I had heard the amazing story of the oldest player in the NFL before, but I was in for quite a surprise when I began to dig for more information. I couldn’t believe George Blanda was the oldest NFL of all time. He played for a whopping 26 seasons from 1950 – 1975. What a feat.
I was amazed to learn that in spite of the fact that Blanda was 40 when he bowed out of the NFL, he was still able to compete in his last 3 seasons at a professional level of play. His longevity was something to be admired, and it was inspiring. Unfortunately, Blanda passed away in 2010, but his legacy still remains today.
What’s even more amazing to me is that in addition to being the oldest NFL player ever, Blanda has another impressive record under his belt as the all-time leading scorer in NFL history. He scored 2,002 points during his time in the NFL, which was another impressive achievement.
During his time, Blanda not only played quarterback but also kicker. When his skills began to fade, Blanda shifted his focus from playing and began to coach the Oakland Raiders in 1975. What an incredible legacy he left on that team.
His time with the Raiders was incredibly successful and many of his players ended up going on to have amazing careers in the NFL and beyond. One of these players was Jim Plunkett, who went on to become the Super Bowl MVP in 1981.
I can only imagine what an incredible player and coach Blanda must have been to have achieved such an impressive list of accomplishments. He is truly a be an incredible role model and inspiration for other athletes in the NFL.