Greg Blankenship
Encyclopedia
Gregory Allen Blankenship (born March 24, 1954) is a former American football
linebacker
who played one season in the NFL
with the Oakland Raiders
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
.
and attended Vallejo High School
.
(since renamed California State University, East Bay). As a sophomore, Blankenship was named to the third-team Associated Press small college All-America
football team in 1973. In 1974, he was named to the UPI Little All-Coast football team. After his senior season he was named to the Associated Press College Division All-America team as a first-team selection.
Blankenship has been inducted into the California State University, East Bay Athletics Hall of Fame.
, but was signed by the Oakland Raiders. He played four games for the Raiders before being cut.
He was picked up by the Steelers about a month later, primarily to serve as a special teams player. He played for the Steelers in the final six games of the 1976 season
.
Blankenship was cut by the Steelers prior to the 1977 season. He was picked up in 1978 by the British Columbia Lions
of the Canadian Football League
.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who played one season in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with 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...
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Early life
Blankenship was born in Vallejo, CaliforniaVallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
and attended Vallejo High School
Vallejo High School
Vallejo High School is a high school located in Vallejo, California. It is part of the Vallejo City Unified School District. Vallejo High has been in the heart of Vallejo for more than 100 years. It is home to many athletic teams, and home to the Vallejo High School Proud Heritage Marching Band and...
.
College football
He matriculated at Cal State-HaywardCalifornia State University, East Bay
California State University, East Bay is a public university located in the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The university, as part of the 23-campus California State University system, offers over 100 areas of study...
(since renamed California State University, East Bay). As a sophomore, Blankenship was named to the third-team Associated Press small college All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
football team in 1973. In 1974, he was named to the UPI Little All-Coast football team. After his senior season he was named to the Associated Press College Division All-America team as a first-team selection.
Blankenship has been inducted into the California State University, East Bay Athletics Hall of Fame.
Pro football career
Blankenship went undrafted in the 1976 NFL Draft1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
, but was signed by the Oakland Raiders. He played four games for the Raiders before being cut.
He was picked up by the Steelers about a month later, primarily to serve as a special teams player. He played for the Steelers in the final six games of the 1976 season
1976 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers started the season looking to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three-straight league championships...
.
Blankenship was cut by the Steelers prior to the 1977 season. He was picked up in 1978 by the British Columbia Lions
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.