Jonathan Leroy Staggers, Jr. (born December 14, 1948) is an American former professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was a star football player for Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri. He starred as a running back/wide receiver at the University of Missouri before playing six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions of the NFL. He is the first cousin of tennis great Arthur Ashe.[1][2][3] His father, Jonathan Staggers, was a basketball coach at Lincoln University Hayward State University and Claflin College[4]
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 14, 1948 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Helias Catholic (MO) | ||||||||
| College: | Missouri | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1970 / round: 5 / pick: 105 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Professional career
editStaggers started his career with two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers: 1970 and 1971. The Steelers drafted him out of the University of Missouri in the 5th round (the 105th pick overall) in 1970. This was the same draft in which the Steelers picked two future Pro Football Hall of Famers: Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount.[5] Shortly before the start of the 1972 season, the Steelers waived Staggers and the Green Bay Packers claimed him on September 13, 1972.[6]
Staggers played for the Packers from 1972-1974. 1973 and 1974 proved to be the most productive seasons of his career. Staggers led the Packers both seasons in both receiving yardage and punt return yardage.[7][8] His 85 yard punt return for a touchdown against the Houston Oilers in 1972 was the longest punt return that season.[9] But with the Packers under the new management of Bart Starr, Staggers lost his wide receiver starting job to Ken Payne, and his punt return job to rookie Willard Harrell, and the Packers waived him shortly before the start of the season. The Detroit Lions claimed him off of waivers on September 22, 1975.[10][11] Staggers played in 5 games as a wide receiver for the Lions, starting in 4. Unlike with the Steelers and Packers, however, he was not used as a punt returner in Detroit.[12]
Post-career honors
editThe 1969 University of Missouri Tigers football team, of which Staggers was a member, was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. The Associated Press ranked them as the #6 team in the nation at the close of the season. The team was coached by Dan Devine, who would later coach Staggers with the Packers.[13] Staggers was one of five members of the 1969 Tigers to play in the NFL, including wide receiver Mel Gray.[14]
Post-NFL life
editAfter an injury led to his retirement from pro football, Staggers spent six years working as an actor at the American Conservatory Theater. Since 1998, he has been a Breema instructor and practitioner in the San Francisco Bay Area. He studied under spiritual teacher Dr. Jean Klein and Way of the Peaceful Warrior author Dan Millman.[15] He also serves on the Players Advisory Board of the Northern California Chapter of the National Football League Alumni.[16]
References
edit- ^ Bill Beck, "Healthy Staggers Gives Mizzou New Dimension." St. Louis Post Dispatch 14 Nov. 1967: 30. Web.
- ^ Donovan, Dan (May 18, 1972). "Ashe Builds Strong Game on Tennis Court". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- ^ countrycal (July 8, 2013). "Mizzou's Greatest, #52: Mizzou vs. Alabama, The 1968 Gator Bowl Th". SB Nation. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- ^ Bob Priddy, "Heroes and bums". The Missourinet Blog, April 13, 2014. Available online: https://blog.missourinet.com/2014/04/13/heroes-and-bums/ Archived September 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine . Downloaded August 21, 2020.
- ^ Ultimate1970s.com, "1970 Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-9-0." Available online: https://www.ultimate70s.com/nfl_roster/PIT/1970/N Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ^ Ultimate70s.com, "1972 Pittsburgh Steelers: 11-3-0". Available online: https://www.ultimate70s.com/nfl_roster/PIT/1972/N . Downloaded August 21, 2020.
- ^ Pro Football Reference.com, "1973 Green Bay Packers Statistics & Players". Available online: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/1973.htm . Downloaded August 21, 2020.
- ^ Pro Football Reference.com, "1974 Green Bay Packers Statistics and Players". Available online: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/1973.htm . Downloaded August 21, 2020.
- ^ Joe Zagorski, SEASON OF CHANGE: THE 1972 PACKERS". The Coffin Corner Annual, v. 10, 1988. Available online: http://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/10-An-358.pdf Downloaded August 21, 2020
- ^ Ultimate70s.com, "1975 Green Bay Packers: 4-10-0". Available online: https://www.ultimate70s.com/nfl_roster/GB/1975/N. Downloaded August 21, 2020.
- ^ Pro Football Reference.com. "1975 Green Bay Packers Statistics & Players". Available online: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/1975.htm . Downloaded August 21, 2020.
- ^ Pro Football Reference.com, "1975 Detroit Lions Statistics and Players". Available online: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/1975.htm. Downloaded August 21, 2020.
- ^ Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, "1969 University of Missouri Football Team". Available online: https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/1969-university-of-missouri-football-team/ . Downloaded August 22, 2020.
- ^ Sports Reference.com. "1969 Missouri Tigers: Roster". Available online: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/missouri/1969-roster.html . Downloaded August 24, 2020.
- ^ Jonathan L Staggers, LinkedIn profile. Available online: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-l-staggers-67bb7030/ Downloaded August 22, 2020.
- ^ Northern California Chapter, NFL Alumni Association, "Players Advisory Board". Available online: http://nocal.nflalumni.org/about-us/board-of-directors/[permanent dead link]. Downloaded August 22, 2020.