Former Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley dies at 81

Herb Adderley (Shutterstock)

Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Herb Adderley of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania passed away at the age of 81 on Friday according to Richard Goldstein of the New York Times. Adderley played 12 seasons in the National Football League with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys from 1961 to 1972.

In 164 NFL games, Adderley had 48 interceptions for 1046 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 14 fumble recoveries for 65 yards.

Twice Adderley led the NFL in yards from an interception during a season. He had a NFL-high 175 yards from interceptions in 1965 with the Packers and then had 169 yards from interceptions in 1969.

Twice Adderley also led the NFL in touchdown from interceptions. He had one in 1962 and three in 1965.

In the seven games that Adderley had a touchdown for an interception, the Packers were undefeated as they had a record of six wins and one tie. The Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 49-0 on September 30, 1962, the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-9 on September 19, 1965, the Baltimore Colts 20-17 on September 26, 1965, the Atlanta Falcons 56-3 on October 23, 1966, the St. Louis Cardinals 31-23 on October 30, 1967, and the Falcons 28-10 on October 26, 1969. The other contest Adderley had a regular season interception for a major score came on December 19, 1965, in a 24-24 Packers tie with the San Francisco 49ers.

Adderley was a three-time Super Bowl champion. He won Super Bowl I in 1967 and Super Bowl II in 1968 with the Packers and Super Bowl VI with the Cowboys in 1972. Adderley was selected to five straight Pro Bowls and was a NFL First-Team All-Pro in 1962, 1963, 1965, and 1966. It is interesting that Adderley was a first-team All-Pro in 1962, but was not selected to play in the Pro Bowl.

Initially drafted as a running back out of Michigan State in 1961, Adderley made the transition to the defensive side of the football and became an instant star. Packers head coach Vince Lombardi reportedly later was frustrated with himself for not moving Adderley from offense to defense sooner.

In 1980, Adderley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His cousin’s grandson, Nasir Adderley, is currently a safety for the Los Angeles Chargers.

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