessee in the [[1957 Sugar Bowl]] and was voted the game's Most Valuable Player.<ref>from Loftis, Jack. 2003. "Jetton's Gift to BU: Shofner and Bradshaw." The 'B' Line. May 29.</ref>

The Giants, led by Tittle and coach [[Allie Sherman]], roared all the way to the [[1961 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]]. However, facing the [[Green Bay Packers]] at [[Lambeau Field|New City Stadium]], the Giants were shut-out 37-037–0. Shofner caught three passes for 41 yards in the loss.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196112310gnb.htm|title=Championship - New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1961|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref> He continued his consistency the next year, catching 53 passes for 1,133 yards for 12 touchdowns (second most in the league). Shofner holds the record for most receiving yards by a Giant in a game, having caught eleven passes for 269 yards on October 28, 1962, against the Washington Redskins (this was also the game where Tittle threw for seven touchdown passes, with Shofner catching one of them).<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.giants.com/news/del-shofner-prolific-giants-receiver-dies-at-85|title=Del Shofner, prolific Giants receiver, dies at 85|website=www.giants.com}}</ref> The Giants made it back to the [[1962 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]] again that year, this time playing the Packers in New York. Shofner caught five passes for 69 yards, but the Giants were trounced once again 16-716–7.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196212300nyg.htm|title=Championship - Green Bay Packers at New York Giants - December 30th, 1962|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref> The next year was his last great one. He caught 64 passes for 1,181 yards (second most in the league) while having nine touchdowns while being named to his fifth and final Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection. Once again, the Giants rolled to the [[1963 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]]. Playing the [[Chicago Bears]] at [[Wrigley Field]]. Shofner had no statline as the Giants lost 14-1014–10.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196312290chi.htm|title=Championship - New York Giants at Chicago Bears - December 29th, 1963|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref> He was the first receiver with four 1,000-yard seasons, and no receiver would match him until 1981.<ref>{{Cite webnews|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/.amp/nfl/remembering-the-late-great-del-shofner-and-why-he-deserved-more-from-the-hall|title=Remembering the late, great Del Shofner and why he deserved more from the Hall &#124; Sports Illustrated Talk Of Fame Network|websitenewspaper=www.si.comTalk of Fame}}</ref>

Injuries and illness caused a decline in his effectiveness in 1964, and thereafter and he eventually was supplanted as the starting split end in the middle of the 1965 season. In his last four seasons (1964-19671964–1967), he played in just 37 games while catching 54 total passes for 876 yards and three touchdowns. He retired after the [[1967 NFL season]].

Shofner lived most of his life in [[San Marino, California]], after retiring from football. After his playing career, he became a businessman for, selling animal feed ingredients. He had three children with his wife Carol along with five grandchildren.<ref name="auto"/>

HeShofner lived there for over 50 years before moving later to [[Bradbury, California]]. He died in [[Los Angeles]] on March 11, 2020, at the age of 85.<ref>{{Cite webnews|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/sports/football/del-shofner-dead.html|title=Del Shofner, Master Pass Receiver With the Giants, Dies at 85|first=Richard|last=Goldstein|date=March 13, 2020|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>