Ricky “Rick” Upchurch (born May 20, 1952) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for the Denver Broncos (1975–1983) of the National Football League (NFL). Before his NFL career, he played for Centerville Community College in Centerville, Iowa and the University of Minnesota and went to high school at Springfield High School in Holland, Ohio. In 2000, Upchurch was named one of the 300 best NFL players of all time.
In his nine NFL seasons, Upchurch excelled as a receiver and a kick returner on special teams. In his rookie season, he rushed for 97 yards, caught 18 passes for 436 yards, returned 27 punts for 312 yards, and added another 1,014 yards returning kickoffs. In his second season, he set an NFL record by returning four punts for touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl. In the 1977 season, he led the NFL with 653 punt return yards and assisted his team to their first ever Super Bowl appearance. The Broncos lost Super Bowl XII to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10, but he had a good performance in the game. Upchurch amassed 125 total offensive yards (94 kickoff return, 22 punt return, 9 receiving), including a Super Bowl record 67-yard kickoff return in the 3rd quarter that set up Denver’s only touchdown of the game.
Upchurch stayed with the Broncos until the 1983 season. He led the NFL in punt return average twice (1978 and 1982), and was selected to the Pro Bowl three more times (1978, 1979, 1982). He finished his nine-season career with 49 carries for 349 rushing yards, 267 receptions for 4,369 yards, 248 punt returns for 3,008 yards, and 95 kickoff returns for 2,355 yards. Overall, Upchurch gained 10,081 total yards and scored 35 touchdowns: eight returning punts, 24 receiving, and three rushing. He was also selected All-Pro five times. At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL’s career leader in punt return yards, and his eight punt returns for touchdowns tied the NFL record shared by Jack Christiansen. He is one of five players to record a career average of over 12 yards per punt return.
After his retirement from the NFL, Upchurch coached football at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas during the early to mid-1990s. In 2005, Upchurch became the head football coach at East High School in Pueblo, Colorado in 2005, where the team posted a 1-19 record in his two seasons as head coach. Upchurch currently resides in Mesquite, Nevada, and frequently visits nearby communities such as St. George, Utah, and Logandale, Nevada, to sign autographs for Broncos fans. Upchurch is ranked the sixth-greatest return specialist in NFL history on NFL Network’s NFL Top 10 Return Aces.
As of 2017’s NFL off-season, Rick Upchurch held at least 11 Broncos franchise records, including:
Punt Returns: career (248), season (51 in 1977), game (8 on 1978-10-22 @BAL; with Trindon Holliday)
Punt Return Yds: career (3,008), season (653 in 1977)
Punt Return TDs: career (8), season (4 in 1976), game (2 on 1976-09-26 CLE; with Darrien Gordon)
Total Return Yds: career (5,363), playoffs (351), playoff season (222 in 1977)
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DeJuan Anthony Groce (born February 17, 1980) is an American former professional American football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He earned first-team All-American honors in 2002, and set or tied four school records as well as an NCAA record. Groce was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the 2003 NFL Draft. He also played for the New Orleans Saints, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Toronto Argonauts.
Zachariah Branch (born March 29, 2004)[1] is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the USC Trojans.
Branch was born on March 29, 2004, the youngest of two sons to Sheve and Renee Branch.[2] His father is a sports performance coach.[2] Branch and his brother grew up attending USC football games.[2]
Branch was raised in Las Vegas and attended Bishop Gorman High School.[3] He was one of the top players in the 2023 college football recruiting class, ranked No. 6 nationally by ESPN and No. 9 by 247Sports. He was the top wide receiver in the class.[4][5]
Joe “747” Adams (born April 5, 1958) is a former Canadian football quarterback who played three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Rough Riders during 1982 to 1984. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the twelfth round of the 1981 NFL Draft, but remained a practice squad member during his one year with the team.[1] He played college football at Tennessee State University.[2] Adams garnered the nickname “747” in reference to the Boeing 747 aircraft.[3]
Tavon Wesley Austin (born March 15, 1990) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at West Virginia where he received All-American honors twice. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Ty Anthony Montgomery II (born January 22, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford. Montgomery was drafted as a wide receiver by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. In 2016, he changed positions to running back.
Tyler Deron Lockett (born September 28, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas State. In college, he set numerous Kansas State football records and was both a 2011 All-American (as a kickoff returner) and 2014 College Football All-America Team consensus All-American selection (as a punt returner). In college, he totaled 6,586 career all-purpose yards and 35 touchdowns, including 3,710 yards and 29 touchdowns as a receiver.
Christian Jackson McCaffrey (born June 7, 1996),[1] also known by his initials CMC,[2] is an American football running back for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers eighth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. As a sophomore in 2015, McCaffrey was named AP College Football Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He holds the NCAA record for most all-purpose yards in a season, with 3,864. McCaffrey holds numerous NFL and Panthers franchise records and is one of three players ever to record 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, doing so in 2019.
