Breathtaking track man and WR played in ’70 and ’71 for the Buffs.
Caught 36 passes for 665 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing for 354 yards on 31 carries (5 TDs).
Selected in the 3rd round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Played during the prime years of the ‘Dead Ball Era’.
Had 60 catches, a league leading 1092 yards and 13 TDs in 1974.
Added another 893 yards and 9 TDs in ’75.
Had 1,111 yards, an 88 yard long, and a league leading 12 TDs in ’76.
Curiously his 24.2 yards per catch did not lead the NFL that year- despite catching 46 passes.
In ’77 posted 33 receptions for 540 yards and 6 TDs.
Continued to be a long bomb threat throughout the remainder of his career, posting an 86 yard catch in ’80 and a 99 yard TD in ’83.
Retired after the 1985 season.
Was the bridge between two eras of the Silver and Black winning Super Bowls XI, XV, and XVIII.
Played one season in the Arena Football League in 1988 for the Los Angeles Cobras.
ACCOLADES:
NFL Record – 99 Yard TD reception (tied)
All-Pro 1974-’76
Pro Bowl 1974-’77
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022
NOTES:
It is a testament to the Silver and Black that Branch finally is in the HoF. Long overdue, he was being held back by his ‘Dead Ball Era’ stats, a logger jam of WR with sexier stats, and a stigma against inducting too many Raiders from that era into the HoF. Frequently the most dangerous offensive player on the field, Branch’s honor was long deserved.
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
501
8,685
17.3
67
99t
EPITAPH:
Cliff Branch passed away August 3rd, 2019 of natural causes. He was 71. He was posthumously was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Chased the Upper Deck Legends Marquee Matchup 1997 cards while I could. It’s a great subset, but since- to me- it requires both players to be alive and reasonably obtainable, it’s a bit hard to complete out. This one was a potshot as Steve Largent started signing again, so I was able to get him first and then reload and get Charlie with this Crown Royale card. I like the CR card because the bottom half of the canvas feels like it was deliberately left blank, so an autograph only feels natural there.
Played one year at Notre Dame before enlisting for World War II, joining the US Marines and saw intense and fierce combat on the Pacific front.
Returned and finished out his college time at Boston College.
Selected in the 1947 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, but didn’t play pro football until 1950 with the original Baltimore Colts.
After the Colts went out of business in 1950, experienced the blues of the sport with both the Yanks (1951) and the Texans (1952), also closing up shop after one season each.
It’d be in 1953 that Art joined the second iteration of the Baltimore Colts.
He’d go on to become one of the greatest defensive linemen of that era playing in 138 games, through 1961.
With a personality larger than life, Donovan made frequent appearances on late night television with Johnny Carson and David Letterman spinning tales of old.
He also did radio and owned a country club.
ACCOLADES:
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1968)
Pro Bowl (1953-57)
First Team All-Pro (1954-57)
Second Team All-Pro (1958, 1960)
Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor
Indianapolis Colts #70 Retired
NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
NOTES:
I remember vividly seeing Art on David Letterman during the 80s when I was a kid. I wasn’t interested in football and I had no idea why or how I was up that late, but I recall that he was very, very funny and I enjoyed his self deprecating humor and stories.
EPITAPH:
Art Donovan passed away in 2013 at the age of 89 due to respiratory disease.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
