Lance Alworth was the first player inducted whose playing career was principally in the AFL.
24 Facts About Lance Alworth
2.
Lance Alworth played football at Brookhaven High School before attending the University of Arkansas.
3.
At Arkansas, the six-foot, 180-pound Lance Alworth was a flanker who led all colleges in punt return yardage in 1960 and 1961.
4.
Lance Alworth was a track star competing in the long jump and running the 100 and 220-yard dashes.
5.
Lance Alworth was a three-time Academic All-American, graduating with a degree in marketing as a pre-law student.
6.
In 1962, Lance Alworth was on multiple All-American teams: Look magazine, Associated Press, United Press International and Coaches.
7.
Lance Alworth was a key member of Arkansas teams that won, or shared, three consecutive Southwest Conference championships between 1959 and 1961, winning 25 games in that time span.
8.
Lance Alworth was the MVP of the 1961 Cotton Bowl Classic, even though Arkansas lost the game, after he returned a punt for a touchdown.
9.
Lance Alworth is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
10.
Lance Alworth is a member of the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame; he was named to the University of Arkansas' 1960's All-Decade Team, and the school's All-Century Team in 1994.
11.
Lance Alworth was chosen in the first round of the 1962 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
12.
Lance Alworth opted to sign with the Chargers instead of the 49ers.
13.
Lance Alworth's second year was a different story, as he set franchise records in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, earning the UPI's AFL Most Valuable Player award.
14.
Lance Alworth had 4 receptions for 77 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown, in San Diego's AFL championship win over the Boston Patriots.
15.
Lance Alworth was selected as an AFL Western Division All-Star for the first of seven consecutive seasons, as well as an AFL All-League flanker for the first of six seasons, selected by his peers from 1963 to 1966, and by newspaper wire services from 1967 to 1968.
16.
Lance Alworth shattered the record for most consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, and was the first player with back-to-back seasons averaging 100+ receiving yards per game, both of which led the league.
17.
Lance Alworth formed a formidable tandem with Chargers quarterback John Hadl, and is considered by many to be the best wide receiver in all professional football during the 1960s.
18.
Lance Alworth is a member of the AFL All-Time Team.
19.
Lance Alworth was the first of only a few American Football League stars to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which like other media of the 1960s, showed a distinct bias for the NFL.
20.
On May 19,1971, Lance Alworth was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, for his final two seasons.
21.
Lance Alworth rushed for 129 yards, returned 29 punts for 309 yards, gained 216 yards on 10 kickoff returns, and scored 87 touchdowns.
22.
Lance Alworth chose to be presented at the Canton, Ohio ceremony by Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, his former position coach at San Diego, who had much to do with the success of the AFL.
23.
Lance Alworth founded All Aboard Mini Storage, with facilities throughout California.
24.
Lance Alworth's grandson, Brian Driscoll, is an offensive lineman at University of California, Berkeley.