Lance Alworth Lance Dwight Alworth ( born August 3 , 1940 ) is a former American football wide receiver . He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame . He retired as a player after the 1972 season . Early life . Born in Houston , Alworth was raised in Brookhaven , Mississippi , where he played football at Brookhaven High School before attending the University of Arkansas . While in high school , he earned fifteen letters . Alworth ' s sister Ann was fast enough in the 50 and 75 - yard dash in track to be invited to the Olympic Games trials , though she declined the invitation . After high school , Alworth was offered contracts by New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates . At Arkansas , the six - foot ( 1 . 83 m ) , 180 - pound ( 82 kg ) Alworth was a flanker who led all colleges in punt return yardage in 1960 and 1961 . He also was a track star , running the 100 and 200 - yard dashes ( in 10 . 6 seconds and 21 . 2 seconds , respectively ) and long jump . Alworth was a three - time Academic All - American , graduating with a degree in marketing as a pre - law student . In 1962 , Alworth was on multiple All - American teams : " Look " magazine , Associated Press , United Press International and Coaches . He is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity . Alworth is a member of the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame ; he was named to the University of Arkansas ' 1960 ' s All - Decade Team , and the school ' s All - Century Team in 1994 . San Diego Chargers . He was taken 8th overall in the first round of the 1962 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers . The American Football League ' s Oakland Raiders drafted him as their first pick ( ninth overall ) in the second round of the 1962 " AFL " draft , and then traded his rights to the San Diego Chargers in return for halfback Bo Roberson , quarterback Hunter Enis , and offensive tackle Gene Selawski . Alworth opted to sign with the Chargers instead of the 49ers . The Chargers moved Alworth to wide receiver . His slender build , speed , grace , and leaping ability earned him the nickname " Bambi . " Alworth was an AFL Western Division All - Star in seven consecutive seasons , from 1963 through 1969 , and was an AFL All - League flanker the same seven seasons , selected by his peers from 1963 - 1966 , and by newspaper wire services from 1967 - 1964 . Alworth was the UPI ' s 1969 AFL Most Valuable Player and is a member of the AFL All - Time Team . He scored on a 48 - yard touchdown pass in the Chargers ' 1963 AFL Championship Game victory over the Boston Patriots . In Alworth ' s 8 AFL seasons , he led the league in receiving yards and receptions three times . He also set a Chargers record with 83 touchdowns . He held records for the most consecutive games with a reception ( 96 ) , most seasons with over 1 , 000 receiving yards ( 7 ) and still holds the record for the most games with 200 + yards receiving ( 5 ) and was the only receiver to average more than 100 yards a game in three consecutive seasons ( 1964 – 1966 ) . He remains the fastest player in AFL / NFL history to reach 4 , 000 ( 42 GP ) , 5 , 000 ( 52 GP ) , 6 , 000 ( 62 GP ) , 7 , 000 ( 73 GP ) , 8 , 000 ( 83 GP ) and 9 , 000 ( 97 GP ) receiving yards in his career . Alworth formed a formidable tandem with Chargers quarterback John Hadl , and is considered by many to be the best wide receiver in all professional football during the 1960s . He was one of the few American Football League stars to be featured on the cover of " Sports Illustrated " ( " SI " ) , which like other media of the 1960s , showed a distinct bias for the NFL . " SI " even went so far in 1969 as to declare Alworth " " Pro Football ' s Top Receiver " " , this , a year before the AFL - NFL merger , and two years before the Common Draft , before which many claimed the AFL had inferior players . Trade to Dallas Cowboys . On May 19 , 1971 , Alworth was traded to the Dallas Cowboys , for his final two seasons . In exchange , the Chargers received Tony Liscio , Pettis Norman , and Ron East . In Super Bowl VI , he caught a touchdown pass for the Cowboys in a 24 - 3 victory over the Miami Dolphins . Alworth would later call the two receptions he made in Super Bowl VI ( one that converted a third and long and the other for the touchdown ) the two most important catches of his career . Legacy . Alworth finished his 11 AFL / NFL seasons with 543 receptions for 10 , 266 yards . He also rushed for 129 yards , returned 29 punts for 309 yards , gained 216 yards on 10 kickoff returns , and scored 87 touchdowns ( 85 receiving and 2 rushing ) . In 1972 , he was inducted to the San Diego Hall of Champions . In 1977 , he was inducted in the Chargers Hall of Fame . In 1978 he became the first San Diego Charger and the first player who had played in the AFL to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . He chose to be presented at the Canton , Ohio ceremony by Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis , his former position coach at San Diego , who had much to do with the success of the AFL . Alworth ' s number 19 was retired by the Chargers in 2005 . In 1970 , he was selected as a member of the AFL All - Time Team , and in 1994 , he was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All - Time Team , the only player to be named to both teams . In 1988 , he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame . In 1999 , he was ranked number 31 on " The Sporting News " ' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players , making him the highest - ranking Charger and the highest - ranking player to have spent more than one season in the AFL .