Charlie Hennigan
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| No. 37, 87 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 19, 1935 Bienville, Louisiana,U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | December 20, 2017(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 | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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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).[1]He playedcollege footballfor theNorthwestern State Demons.A five-timeAFL All-Star,he was named to theAFL All-Time Team.
Football career
[edit]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 setting a single-season record with 1,746 yards receiving along with 12 touchdowns. His record stood for 34 years until it was surpassed by bothJerry RiceandIsaac Brucein 1995. 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.[2]The event was postponed because of hazardous weather the previous week.[3]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.[4]
Career statistics
[edit]| 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[5] | 95 | 410 | 6,823 | 16.6 | 80 | 51 | 71.8 | |
Oilers/Titans Franchise records
[edit]Source:pro-football-reference.com's team encyclopedia
As of 2019[update]'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
[edit]In 1967, Hennigan received his doctorate in education from theUniversity of Houston.[6]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.[7]
On April 6, 2002, Hennigan, then aDemocratbut a registeredIndependentas of 2014,[8]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.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Former Oilers Great Charlie Hennigan Passes Away".Tennessee Titans.Archived fromthe originalon December 23, 2017.RetrievedDecember 22,2017.
- ^"Hero's Welcome Given Local Pro Grid Athlete",Minden Press,January 22, 1962, p. 1
- ^"Second Attempt Set for Charlie Hennigan Day",Minden Herald,January 18, 1962, p. 1
- ^"Professional Researchers Association Hall of Very Good Class of 2014".Archived fromthe originalon March 13, 2019.RetrievedNovember 10,2016.
- ^"Charley Hennigan Stats".Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^"Charles Henningan to Get Doctor's Degree",Minden Press-Herald,June 2, 1967
- ^"Demon legend Charlie Hennigan, among NFL's all-time receiving greats, dead at 82".April 20, 2024.
- ^"Charles Hennigan, March 1935".Louisiana Secretary of State.RetrievedSeptember 12,2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Oilers great Charlie Hennigan passes away".December 21, 2017.
External links
[edit]- 1935 births
- 2017 deaths
- Educators from Louisiana
- American football wide receivers
- Houston Oilers players
- Northwestern State Demons football players
- American Football League All-Star players
- American Football League All-Time Team
- People from Bienville, Louisiana
- Players of American football from Shreveport, Louisiana
- Sportspeople from Minden, Louisiana
- Minden High School (Minden, Louisiana) alumni
- Northwestern State University alumni
- University of Houston alumni
- Louisiana Democrats
- Louisiana Independents
- American Football League players