Rick Upchurch
Rick Upchurch was born in Toledo, Ohio, United States on May 20th, 1952 and is the Football Player. At the age of 71, Rick Upchurch biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 71 years old, Rick Upchurch has this physical status:
Ricky "Rick" Upchurch (born May 20, 1952) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for the Denver Broncos (1975–1983) of the National Football League (NFL).
Before his NFL career, he played for Centerville Community College in Centerville, Iowa and the University of Minnesota and went to high school at Springfield High School in Holland, Ohio.
In 2000, Upchurch was named one of the 300 best NFL players of all time.In his nine NFL seasons, Upchurch excelled as a receiver and a kick returner on special teams.
In his rookie season, he rushed for 97 yards, caught 18 passes for 436 yards, returned 27 punts for 312 yards, and added another 1,014 yards returning kickoffs.
In his second season, he set an NFL record by returning four punts for touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl.
In the 1977 season, he led the NFL with 653 punt return yards and assisted his team to their first ever Super Bowl appearance.
Personal life
Upchurch dated and was briefly engaged to the former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the 1970s. She left him because, according to her biographer Marcus Mabry, "She knew the relationship wasn't going to work." He is currently married and has four children.
Pro career
Upchurch excelled as a receiver and a kick returner on special teams during his nine NFL seasons. In his rookie season, he rushed for 97 yards, intercepted eighteen passes for 436 yards, returned 27 punts for 312 yards, and finished with another 1,014 yards returning kickoffs. He set a new NFL record by returning four punts for touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl in his second season. He led the NFL with 653 punt return yards and aided his team in their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 1977. The Broncos lost Super Bowl XII to the Dallas Cowboys 27-10, but he had a good showing in the game. Upchurch had 125 total offensive yards (94 kickoff return, 22 punt return, nine receiving), as well as a Super Bowl record 67-yard kickoff return in the third quarter that tied up Denver's only touchdown of the season.
Upchurch played for the Broncos until 1983. He led the NFL in punt return average twice (1978 and 1982), and three times in the Pro Bowl (1978, 1979, 1982). He had 49 attempts for 349 yards, 267 punt returns for 3,008 yards, 248 punt returns for 3,008 yards, and 95 kickoff returns for 2,355 yards in his nine-season career. Upchurch has gained 10,081 total yards and scored 35 touchdowns: eight returning punts, 24 receiving, and three rushing. He was also selected All-Pro five times. At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL's highest punt return yards leader, and his eight punt returns for touchdowns tied the NFL record set by Jack Christiansen. He is one of five players to have a career average of over twelve yards per punt return with his 12.1 yards per punt average.
Post career
Upchurch coached football at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, following his retirement. Upchurch, a retired football coach at East High School in Pueblo, Colorado, in 2005, set a 1-19 record in his two seasons as head coach. Upchurch is based in Mesa, Nevada, and he often visits nearby towns such as St. George, Utah, and Logandale, Nevada, to sign autographs for Broncos fans. On NFL Network's NFL Top 10 Return Aces, Upchurch is rated as the sixth-greatest return specialist in NFL history.