Charlie Joiner: Receiving Legend

October 14, 1947, Many, Louisiana – Charlie Joiner was born.

Charlie was a wide receiver out of Grambling State University, and the Houston Oilers used their fourth-round pick in the AFL-NFL Draft of 1969 to secure the rights of Joiner as a defensive back, according to his bio on profootballhof.com.

Charlie played bits here and there with the Oilers on defense and special teams until 1972, when he was part of a multi-player deal with Cincinnati that made him a Bengal for the next four seasons of his career. In 1976, Charlie Joiner was part of another trade in which he became a San Diego Charger. This was a tremendous boost to his career, making him a star wideout in the offense of Coach Don “Air” Coryell and with a ball slinger with the talents of one Dan Fouts. 

Charlie played a total of 18 seasons, 11 with the Chargers. When he retired, he was the NFL career leader in receptions with 750. Charlie’s total receiving yards at retirement were 12,146, and he scored 65 career TDs. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him into their museum of legends in 1996.