Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

John Brockington, 74, Rushing Star for Green Bay, Is Dead

When he rushed for 1,144 yards in 1973, he became the first N.F.L. running back to gain more than 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons.

John Brockington watches the action in a game in 1972.
John Brockington in 1972 during the final game of the N.F.L. season in New Orleans. A Brooklyn native, he earned All-Pro honors and was named N.F.L. offensive rookie of the year in his first season with the Packers.Credit...Ross Lewis/Getty Images

John Brockington, a former All-Pro fullback who ranks fourth on the Green Bay Packers’ career rushing list, died on Friday in San Diego. He was 74.

The Packers announced the death but did not cite a cause.

Brockington played for the Packers from 1971 to 1977, a stretch during which he rushed for 5,024 yards. The only Green Bay players to gain more yards rushing are Ahman Green (8,322 from 2000 to 2009), Jim Taylor (8,207 from 1958 to 1966) and Aaron Jones (5,284 from 2017 to the present).

Brockington was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 7, 1948, and attended the Ohio State University. The Packers selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 1971 draft. In his final season at Ohio State, he rushed for 1,142 yards and 17 touchdowns.

In his first season with the Packers, Brockington rushed for 1,105 yards, which at the time was a National Football League rookie record. He earned All-Pro honors and was named N.F.L. offensive rookie of the year.

He followed that by rushing for 1,027 yards in 1972 while helping the Packers win the N.F.C. Central Division title. When he rushed for 1,144 yards in 1973, he became the first N.F.L. running back to run for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons.

Image
Green Bay Packers quarterback Scott Hunter (16) hands off to Brockington (42) during a game in 1971.Credit...George Gellatly/Getty Images

Brockington was selected to the Pro Bowl for three straight years, from 1971 to 1973.

He finished his career with 5,185 yards rushing, 30 touchdown runs and four touchdown catches. In his final season, 1977, he played one game with the Packers and 10 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

He was inducted into the Packers’ Hall of Fame in 1984.

In a statement, Mark Murphy, the Packers’ president and chief executive, called Brockington “one of the great runners of his era.”

Brockington's survivors include his wife, Diane.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section B, Page 11 of the New York edition with the headline: John Brockington, 74, All-Pro Powerhouse for Packers. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

Advertisement

SKIP ADVERTISEMENT