Alworth, Lance D.
Football
b. Aug. 3, 1940, Houston, TX
The first American Football League player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the 6-foot, 180-pound Alworth was a running back at the University of Arkansas. He led the nation in punt return yardage in 1960 and 1961.
The San Diego Chargers drafted Alworth in the second round in 1962 and moved him to wide receiver. Nicknamed "Bambi" because of his slender build, speed, and grace, the 6-foot, 180-pound Alworth played with the Chargers for 9 seasons and was an all-AFL selection 7 consecutive times, from 1963 through 1969.
He finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL in 1970 and 1971. When Alworth retired, he held records for the most consecutive games with a reception, 96, and the most games with 200 or more yards on receptions, 5. Both records have since been broken, but Alworth is still the only receiver to average more than 100 yards a game in 3 consecutive seasons, 1964 through 1966.
During his 11 professional seasons, Alworth caught 542 passes for 10,266 yards and 85 touchdowns. His average of 18.9 yards per reception is 6th best among receivers who caught 20 or more passes.