Richard Frederick Gordon (born January 1, 1944) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, and San Diego Chargers. After playing his option year with the Bears in 1971, Gordon became a free agent on May 1, 1972. The lateness of his signing with the Rams on October 12 after the start of the 1972 campaign was due to the uncertainty of compensation that the Bears were to receive. The Rams sent a 1974 first-round selection (20th overall–Dave Gallagher) to the Bears as compensation to complete the last of only four times the NFL exercised the Rozelle rule.[1][2][3] He was one of the fifteen plaintiffs in Mackey v. National Football League in which Judge Earl R. Larson declared that the Rozelle rule was a violation of antitrust laws on December 30, 1975.[4] In 2019, he was selected as one of the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time.
References
- ^ Mackey v. National Football League, 407 F. Supp. 1000 (D. Minn. 1975) – Justia.com. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam. "Personalities: Jackson Loses His Zip," The New York Times, Friday, October 13, 1972. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ 1974 NFL Draft Pick Transactions, January 29 (Rounds 1–5) & 30 (Rounds 6–17) – Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ Wallace, William N. "Rozelle Rule Found In Antitrust Violation," The New York Times, Wednesday, December 31, 1975. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
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