The Green Bay Packers are one of the most storied teams in all of sports, as they have won 13 league championships and four Super Bowls while boasting a slew of Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Former Packers fullback John Brockington may not have been a Hall of Fame-caliber player, but longtime cheeseheads undoubtedly remember his time in Green Bay.
The team announced on Friday that Brockington had passed away at the age of 74.
#Packers Hall of Fame fullback John Brockington has passed away at age 74 https://t.co/7PiVyDR5nB
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) March 31, 2023
Brockington had a fairly impressive resume that includes an Offensive Rookie of the Year award, three Pro Bowl appearances and one selection to the All-Pro first team.
RIP John Brockington
Fullback, #Packers 1971-77, Chiefs 1977• 1971 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
• 3 Pro Bowls
• 2x All-Pro (1x First-Team)
• Led NFC in rushing in 1971 (1,105 yds)
• First player in #NFL history to rush for 1,000+ yds in his first three seasons pic.twitter.com/878WB8DZrE— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) March 31, 2023
Fans are obviously saddened by his death, but they have lots of pleasant and cherished memories of him.
Still have his jersey. A joy to watch
— TheSinistralBassist (@sinistralbass) March 31, 2023
RIP John. You were my guy in the 70’s. Our condolences to his family. 😔🙏🏼⬆️
— 🇺🇸🚒 Fireman Curt-Owner 2011/2021👨🏼🚒💚💛🇺🇸 (@63GBPackerfan) March 31, 2023
My boyhood hero . I had the privilege to meet him and his wife Jackie at the Packers hall of fame several years ago .John and Jackie were so kind and took the time to talk about the early years when Him and MacArthur Lane were the best 1-2 punch in football . RIP John Brockington
— Green Bay Packers (@NFLPackersOwner) March 31, 2023
I met him back in 2019 at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair. He was a great man and a great football player! RIP legend
— 🅱️ailey (55-22 🦌) (@WisconsinGuy608) March 31, 2023
In 1971, I was a 10-year-old Iowa kid visiting family in Green Bay when we rode our bikes to Lambeau Field. The player I gave my bike too was a rookie named John Brockington. He handed me his helmet and off we went. I became a diehard Packer fan that day. RIP. 🙏🧀💚💛🏈
— Dennis Michael Lowe (@DennisLowe613) March 31, 2023
A native of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Brockington started to make his name at Ohio State University, where he helped lead the Buckeyes to the national championship in 1968 while setting a team record for most rushing yards in a season in 1970.
Green Bay took him with the No. 9 pick in the 1971 NFL Draft, and he immediately starred on a team that was about to lose quarterback Bart Starr to retirement.
Brockington ran for 1,105 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, and he became the first player in league history to notch over 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first three seasons.
Starting in his second season, he served as an excellent blocker and tag-team partner for running back MacArthur Lane, back in the days when fullbacks were a featured part of NFL offenses.
Unfortunately for Brockington, the 1970s were a dark time for the Packers, and he made only one playoff appearance in six and a half seasons with them before playing the final 10 games of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1977.
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