Hoyle John Granger ( ; Retrieved July 29, 2020 born March 7, 1944) is a former collegiate and professional
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
player in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. He played his college football at
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
1967
Events
January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 5
** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...
and
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Janu ...
.
Early life
Hoyle John Granger was born on March 7, 1944. He was a two-time all-state halfback for Oberlin High School (1960, 61). The Oberlin High football team finished as Class B state runners-up in 1958 and 1959 and were Class B State Champions in 1961, the school's only football state title to date. He was named the Class B MVP in 1961 after scoring 199 points and averaging 12.5 yards per carry that season.
College
Hoyle attended Mississippi State University out of high school and was a three-time letter winner and three-time all-conference halfback during his time in Starkville from 1963 to 1965. Granger finished his career at
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
third all-time on the school's rushing leaders list (now 25th).
Pro career
Granger was drafted as the first pick of the fifth-round (37th Overall) of the 1966 AFL Draft by the
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
. Granger rushed for 388 yards and one touchdown in his rookie season while also accounting for 104 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. In his second season in 1967 he moved to fullback and had a break-out season, rushing the ball 236 times for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns plus 300 yards and three touchdowns receiving. He was named an AFL All-Star that year and led the league in yards from scrimmage that season with 1,494 and was second in rushing yards. He was named an AFL All-Star again in 1968, 848 yards and seven touchdowns, finishing fourth in the league in rushing yards that year. In 1969, Granger rushed for 740 yards and three touchdowns rushing and 330 yards and one touchdown receiving. Granger accounted for only 287 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown for the Oilers in 1970. He spent the 1971 season with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
before returning to the
Oilers
Oiler may refer to:
Ships
* Replenishment oiler
* Tanker (ship)
Sports
* Cape Breton Oilers, a former American Hockey League team
* City Oilers, Ugandan basketball team
* Edmonton Oilers, a National Hockey League team based in Edmonton, Alberta, ...
in 1972, which was his final season in professional football. In his career, Granger accounted for 4,992 yards from scrimmage and 24 total touchdowns.
Accomplishments
*Louisiana Class B All-State halfback (1960, 61)
*1961 Louisiana Class B MVP
*Louisiana Class B State Champion (1961)
*All- SEC halfback (1963–65)
* AFL All-Star (1967, 68)
*1968 AFL yards from scrimmage leader
*Currently ranks sixth all-time in rushing yards for the
Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
/
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
*Inducted to the
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is located in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum – Natchitoches in a new facility in the downtown historic district in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After years of planning and con ...
Allen Parish
Allen Parish (french: Paroisse d'Allen) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,764. The parish seat is Oberlin and the largest city is Oakdale. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisia ...