Austin Denney
Austin Cheek Denney Jr. (January 2, 1944 – January 20, 2009) was an American football tight end in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the University of Tennessee.
| No. 84 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 2, 1944 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | January 20, 2009 (aged 65) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Donelson (TN) | ||||||||
| College: | Tennessee | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1966 / Round: 11 / Pick: 160 | ||||||||
| AFL Draft: | 1966 / Round: Red Shirt 2 / Pick: 14 (by the New York Jets) | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
Early years
Denney attended Donelson High School, where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball. He accepted a football scholarship from the University of Tennessee.
As a junior, he was moved from fullback to tight end, becoming a starter, while posting 14 receptions for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a senior, he posted 21 receptions for 264 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns (school record for tight ends). He finished his college career with 35 receptions for 470 yards and 9 touchdowns (school record for tight ends).[1]
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Denney was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the eleventh round (160th overall) of the 1966 NFL Draft with a future draft pick, which allowed the team to draft him before his college eligibility was over. He also was selected in the redshirt round 2 (14th overall) of the 1966 AFL Draft.[2] On September 6, 1967, he was traded along with Mac Percival to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a third round draft choice (#71-Ed Harmon).[3]
Chicago Bears
In 1967, Denney became a starter at tight end for the Chicago Bears. His best season was 1968, when he registered 23 receptions for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was released on September 1, 1970.
Buffalo Bills
On September 2, 1970, he was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills.[4] He was named the starter at tight end, making 14 receptions for 201 yards. He was released on September 15, 1971.
Personal life
On January 20, 2009, he died from an undisclosed illness.[5]
References
- "Vols Mourn Loss of Former All-America Tight End Denney". Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- "1966 AFL Draft". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- "Talented Toe Could Give Bears Title". Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- "Baker Cut By Philadelphia". Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- "Former Vol Tight End Austin Denney Passes Away". January 22, 2009. Retrieved February 19, 2019.