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Jerry Mays (defensive lineman)
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Jerry Mays (defensive lineman)
Gerald Avery "Jerry" Mays (November 24, 1939 – July 17, 1994) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle and defensive end for 10 years with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs. He played in the American Football League (AFL) for the first nine years, before playing his final season (1970) in the National Football League (NFL) after the AFL-NFL merger. Mays was an AFL All-Star and All-AFL selection on multiple occasions, and was named by the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the AFL's All-Time Team. Mays played on three AFL championships teams. He played in Super Bowls I and IV. He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, and was a first-team All-Southwest Conference selection his senior year, even though his team was winless that season.
Mays was born on November 24, 1939, in Dallas, Texas to Avery Mays and Eva Blanche (Ponder) Mays. Avery was a builder and real estate developer in Dallas and served as a Dallas Chamber of Commerce president and on the board of Lone Star Gas Company, among many other public and private leadership positions. Avery Mays also unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Dallas. Mays had one older sister, Joyce (Mays) Thompson a public school teacher in Dallas. Mays started working for his father at nine years old. Growing up he worked after school and during the summers cleaning up construction sites for his father's company, Mays Construction Co.[citation needed]
Mays attended Sunset High School in Dallas. At Sunset, Mays was student body president, senior class president, a Lt. Governor of Texas' Boys State, and a member of the National Honor Society. He played on the football team, where he was an All-State lineman in 1956. He was captain of the football team. Mays led Sunset to the Sanger Trophy, awarded to the Dallas high school football team having the best record. Mays also threw the shot put on Sunset's track and field team, and came in second in a statewide track meet in the shot put.
Mays attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, where he served as co-captain for the Mustangs and earned Associated Press (AP) first-team All-Southwest Conference honors at defensive tackle in 1960, alongside future Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Bob Lilly of Texas Christian University. Mays was selected to the All-Southwest Conference team his senior year despite SMU failing to win a single game during the season; and was the only SMU player who was named to the first or second team. One of his college teammates was future NFL quarterback and television commentator Don Meredith. Mays played in the East West Shrine Game.
Mays was a straight-A student, graduating with honors, while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He graduated with the highest grades among the civil engineering students at SMU. He was a member of the Blue Key Honor Society, an honor given to students for their all-around excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. He was twice named an Academic All-American and received the Earl Blaik National Scholar Athlete award.
The American Football League's (AFL) Dallas Texans drafted Mays in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL draft (38th overall). The National Football League's (NFL) Minnesota Vikings drafted him in the 11th round of the 1961 NFL draft (141st overall). The Texans signed Mays in mid-January 1961. Mays turned down the Vikings in order to play near his home in Dallas. In addition, the Vikings were an expansion team entering their first year of existence when they drafted Mays; and the Texans, although only one-year old themselves, had been 8–6 in their 1960 inaugural season.
In 1961, Mays started four games as a rookie, playing on the defensive line as an end and tackle under future Hall of Fame head coach Hank Stram (who would be Mays's only head coach during his entire career). In 1962, he became a full-time starter on the Chiefs' defensive line at right defensive tackle. Stram believed Mays had the quickness, speed, size and strength to excel at defensive tackle or end; and combined determination and a joy for the game with his natural abilities. Quarterback sacks did not become an official statistic in the NFL until 1982. Mays is unofficially credited with 4.5 sacks in 1962.
The Sporting News named Mays All-AFL first team in 1962, and the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) named him second-team All-AFL. He was also selected to the West Division All-Star Team at defensive tackle. The Texans won the AFL's West Division and defeated the Houston Oilers in the 1962 AFL Championship game in double overtime, 20–17, with Mays starting at right defensive tackle.
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Jerry Mays (defensive lineman)
Gerald Avery "Jerry" Mays (November 24, 1939 – July 17, 1994) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle and defensive end for 10 years with the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs. He played in the American Football League (AFL) for the first nine years, before playing his final season (1970) in the National Football League (NFL) after the AFL-NFL merger. Mays was an AFL All-Star and All-AFL selection on multiple occasions, and was named by the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the AFL's All-Time Team. Mays played on three AFL championships teams. He played in Super Bowls I and IV. He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, and was a first-team All-Southwest Conference selection his senior year, even though his team was winless that season.
Mays was born on November 24, 1939, in Dallas, Texas to Avery Mays and Eva Blanche (Ponder) Mays. Avery was a builder and real estate developer in Dallas and served as a Dallas Chamber of Commerce president and on the board of Lone Star Gas Company, among many other public and private leadership positions. Avery Mays also unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Dallas. Mays had one older sister, Joyce (Mays) Thompson a public school teacher in Dallas. Mays started working for his father at nine years old. Growing up he worked after school and during the summers cleaning up construction sites for his father's company, Mays Construction Co.[citation needed]
Mays attended Sunset High School in Dallas. At Sunset, Mays was student body president, senior class president, a Lt. Governor of Texas' Boys State, and a member of the National Honor Society. He played on the football team, where he was an All-State lineman in 1956. He was captain of the football team. Mays led Sunset to the Sanger Trophy, awarded to the Dallas high school football team having the best record. Mays also threw the shot put on Sunset's track and field team, and came in second in a statewide track meet in the shot put.
Mays attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, where he served as co-captain for the Mustangs and earned Associated Press (AP) first-team All-Southwest Conference honors at defensive tackle in 1960, alongside future Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Bob Lilly of Texas Christian University. Mays was selected to the All-Southwest Conference team his senior year despite SMU failing to win a single game during the season; and was the only SMU player who was named to the first or second team. One of his college teammates was future NFL quarterback and television commentator Don Meredith. Mays played in the East West Shrine Game.
Mays was a straight-A student, graduating with honors, while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He graduated with the highest grades among the civil engineering students at SMU. He was a member of the Blue Key Honor Society, an honor given to students for their all-around excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service. He was twice named an Academic All-American and received the Earl Blaik National Scholar Athlete award.
The American Football League's (AFL) Dallas Texans drafted Mays in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL draft (38th overall). The National Football League's (NFL) Minnesota Vikings drafted him in the 11th round of the 1961 NFL draft (141st overall). The Texans signed Mays in mid-January 1961. Mays turned down the Vikings in order to play near his home in Dallas. In addition, the Vikings were an expansion team entering their first year of existence when they drafted Mays; and the Texans, although only one-year old themselves, had been 8–6 in their 1960 inaugural season.
In 1961, Mays started four games as a rookie, playing on the defensive line as an end and tackle under future Hall of Fame head coach Hank Stram (who would be Mays's only head coach during his entire career). In 1962, he became a full-time starter on the Chiefs' defensive line at right defensive tackle. Stram believed Mays had the quickness, speed, size and strength to excel at defensive tackle or end; and combined determination and a joy for the game with his natural abilities. Quarterback sacks did not become an official statistic in the NFL until 1982. Mays is unofficially credited with 4.5 sacks in 1962.
The Sporting News named Mays All-AFL first team in 1962, and the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) named him second-team All-AFL. He was also selected to the West Division All-Star Team at defensive tackle. The Texans won the AFL's West Division and defeated the Houston Oilers in the 1962 AFL Championship game in double overtime, 20–17, with Mays starting at right defensive tackle.