Monday, September 27, 2010
Former UK Hall-Of-Famer Dies
KENTUCKY....
George Blanda, the seemingly ageless Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker who led the University of Kentucky to its first bowl victory in 1947 and whose 26-year career was best remembered for a remarkable run of late-game theatrics with the Oakland Raiders, has died at the age of 83. Blanda retired a month shy of his 49th birthday before the 1976 season, playing longer than anyone else in pro football history. He spent 10 seasons with the Chicago Bears, part of one with the Baltimore Colts, seven with the Houston Oilers and his final nine with the Raiders. He scored 2,002 points in his career, kicking 335 field goals and 943 extra points, running for nine touchdowns and throwing for 236 more. Blanda entered the NFL out of Kentucky as a 12th-round pick (119th overall) of the Chicago Bears in 1949. Blanda threw for 26,920 yards in his career and held the pro football record with 277 interceptions until Brett Favre passed him in 2007.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:53 PM 
