Hall of Fame Professional Football Player. For ten seasons (1963 to 1972), he played at the tight-end position in the National Football League with the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers. Born John Kevin Mackey, he attended Hempstead High School (New York) and played collegiate football at the University of Syracuse. He was selected by Baltimore during the 2nd round of the 1963 NFL Draft and appeared in 139 regular season games, amassing 331 receptions for 5,236 yards with 38 touchdowns, earning Pro-Bowl honors five-times (1963, 1965 to 1968) and first-team All-Pro status three-times (1966 to 1968). During the course of his career, Mackey drew attention to the tight-end position as a viable option of offensive strategy, and additionally contributed with his exceptional blocking abilities. In his first of two Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowl III) with the Colts, he recorded 3 receptions for 35 yards in the 16 to 7 loss to the New York Jets on January 12th, 1969. What perhaps may be the highlight of his career was a pass by Johnny Unitas, intended for receiver Eddie Hinton which bounced off his hands, and out of the clutches of Dallas cornerback Mel Renfro, finally resting in the arms of Mackey who ran it in for a 75-yard touchdown, as the Colts were en route to the Super Bowl V championship on January 17th, 1971. From 1969 to 1973, he served as president of the NFLPA and during his tenure fought for player benefits including pensions. He was later a TV sports commentator and radio sports director. He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and was named to the NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team. In 2000, the John Mackey Award was instituted to be given out annually for the best tight-end on the collegiate level. In recent years, Mackey suffered from dementia (possibly caused from his football career) and died from its complications.