Lee Folkins
| No. 81, 83, 80, 84 | |
| Date of birth | July 4, 1939 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Wallace, Idaho |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Tight end |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| College | Washington |
| High school | Roosevelt High School |
| NFL draft | 1961 / Round: 6 / Pick: 82 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| (1961) | Green Bay Packers |
| (1962–1964) | Dallas Cowboys |
| (1965) | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career stats | |
| Receiving yards | 1,040 |
| Receptions | 80 |
| Receiving TDs | 10 |
| Punting yards | 497 |
| Games played | 63 |
| |
Lloyd Leroy Folkins (born July 4, 1939) is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League from 1961-1965 for the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at the University of Washington and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1961 NFL Draft. Folkins went to one Pro Bowl in 1963.
Early years
He attended Roosevelt High School before signing with the University of Washington.
He started as a sophomore playing both offense and defense, standing out as an offensive end, where he eventually formed a massive duo with John Meyers, with both standing 6–5 and over 200 pounds each.
In 1959 he helped the Huskies reach the 1960 Rose Bowl, winning it for the first time in school history, with a 44-8 upset against the University of Wisconsin.
In 1960 he was a preseason All American candidate and again helped the Huskies reach the 1961 Rose Bowl, which they won 17-7 against the University of Minnesota.
Professional career
Green Bay Packers
Folkins was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1961 NFL Draft. He was converted to play tight end and was a reserve behind Ron Kramer. Folkins was part of the Packers 1961 World NFL Championship Team, but spent most of his time playing special teams.
During the 1962 offseason, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for an eighth-round draft choice.
Dallas Cowboys
Folkins started the 1962 season as the backup for Pettis Norman at tight end, but by the fourth game he had won the starter position and developed into a very good pass receiver, catching 39 receptions for 536 yards and six touchdowns.
He made the Pro Bowl in 1963 after making 31 catches for 407 yards and 4 touchdowns, becoming part of the franchise's legacy of Pro Bowl tight ends that includes: Jim Doran, Dick Bielski, Mike Ditka, Billy Joe Dupree, Jackie Smith, Doug Cosbie, Jay Novacek and Jason Witten.
After catching 70 passes his first two seasons in Dallas, Folkins caught only five passes in 1964 due to injury. Eventually he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the start of the 1965 season for a 12th-round draft choice.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Folkins didn't have a big impact with the Steelers because of recurring injuries, but he played a part in beating the Cowboys that season, he recovered a Bob Hayes kickoff fumble that he returned for a touchdown and afterwards tossed the ball to a surprised Tom Landry.
After playing in only 8 games and catching just five receptions, he decided to the retire at the end of the 1965 season, after playing in the NFL for five years, with 80 receptions for 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns.
References
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