Pete Retzlaff

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Retzlaff's career began with a unique irony: he never recorded a single pass reception during his two years of college football at South Dakota State College (SDSU), yet he became a professional star defined by that very skill. Selected in the 1953 draft by Detroit but cut, he joined the Eagles after two years in the U.S. Army. In 1958, teammate and quarterback Norm Van Brocklin suggested Retzlaff play split end because he ran patterns like Elroy Hirsch. That season, despite his college history, Retzlaff tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Raymond Berry for the league lead with 56 pass receptions. Fellow Hall of Fame linebacker Maxie Baughan noted that Retzlaff was one of the first tight ends to function effectively as both a receiver and a blocker, forcing defenses to adjust their coverage strategies. His route-running prowess made him difficult to cover; Dallas Cowboys safety Mel Renfro specifically found it hard to defend against him.

In Their Own Story

The 1965 season stands as a testament to Retzlaff's grit, though the source describes his pain with stark physical detail rather than abstract praise. He played the entire year with an injury to his heels, stating he ended up with "21 holes" in them while using Novocain on game days and skipping practice before games. This toughness yielded a Bert Bell Award for NFL player of the year after he recorded 66 receptions for 1,190 yards and 10 touchdowns. The narrative of his career also includes his off-field leadership; alongside Norm Van Brocklin and Kyle Rote, Retzlaff helped form the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) in the late 1950s to establish a player pension fund with Commissioner Bert Bell. He served as an organizer and past president of the union. His transition from player to executive saw him draft Harold Carmichael in 1971 during his tenure as general manager, a move that eventually saw Carmichael pass Retzlaff for career catches and yards by an Eagle.

Reader's Guide

To understand Pete Retzlaff's impact, look at the numbers: 452 career receptions for 7,412 yards with only four fumbles lost. He was the seventh receiver in history to reach 450 catches at the time of his record-setting era. His versatility earned him first-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press, UPI, and NEA in 1965, and second-team selections in 1963 and 1965 (the latter noted as a source inconsistency, listing two teams for one year). He was named first-team All-Conference by The Sporting News in 1958 and from 1963 to 1965. His jersey number 44 is retired by the Eagles; while he held the all-time record upon retirement, he remained third in receptions and second in yards at his death in 2020 after being passed by Harold Carmichael. Beyond the gridiron, Retzlaff was a track star at SDSU, setting 16 school records and winning two NAIA national championships each in shot put and discus in 1953.

Did You Know?

• Retzlaff never caught a single pass during his two years of college football at South Dakota State College before becoming an NFL star.
• He played the entire 1965 season with heel injuries that left him with '21 holes,' using Novocain on game days.
• In 1953, he set school, NCC, and NAIA records in both shot put and discus while leading SDSU to a national team title in track.
• He was one of the early leaders who formed the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and served as its president.
• Retzlaff's number 44 jersey is retired by the Eagles; he held all-time career records for catches and yards until being passed by Harold Carmichael.