Henry Jordan
Encyclopedia
Henry Wendell Jordan was an American football
defensive tackle who played for two teams, the Green Bay Packers
and the Cleveland Browns
, during his thirteen-year National Football League
career. He played in the NFL from 1957 to 1969.
Jordan attended Warwick High School
in Newport News, Virginia
. He played college football
at the University of Virginia
, where he was the captain of the football team as a senior. He was also a runner-up in the 1957 NCAA wrestling championships. He was a member of the Beta Chapter of Sigma Nu Fraternity at UVA. Jordan was drafted in the fifth round of the 1957 NFL Draft
by the Cleveland Browns
, who traded him two years later to the Green Bay Packers
for a fourth round draft choice. At Green Bay, Jordan was elected to four Pro Bowl
s (1960, 1961 1963 and 1966), and he was the Pro Bowl MVP in 1961. Jordan was All-NFL six times, and he was a defensive leader on a Green Bay Packers team that played in six NFL title games and won the first two Super Bowl
s.
Jordan retired after an injury-filled 1969 season. He went on to Milwaukee to create and oversee Summerfest
.
Jordan died of a heart attack on February 21, 1977, at age of 42. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1995. He is survived by his wife Olive, and three children: Henry Jr., Theresa, and Suzanne.
The athletic field at Warwick High School was named in his honor in 2000.
In May 2009, he was named to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, which honors athletes, coaches and administrators who contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia.
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 tackle who played for two teams, the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, during his thirteen-year National Football League
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...
career. He played in the NFL from 1957 to 1969.
Jordan attended Warwick High School
Warwick High School (Newport News)
Warwick High School is a high school in Newport News, Virginia. Warwick is the oldest of five high schools in the city and has been home to the Newport News Centre for the International Baccalaureate program since 1996. The school's sports teams are known as the Raiders, previously the Farmers...
in Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where he was the captain of the football team as a senior. He was also a runner-up in the 1957 NCAA wrestling championships. He was a member of the Beta Chapter of Sigma Nu Fraternity at UVA. Jordan was drafted in the fifth round of the 1957 NFL Draft
1957 NFL Draft
The 1957 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1956.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who traded him two years later to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
for a fourth round draft choice. At Green Bay, Jordan was elected to four 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 (1960, 1961 1963 and 1966), and he was the Pro Bowl MVP in 1961. Jordan was All-NFL six times, and he was a defensive leader on a Green Bay Packers team that played in six NFL title games and won the first two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s.
Jordan retired after an injury-filled 1969 season. He went on to Milwaukee to create and oversee Summerfest
Summerfest
Summerfest is a yearly music festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually...
.
Jordan died of a heart attack on February 21, 1977, at age of 42. He 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 1995. He is survived by his wife Olive, and three children: Henry Jr., Theresa, and Suzanne.
The athletic field at Warwick High School was named in his honor in 2000.
In May 2009, he was named to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, which honors athletes, coaches and administrators who contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia.
External links
- http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=110
- http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JORDAHEN01
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/JordHe00.htm
- Henry Jordan football cards