Goldie Sellers
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 9, 1942 Winnsboro, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | March 29, 2020 (aged 78) Golden, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Richwood (LA) | ||||||||
| College: | Grambling State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1966: 20th round, 302 (by the Chicago Bears)[1]th pick | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1966: 8th round, 66th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Goldie Sellers (January 9, 1942 – March 28, 2020) was an American football defensive back in the American Football League (AFL). Sellers played collegiately at Grambling State University under coach Eddie Robinson. As a professional, he played four seasons as a cornerback for the Denver Broncos (1966–1967) and the Kansas City Chiefs (1968–1969). Sellers was a member of the Chiefs' Super Bowl IV-winning squad.
Early life
Sellers was born on January 9, 1942, in Winnsboro, Louisiana.[2] He attended Richwood High School, and played football under coach Mackie Freeze.[3][4]
College career
Sellers played both offense and defense at Grambling in football, under coach Eddie Robinson.[5][6][2] Sellers was named All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in 1965, as a defensive back.[3] Grambling won the SWAC championship in 1965 over Southern University.[7] Sellers intercepted a pass on a fake field goal attempt in the championship game against Southern.[8]
During his years at Grambling, Sellers's football teammates included future Pro Football Hall of fame players Buck Buchanan and Willie Brown (who also played with Sellers for the Denver Broncos in 1966), along with defensive back Nemiah Wilson (who also played with Sellers in Denver in 1966-67), among others. He also ran track at Grambling, including 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash.[5][9][10][11]
Professional career
The Denver Broncos drafted Sellers in the 8th round of the 1966 AFL draft (66th overall).[12] The Chicago Bears selected him in the 20th round of the 1966 NFL draft (302nd overall).[13] He received a bonus and a car when he signed with the Broncos.[3]
Before his 1966 rookie season, in training camp Sellers ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, while wearing his full football uniform.[14] As a rookie, Sellers started seven games at strong safety for the Broncos, with three interceptions.[15] He also led the AFL in kickoff return average, returning 19 kickoffs for a 28.5 yards per return average. He also led the league with two returns for touchdowns, and tied for the longest return (100 yards).[16] He also had an 88-yard touchdown return.[2] Through the 2024 NFL season, Sellers still held the Broncos franchise records for career kickoff returns for touchdowns (2; with Trindon Holliday), and returns for touchdowns in a single season.[17]
In 1967, he started eight games at left cornerback for the Broncos, with a team-high seven interceptions including a 47-yard touchdown return. He returned four punts and six kickoffs that year.[15][18] Sellers was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1968 along with running back Wendell Hayes for third and fourth round draft picks.[19][20] Ironically, Sellers had been beaten for three touchdown catches by the Chiefs' Otis Taylor at the end of the preceding season, for which he was lambasted by Broncos' coach Lou Saban; the only times all year the ball was successfully thrown over him.[20] He was well-liked by his Broncos teammates.[5]
Sellers started six games at left cornerback for the Chiefs in 1968, with three interceptions. He also returned one punt 76 yards for a touchdown in a game against the Boston Patriots.[21][22] In a late season game against the San Diego Chargers, he held future Hall of fame receiver Lance Alworth[23] to three catches for only 39 yards.[24] He was a member of the 1969 Chiefs' team that won Super Bowl IV, as a backup defensive back. Sellers scored a 21-yard touchdown that season, after he recovered an Essex Johnson fumble on a kickoff return in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.[25][26]
Before the start of the 1970, Chiefs' coach Hank Stram had plans to move Sellers from defensive back to wide receiver.[27] Sellers suffered a thigh injury during the 1970 training camp and was placed on injured reserve for the season. He was traded to the Houston Oilers, but was released without playing for them; and was also briefly with the Patriots, but again did not play in any games for them.[2][28]
Over his four-year NFL career, Sellers played in 55 games, starting 21 in the defensive backfield, with 13 interceptions and one returned for a touchdown. He returned 19 punts for an 11.4 yards per return average with one touchdown, and 27 kickoffs for a 26 yard per return average and two touchdowns.[15]
Personal life
After retiring from football, Sellers worked in sales for a telephone company and was a substitute teacher. Sellers and his family lived in Applewood Mesa, Jefferson County, Colorado. Sellers and his wife discovered a parcel of land there during his 1966 training camp, and built a home there a few years later.[2]
Death
Sellers died on March 28, 2020, from cancer, in Golden, Colorado.[29][15] He was survived by his wife of over 50 years, Vasa "Peaches" Sellers, whom he met as a sophomore at Grambling, and three children.[7][2]
See also
References
- ^ "1966 Chicago Bears". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2007. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Former Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs CB Goldie Sellers dies at 78 - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Grambling Dominates All-Southwestern 11". The Louisiana Weekly (New Orleans, Louisiana). January 1, 1966. p. 15.
- ^ "Richwood's legendary disciplinarian Mackie Freeze did much with little". The News Star (Monroe, Louisiana). June 27, 2008. p. 19.
- ^ a b c Klis, Mike (March 29, 2020). "Former Bronco, longtime Applewood-resident Goldie Sellers dies at 78". www.9news.com.
- ^ "Former Richwood Players Sign to Play in Pro Ranks". Alexandria News Leader (Alexandria, Louisiana). December 26, 1965. p. 13.
- ^ a b "Legendary Denver Bronco, Richwood/Grambling alum Goldie Sellers passes away". myarklamiss.com.
- ^ "Grambling Downs Southern 34–14 to Win SWAC Crown". Alexandria News Leader (Alexandria, Louisiana). November 28, 1965. p. 12.
- ^ "Junious (Buck) Buchanan | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "Willie Brown | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "Grambling's NFL honor roll". The Olympian (Olympia, Washington). October 6, 1985. p. 27.
- ^ "1966 AFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "1966 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ Harris, Andrew (August 14, 1966). "People, Places and Things, Denver "Tigers"". Alexandria News Leader (Alexandria, Louisiana). p. 9.
- ^ a b c d "Goldie Sellers Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "1966 AFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "Denver Broncos Career Kickoff Return Leaders | The Football Database". FootballDB.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "1967 Denver Broncos Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "Chiefs' Question Marks Plentiful, So Is Material". The Miami News. July 9, 1968. p. 27.
- ^ a b "KC cashing in on winter trades". The Daily Capital News (Jefferson, Missouri). August 23, 1968. p. 11.
- ^ "1968 Kansas City Chiefs Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "Chiefs Rap Pats, 31–17". The Bangor Daily News. November 18, 1968. p. 12.
- ^ "Lance Alworth | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "Defense Important Even To Offense-Minded Oakland". Grand Rapids Press (Associated Press). December 15, 1968. p. 36.
- ^ "Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs - October 26th, 1969". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
- ^ "Undefeated Raiders Confound Chargers". The Paterson News (United Press International). October 27, 1969. p. 19.
- ^ "Cardinals surprised to get Pittman, Chiefs satisfied". Jefferson City Post-Tribune (Associated Press). January 28, 1970. p. 16.
- ^ "Redskins Drop Beban As Teams Cut Rosters". The Delaware Gazette (Delaware, Ohio). September 9, 1970. p. 3.
- ^ Legwold, Jeff. "Former Broncos cornerback/kick returner Goldie Sellers dies at 78". ESPN.com.