NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey has died at the age of 69. Mackey played 10 seasons for the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers, and was a former president of the NFL Players Association.
Current NFLPA Executive Director Demaurice Smith paid tribute to Mackey on his passing, posting on Twitter, “John Mackey has inspired me and will continue to inspire our players. He will be missed but never forgotten.” Smith went on to write, “John Mackey is still a leader. As President of the NFLPA he led the fight for fairness with brilliance and ferocious drive.”
At Mackey’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1992, former NFL quarterback and Housing Secretary Jack Kemp said of Mackey that he was “the smartest man in the room.”
After his retirement from the NFL, Mackey fought a long battle with dementia. The cost of his care significantly exceeded his NFL pension at the time of less than $2,500 per month, eventually leading the NFLPA and NFL to establish the “88 Plan,” named in honor of Mackey who wore jersey number 88. The 88 Plan provides retired players with up to $88,000 per year for medical and custodial care resulting from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. The 88 Plan also provides funding for dementia research.
Mackey was only the second tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After playing his college football at Syracuse, Mackey brought speed to the position and helped to transform the tight end into what it is today – a true combination of blocking and a downfield receiving threat. Over his career, Mackey caught 331 passes for 5,236 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Mackey was also instrumental in the Baltimore Colts victory in Super Bowl V. He caught a pass from Johnny Unitas which had been deflected off two other players (Colts wide receiver Eddie Hinton and Dallas Cowboys defensive back Mike Renfro) and ran for a 75 yard touchdown, which was a Super Bowl record at the time. The Colts won that game by a final score of 16-13.
————————————————————- Contributing author Dave Zirin wrote an article about John Mackey as part of his regular contributions to The Nation, read his post here. The NFL Players Association released the following statement regarding John Mackey’s passing:
