Don Maynard
Don Maynard (January 25, 1935 – January 10, 2022) was an American professional football player who excelled as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL), most notably with the New York Jets, where he played a pivotal role in their Super Bowl III victory and set numerous receiving records during his 15-season career.[1][2] Born in Crosbyton, Texas, Maynard attended Colorado High School in Colorado City, Texas, before starring at Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso), where he was a two-time All-Border Conference halfback and track athlete from 1954 to 1956, recording 26 receptions for 719 yards and 10 touchdowns.[1][3] Drafted by the New York Giants in the ninth round (109th overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft, he played in 12 games for them in 1958 before spending 1959 in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[1][2] Maynard joined the New York Titans (renamed the Jets in 1963) in 1960 as the first player signed by the expansion AFL franchise, remaining with the team through 1972 and finishing his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973, appearing in 186 games overall.[1][2] Over his professional tenure, he amassed 633 receptions for 11,834 yards (18.7 yards per catch) and 88 touchdowns, leading the AFL in receiving yards in 1967 (1,434) and 1968 (1,297), while earning four AFL All-Star selections and All-Pro honors in 1965, 1967, 1968, and 1969.[1][2] A cornerstone of the Jets' offense alongside quarterback Joe Namath, Maynard caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in the 1968 AFL Championship Game win over the Oakland Raiders, then contributed to the historic 16-7 upset over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, cementing the AFL's legitimacy.[1] He became the first player to surpass 10,000 receiving yards in professional football, held league records for receptions and yards upon retirement, and was the AFL's all-time receiving leader at the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, with the Jets retiring his number 13 in recognition of his impact.[1] Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 (Class of 1987), Maynard's legacy endures as one of the premier deep-threat receivers of his era, influencing the evolution of the wide receiver position.[1][2]Early life and education
Childhood and family background
Donald Rogers Maynard was born on January 25, 1935, in Crosbyton, Texas, a small town in the plains of West Texas, to working-class parents who lived an itinerant lifestyle shaped by economic necessity.[4][5] His father worked as a cotton broker and laborer, processing cotton at local gins across West Texas and occasionally Oklahoma, which required the family to relocate frequently in search of steady employment.[4][5] Despite their modest circumstances, the family maintained a sense of resilience, attending Protestant churches and instilling strong values in their children, with Maynard later recalling no awareness of their poverty amid the constant movement.[6] The frequent relocations across rural West Texas towns—such as Levelland, Three Way, Lamesa, San Angelo, and Colorado City—meant Maynard attended 13 different schools by the time he graduated high school, including five high schools, disrupting any sense of permanence in his early education.[4][5][6] These moves, often prompted by his father's job opportunities, fostered an adaptability that became a defining trait, as the family navigated the challenges of transient life in the Dust Bowl-era aftermath without complaint.[6] From a young age, Maynard found outlets in athletics, playing informally on vacant lots and neighborhood playgrounds with local children, which sparked his passion for sports like football and track despite the instability.[5] His family's encouragement of physical activity as a positive pursuit aligned with their emphasis on perseverance, helping him channel energy into running sprints and pickup games that built his early athletic foundation.[6] This childhood immersion in unstructured play transitioned naturally into organized high school athletics, where his talents began to shine more formally.[5]High school athletics
Don Maynard attended Colorado City High School in Colorado City, Texas, for his senior year, where he emerged as a versatile athlete across multiple sports. Due to his family's frequent relocations during his upbringing, which fostered his adaptability, Maynard lettered in football, basketball, and track during the 1952-1953 school year.[6][7] In basketball, he played as a guard, contributing to team efforts in a physically demanding role that honed his agility and court awareness.[5] On the football field, Maynard served as an all-purpose back, primarily at halfback in the Wing-T offense, where he handled rushing duties and also played cornerback and safety on defense, showcasing his speed and tackling ability.[8] His defensive contributions included interceptions, while offensively he helped lead the team to key victories, such as a 21-20 win in a pivotal game.[8] In track, Maynard specialized in sprinting and hurdling events, competing in the 100-yard, 220-yard, and 440-yard dashes, as well as the high and low hurdles, and won the Texas state high school championships in the high and low hurdles, further demonstrating his athletic prowess.[5][9] Maynard's high school achievements established him as an all-around athlete, building a strong foundation of versatility and competitive drive that translated to his later successes in football. His multi-sport involvement developed essential skills like quick acceleration, strategic positioning, and resilience under pressure, qualities that defined his early athletic identity.[5][9]College career at Texas Western
Maynard briefly attended Rice University for one year without playing football before transferring to Texas Western College (now the University of Texas at El Paso) in 1954.[10] During his three seasons with the Miners from 1954 to 1956, Maynard demonstrated versatility across multiple positions, including running back, defensive back, and wide receiver. His speed, developed through high school track events, enhanced his effectiveness as a deep-threat receiver in college. On offense, he primarily served as a halfback but also contributed significantly at wide receiver, where his explosive plays stood out despite limited opportunities in the era's run-heavy schemes. Defensively, he excelled as a safety, recording 10 interceptions over his career.[4][11] Statistically, Maynard's receiving production included 28 catches for 772 yards, averaging an impressive 27.6 yards per reception, along with 10 touchdowns—numbers that underscored his big-play ability. As a rusher, he carried the ball 154 times for 843 yards at 5.4 yards per attempt and 9 touchdowns, while also returning punts (21 for 250 yards) and kickoffs (12 for 275 yards). These efforts contributed to a total of 2,283 all-purpose yards, reflecting his all-around impact on the team. Additionally, he scored 30 points in his senior year alone through five touchdowns.[4][3] Maynard earned two-time All-Border Conference honors as a halfback, recognizing his dual-threat capabilities in the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association. His contributions were particularly notable in 1956, when the Miners achieved a strong 9-2 record under his playmaking, helping elevate the program's performance during a competitive conference schedule.[1][5][12]Professional football career
Early NFL years with the New York Giants
The New York Giants selected Don Maynard in the ninth round (109th overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft, recognizing his versatility from college where he had excelled as both a running back and defensive back.[2][1] Maynard joined the Giants for the 1958 season, his only year in the NFL at that time, appearing in 12 games primarily as a halfback and on special teams. He recorded 5 receptions for 84 yards and 12 rushes for 45 yards, with no touchdowns, reflecting his limited role in an offense dominated by established stars like Frank Gifford.[13] Despite his athletic potential, Maynard faced significant challenges adapting to the professional level, including frequent position shifts between offense and defense, as well as competition for playing time on a talented Giants roster that reached the NFL Championship Game that year. These factors contributed to his modest production and eventual release by the team following the 1958 season.[14][15]AFL and NFL tenure with the New York Jets
