| No. 40 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | (1935-11-17)November 17, 1935 (age 89) Clifton, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Clifton | ||||||||||
| College: | Texas A&M | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1958: 5th round, 58th pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Bobby Joe Conrad (born November 17, 1935) is an American former professionalfootball player who was awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL) for theChicago/St. Louis Cardinals andDallas Cowboys. He playedcollege football for theTexas A&M Aggies.
Conrad was born on November 17, 1935, inClifton, Texas.[1] He attendedClifton High School, where he was an All-statequarterback, while leading the team to back-to-back district championships in 1952 and 1953.[2] He was the first player from Clifton High to be named All-state. He was also named all-district and district most valuable player both of those years.[3] As a senior, he scored 207 points and took Clifton to the state semi-finals where they lost to the eventual state championRanger High School.[2] In 2006, he was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.[3]
He accepted a football scholarship fromTexas A&M University to play under head coachBear Bryant. He was a two-way player at halfback and end, although he also played quarterback and fullback.[3] He never was a full-time starter,[citation needed] and was a member of the school's 1956 SWC Championship team.[2][3]
During his college career (1955-57), Conrad had a 4.9yards per carry rushing average, in 106 attempts.[4] One of his teammates was 1957Heisman Trophy winnerJohn David Crow, who had 1,465 yards in 295 attempts over the same period.[5][6][7] He and Crow would go on to play as teammates in the NFL from 1958-64.[8][1]
Conrad participated in the 1958Chicago College All-Star Game and although he had never attempted a kick in college, he was able to make 4field goals, 3conversions, set the game scoring record with 15 points and also intercepted one pass in the 35–19 upset of the 1957NFL ChampionDetroit Lions.[9][10][2][11]
In 1976, he was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame.[12] In 2002, he was inducted into theTexas Sports Hall of Fame.[13][2]
TheNew York Giants traded for theBaltimore Colts fifth round draft pick in 1958, and then selected Conrad in the fifth round (58th overall) of the1958 NFL draft.[14][6] On May 10, he was traded along withsafetyDick Nolan to theChicago Cardinals, in exchange for EndPat Summerall and halfbackLindon Crow.[15]
In1958 as a rookie, he was a starter atdefensive back and had 4 interceptions and one fumble recovered. Three of his interceptions came in a single game against thePittsburgh Steelers and quarterbackBobby Layne. Onspecial teams, he made 6 out of 17 field goals and returned 19 punts for 129 yards (6.8-yard average).[1][6]
In1959, he was moved to the backfield with college teammate John David Crow. He had 74 carries for 328 yards (including a 56-yard run on September 27, 1959), 14 receptions for 142 yards, 6touchdowns, made 6 out of 9 field goals, 18 kickoff returns for 388 yards and 16 punt returns for 133 yards (8.3-yard average).[1] On September 27, 1959, herushed for 140 yards on only 11carries, with two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.[16]
In1961, he was moved to flanker pairing him withSonny Randle,[17] while registering 30 receptions for 499 yards and 2 touchdowns.[1] In1962, he collected 62 receptions (third in the league) for 954 yards (ninth in the league) and 4 touchdowns.[1][18]
In1963, he led the league with 73 receptions and receivedAll-NFL honors, being named first team All Pro by theAssociated Press (AP) andUnited Press International (UPI), and second team All-Pro by theNewspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). He also had 967 receiving yards (sixth in the league) and 10touchdowns.[19][20][1]
In1964, he posted 61 receptions (fourth in the league) for 780 yards and 6 touchdowns, receivingPro Bowl honors. The UPI named him second team All Pro.[21][1][22] In1965, he had 58 receptions for 909 yards and 5 touchdowns.[1]
On June 26,1969, he was traded to theDallas Cowboys in exchange for a fifth round draft choice (#127-Barry Pierson).[23][24]
He left as the seventh All-time pass receiver in the NFL with 422 receptions (418 with the Cardinals) and had a string of 148 consecutive games played. He was the Cardinals all-time leading receiver at the time he was traded.[1][23] After believing he came within a game of breakingDon Hutson's NFL record for consecutive games with a reception, it was discovered that Don Hutson's record was counted erroneously. Conrad set the record for most consecutive games with a reception; 94 contests from1961 to1968.[25]
He is considered one of the top Cardinals receivers in the team's over 100-year history, and one of its 100 greatest players.[26][27]
On September 20,1969, theDallas Cowboys put injuredwide receiverBob Hayes on the "move list" and activated Conrad.[28] He played in 8 games, recording 4 receptions for 74 yards.[1]
He moved back to Clifton after retiring, and worked for theFederal Land Bank,Farmers Home Administration and/or the Texas Land Bank. He was also a judge inBosque County for eight years.[6][23]
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