Great Tight Ends of the 1970s…Who Are Not in the Hall of Fame

By Joe Zagorski 

When you think of the 1970s in the NFL, you undoubtedly think of the great quarterbacks and running backs and wide receivers of the decade. But there are also a great number of tight ends who distinguished themselves during the 1970s as they made a bunch of headlines and starred in some important games. No, none of the names in the following list ever made it to the steps of Canton, Ohio (the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame). 

But they all succeeded in the important roles that their teams required them to play.  It is worthy to note that this list does not come in a ranking order, expressing one tight end as better than another. That is for you, the reader, to decide.  This is also not a complete list, as there may be other tight ends who were just as vital to their clubs as the men listed below were to theirs during the 1970s.

The first tight end on this list of great tight ends of the 1970s who are not in the Hall of Fame is Raymond Chester, who played for the Oakland Raiders (1970-1972 and 1978 to 1981) and the Baltimore Colts (1973-1977). Chester was one of the best pass-catching tight ends on this list, and perhaps of all time. 

He caught 364 passes during his time in the NFL, worth 5,013 yards and 48 touchdowns. Chester stood 6-foot-3 and weighed 232 pounds, but those dimensions were somewhat misleading. Chester displayed a thin frame, and at times, he resembled the look of a Kellen Winslow…before there was a Kellen Winslow. He was as dependable as they came, as he only missed four games in his 12-year career. 

The next tight end of the 1970s to speak highly of is Russ Francis, who like Raymond Chester played for more than one team, and eventually returned to his original team. Francis came into the league as a member of the New England Patriots in 1975. He was 6-6, 240, and was loaded with prototypical talent.  Francis showcased his abilities right from the get-go, as he caught 35 passes for the run-happy Patriots in his rookie season. 

He would end up playing a total of eight and one-half years in New England (1975-80 and 1987-1988) and five and one-half seasons in San Francisco (1982-1987), where he was a member of the 49ers’ Super Bowl XIX Championship team. Francis finished his 13-year pro career with 393 receptions worth 5,262 total yards and 40 touchdown catches.  Probably the only thing that has kept him out of the Hall of Fame were his numerous injuries throughout his career.

Big Jim Mitchell of the Atlanta Falcons is the next tight end on this list, and believe me, he was a load.  He stood 6-1 and weighed 234, but if he hit you, it usually felt like he weighed even more than that.  But Mitchell was much more than just a blocking-type of tight end. He also had a great pair of hands.  He ended up catching 309 passes for 4,358 yards by the time that he retired following the 1979 season.  He also scored a total of 31 touchdowns as a pro.  

He did not have the opportunity to experience much winning during his 11-year pro career (all with the Falcons). But when he finally got a chance to play in the NFL postseason in 1978, Mitchell was a vital weapon for his team. In Atlanta’s first playoff game ever against the Philadelphia Eagles, Mitchell scored the first playoff touchdown in Atlanta history, as the Falcons prevailed, 14-13. Jim Mitchell is indeed one of the most underrated tight ends in NFL history.

The next tight end on this list of great tight ends enjoyed much more success than Mitchell. Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich of the Miami Dolphins (6-2, 224) was fortunate to be a member of the right team at the right time. But it is important to note that he earned the right to be there. The Dolphins of the early 1970s were one of the strongest teams in the NFL at that time, as evidenced by their triumphant consecutive World Championships in 1972 and 1973. 

Even though Miami was primarily a running team, Mandich contributed greatly to his offense by catching practically everything that his quarterbacks threw at him. Like most of the tight ends on this list, Mandich rarely dropped a pass. He finished his nine-year career with 121 receptions, worth 1,406 yards.  He also scored 23 touchdowns, and he only fumbled once as a pro. Mandich completed his playing days as a member of the Super Bowl XIII Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in 1978, thereby giving him three Super Bowl rings.

The next great tight end on this list was a hybrid of sorts. He was a man who played both as a tight end and as a wide receiver all throughout his 13-year NFL career. Rich Caster (6-5, 228) was probably the fastest player on this list.  He played for four different teams, including the New York Jets, the Houston Oilers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Washington Redskins. 

But it was with the Jets that most pro football historians and fans remember him. Caster was like a gazelle. Once he caught the ball, and if he had a step on a defender, chances were good that he was not going to be caught. He pulled in a total of 322 passes during his career, worth 5,515 yards. He averaged over 20 yards per reception in three different years (1970, 1972, and 1977), and he scored a total of 45 touchdowns. Rich Caster finally claimed that most treasured of items – a Super Bowl ring – as a member of the 1982 Redskins.  

The next two great tight ends both came into the league in the same year (1973), and both had outstanding rookie seasons. Charle Young of the Philadelphia Eagles and Billy Joe DuPree of the Dallas Cowboys were similar in their physiques. Young (6-4, 234) had perhaps the biggest hands of anyone in this list of great tight ends. DuPree (6-4, 225) was a strong blocker who was also adept at playing on various special teams units for the Cowboys. 

Young would be named the league’s All-Pro tight end as a rookie, something that rarely happens in the NFL, regardless of what position a player plays. He eventually wore the uniform of four different teams (Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, and Seattle) during his 13-year career. By the time that he hung up his shoulder pads for good, Young had accumulated 418 pass receptions worth 5,106 yards and 28 total touchdowns. Young played in Super Bowl XIV with the Rams (a 31-19 loss to Pittsburgh) and in Super Bowl XVI with the 49ers (a 26-21 victory over Cincinnati).

Billy Joe DuPree played in three Super Bowls with the Cowboys (X, XII, and XIII), winning one (XII). He spent his rookie year playing on special teams almost as much as he played tight end. He even managed to block a punt against the New York Giants which was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by one of his teammates.  

But DuPree’s true worth to Dallas was at the tight end position. Like Young, DuPree also owned a pair of large hands, which were quite helpful in catching passes. He caught 267 passes for 3,565 yards and 42 total touchdowns during his 11-year career, all with the Cowboys. He was not the fastest tight end on this list, but his sturdy frame usually meant that it was going to take more than one defender to tackle him. 

Jerry Smith of the Washington Redskins is the next player on this listing of great tight ends who are not currently a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Smith did not possess large hands, but he certainly owned a pair of sure hands. He was one of the most dependable pass catchers in the entire league during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. He was one of those great “team players” that were prevalent in the era in which he played.  

He would accept any role that his coaches required of him, from being a starter, to being a backup, to going on special teams…all without complaining one bit.  That is commendable in any period. Smith finished his 13-year pro career (all with the Redskins) with 421 receptions, worth 5,496 yards, and an incredible 60 total touchdowns. Smith certainly knew how to navigate zone defenses and get open, didn’t he?  In the middle of his career, Smith was a valuable member of Washington’s NFC Championship team of 1972.’

The final great tight end on this list is former Denver Bronco, Riley Odoms. The Broncos had what appeared to be an extra offensive lineman in Odoms (6-4, 230), whose blocking ability was as good or better than any other tight end listed above. But like Jim Mitchell, Odoms also was nimble in his moves, and he could either plow through attempted tacklers, or gingerly sidestep them. 

Few are the pass catchers in pro football history who are proficient at both of those abilities, but Odoms was certainly one of them. Indeed, it was Odoms’ moves in the open field that enabled him to register some exemplary statistics throughout his 12-year career (all with Denver).  Odoms would catch 396 passes for an incredible 5,755 yards.  He also crossed the goal line 41 times for the Broncos.

Will any of the tight ends listed above ever get enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?  Considering all the competition in the Veterans category, it would indeed be difficult for any of the above players to don a gold Hall of Fame jacket anytime soon. But that will not erase the fact that these men have done great honor to their position of tight end, and they have greatly enhanced the stories and histories of their teams throughout their playing days.

Joe Zagorski is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Pro Football Researchers Association.  His upcoming book on the 1973 Buffalo Bills, entitled The 2,003-Yard Odyssey: The Juice, The Electric Company, and an Epic Run For a Record, will be released later in 2023 by Austin-Macauley publishers (New York).