Roy Jefferson isn’t well-remembered today, but he was one of the top receivers at the start of the Super Bowl era. Jefferson was a second round pick of both the Steelers and Chargers in 1965, back when the leagues held separate drafts. Jefferson chose to sign with Pittsburgh, and in his second season, he led the NFL with a 24.1 yards per reception average. In 1968, Jefferson led the NFL in receiving yards and scored 11 touchdowns, one behind Paul Warfield for the lead. Jefferson matched his production the next year and was a unanimous first-team All-Pro selection. But for Jefferson, personal glory was the only success he would see in Pittsburgh, as the Steelers went just 7-33-2 from ’67 to ’69.
Jefferson’s 1969 performance was interesting for another reason. He gained 44% of his team’s receiving yards, and since then, only a few other players have reached that mark:
| Player | Year | Team | Rec | Yds | TD | Perc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Burrough | 1975 | HOU | 53 | 1063 | 8 | 51% |
| Steve Smith | 2005 | CAR | 103 | 1563 | 12 | 45% |
| Santana Moss | 2005 | WAS | 84 | 1483 | 9 | 44% |
| Paul Warfield | 1971 | MIA | 43 | 996 | 11 | 44% |
| Jimmy Smith | 1999 | JAX | 116 | 1636 | 6 | 44% |
| Roy Jefferson | 1969 | PIT | 67 | 1079 | 9 | 44% |
| David Boston | 2001 | ARI | 98 | 1598 | 8 | 44% |
| Yancey Thigpen | 1997 | PIT | 79 | 1398 | 7 | 43% |
| Isaac Bruce | 1995 | STL | 119 | 1781 | 13 | 43% |
| Steve Smith | 2008 | CAR | 78 | 1421 | 6 | 43% |
| Harold Carmichael | 1978 | PHI | 55 | 1072 | 8 | 43% |
| Michael Irvin | 1995 | DAL | 111 | 1603 | 10 | 43% |
| Cliff Branch | 1974 | OAK | 60 | 1092 | 13 | 43% |
| Isaac Bruce | 1996 | STL | 84 | 1338 | 7 | 43% |
| Lee Evans | 2006 | BUF | 82 | 1292 | 8 | 42% |
| Dick Gordon | 1970 | CHI | 71 | 1026 | 13 | 42% |
| Anquan Boldin | 2003 | ARI | 101 | 1377 | 8 | 42% |
| Rod Smith | 2001 | DEN | 113 | 1343 | 11 | 42% |
| Sterling Sharpe | 1992 | GNB | 108 | 1461 | 13 | 42% |
| Michael Irvin | 1991 | DAL | 93 | 1523 | 8 | 42% |
As Steelers fans know, 1969 was a key year in the franchise’s history. It was Chuck Noll’s first season, and his first draft selection was Joe Greene. After finishing with the league’s worst record in 1969, Pittsburgh won the rights to draft Terry Bradshaw. On the field, Jefferson was the best player in Noll’s first season. But that doesn’t mean Noll and Jefferson got along.