Raymond Berry
Career Stats: 154 games played (140 starts), 631 receptions, 9,275 yards, 68 TD
If you saw Berry, you’d never guess he was a football player. He was frail, had poor eyesight, and moved terribly slowly for a receiver (4.8 40-yard dash). He did, however, have the greatest set of mitts in the league. Berry was catching everything that was thrown at her. Regardless of how tough the catch was, if it hit his hands, the ball was going in. Throughout his career, he formed a special on-field relationship with Johnny Unitas, with whom he won two NFL Championships. Berry was a six-time Pro Bowler, four-time First-Team All-Pro, and led the league in receptions and receiving yards on two occasions. Not bad for a player chosen in the 20th round of the NFL Draft.
Raymond Berry
James Lofton
Career Stats: 233 games played (212 starts), 764 receptions, 14,004 yards, 75 TD
In the NFL, speed kills, and Lofton possessed wheels like no other. The collegiate long jumper was a fantastic athlete all-around, and he was taken sixth overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 1978 NFL Draft. Lofton’s top-end pace energized audiences, often leaving opponents in the dust on go routes. Nobody in the NFL could keep up with him once he got his long legs going. It was practically impossible to overthrow him – quarterbacks would simply loft the ball as far as they could in his direction, and Lofton would scorch his defender and settle securely under the ball for large gains. He was a huge fan favorite from the beginning of his career. Lofton was named to seven Pro Bowl teams during his first eight years with the Packers. He is presently rated 12th all-time in receiving yards and first among players who began their NFL careers in the 1970s.
James Lofton
