James Lofton will be joining us on our Pro Football Hall of Fame Cruise to Cozumel, Mexico! We are really excited to have him aboard our inaugural cruise – not only was he a spectacular football player, but he’s also one Hall of Famer you’d be lucky to spend a day (or five) with. With that being said, let’s get to know him a little bit. Take a look below at a brief summary of his career.
NFL Career
James Lofton was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round (6th player overall) of the 1978 NFL Draft. Known for his speed and “soft hands,” this Academic All-American choice from Stanford posed an immediate threat as a receiver in the NFL.
Although known for his time with the Green Bay Packers, Lofton also saw success with the Los Angeles Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles. In his combined 16 seasons, he caught 764 passes for 14,004 yards, averaging 18.3 yards per catch. His career-reception yardage was an NFL record at the time of his retirement. He’s also known for being the first NFL player to score a touchdown in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
During his nine seasons with the Packers, Lofton led the team in receptions each year except one and gained more than 1,000 receiving yards in five of those years. He was later traded to the Raiders in 1987 and then joined the Buffalo Bills two years following. At the age of 35, Lofton became the oldest player in league history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Bills’ receivers coach Nick Nicolau compared him to a classic car – if you care for it and change the oil, it runs forever. The same apparently applied to Lofton.
This deep-threat, speedy receiver dominated in his 13 playoff game appearances with 41 passes for 759 yards and eight touchdowns, including a seven-reception game in Super Bowl XXVI. Lofton landed himself in eight Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro four times. He also earned a spot on the 1980s All-Decade Team.
In 2003, Lofton rightfully earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can read his memorable Enshrinement Speech here.
"You can always set an example, if you do things well, the people behind and around you will attempt to simulate the things you do. You have to (do things to the best of your ability) – being an athlete, and as far as your life is concerned. Why do anything half-hearted when you have an opportunity to do it well."
Current Career
James Lofton has been the lead game analyst for Westwood One’s coverage of Sunday Night Football for the last seven years. We recently caught up with him at the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend, where he spent a couple of hours meeting and taking pictures with fans.
Join James Lofton on Our HOF Cruise!
This is your chance to set sail with James Lofton aboard our four-night cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. You’ll join Lofton – along with two other
Hall of Famers Randall McDaniel and Dan Hampton – for a cocktail reception, autograph session, dinner and more! Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be up close and personal with a Green Bay Packers legend.