THE LEGENDARY GEORGE BLANDA

One of the most popular names in the most popular sport across the globe is George Blanda. He is not only famous for his skills and abilities on the field but also for his energy and stamina that were still fresh, just like a young football player in his late forties.

Football is a sport that requires a lot of energy and stamina, and most people would think that you can only play it when you are around 35; however, Blanda proved them wrong by playing unexpectedly until he was 48. And most players retire earlier because of the age factor, unlike George Blanda, as he is considered the oldest NFL player of all time.

Blanda is the proof that age is not the prime factor that stops a player from playing football; however, other factors are important such are mindset, energy, stamina, and determination. 

George Blanda was born in 1927 and is the oldest NFL player in history. He played his last season in 1975 when he was 48 years old. That’s 26 seasons as a quarterback! He started out playing for the Chicago Bears and then moved on to play for the Houston Oilers. Finally, he joined Oakland Raiders and played for them until his retirement in 1975. Even after he retired from football, BLANDA stayed involved in the sport by offering coaching services.

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GEORGE BLANDA PROFESSIONAL CAREER

In 1949, George Blanda was drafted by Chicago Bears and was initially offered $600 as a bonus for accepting the contract, and the worth of his full salary was $6000. He was primarily used as a quarterback and placekicker, but in 1953 he emerged as a top quarterback for the Bears; however, he could not enjoy that status as he was badly injured in the following year, and for around the next 4 years, Blanda was mostly used in the kicking capacity. 

In 1960, Blanda joined Houston Oilers and signed a contract with them as a quarterback and kicker. George Blanda had seen many ups and downs in his life when he returned to the game after the formation of the American Football League (AFL) and joined the Oilers; many people labeled him as “NFL Rejected,” but that did not stop him from playing football, on the contrary, he took oilers to lead the first two titles in AFL history and became the All-AFL quarterback; moreover, he was awarded the honor of “AFL player of the year” in 1961.

After the end of his contract with the Oilers, Blanda joined Oakland Raiders in 1960, where he managed to score 116 points in his first season with Raiders. In 1970 Blanda had a remarkable five-game run; although he was 43 at that time, he played amazingly against the Steelers. 

Om 8th November, George Blanda came to throw to tie the game against Cleveland Browns, but then kicked a 53-yard field goal with only 0:03 l3ft and won the game 23-20. It was an unexpected victory for his team, and the Raiders immediately announced their victory on the radio and declared him a “King of the world.”

With his exceptional performance on the field as a Raiders QB, Blanda helped his team in the various game to become victorious. For example, in the next game against Denver Broncos, he replaced Lamonica in the fourth quarter of the game and won the game 24-19 with the help of his touchdown pass when there were only 2:28 left in the game.

Similarly, Blanda defeated San Diego Chargers the following week with the help of his 16-yard field goal in the game’s final stages. While playing his last game in 1975, his team lost against the Steelers 16-10.

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GEORGE BLANDA’S CAREER HONOURS AND AWARDS

The table below shows his career awards and honors as a professional football player.

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