Don Maynard signed with the New York Titans as the inaugural player in franchise history on December 19, 1959, ahead of the team's entry into the American Football League (AFL) in 1960, marking a pivotal shift after limited opportunities with the New York Giants motivated his move to the upstart league.[15] He played for the Titans, who became the Jets in 1963, through the 1972 season, establishing himself as a cornerstone of the offense with his speed and deep-threat ability. In his debut AFL year, Maynard paired with teammate Art Powell to form the first receiving duo in professional football history to each surpass 1,000 yards, as Maynard recorded 72 receptions for 1,265 yards and 6 touchdowns while Powell amassed 1,167 yards; the pair repeated the feat in 1962 with Maynard's 56 catches for 1,041 yards and 8 scores alongside Powell's 1,130 yards.[10][16] Maynard's partnership with quarterback Joe Namath, who joined the Jets in 1965, elevated the team's passing attack to new heights, culminating in multiple standout seasons. In 1965, Maynard led the AFL with 14 receiving touchdowns on 68 catches for 1,218 yards, earning his first AFL All-Star selection. He topped the league in receiving yards in 1967 with 1,434 yards on 71 receptions and 10 touchdowns, securing another All-Star nod, and followed with 1,297 yards in 1968 despite sharing targets in a balanced offense. Maynard garnered AFL All-Star honors in 1965 and from 1967 to 1969, while earning second-team All-AFL accolades in 1965 and 1967, and first-team honors in 1968 and 1969.[2][1][17] Central to the Jets' historic success, Maynard played a key role in their AFL Championship run and Super Bowl III victory over the Baltimore Colts in 1969, though a hamstring injury limited his participation to zero receptions as a decoy that helped open the field for teammates. Over his Jets tenure from 1960 to 1972, he set franchise records with 627 receptions, 11,732 receiving yards, and 88 touchdowns, figures that underscored his dominance and longevity as the team's premier wide receiver.[15][2][1]Later professional teams and retirement
In 1973, Maynard was traded from the New York Jets to the St. Louis Cardinals, marking the beginning of the twilight phase of his career. With the Cardinals, he played in 2 games, registering 1 reception for 18 yards, a noticeable decline from his peak production but still demonstrating his veteran reliability on a team that finished 4-9-1.[2] The following year, Maynard attended training camp with the Los Angeles Rams in hopes of securing another NFL roster spot, but he was released prior to the regular season amid the team's youth movement and his advancing age.[18] Undeterred, he signed with the Houston Texans of the World Football League for the 1974 season, a franchise that relocated to Shreveport midway through the year and became the Steamer. In 13 games with the Texans/Steamer, Maynard recorded 5 receptions for 62 yards. He served as receivers coach for the Steamer in 1975, providing leadership to a team that struggled to a 5-7 record before the WFL collapsed financially.[19] At age 40, Maynard announced his retirement after the WFL's demise, reflecting on the cumulative physical toll of nearly two decades of professional football—including chronic knee issues and the rigors of the sport—as well as his wish to prioritize time with his family back in Texas.[4]Career statistics and records
Over his 15-season professional football career from 1958 to 1973, Don Maynard amassed 633 receptions for 11,834 receiving yards and 88 receiving touchdowns, averaging 18.7 yards per catch.[2] Maynard became the first professional football player to reach 10,000 receiving yards during his tenure with the New York Jets, a milestone he achieved in 1967.[2] Upon retirement, he held the American Football League's all-time records for receptions (627 with the Jets), receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.[2] His Jets years accounted for the majority of these totals, with 627 receptions for 11,732 yards and 88 touchdowns.[20] The following table summarizes Maynard's regular-season receiving statistics by year:| Year | Age | Team | Games | Starts | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Rec | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 23 | NYG | 12 | 0 | 5 | 84 | 16.8 | 0 |
| 1960 | 25 | NYT | 14 | 12 | 72 | 1,265 | 17.6 | 6 |
| 1961 | 26 | NYT | 14 | 7 | 43 | 629 | 14.6 | 8 |
| 1962 | 27 | NYT | 14 | 13 | 56 | 1,041 | 18.6 | 8 |
| 1963 | 28 | NYJ | 12 | 12 | 38 | 780 | 20.5 | 9 |
| 1964 | 29 | NYJ | 14 | 13 | 46 | 847 | 18.4 | 8 |
| 1965 | 30 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 68 | 1,218 | 17.9 | 14 |
| 1966 | 31 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 48 | 840 | 17.5 | 5 |
| 1967 | 32 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 71 | 1,434 | 20.2 | 10 |
| 1968 | 33 | NYJ | 13 | 13 | 57 | 1,297 | 22.8 | 10 |
| 1969 | 34 | NYJ | 11 | 11 | 47 | 938 | 20.0 | 6 |
| 1970 | 35 | NYJ | 10 | 8 | 31 | 525 | 16.9 | 0 |
| 1971 | 36 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 21 | 408 | 19.4 | 2 |
| 1972 | 37 | NYJ | 14 | 14 | 29 | 510 | 17.6 | 2 |
| 1973 | 38 | STL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 |