Charlie Hennigan Charles Taylor Hennigan , Sr . , known as Charlie Hennigan ( born March 19 , 1935 ) , is a retired American football player with the former Houston Oilers who resides in Shreveport , Louisiana . Born in Bienville in Bienville Parish in north Louisiana , Hennigan grew up in nearby Minden , the seat of Webster Parish , located thirty miles east of Shreveport . His father , Clarence Roland Hennigan ( 1905 – 1992 ) , was still a sheriff ' s deputy when he died at the age of eighty - seven . His mother , Lura E . Hennigan ( 1916 – 1997 ) , was a Pentecostal minister , piano teacher , and artist . She wrote a regular column entitled " The Abundant Life " for the " Minden Press - Herald " . Hennigan graduated in 1953 from Minden High School , where he excelled in football , basketball , and track as well as academics . Minden , a small city , produced other successful athletes too , including David Allen Lee ( born 1943 ) , the punter for the Baltimore Colts from 1966 – 1978 , and Fred Haynes ( 1946 – 2006 ) , the holder of many football records as the quarterback at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge during the late 1960s . Hennigan attended LSU on a track scholarship but wanted to play football . He therefore transferred to Northwestern State University ( then Northwestern State College ) in Natchitoches , where he became the star of the team . In 1960 , he joined the American Football League ' s Houston Oilers in the team ' s first year of operation . Prior to joining the Oilers , he had taught high school biology at a salary of some $ 2 , 700 per year . He kept his teacher pay stub in his helmet to remind him that he must succeed in pro athletes . Hennigan scored the first touchdown in Oilers history . After a promising rookie season , in 1961 he started all 14 games and established himself as a superstar in the AFL by gaining 1 , 746 yards receiving , a pro - football record that stood for 34 years . One of quarterback George Blanda ’ s main targets , Hennigan was the second professional football player to catch more than a hundred passes in a single season ( 101 in 1964 ) and to twice gain over 1 , 500 yards receiving ( 1961 and 1964 ) . He holds the all - time records for most games in a season with over 200 yards receiving with three , and most games in a season with over 100 yards receiving with 11 . Hennigan had the All - time AFL single game record of 272 yards receiving , against the Boston Patriots on October 13 , 1961 . Hennigan was selected by his peers as a Sporting News AFL All - League offensive end in 1961 , 1962 , and 1964 . He was an American Football League Eastern Division All - Star five straight years ( 1961 - 1965 ) , and retired after the 1966 season . He was selected to the All - Time All - AFL Second Team . Hall of Famer Willie Brown was originally signed by the Oilers in 1963 , but was cut during training camp . On the 2009 Showtime series " " , George Blanda tells this story : " " Willie couldn ' t cover Charley Hennigan in practice , so he was let go , and the Broncos picked him up . The next year we played Denver , and Charley needed nine catches to break Lionel Taylor ' s record of 100 receptions in a season . Charley got the nine he needed , with Willie covering him . Willie ' s in the Hall of Fame . Charley Hennigan should be , too . " " On January 19 , 1962 , Minden observed " Charlie Hennigan " Day . Then State Senator Harold Montgomery , State Representative , Parey Branton , Mayor Frank T . Norman , and other local officials presented Hennigan with a signed document of his accomplishments . A luncheon and evening meal were served in his honor . In 1967 , Hennigan received his doctorate in education from the University of Houston . Hennigan operates an educational tutoring service in Shreveport and works with prisoners seeking the General Equivalency Diploma ( GED ) . Hennigan has seven children , the oldest being Charles , Jr . , who was born in Natchitoches in 1957 . On April 6 , 2002 , Hennigan , a Democrat , ran in a special election for Place 8 on the Caddo Parish Commission , his parish ' s governing body . He was defeated by Republican Michael Long . Long obtained 2 , 139 votes ( 74 . 9 percent ) to Hennigan ' s 716 ballots ( 25 . 1 percent ) .