Elvin Bethea
Encyclopedia
Elvin Lamont Bethea is a former American football
defensive end
who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers. He played for North Carolina A&T State University and was the first person from that school to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
Bethea played high school football
at Trenton Central High School
.
During his career in Houston, Bethea played in 210 games, including a stretch of 135 consecutive. He played at defensive end and guard in the 1968 season and didn’t miss a game until breaking his arm in a game against the Oakland Raiders
in 1977
. He led the team in sack
s six times, finishing his career with 105 unofficial sacks.
His career high was in 1973
with 16 sacks, which still ranks as the best in Oilers/Tennessee Titans
history. In 1976
Bethea recorded 14½ sacks, yet was not voted to the Pro Bowl. In a game against the San Diego Chargers
in 1976
, he recorded four sacks (his career high) and had one fumble recovery.
He also had 14½ sacks in 1969. Other notable seasons in terms of sacks were: 1970
and 1971
with 10½ sacks in each, 1975
with 10 and 1978
with 8. He played in the AFC Championship game
in 1978
and 1979
.
In 1975 Bethea was named All-pro by "College and Pro Football Newsweeky", the only time Bethea was a First-team All-Pro in his 16-year career. He was Second-team All-Pro in 1969, 1973, 1978 and 1979 to go with his 8 Pro Bowl selections.
Bethea was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2003. He was officially inducted during the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 3, 2003, where his college coach and presenter, Hornsby Howell, unveiled the bust of Bethea, which was sculpted by Scott Myers
.
In 2005 Bethea was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Bethea is also the author of "Smash-Mouth: My Football Journey from Trenton to Canton".
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...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
who played his entire career with the Houston Oilers. He played for North Carolina A&T State University and was the first person from that school to be elected to 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...
.
Bethea played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Trenton Central High School
Trenton Central High School
Trenton Central High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Trenton, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Trenton Public Schools....
.
During his career in Houston, Bethea played in 210 games, including a stretch of 135 consecutive. He played at defensive end and guard in the 1968 season and didn’t miss a game until breaking his arm in a game against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
. He led the team in sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s six times, finishing his career with 105 unofficial sacks.
His career high was in 1973
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
with 16 sacks, which still ranks as the best in Oilers/Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
history. In 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
Bethea recorded 14½ sacks, yet was not voted to the Pro Bowl. In a game against 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...
in 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, he recorded four sacks (his career high) and had one fumble recovery.
He also had 14½ sacks in 1969. Other notable seasons in terms of sacks were: 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
and 1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
with 10½ sacks in each, 1975
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
with 10 and 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
with 8. He played in the AFC Championship game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
in 1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
and 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
.
In 1975 Bethea was named All-pro by "College and Pro Football Newsweeky", the only time Bethea was a First-team All-Pro in his 16-year career. He was Second-team All-Pro in 1969, 1973, 1978 and 1979 to go with his 8 Pro Bowl selections.
Bethea was elected to 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 2003. He was officially inducted during the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 3, 2003, where his college coach and presenter, Hornsby Howell, unveiled the bust of Bethea, which was sculpted by Scott Myers
Scott Myers
Scott Myers is an American painter and sculptor who lives and works in Texas. He graduated Texas A&M University in 1984 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He studied sculpture throughout Italy focusing on Florence, Venice and Rome. Sculpting in Tuscany, he cast his work in bronze at the...
.
In 2005 Bethea was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Bethea is also the author of "Smash-Mouth: My Football Journey from Trenton to Canton".
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile