Passed away at the age or 74.
Man, he and MacArthur Lane were incredible in 1972, combining for over 1800 yards rushing. Brockington was the first running back in NFL history to rush for over 1000 yards in his first 3 seasons.
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Passed away at the age or 74.
Man, he and MacArthur Lane were incredible in 1972, combining for over 1800 yards rushing. Brockington was the first running back in NFL history to rush for over 1000 yards in his first 3 seasons.
Great RB. That year with Lane and Brockington was one of the few winning seasons during 25 years with few highlights.
My first memory of the Packers is my parents talking about Brockington and how good he was.
He was Earl Campbell before Earl Campbell.
What a great year. What a great tandem, those two. I was a big Packer fan by '72, and that year was fun to watch. Especially important that they ran the ball so damn well because Scott Hunter was a horrible quarterback. Horrible.
And I loved the surprise plays when McArthur Lane threw the ball. I looked it up; he went 2 - 2 as did Ron Widby, the punter, who threw for 102 yards on those two completions. I wish LeFleur would bust out trick plays once in a while. The one he tried on a punt last year was a stupidly executed play.
But Brockington was just so much fun to watch. He just ran people over. And before he got injured, he was nearly unstoppable. Had he played in this era, that injury wouldn't necessarily have derailed his career, and he might just be in the hall of fame.
When I think of the Packers I still see Lane and Brockington. I liked watching him and was really sad to see he passed.
Classy, as always, Ras.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rastak
Quote:
Originally Posted by George Cumby
Thanks George, back then I was about 10 years old and didn't realize the team rivalries existed. Most of my favorite players were Vikings but I loved John Brockington, him and guys like Otis Taylor and even Dick Butkus.
You're a few years ahead of me. The first player to REALLY grab my attentions was Earl Campbell. Man, he was awe-inspiring in his prime.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rastak
I still remember the first game of the 1972 season. Brockington and Lane combined for over 200 yards total offense and Chester Marcol kicked 4 field goals as the Packers best the Browns 26-10. That was as good as Packer football got in the 1970's.
AmenQuote:
Originally Posted by Joemailman
I wore a Chuck Foreman and Earl Campbell jerseys as a little kid. I love those guys even though the Pack was my team. Got the Campbell jersey at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton. My sister got a Jim Zorn jersey.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rastak
My favorite was the Bears game with the blocked FG that Chester picked up and ran for the TD.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joemailman
Quote:
Originally Posted by ThunderDan
That sounds like a fun game. I recall listening to a Vikings-Lions game in the 70's because it was blacked out on TV and the Vikings won at the end of the game when they blocked an Errol Mann XP.
Had to find some highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jbjGryycjA
Quote:
Originally Posted by George Cumby
I had forgotten how imposing that guy was.
Before my time but may he RIP. Obviously one of the greats.
Not a speedster though, was he? Big, rambling guy. Or maybe the film was just kinda slow in those days.
Big dude, even by today's standards. I think he went 225 or 230? Almost AJ Dillon sized, but not as fast. More physical than AJ.
Good player, good person. Packer HOFer.
been meaning to post in this thread for a few days.
Brock was a tremendous fullback in the old sense. Brockington was as fast as Dillon, if not faster. He didn't have a lot of shake, but as powerful as Earl Campbell. He also provided on of the hairiest, scariest moments I've ever experienced at a Packer game. The Packers were playing The Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau in early October of 1971. Brockington was a rookie, but had already impressed the crowd with his quickness and awesome power. Down by our goal Brockington tore thru the line, broke a tackle and motored right at the safety. The Bengal player showed a lot of heart, but little sense and went right at John B. Brockington had a powerful running motion and the two players collided about the 15 yard line. The noise could be heard all over the north end of Lambeau. It was a crack like I've never heard again, & I hope to hell I never hear again. The Bengal was a young kid named Ken Dyer. He never moved and they used a of of care to get him off the field. Most of us thought he was dead. Dyer sustained a career ending neck injury and was a quadriplegic for a couple years, but eventually rehabbed himself to walk and talk.
In the off season the Pack traded Donny Anderson to the Cardinals and got MacArthur Lane. Those two formed the most badass running tandem I've ever seen. Jump on YouTube and check those boys. Football like you've never seen
I also think MacArthur Lane is a bit underappreciated by Packer fans. I liked him better than Donny Anderson, for sure.