The Green Bay Packers announced that former fullback John Brockington died Friday at the age of 74.
Raised in Brooklyn, he was the ninth pick of the 1971 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
Brockington was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year that season, as well as a first-team All-Pro, a feat he accomplished again two years later. He was named to the second team in 1972.
Brockington made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and was in Green Bay until 1977. He was released after the Packers’ first game that year before being picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs.
In his first three seasons, Brockington rushed for 3,276 yards on 755 attempts (4.3 YPC) with 15 touchdowns. (He also caught two.)
He led the NFL with 309 total touches in 1974 with the benefit of a career-high 43 receptions.
When Brockington retired, he had the second-most rushing yards in Packers history with 5,024; he currently ranks fourth for the franchise.
After receiving a kidney transplant in 2002, he founded the John Brockington Foundation to benefit others with kidney disease.
Brockington was inducted into the Packers’ Hall of Fame in 1984.