Q. You were named the American Football League’s player of the year in 1964, when you scored 155 points by catching seven touchdown passes and kicking 25 field goals and 38 extra points. Do you think today’s Patriots are cognizant of your contributions as a franchise pioneer (for the old Boston Patriots)?
A. Not really. That doesn’t bother me at all. It was a great time, a time of building the foundation. There were many adversities that we had to face, but we just accepted it.
Q. You were racking up scoring totals in the 1960s in the AFL similar to Paul Hornung’s for Green Bay in the National Football League. You led the AFL in scoring in 1961 and from 1963-66, scoring more than 100 points six straight seasons. Yet Hornung received so much more notoriety. Did that bother you?
A. No, I was just happy to be playing football. The NFL was the NFL, and we knew it. We had no illusions about being able to compete with them right away. We wanted to reach parity at some point, and I think we did in the mid-’60s. We were proud of the product we put on the field. When the Jets beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, they did us all proud. And the next year the Kansas City Chiefs took care of Minnesota in the Super Bowl.
Q. You have been doing radio color commentary on New England games since 1972. How do you think they’ll fare in Super Bowl XXXVIII?
A. I think the Pats have an excellent chance. They’re playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. Bill Belichick is just a magnificent coach. He and his defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel, know how to disrupt an opponent’s offensive plays. That’s what they’re really all about.
Q. There are no more straight-on kickers like you were. How else has pro football changed since you played?
A. The kicking aspect has changed because the hash marks have been brought in [12 feet] closer to the middle of the field. There are no angles anymore. And that’s where a soccer-style kicker would have some difficulties. Plus, the conditions of the field now are so much better, so manicured, compared to the holes and the lumps and clumps that we had as far as finding good footing. As far as the rest of the game, the speed of the players is just extraordinary.
Q. During your 11 seasons you caught 292 passes for 4,589 yards, a 15.7 average, plus 42 touchdowns. In 1964 you became the first pro football player to kick six field goals in a game. And you scored a career total of 1,130 points. What kind of money did you make playing in the AFL?
A. My first year I signed for $7,500. Then I ended my career in 1970 with my highest salary of $55,000. If I were playing today, I would go in and negotiate a contract as a receiver, then turn around and come right back in and negotiate as a kicker.
Q. You are the father-in-law of former Bears wide receiver Tom Waddle. Does that make for interesting Thanksgiving dinner conversations?
A. He’s a great son-in-law. I’m proud of what Tom was able to accomplish with the Bears, and I’m very proud of what he has done [as a sportscaster] since he retired.
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