Tom, thanks for a great read on Lance. I never get tired of reading about him. He was my boyhood hero, just as he was to thousands of Arkansas boys in those days.
Lance Alworth was the first AFL player to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame…I did not know that. He was introduced by Al Davis…wow. I did not know that.
When I think of Lance I just remember how he could glide with such speed and grace and jump like a deer to go get the football. He and Lynn Swann were the most graceful receivers I have seen play in the NFL.
Two of the ADG’s top 10 pro Hogs were teammates of my dad. Wayne Harris was the other one. Didn’t get to see Thumper play in Canada but I saw Bambi play in San Diego and then Dallas. He was a precursor to the highly athletic WRs we see today.
There is an excellent article out front by Tom Murphy relative to Alworth and many of his professional exploits and accolades. The article deals mostly with Alworth’s time in the pros. I lived in Brookhaven MS, Alworth’s home town, three years, 88-90, during which time Alworth was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Interestingly, hardly anyone there knew him or had ever head of him. I started following the Hogs in 1956 and Alworth is still my all time favorite Hog in any sport!
Ferguson was in the NFL for a long time (17 seasons) but his stats were never great and he’s best known for handing off to O.J. Simpson. He only made the playoffs four times in 17 years.