Charlie Hennigan

Charley Hennigan

No. 37, 87
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1935-03-19)March 19, 1935 Bienville, Louisiana,U.S.
Died:	December 20, 2017(2017-12-20)(aged 82) Humble, Texas,U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	187 lb (85 kg)
Career information
High school:	Minden(Minden, Louisiana)
College:	Northwestern State
Undrafted:	1960
Career history
Houston Oilers(1960–1966)
Career highlights and awards
2×AFL champion(1960,1961) 4× First-teamAll-AFL(1961–1964) 5×AFL All-Star(1961–1965) 2×AFL receiving yards leader(1961, 1964) AFL receptions leader(1964) American Football League All-Time Team Most receiving yards in a single calendar month - 822 (October 1961)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 410 Receiving yards: 6,823 Touchdowns: 51
Player stats atPFR

Charles Taylor Hennigan Sr.(March 19, 1935 – December 20, 2017) was an American professionalfootballplayer who was awide receiverwith the formerHouston Oilersof theAmerican Football League(AFL).He playedcollege footballfor theNorthwestern State Demons.A five-timeAFL All-Star,he was named to theAFL All-Time Team.

Football career

Hennigan attended LSU on atrackscholarshipbut wanted to play football. He therefore transferred toNorthwestern State University(then Northwestern State College) inNatchitoches,Louisiana, where he became the star of the team. In 1960, he joined theAmerican Football League's Houston Oilers in the team's first year of operation. Prior to joining the Oilers, he had taught high schoolbiologyat a salary of some $2,700 per year. He kept his teacher pay stub in his helmet to remind him that he must succeed in pro athletics.

Hennigan scored the first touchdown in Oilers history, catching a 43-yard touchdown pass fromGeorge Blandain the first quarter against theOakland Raiders.That year, he caught 44 passes for 722 yards, averaging 16.4 yard per catch. He had six touchdowns. In the1960 American Football League Championship Game,he caught four passes for 71 yards as the Oilers prevailed 24–16 to win the inaugural AFL title over theLos Angeles Chargers.After a promising rookie season, in 1961, he started all 14 games and established himself as a superstar in the AFL by gaining 1,746 yards receiving with 12 touchdowns, the former being a pro football record that stood for 34 years. In October alone, he had 822 receiving yards, the most in a single calendar month. One of quarterbackGeorge Blanda’s main targets, Hennigan was the second professional football player to catch more than a hundred passes in a single season (101 in 1964, an AFL record) and to twice gain over 1,500 yards receiving (1961 and 1964). He holds the all-time records for most games in a season with over 200 yards receiving with three, and most games in a season with over 100 yards receiving with 11. Hennigan had the All-time AFL single game record of 272 yards receiving, against theBoston Patriotson October 13, 1961. The 13 passes caught in the game is tied for the most ever in the AFL, shared withLance Alworth,Lionel Taylor,andSid Blanks.In the1961 American Football League Championship Game,he had five catches for 43 yards as the Oilers prevailed for their second and final AFL title.

On January 19, 1962, Minden observed "Charlie Hennigan" Day. ThenState SenatorHarold Montgomery,State Representative,Parey Branton,MayorFrank T. Norman, and other local officials presented Hennigan with a signed document of his accomplishments. A luncheon and evening meal were served in his honor.The event was postponed because of hazardous weather the previous week.That year, he had 54 catches for 867 yards with eight touchdowns. In the AFL title game, he had three catches for 37 yards, but the Oilers lost in double overtime to theDallas Texans.

Hennigan was selected by his peers as aSporting NewsAFL All-Leagueoffensive end in 1961, 1962, and 1964. He was anAmerican Football League Eastern Division All-Starfive straight years (1961 - 1965), and retired after the 1966 season. He was selected to theAll-Time All-AFL Second Team.

TheProfessional Football Researchers Associationnamed Hennigan to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2014.

Career statistics

Year	Team	GP	Receiving
			Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Y/G
1960	HOU	11	44	722	16.4	73	6	65.6
1961	HOU	14	82	1,746	21.3	80	12	124.7
1962	HOU	14	54	867	16.1	78	8	61.9
1963	HOU	14	61	1,051	17.2	68	10	75.1
1964	HOU	14	101	1,546	15.3	53	8	110.4
1965	HOU	14	41	578	14.1	53	4	41.3
1966	HOU	14	27	313	11.6	23	3	22.4
Career		95	410	6,823	16.6	80	51	71.8

Oilers/Titans Franchise records

Source:pro-football-reference.com's team encyclopedia

As of 2019's NFL off-season, Charley Hennigan held at least 9 Titans franchise records, including:

• Most Receptions (season): 101 (1964)
• Most Receptions (game): 13 (1961-10-13 @BOS; tied withSid BlanksandHaywood JeffiresandDrew Bennett)
• Most Receiving Yds (season): 1,746 (1961)
• Most Receiving Yds (game): 272 (1961-10-13 @BOS)
• Most Receiving TDs (career): 51
• Most Rec Yds/Game (career): 71.8
• Most Rec Yds/Game (season): 124.7 (1961)
• Most 100+ yard receiving games (career): 28
• Most 100+ yard receiving games (season): 10 (1961)

Later years

In 1967, Hennigan received his doctorate in education from theUniversity of Houston.Hennigan operated an educational tutoring service in Shreveport and worked with prisoners seeking the General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Hennigan had seven children, the oldest being Charles Jr., who was born in Natchitoches in 1957.

He was named to theLouisiana Sports Hall of Famein 1978.

On April 6, 2002, Hennigan, then aDemocratbut a registeredIndependentas of 2014,ran in aspecial electionfor Place 8 on theCaddo ParishCommission, his parish's governing body. He was defeated byRepublicanMichael Long, 2,139 votes (74.9 percent) to 716 ballots (25.1 percent).

On December 20, 2017, Hennigan died at the age of 82.

See also

• List of American Football League players

External links

• https://web.archive.org/web/20060516141945/http://www.caddoclerk.com/results_040602.htm
• Hennigan's first AFL contract