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John Mackey, the great Colts tight end, passed away on Wednesday. He’s the man that the top award for college tight ends is named after. He had struggled with dementia for years.
When you look at Mackey’s career body of work, as well as the other great tight ends of the ‘60s (Mike Dikta and Jackie Smith), it’s a reminder that tight ends were used differently in those days. They went downfield more often.
There is talk about how some of today’s tight ends are unusually athletic. We’re heard this kind of talk about Vernon Davis, Kellen Winslow and others. But those guys in the ‘60s were something special as well.
In the last 20 years, only eight tight ends have caught 30-plus passes and averaged over 16 yards per catch. Mackey, Ditka and Smith did that eight times all by themselves.
TIGHT ENDS AVERAGING OVER 16 YARDS PER CATCH
(Includes all tight ends from the last 20 years, plus Mackey, Ditka and Smith.
No Yds Avg Year
56 1205 21.5 1967 Jackie Smith (St.L.)
35 726 20.7 1963 John Mackey (Balt.)
40 814 20.4 1965 John Mackey (Balt.)
56 1076 19.2 1961 Mike Ditka (Chi.)
37 687 18.6 1970 Jackie Smith (St.L.)
45 810 18.0 1966 Jackie Smith (St.L.)
33 572 17.3 1981 Dave Casper (Hou.)
50 829 16.6 1966 John Mackey (Balt.)
48 787 16.4 1997 Rickey Dudley (Oak.)
56 914 16.3 2010 Vernon Davis (S.F.)
32 518 16.2 2009 Marcedes Lewis (Jac.)
39 630 16.2 1993 Johnny Mitchell (NYJ)
48 774 16.1 2004 Alge Crumpler (Atl.)
40 645 16.1 2008 Tony Scheffler (Den.)
49 789 16.1 1968 Jackie Smith (St.L.)
—Ian Allan
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