Dante Garrison Pettis[1] (born October 23, 1995) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Washington.
Savon Scarver (born December 23, 1998) is an gridiron football wide receiver for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Utah State.
Joseph William Reed (born January 4, 1998) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia.
Avery Williams (born July 15, 1998) is an American football running back for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boise State.
Marcus Elliot Jones (born October 22, 1998) is an American football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Troy and Houston and was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
William Abb Cannon Sr. (August 2, 1937[1] – May 20, 2018) was an American football halfback, fullback and tight end who played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He attended Louisiana State University (LSU), where he played college football as a halfback, return specialist, and safety for the LSU Tigers. At LSU, Cannon was twice named a unanimous All-American, helped the 1958 LSU team win a national championship, and received the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding college player in 1959. His punt return against Ole Miss on Halloween night in 1959 is considered by fans and sportswriters to be one of the most famous plays in LSU sports history.
Patrick Fischer (born January 2, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback[1] in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1961 to 1967, and the Washington Redskins from 1968 to 1977.
Williams was born to Pam Veasey and Marvin Williams on July 15, 1998. He grew up in Pasadena, California and originally attended Saint Francis High School before transferring to JSerra Catholic High School before his senior year.[1] As a senior, Williams was named Trinity League co-Most Valuable Player after rushing for 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense at running back and was also an All-Area selection at defensive back. He received no scholarship offers to play college football and enrolled at Boise State after being offered to join the team as a preferred walk-on.[
Joe Dan Washington Jr (born September 24, 1953) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Colts, Washington Redskins, and Atlanta Falcons.
Richard Upchurch (born May 20, 1952) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played his entire career with the Denver Broncos from 1975 to 1983. One of 29 individuals to be selected to multiple All-Decade teams, Upchurch is noted as one of the greatest return specialists of all time.[1]
William Arthur Johnson (born January 27, 1952), better known as Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 through 1988. A 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time NFL Team selection, Johnson was one of the first players to display elaborate celebrations in the end zone.
Damieon Dante Hall (born September 20, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is nicknamed the “Human Joystick” and the “X-Factor“.[1] Hall was a fifth-round draft pick out of Texas A&M University by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2000 NFL Draft. Hall played for the Chiefs for seven years before being traded to the St. Louis Rams in 2007.[2] Hall was ranked the 10th greatest return specialist in NFL history on NFL Network‘s NFL Top 10 Return Aces.
Melvin Dean Gray (born September 29, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1971 to 1982. He attended college at the University of Missouri.
Clifford Branch Jr. (August 1, 1948 – August 3, 2019) was an American professional football wide receiver who played with the Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders during his entire 14-year National Football League (NFL) career. He won three NFL championships with the Raiders in Super Bowl XI, XV and XVIII. He was selected by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 1972 NFL Draft after playing college football for the Colorado Buffaloes. He was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
A two time All-American, Garrett set numerous NCAA, Pac-8 Conference and USC records in his career by amassing a then unheard of 3,221 yards and scored 30 touchdowns. Garrett also led the nation in rushing in 1965 with 267 carries for 1,440 yards. He also caught 36 passes, returned 43 punts, returned 30 kickoffs and threw 6 passes. Two of his passes went for touchdowns. Garrett was awarded the 1965 W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. He won the Heisman Trophy after the 1965 regular season.[3] In 1985, he was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Ginn played for his father, Ted Ginn Sr., in high school at Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he played defensive back, quarterback, and wide receiver for the football team.[1] Ginn was selected as the 2004 USA Today Defensive Player of the Year, a 2004 Parade All-American, and named the 2004 SuperPrep National Defensive Player of the Year. He also participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl as a member of the East team, along with former Dolphins teammates Ryan Baker and Chad Henne,[2] and was named the Most Valuable Player of the game.
Aaron DaRon Lockett[1] (born September 6, 1978) is a former American football and Canadian football wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, and in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Ottawa Renegades and BC Lions. He played college football at Kansas State University where he set school and Big 12 Conference football and track and field records. His brother Kevin Lockett and nephew Tyler Lockett also played wide receiver at Kansas State where they also set records.
Adoree’ K. Jackson (born September 18, 1995) is an American football cornerback and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Davis grew up in St. Francisville, Louisiana and attended West Feliciana High School, where he helped lead the Saints to a 3A state championship as a senior in 2017[1] and also starred in track, winning the 200-meter dash at the state meet.[2]
Rated as a 3-star prospect, Davis chose to play his college football at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas over a scholarship offer from Tennessee.[3] He enrolled at TCU in the summer of 2018.
Terrance Randolph Metcalf (born September 24, 1951) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL), five of them with the St. Louis Cardinals and one with the Washington Redskins
