Charlie Joiner
Encyclopedia
Charles B. Joiner Jr. is a former American football
player who starred in professional football for eighteen seasons, virtually exclusively at the position of wide receiver
. He retired with the most career receptions
, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1996. Joiner is currently the wide receivers coach of the San Diego Chargers
. He was hired by the Chargers on January 23, 2008, following seven seasons in the same coaching position with the Kansas City Chiefs
.
Joiner graduated from Grambling State University
in 1969 and was drafted in the fourth round by the American Football League
's Houston Oilers. He started his career as a defensive back
, but he made the switch to wide receiver in his rookie year after being carted off the field from a hit by Denver Broncos running back Floyd Little
. Joiner played for Houston until 1972, when he was traded to Cincinnati. From 1972 to 1975 he played for the Cincinnati Bengals
. In 1975 he was traded to the San Diego Chargers
, with whom he remained for eleven seasons before retiring as a player after the 1986 season. Before leaving the Bengals, he set a franchise record with 200 receiving yards in a single game.
It was with the Chargers' high flying "Air Coryell" offense under coach Don Coryell
that Joiner had his most productive years, exceeding 1,000 yards receiving in a season four times and going to three Pro Bowl
s (1976, 1979–80). Joiner was selected All-Pro in 1980 and 2nd Team All-AFC in 1976. Although he never played in a Super Bowl, Joiner helped the Chargers reach the AFC title game in the 1980 and 1981 seasons. In the 1980 AFC championship game, he caught 6 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. In January 1982, he played a key role in San Diego's 41-38 divisional postseason overtime win over the Miami Dolphins
in a game that is known in NFL Lore as The Epic In Miami
. Joiner caught 7 passes for 108 yards in the game, including 2 key receptions on his team's game winning drive in overtime. His 29-yard reception on the penultimate play of the game set up the winning field goal.
Joiner finished his 18 AFL/NFL seasons with 750 receptions for 12,146 yards and 65 touchdowns. He retired as the then-NFL leader in career receptions, yards, and games played by a wide receiver (239). Joiner credited his success and longevity to Coryell: "Thanks to Coach Coryell’s offense and his revolutionary passing game, he prolonged my career, from the day I got to the Chargers until the day I retired. I will forever be grateful to him and what he did for the game of football.”
In addition to good health and longevity, Joiner was an intelligent player and precise pass route runner. Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh called Joiner "the most intelligent, the smartest, the most calculating receiver the game has ever known." Following his playing career, Joiner successfully transitioned into a receiver's coach with the Kansas City Chiefs
and the San Diego Chargers
. Joiner was the last former American Football League
player (Oilers, 1969) to retire from Professional Football, in 1986.
In 1999, he was ranked number 100 on The Sporting News
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who starred in professional football for eighteen seasons, virtually exclusively at the position of wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
. He retired with the most career receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1996. Joiner is currently the wide receivers coach of the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was hired by the Chargers on January 23, 2008, following seven seasons in the same coaching position with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
Joiner graduated from Grambling State University
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
in 1969 and was drafted in the fourth round by the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Houston Oilers. He started his career as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, but he made the switch to wide receiver in his rookie year after being carted off the field from a hit by Denver Broncos running back Floyd Little
Floyd Little
Floyd Douglas Little is a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, and was a three-time American football All-American running back at Syracuse University. In 1967 he was the 6th selection of the first common AFL-NFL draft...
. Joiner played for Houston until 1972, when he was traded to Cincinnati. From 1972 to 1975 he played for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. In 1975 he was traded to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, with whom he remained for eleven seasons before retiring as a player after the 1986 season. Before leaving the Bengals, he set a franchise record with 200 receiving yards in a single game.
It was with the Chargers' high flying "Air Coryell" offense under coach Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
that Joiner had his most productive years, exceeding 1,000 yards receiving in a season four times and going to three Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s (1976, 1979–80). Joiner was selected All-Pro in 1980 and 2nd Team All-AFC in 1976. Although he never played in a Super Bowl, Joiner helped the Chargers reach the AFC title game in the 1980 and 1981 seasons. In the 1980 AFC championship game, he caught 6 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns. In January 1982, he played a key role in San Diego's 41-38 divisional postseason overtime win over the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a game that is known in NFL Lore as The Epic In Miami
The Epic in Miami
The Epic in Miami is the name given to a National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl...
. Joiner caught 7 passes for 108 yards in the game, including 2 key receptions on his team's game winning drive in overtime. His 29-yard reception on the penultimate play of the game set up the winning field goal.
Joiner finished his 18 AFL/NFL seasons with 750 receptions for 12,146 yards and 65 touchdowns. He retired as the then-NFL leader in career receptions, yards, and games played by a wide receiver (239). Joiner credited his success and longevity to Coryell: "Thanks to Coach Coryell’s offense and his revolutionary passing game, he prolonged my career, from the day I got to the Chargers until the day I retired. I will forever be grateful to him and what he did for the game of football.”
In addition to good health and longevity, Joiner was an intelligent player and precise pass route runner. Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh called Joiner "the most intelligent, the smartest, the most calculating receiver the game has ever known." Following his playing career, Joiner successfully transitioned into a receiver's coach with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Joiner was the last former American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
player (Oilers, 1969) to retire from Professional Football, in 1986.
In 1999, he was ranked number 100 on The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Joiner's 1972 Topps football card
- San Diego Chargers bio