Delbert Martin Shofner (December 11, 1934 – March 11, 2020) was an American football wide receiver 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 in 1965 | |
| No. 29, 85 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 11, 1934 Center, Texas |
| Died: | March 11, 2020 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 186 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Baylor |
| NFL draft: | 1957 / round: 1 / pick: 11 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Early life
Shofner played college football at Baylor University. In addition to football, Shofner played basketball, baseball, and was a sprinter while at Baylor.
Shofner helped lead the Baylor Bears to a 13-7 victory over Tennessee in the 1957 Sugar Bowl and was voted the game's Most Valuable Player.[1]
Career
Shofner began his career in 1957 as a defensive back. He played in 12 games (starting 10) and intercepted two passes while recovering a fumble. He got his chance to play for the offense as a flanker in the next season and he made it count. Playing in twelve games, he caught 51 passes for 1,097 yards for eight touchdowns. He led the league in yards and yards per game (91.4) while making his first Pro Bowl and being named 1st Team All-Pro. He continued further the next year, catching 47 passes for 936 yards (second most in the league) for seven touchdowns for another Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection. He had a down year in 1960, the fourth and final season spent with the Rams. He played in eleven games while catching 12 passes for 122 yards for a touchdown. He also spent his four years with the Rams as their punter, punting 153 total times for 6,420 yards (with two blocked).
He moved to the New York Giants for the 1961 season and it proved positive for both sides. He caught 69 passes for 1,125 yards (second most in the NFL) for 11 touchdowns while returning to Pro Bowl and All-Pro form. The Giants, led by quarterback Y.A. Tittle and coach Allie Sherman, roared all the way to the NFL Championship Game. However, facing the Green Bay Packers at New City Stadium, the Giants were shut-out 37-0. Shofner caught three passes for 41 yards in the loss. [2] He continued his consistency the next year, catching 53 passes for 1,133 yards for 12 touchdowns (second most in the league). The Giants made it back to the 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 16-7. [3] 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 NFL Championship Game. Playing the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field. Shofner had no statline as the Giants lost 14-10. [4]
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 (1964-1967), he played in just 37 games while catching 54 total passes for 876 yards and three touchdowns. He retired after the 1967 NFL season.
Legacy
In 2005, he was named to the Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good in the association's third HOVG class.[5]
Despite being named to the All-Decade team of the 1960s, Shofner has not been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, nor has he been a finalist in recent years. [6]
References
- ^ from Loftis, Jack. 2003. "Jetton's Gift to BU: Shofner and Bradshaw." The 'B' Line. May 29.
- ^ https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196112310gnb.htm
- ^ https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196212300nyg.htm
- ^ https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196312290chi.htm
- ^ "Hall of Very Good". Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
- ^ https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/cantons-dilemma-quantity-or-quality-for-wrs
External links
 | This biographical article relating to an American football wide receiver born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |