Elvin Bethea

Elvin Bethea

Bethea playing for the Houston Oilers in 1979
No. 65
Position	Defensive end
Personal information
Born	(1946-03-01) March 1, 1946Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school	Trenton Central
College	North Carolina A&T (1964–1967)
NFL draft	1968: 3rd round, 77th overall pick
Career history
Houston Oilers (1968–1983)
Awards and highlights
2× Second-team All-Pro (1975, 1979) 8× Pro Bowl (1969, 1971–1975, 1978, 1979) Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor Tennessee Titans No. 65 retired Texas Sports Hall of Fame North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles 691 Sacks 105 Safeties 2 Fumble recoveries 16 Defensive touchdowns 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Elvin Lamont Bethea (born March 1, 1946) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 16-year career as a defensive end with the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina A&T Aggies and was the first player from the school to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2003.

Early life

Bethea was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and played high school football and track at Trenton Central High School.^[1] He set the New Jersey state record in the shot put in 1964 at 66 feet 4+1⁄2 inches (20.2 m), which stood until 1997.^[2] Bethea won the shot put and discus competitions at the Golden West Invitational track meet in 1964.^[3]

Professional career

Bethea (left) blocking a Chargers' rushing attempt during the 1979 AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

During his career in Houston, Bethea played in 210 games, including a stretch of 135 consecutive. He played at defensive end and guard in the 1968 season and did not miss a game until breaking his arm in a game against the Oakland Raiders in 1977. Bethea led the team in sacks six times, finishing his career with 105 unofficial sacks.^[4]

Bethea's career high was in 1973 with 16 sacks, which still ranks as the best in Oilers/Tennessee Titans history, a feat made more remarkable by the Oilers' 1–13 record.^[5] In 1976, he recorded 14+1⁄2 sacks, but was not voted to the Pro Bowl. In a game against the San Diego Chargers that year, Bethea recorded four sacks (his career high) and a fumble recovery.

Bethea also had 14+1⁄2 sacks in 1969. Other notable seasons in terms of sacks were: 1970 and 1971 with 10+1⁄2 sacks in each, 1975 with 10 and 1978 with eight. He played in the AFC Championship Game in 1978 and 1979.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Tackles		Fumbles
		GP	GS	Sck	Sfty	FR	Yds	Y/F	TD
1968	HOU	14	4	0.5	0	0	0	—	0
1969	HOU	14	14	14.5	1	0	0	—	0
1970	HOU	14	14	10.5	0	2	0	0.0	0
1971	HOU	14	14	10.5	0	0	0	—	0
1972	HOU	14	14	7.0	0	5	0	0.0	0
1973	HOU	14	14	16.0	0	1	0	0.0	0
1974	HOU	14	14	5.0	0	2	38	19.0	1
1975	HOU	14	14	10.0	1	0	0	—	0
1976	HOU	14	14	14.5	0	2	4	2.0	0
1977	HOU	9	9	2.0	0	1	0	0.0	0
1978	HOU	16	16	8.0	0	1	0	0.0	0
1979	HOU	14	14	1.5	0	1	0	0.0	0
1980	HOU	14	12	2.0	0	1	0	0.0	0
1981	HOU	15	14	2.0	0	0	0	—	0
1982	HOU	9	0	1.0	0	0	0	—	0
1983	HOU	7	0	0.0	0	0	0	—	0
Career		210	181	105.0	2	16	42	2.6	1

Postseason

Year	Team	Games		Sck
		GP	GS
1969	HOU	1	1	1.0
1978	HOU	3	3	2.0
1979	HOU	3	3	2.0
1980	HOU	1	1	2.0
Career		8	8	7.0

Awards and honors

Bethea was Second-team All-Pro in 1969, 1973, 1978 and 1979 to go with his eight Pro Bowl selections.

Bethea was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He was officially inducted during the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 3, 2003,^[6] where his college coach and presenter, Hornsby Howell, unveiled the bust of Bethea,^[7] which was sculpted by Scott Myers.

In 2005, Bethea was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame ^[8]

Book

Bethea is the author of Smash-Mouth: My Football Journey from Trenton to Canton.^[9]

References

1. Elvin Bethea, database Football. Accessed November 26, 2007.
2. http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2003_3677140/pro-football-hall-of-fame-star-track-shot-put-cham.html
3. "2000 GWI Results". Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
4. profootballhof.com
5. Member – Pro Football Hall of Fame
6. "Years - Hall of Famers | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
7. "Photo Gallery » Class of 2003. Enshrinement Day » Class of 2003. Enshrinement Day". Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
8. "Tar Heel Blue CSTV.com". Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
9. Bethea, Elvin (2005). Smash Mouth: My Football Journey from Trenton to Canton. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 158261881X. Retrieved February 19, 2016.

External links

• Member profile – Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Media related to Elvin Bethea at Wikimedia Commons