Ken E. Mendenhall (born August 11, 1948) is a former American football center who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts.
 Mendenhall in 1977 | |
| No. 57 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Center |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 11, 1948 Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 242 lb (110 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Enid |
| College: | Oklahoma |
| NFL draft: | 1970 / round: 5 / pick: 116 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Biography
editKen Mendenhall was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma and grew up in Pawhuska, Osage County. He later attended Enid High School and went on to play for the University of Oklahoma, where he was "described as a devastating one-on-one blocker."[1]
As a 1969 All-American center, he was valued by his college teammates. "He's always got the path cleared for you," said tailback Steve Owens. "He's fantastic coming off the ball on a man right in front of him. I'm glad we have him up there." In fact, "he cleared the way for Owens, who is OU's all-time leading scorer" and 1969 Heisman Trophy winner.[2]
Drafted in the fifth-round of the 1970 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, Mendenhall was traded several times (including the Houston Oilers) before landing with the Baltimore Colts where he played out his 10-season career. After the Colts' 1980 season, he retired from professional football with the distinction of having "started 118 consecutive games for the Colts, beginning in the fourth game of 1973 and continuing through the last game of 1980."[3]
References
edit- ^ "All-American: Ken Mendenhall". Oklahoma Sooners Official Athletic Site. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- ^ "All-American: Ken Mendenhall". Oklahoma Sooners Official Athletic Site. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- ^ "Ken Mendenhall Quits". New York Times. July 3, 1981. Retrieved February 27, 2008.