What makes Harold Carmichael a Hall of Famer?
Unprecedented production. Remarkable consistency. Incredible durability.
Carmichael spent the 1971 through 1983 seasons with the Eagles, and for much of that period he was the best receiver in football.
Despite playing before the advent of the high-octane passing game, Carmichael caught nearly 600 passes for nearly 9,000 yards and 79 touchdowns.
During the 10 years from 1973 through 1982, no wide receiver had more catches, more yards or more touchdowns or played more games.
This fall, Carmichael will formally be enshrined alongside the greatest players in NFL history at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
He is one of the best of all-time. And here are the numbers to prove it:
DRAFTED IN WHAT ROUND? Some 35 years after he retired, Carmichael’s 79 TD catches are 4th-most in NFL history by a player drafted in the 7th round or later, behind only Don Maynard (88), Mark Clayton (84) and Art Powell (81). His 590 catches are 10th-most ever by a player drafted in the 7th round or later, and his 8,985 yards are 9th-most.
GOOD LUCK CATCHING HAROLD TODAY: To put Carmichael’s 79 TD catches in perspective, the only active player who has more is Larry Fitzgerald.
5TH-MOST CATCHES IN HISTORY: At the time he retired in 1984, Carmichael had the 5th-most catches in NFL history, behind Hall of Famers Charlie Joiner (657), Charley Taylor (659) and Maynard (631). As recently as 1992 he was still in the all-time top 10.
35 YEARS LATER, HE’S WHERE? Carmichael is still 24th in NFL history with his 79 TD catches. Since Carmichael played his final game in an Eagles uniform in 1983, only Mike Quick (47) has even half as many among Eagles receivers. Jeremy Maclin is next with 36.
CRAZY STREAK: Carmichael was one of only four NFL players with 11 straight 500-yard receiving seasons up through 1983. That streak remains 15th-longest in NFL history.
HISTORIC STREAK: Carmichael had 10 straight seasons with at least 5 touchdown catches, something only Don Hutson and Maynard already did in the first 70 years of the NFL’s existence. The next player to do it was Jerry Rice from 1986 through 1996.
BEST IN THE LEAGUE: During the 11-year span from 1973 through 1983, Carmichael led the NFL in yards (8,414), touchdowns (77) and catches (549). No other WR was within 10 TDs of Carmichael during that 11-year period.
PLAYOFF STUD: The most under-rated aspect of Carmichael’s career was his postseason performance. Carmichael had 29 catches for 465 yards and six TDs in seven postseason games. He caught TD passes in four straight playoff games, tying Lynn Swann’s NFL record, and to this day only nine players have had longer streaks.
ELITE COMPANY: Carmichael’s 66.4 yards per game in the postseason was 13th-highest at the point he retired. He had four postseason games with at least 80 receiving yards. Nobody else in Eagles history has more than two (Fred Barnett, DeSean Jackson, Keith Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, Todd Pinkston).
ONE OF THE BEST EVER: Carmichael is one of only 13 players in NFL history with at least 400 postseason yards, six or more TD catches and 16 yards per catch. Among the others are Randy Moss, James Lofton, Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Pearson.
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