Jeffrey Bruce Kinney (born November 1, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL). At 6'2" and 215 lb., Kinney was selected by the Chiefs in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft with the 23rd overall pick. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.[1][2]
 Kinney (No. 35) with the Cornhuskers, c. 1970 | |||||||||
| No. 35, 31, 36 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Running back | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | November 1, 1949 Oxford, Nebraska, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | McCook (NE) | ||||||||
| College: | Nebraska | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1972 / round: 1 / pick: 23 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Early life
editBorn in Oxford, Nebraska, and raised in McCook, Kinney graduated from McCook High School in 1968 and played quarterback.[3]
Nebraska Cornhuskers
editHe played college football at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for the Cornhuskers under head coach Bob Devaney, with future head coach Tom Osborne as offensive coordinator.[4] A three-year starter (1969–71), Kinney was the tailback (I-back) on the national championship teams of 1970 and 1971, and the Huskers' leading rusher in 1969 and 1971. He wore #35, often in a tatters, as tear-away jerseys were common for collegiate offensive backs in the early 1970s.
In the "Game of the Century" against the unbeaten Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Thanksgiving Day 1971, Kinney rushed for 171 yards, 151 in the second half, on 31 carries (5.5 avg.) and scored four touchdowns, the final one with less than two minutes remaining to put Nebraska ahead 35–31, the final score.[5][6][7][8]
The Huskers went 13–0 in 1971 and were consensus national champions; they defeated the next three teams in the final AP poll: Oklahoma, Colorado (31–7 in Lincoln), and Alabama (38–6 in the Orange Bowl). The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers are considered among the most dominant teams in college football history. Kinney finished the 1971 season with 1155 yards rushing on 242 carries (4.8 avg.) and 17 touchdowns.[9]
NFL
editKinney was the second of three Nebraska Cornhuskers selected in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft; QB Jerry Tagge was taken 11th by his hometown team, the Green Bay Packers, and DT Larry Jacobson was selected by the New York Giants with the 24th overall pick, immediately after.
At the start of his fifth season in the NFL in 1976, he was released by the Chiefs after the first game and picked up by the Buffalo Bills in mid-September.[10][11] Kinney was picked up to replace the injured Jim Braxton as the blocking back for O. J. Simpson. A few weeks after being waived, Kinney gained 114 yards against the Chiefs.[12]
Kinney was waived by the Bills in August 1977,[13] and retired. After football, he worked in financial services.[3]
NFL career statistics
edit| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1972 | KAN | 9 | 2 | 38 | 122 | 3.2 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 45 | 11.3 | 19 | 0 |
| 1973 | KAN | 14 | 1 | 50 | 128 | 2.6 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 126 | 11.5 | 25 | 0 |
| 1974 | KAN | 13 | 3 | 63 | 249 | 4.0 | 21 | 0 | 18 | 105 | 5.8 | 16 | 1 |
| 1975 | KAN | 13 | 6 | 85 | 304 | 3.6 | 20 | 2 | 21 | 148 | 7.0 | 18 | 0 |
| 1976 | KAN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| BUF | 12 | 8 | 116 | 475 | 4.1 | 22 | 1 | 14 | 78 | 5.6 | 15 | 0 | |
| 62 | 20 | 353 | 1,285 | 3.6 | 22 | 5 | 68 | 502 | 7.4 | 25 | 1 | ||
References
edit- ^ Jeff Kinney at Pro Football Reference
- ^ Jeff Kinney Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine at Database Football
- ^ a b Teter, Herb (October 13, 1997). "Jeff Kinney inducted into Hall of Fame". McCook Daily Gazette. Nebraska. p. 9.
- ^ HuskerPedia.com - Jeff Kinney interview - 2004-07-02 - accessed 2009-11-09
- ^ "Jeff Kinney was Nebraska spark". Wilmington Morning Star. North Carolina. UPI. November 26, 1971. p. 2D.
- ^ "Nebraska's Kinney tramples Sooners". Sarasota Journal. Florida. Associated Press. November 26, 1971. p. 1D.
- ^ "Huskers dump Sooners". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. November 26, 1971. p. 3B.
- ^ HuskerPedia.com - NU @ OU 1971 - accessed 2009-11-06
- ^ Huskerpedia.com - 1971 NU statistics - accessed 2009-11-06
- ^ "Kinney: it's a business". Lawrence Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. September 16, 1976. p. 17.
- ^ Chick, Bob (September 27, 1976). "Kinney: O.J.'s new bodyguard". St. Petersburg Independent. Florida. p. 3C.
- ^ "O.J. is back! Bills hammer Chiefs, 50-17". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. October 4, 1976. p. 4, part 2.
- ^ "Sports transactions". The Hour. Norwalk, Connecticut. September 1, 1977. p. 29.
External links
edit- University of Nebraska Athletics – Jeff Kinney
- Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference ·