| No. 21, 20 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1942-01-09)January 9, 1942 Winnsboro, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | March 29, 2020(2020-03-29) (aged 78) Golden, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Richwood (LA) | ||||||||
| College | Grambling State | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1966: 20th round, 302 (by theChicago Bears)[1]th overall pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft | 1966: 8th round, 66th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Goldie Sellers (January 9, 1942 – March 28, 2020) was an American professionalfootballdefensive back in theAmerican Football League (AFL). Sellers playedcollegiately atGrambling State University under coachEddie Robinson. As a professional, he played four seasons as acornerback for theDenver Broncos (1966–1967) and theKansas City Chiefs (1968–1969). Sellers was a member of the Chiefs'Super Bowl IV-winning squad.
Sellers was born on January 9, 1942, inWinnsboro, Louisiana.[2] He attendedRichwood High School, and played football under coach Mackie Freeze.[3][4]
Sellers played both offense and defense at Grambling in football, under coach Eddie Robinson.[5][6][2] Sellers was named All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in 1965, as a defensive back.[3] Grambling won the SWAC championship in 1965 overSouthern University.[7] Sellers intercepted a pass on afake field goal attempt in the championship game against Southern.[8]
During his years at Grambling, Sellers's football teammates included future Pro Football Hall of Fame playersBuck Buchanan andWillie Brown (who also played with Sellers for the Denver Broncos in 1966), along with defensive backNemiah Wilson (who also played with Sellers in Denver in 1966-67), among others. He also rantrack at Grambling, including 9.4 seconds in the100-yard dash.[5][9][10][11]
The Denver Broncos drafted Sellers in the 8th round of the1966 AFL draft (66th overall).[12] The Chicago Bears selected him in the 20th round of the1966 NFL draft (302nd overall).[13] He received a bonus and a car when he signed with the Broncos.[3]
Before his 1966 rookie season, in training camp Sellers ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, while wearing his full football uniform.[14] As a rookie, Sellers started seven games atstrong safety for the Broncos, with three interceptions.[15] He also led the AFL inkickoff return average, returning 19 kickoffs for a 28.5 yards per return average. He also led the league with two returns for touchdowns, and tied for the longest return (100 yards).[16] He also had an 88-yard touchdown return.[2] Through the 2024 NFL season, Sellers still held the Broncos franchise records for career kickoff returns for touchdowns (2; withTrindon Holliday), and returns for touchdowns in a single season.[17]
In 1967, he started eight games at left cornerback for the Broncos, with a team-high seven interceptions including a 47-yard touchdown return. He returned four punts and six kickoffs that year.[15][18] Sellers was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968 along with running backWendell Hayes for third and fourth round draft picks.[19][20] Ironically, Sellers had been beaten for three touchdown catches by the Chiefs'Otis Taylor at the end of the preceding season, for which he was lambasted by Broncos' coach Lou Saban; the only times all year the ball was successfully thrown over him.[20] He was well-liked by his Broncos teammates.[5]
Sellers started six games at left cornerback for the Chiefs in 1968, with three interceptions. He also returned one punt 76 yards for a touchdown in a game against theBoston Patriots.[21][22] In a late season game against theSan Diego Chargers, he held future Hall of Fame receiverLance Alworth[23] to three catches for only 39 yards.[24] He was a member of the 1969 Chiefs' team that won Super Bowl IV, as a backup defensive back. Sellers scored a 21-yard touchdown that season, after he recovered anEssex Johnson fumble on a kickoff return in a game against theCincinnati Bengals.[25][26]
Before the start of the 1970 season, Chiefs' coachHank Stram had plans to move Sellers from defensive back to wide receiver.[27] Sellers suffered a thigh injury during the 1970 training camp and was placed on injured reserve for the season. He was traded to theHouston Oilers, but was released without playing for them; and was also briefly with the Patriots, but again did not play in any games for them.[2][28]
Over his four-year NFL career, Sellers played in 55 games, starting 21 in the defensive backfield, with 13 interceptions and one returned for a touchdown. He returned 19 punts for an 11.4 yards per return average with one touchdown, and 27 kickoffs for a 26 yard per return average and two touchdowns.[15]
After retiring from football, Sellers worked in sales for a telephone company and was a substitute teacher. Sellers and his family lived in Applewood Mesa,Jefferson County, Colorado. Sellers and his wife discovered a parcel of land there during his 1966 training camp, and built a home there a few years later.[2]
Sellers died on March 28, 2020, from cancer, inGolden, Colorado.[29][15] He was survived by his wife of over 50 years, Vasa "Peaches" Sellers, whom he met as a sophomore at Grambling, and three children.[7][2]