Remembering Packers Great John Brockington
By GilMartin
The Green Bay Packers announced that Packers Hall of Famer John Brockington has passed away Friday at the age of 74. Brockington was the first player in NFL history to top 1,000 yards in each of his first three professional seasons.
The Packers selected the Ohio State alum in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft with the nineth overall pick. He earned NFL Rookie of the Year honors after gaining 1,105 yards in a 14-game season in 1971.
Brockington was the first player drafted by Dan Devine. “I brought John here with the idea that we would build our offense around him and that’s what happened,” Devine said. “We felt we had the answer to the quarterback problem so we wanted Brockington.”
Brockington was a big, bruising runner who was tough to bring down. He earned the nickname “The Crazed Camel” for his running style.
“John Brockington was the toughest, hardest hitting running back that I knew,” former Packers guard Bill Lueck, said. “We used to joke, 'Nobody wants to be the first guy to make contact with John Brockington.' He was a beast. Nobody wanted to tackle him. He'd run over the first guy. That was his game. But he was elusive also. That's what made him such a dangerous running back. He may run over you the first play, and the next play you're all tensed up and ready for this major collision, and he'd put a move on you. You never knew what was coming: A move or run over you.”
In 1972, he teamed with the newly acquired MacArthur Lane to give the Packers an elite running game. Brockington gained 1,027 yards and scored eight touchdowns while Lane added 821 yards as the Packers added 821 yards to help the Packers finish with a 10-4 record. The team won the NFC Central Division title and made their only playoff appearance of the 70s despite ranking next to last in the league in passing yards that season.
Lane and Brockington made a great duo. They both had size, both could block well for the other and both were good receivers out of the backfield.
Brockington had a simple philosophy of running. “I’ve always run hard and my knees have been high since I was in high school,” he told the 1972 Packers Year Book. “You might as well run fast. You’re going to get hit anyway, so why not get hit running fast.”
In 1973, Brockington again topped the 1,000 yard mark, gaining a career-high 1,144 yards and earned Pro Bowl honors for the third consecutive season.
Opponents respected Brockington and dreaded facing him. “In the films, he looked like a slashing type of runner, but he powered you, too,” said Pro Bowl middle linebacker Bill Bergey. “One time I made a grab for him and he was like a big, slippery fish.”
Throughout Brockington’s tenure, the Packers passing game struggled and opposing defenses knew the big back was going to get the ball. They prepared to stop the Brooklyn native and his yardage totals slowly slipped. He gained 883 yards in 1974, 434 in 1975 and 406 in 1976.
The Packers offense also changed after Bart Starr took over as coach in 1975. The team stopped running Brockington’s favorite play and his numbers fell off.
The play was called 36 slant. It was run to the weak-side play. Lane would line up to Brockington’s right and lead him off right tackle.
“The tackle would take out the defensive end and Mac would go after the linebacker,” Brockington said. “Once I got to the hole I went either to the inside or the outside.”
The Packers released Brockington after the season opener in 1977 and he finished the season with the Kansas City Chiefs before hanging up his cleats.
When he retired, Brockington was the second all-time leading rusher in Packers history with 5,024 yards. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1984.
Brockington suffered from kidney disease after he retired from football and needed a transplant. He eventually got a kidney from his future wife Diane Scott. He later created the John Brockington Foundation to help people who suffer from kidney disease.
During his tenure with the Packers, Brockington was the centerpiece of the offense. He had 13 100-plus yard games rushing and led the team in rushing yards five times and in receptions once.
“I enjoyed watching him run. That was part of my job," Lane said after he retired when asked about Brockington. “He had a fantastic running style. It was all out, just gangbusters. He could run over you, around you, through you. It didn't make any difference.”
Brockington may get overlooked because the Packers only had one winning season when he played for the team. But he was the face of the franchise during his tenure in Green Bay and those who saw him run will never forget him.
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You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
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Comments (29)
Since'61
April 01, 2023 at 12:17 pm
I enjoyed watching Brockington play. He was my favorite Packer while he was with the team. The Packers could use an RB like him now. One thing is for sure as the author pointed out. If you watched him play you never forgot him. Thanks, Since '61
NickPerry
April 01, 2023 at 01:45 pm
I'll say Since '61, he was fun to watch play. Back then the QB play was SO POOR, the Packers would quite often run a draw play or that off RT play on 3rd and 9 and actually pick it up. They really had no choice, that's how bad the QB's were in GB for YEARS!
Scott Hunter and Jerry Tagge come to mind when Brockington was playing in GB. My God, Hunter was SO BAD. Those of you in 20's, 30's, and even early 40's have no idea.
Scott Hunter, the Packers starter for that playoff team in 1972 started 14 games completing 86 of 199 passes for 1252 yards, 6 TD's and 9 INTs. That folks, was for a 10-4 playoff team.
Wow, I forgot how bad it really was for a moment...LOL.
Since'61
April 01, 2023 at 02:00 pm
Nick I remember referring to Scott Hunter as "Iron hands Hunter" he was so bad. In 1973 the Packers went to the playoffs on the strength of their run game and their defense. Their first playoff opponent was the then Washington Redskins (Can I still say Redskins?).
In any case, George Allen, the Redskins HC played a 5 man front to stop the Packers run game and Hunter was so bad that the Packers could not take advantage. In the 3rd quarter the Packers replaced Hunter with Tagge.
Tagge had a better arm than Hunter but he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. The Packers lost 16-3 and did not return to the playoffs until the '82 strike shortened with Lynn Dickey as QB.
Brockington was great but he came to Green Bay at the wrong time. If they had even a decent QB then who knows what might have been. Thanks, Since '61
greengold
April 01, 2023 at 05:55 pm
Oh, Since!!!
Good times. Good times…
Holy shit. Tagge. The pain. These kids have no clue. The Packers sucked long before Scott Hunter arrived too.
Ooof!
Packerlifer
April 02, 2023 at 11:55 am
Dan Devine traded up in the 1971 draft to land Brockington. He gave up qb Don Horn and the Packers' first rounder to Denver to move up 4 spots. If he hadn't done that Brock would probably have been a Chicago Bear.
Often overlooked, though, is that in that same draft, although needing a quarterback desperately, Devine passed in the second round on Lynn Dickey from Kansas St. Dickey was, at that time, one of the top 3 or 4 prospects in that draft class.
Instead Devine took rb Virgil Robinson from Grambling. A speed back in college but who didn't even survive the final cutdown in his first training camp.
The Houston Oilers took Dickey early in the 3rd round. The 4th qb taken in that draft after Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning and Dan Pastorini, who the Oilers also took, went 1-2-3 in the first round.
The Packers waited till the 5th round, as I recall, for Scott Hunter.
While Dickey was injury prone from the get-go if he had a different fate at that time in Green Bay one can only imagine how much further the Packers may have gone in 1972-74 if he had been the Packers' qb.
Of course, the Packers did eventually get him by trade in 1976 and we know what the rest of the story there was. But passing on Dickey in the '71 draft led directly to the qb carousel in Green Bay that went on for 5 seasons and led to costly, futile trades for Jim Del Gaizo and John Hadl to cover. Add up the draft choices the Packers gave up for those two qbs and you can figure the terrible cost the club paid for that decision 52 years ago.
greengold
April 01, 2023 at 05:45 pm
And yet, Scott Hunter remains only 1 of 3 Packers QBs to have won Division Titles with the Packers since the Lombardi era!
Lol.
Really wanted to share my sentiments in hearing of John Brockington’s passing. He became legendary immediately. I’ll never forget how excited I was to see him play. Brockington never disappointed. Quite the opposite.
Anyone watching John play could never forget his smile.
John Brockington was a hero of a player & man. RIP, John.
I’d have to say in 1971, 42 was the brightest light to hit Green Bay since Vince Lombardi left to coach Washington.
Nick, I saw him in some of those cold winter wind whippers at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Ho!!! I’m cold just thinking about that.
Gil, thanks for this piece. You really captured Brockington well.
TKWorldWide
April 01, 2023 at 12:59 pm
My fandom started shortly after 42’s time with GB ended, but my dad always told me what a beast Brockington was.
I even heard that story about them no longer running his favorite play. Stupid. I guess coaches not using players according to their abilities is far from new.
NickPerry
April 01, 2023 at 01:33 pm
I made a comment in the previous story about watching Brockington play against the Vikings in 1972 as a youngster. It was at the old Metropolitan Stadium which had to be one of the absolute WORST Stadiums in NFL history IMO. Depending where you sat there was no hiding from the wind which would whip in from every corner of the stadium.
In that game I can still remember Brockington running all over the Vikings defense and Lane doing the same, both combining for over 200 yards. That was the one team other than the strike season the Packers made the playoffs after Lombardi and before Holmgren...RIP Big John...
stormin
April 01, 2023 at 04:15 pm
I was at that game also, it propelled the Packers into winning the division !
MainePackFan
April 01, 2023 at 01:55 pm
I became a Packers fan in 71. He quickly became my favorite player. I loved the one two punch with McArthur Lane. Now that was physical football. They gave us a reason for hope.
LeotisHarris
April 01, 2023 at 02:08 pm
Nice tribute, Gil.
The other factors that contributed to Brockington's drop in yardage when Starr took over had to do with Lane being traded, Gale Gillingham sitting out the 1975 season, and the new zone blocking scheme. He was a North-South runner, and he was asked to run East-West and make a cut into a hole; turned out to be a less than stellar plan.
Malland56
April 01, 2023 at 03:12 pm
I always liked him when they ran the draw play. His running up the middle with that well known high knees would just bowl people over.
lou
April 01, 2023 at 04:06 pm
The running back duo of Brockington & Lane was text book to watch and both could catch the ball as well. It had to be because of young Scott Hunter at QB and Carroll Dale on his last legs was the entire passing game although a young Rich McGeorge contributed. I believe it was when Brockington broke Ken Dyer the Bengals defensive backs neck when he was tackled that he lost some aggresiveness which certainly would be explainable and his career started going down after that, the legs never seemed to pump that high anymore. I can remember being at the game and Dyer not moving at all for the longest time. Fortunately Dyer recovered fully, never played again and had a solid NFL career as an assistant coach. The Lane for Donny Anderson trade was one of a very few that work for both sides.
greengold
April 01, 2023 at 06:10 pm
Man, I’d take Rich McGeorge on this Packers team today! Thanks for that memory, Lou.
stormin
April 01, 2023 at 04:18 pm
RIP John and thank you for all the great moments watching you !
Lphill
April 01, 2023 at 05:37 pm
RIP 42 , I wore your # 42 in high school and our colors were the same as the Packers I wore that jersey out because at the time in New York you couldn’t get an actual Packers jersey.
GregC
April 01, 2023 at 06:31 pm
Great article and great picture. I was a young child when Brockington was in his heyday. I still remember my excitement on getting his football card, back in the days when football cards could only be purchased in packages with sticks of chalky pink gum in them.
atundraman
April 01, 2023 at 06:41 pm
The game against the Bengals in 71' that Ken Dyer got hurt at was my first game ever at Lambeau. I still remember how quiet it got and how scared my Mom was when it happened.
I was 11 at the time, and when I went trick or treating that year, John Brockington answered the door at an apartment on the West side of Green Bay. I was awestruck, and still can see his tinted yellow aviator glasses that he was wearing.
Before there was Lacy, there was Brockington.
RIP John.
PackEyedOptimist
April 01, 2023 at 06:54 pm
I remember imagining myself as Brockington in our daily neighborhood games.
Leatherhead
April 01, 2023 at 07:03 pm
Brockington ran like a horse. Trained in the classic style with that high knee action. A short career. I remember he really had a grill of chiclets,too.
He and MacArthur Lane are proof that you can move the ball and score points and win games without a QB that's anything special. We were a good team in 1972, if we'd have had any kind of a QB at all.
mnbadger
April 01, 2023 at 10:10 pm
A great back with a great sidekick in Mac Lane. JB's knees were feared by the test of the NFL. I FIRST saw him play in camp Randall as a buckeye. he was a man amongst boys.
RIP JB.
A legend wherever he walked.
GPG
Starrbrite
April 01, 2023 at 10:26 pm
The Packers won in ‘72 despite Devine and Scott Hunter. They had an outstanding defense to match their pounding running game—Jim Carter wan an excellent Middle LB and we had a great secondary.
Living in North Dakota, I was subjected to Vikings games. We split with MN, but I recall Hunter threw 4 or 5 INT’s in the first contest.
The best game of the season was a win against Dallas — I can remember it to this day.
Many quotes from players have said the Packers, with decent coaching, could/should have reached the SB in ‘72.
Go Packers!!
TKWorldWide
April 02, 2023 at 08:37 am
Willie Buchanon!
LambeauPlain
April 02, 2023 at 08:42 am
1972 was a season of hope and excitement. As a kid my Dad would say "it looks like the Pack is Back" after the swoon of the Lombardi era.
Brock and Mac were one of the best RB tandems in an NFL where dominating run games were essential.
The 72 D was one of the last dominating units until the late great Fritz Schumer in the 90's. Hawg Hanner was in his first year as DC (it sadly was his best year too).
Defense struggled thereafter as the QB situation remained mostly dismal with Lynn Dickey the lone exception.
Devine's 2nd draft in 1972 had 17 players drafted and only Willie Buchannon and Chester Marcol were not busts. Devine hit his bust status a few years later.
John Brockington was a great Packer player. If you like blocking and the run game, the 1972 Packers were a joy to watch.
May God Bless your eternal soul, John.
StarrtoRodgers
April 02, 2023 at 09:49 am
John Brockington from Brooklyn, New York.
Wow!.
When the heroes of our adolescence - who seem at that time young, vibrant, strong, even herculean and larger than life and immortal - pass on, we recognize our own mortality.
Rest in Peace John Brockington.
Brings back lot of Packer memories.
John lost his kidney and received a kidney donation from his future wife Diane Scott in November 2001 and then started the John Brockington Foundation to help people with kidney disease.
John Brockington, in the immediate years - 1968-69 season through Brockington's final game as a Packers in September 1977 - following 5 championships and 6 playoff appearances in i 8 years and 3 straight NFL championships and 2 straight Super Bowl wins, was one of the Packers only offensive weapons, especially in his 1971 rookie season through 1974. .
Brockington's Ohio State was the national champion in 1968 in Brockington's sophomore year, when they beat undefeated defending National Champion USC with O J Simpson in the Rose Bowl. As a Junior, Brockington's Ohio State was top ranked until they lost their one game to Michigan in 1969 and would have been the National Champion in 1970 behind Brockington - "The Crazed Camel" -and his running against Stanford in the Rose Bowl where he scored 2 touchdowns but Stanford came back behind QB Jim Plunkett to win. Plunket won the Heisman Trophy that year. Nebraska - behind Green Bay's own Jerry Tagge, QB of Nebraska and Tagge was voted MVP of the Orange Bowl after his quarterback sneak LSU on New Year's day and Nebraska was voted National Champion.
Dan Devine was hired to be Packers General Manager and Head Coach in 1971 and he drafted Brockington in the 1st round, the 9th overall pick - Jim Plunkett was the 1st overall pick.
Brockington's best career game in terms of rushing yards - 149 yards on 23 carries November 14, 1971, but Green Bay still lost to the Vikings in Minnesota 3 to 0. There is a Brockington run at 1 minute and 16 seconds that typifies Brock's running style.
I remember the 1972 season. In April, Dan Devine drafted Nebraska QB Jerry Tagge, in the 1st round, 11th overall pick - after drafting cornerback Willie Buchanon with the 8th overall pick - to compete with Scott Hunter, Alabama QB, who Devine had drafted in 1971 in the 6th round and Frank Patrick, who Phil Bengston had drafted in the 10th round in 1970 and Bart Starr who had played sparingly in 1971 after elbow surgery. . Zeke Bratkowski, who Devine coaxed out of retirement to had gone to the Bears to be their assistant coach that season. Tagge had just led Nebraska to a 2nd consecutive National Championship and an undefeated season culminating in an Orange Bowl victory against Alabama on New Year's day 1972.
Tagge was the Green Bay native that played for Green Bay West High School to play in the NFL - Tagge as a teenager worked in concessions at Lambeau field.
Bart Starr retired in July with Dan Devine sitting one side and Bart's wife Cherry on the other..
.
Expectations for the Packers were low after missing the playoffs the last 4 years and going 4-8-2 in 1971, but Devine brought back Starr as QB coach and traded Donny Anderson for MacArthur Lane and the Packers used Brockington and Lane to run over people and the Defense still had Lombardi era Packers like Ray Nitschke (35 years old then), Dave Robinson, Robert Brown, playing well Packers were never out of a game that year and define had also drafted Chester Marcol to cure the Packers field goal kicking issues. . I remember the Monday night game against Detroit in Detroit where the Packers trailed 17 to7 at half and came back to win 24-23 with Ken Ellis returning a punt 80 yards. But the quarterbacks were terrible, the leading wide receiver in catches was Carrol Dale who was a great receiver during the Lombardi years, but Carrol had only 16 receptions. The strength of the team was its running game, special teams, and defense, especially the secondary, with Buchanon, Kenny Ellis, Al Matthews and Jim Hill.
So Brockington and Lane and the defense carried the Packers into the playoffs for the first time since Lombardi was coach and Starr was QB, but George Allen's "Over the Hill Gang" stacked the box - with 8 men at the line of scrimmage and the Packers tried Hunter couldn't hit the consequently open receivers and Devine also didn't call many passes.
The Packers were in this game nearly until the end because of great defense and special teams and although Brockington was stopped Lane got free a few times and caught some balls. THIS COULD BE WHAT WE SEE IN THE 2023 SEASON - Packers running game, special teams and defense COVERING UP for Jordan Love. Hope I am wrong and Love can have a year like Aaron Rodgers in 2008, if this ignorant emotion based trade of Rodgers goes through. .
McArthur Lane was a great blocker for Brockington and a powerful runner himself and sure handed catching the ball and after Starr traded Lane to the Chiefs in July 1975 he led the AFC one year in pass receptions and had the most yards rushing in a game for someone his age - he rushed for 144 yards when he was 36 years and 199 days old - the record still stands.
Ray Nitschke retired after the 1972 season.and Bart Starr left the Packers QB coach position for a business opportunity.
The 1973 season looked promising and hopes were high after the 10-4 finished in 1972 and the competitive playoff games. Young team, good defense, solid running game, great kicker and special teams. Devine traded for Jim Del Gaizo Miami's 3rd string QB to compete with Tagge and Hunter.. Packers drafted Barry Smith a wide receiver in the first round and linebacker Tom Macleod in the second round - both would starts. Packers had no 3rd, 4th or 5th round picks that year. Season started with Green Bay blowing out the Jets on Monday night football and the Packers were 2 wins 1 loss and 2 ties after 5 games and not given up more than 14 points in a single game, but then in game 6 against the Rams the Packers all pro corner Willie Buchanon broke this leg knocking him out for the season and things went down hill from there with the Packers going 3-6 the rest of the way.
Defense that was ranked 4th out of 26 teams fell to 14 out of 26 teams and offense fell from 11th to 22 out of 26 teams. Quaterbacking was terrible with Hunter, Tagge and Del Gaizo all starting games.
MacArthur Lane played college ball at Utah State like Jordan Love.
Packers Management always got rid of great players who were still great players just because they were older - recent examples Charles Woodson, Julius Peppers, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Clay Matthews and more. Poor judgment and bad for team morale and education of young players. .
Packers released Brockington after the first game of 1977 and he caught on with the Chiefs and joined up with Lane again.
StarrtoRodgers
April 02, 2023 at 09:52 am
This video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnvpjtEDH0A
was Brockington's best career game in terms of rushing yards - 149 yards on 23 carries November 14, 1971, but Green Bay still lost to the Vikings in Minnesota 3 to 0. There is a Brockington run at 1 minute and 16 seconds that typifies Brock's running style.
Here is a full radio broadcast of the game: Christmas Eve 1972...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=407c39Z9sEA
Video excerpts of the game here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gotmUTTmrNU
The Packers were in this game nearly until the end because of great defense and special teams and although Brockington was stopped Lane got free a few times and caught some balls. THIS COULD BE WHAT WE SEE IN THE 2023 SEASON - Packers running game, special teams and defense COVERING UP for Jordan Love. Hope I am wrong and Love can have a year like Aaron Rodgers in 2008, if this ignorant emotion based trade of Rodgers goes through. .
vin0770
April 02, 2023 at 11:40 am
Dang…I grew up watching him. I got my first concussion in HS lowering my head when about to be tackled. Sound familiar?
RIP 🙏
THESZOTMAN1
April 02, 2023 at 05:07 pm
Everybody always links Starr/Favre/Rodgers.
How about Taylor & Hornung, Lane & Brockington, and AJ and Showtime?
With Brockington-like performances from the latter, they could carry Love and Pack to playoffs.
GPG
The Szotman
SteveCheez
April 02, 2023 at 09:22 pm
I was six years old in 1971, and it was the first time I was really aware of the Packers (other than my Mom cajoling, "I bet Bart Starr eats HIS beets"). John Brockington was my absolute favorite.
He had a book-signing appearance a Prange-Way and I got my Mom to take me to see him.
35 years later after I had grown up (to some degree...) and moved out here to the coast, my wife and I saw him in Carmel. He actually spotted me because, of course, I was decked out in my green and gold. He called across a room, "Hey, Green Bay dude, do you know who I am?" I was able to immediately respond, "Yes, you're John Brockington, drafted by the Packers in 1971, the first in history with over 1,000 yards in his first three seasons. You were my favorite player when I was a kid."
He was the nicest guy, very gracious.
This was shortly after I saw the 30 for 30 on his kidney disease and miraculously finding a donor.
I still have the picture of my wife and I with him on my desk. He still had that great smile.
John, we miss you.