Throwback Thursday: The Single Season Reception Record

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune recently ran an article about the evolution of the NFL's single season reception record. The Star-Tribune did so because of the Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen's potential place on it. With 103 receptions and only three games to play he'll have to pick up his pace considerably to catch Marvin Harrison's record of 143. Thielen is currently on pace for about 127 receptions which would be the fifth best total in history.

Rank Player Rec. Year Team 1 Marvin Harrison 143 2002 Ind 2 Antonio Brown 136 2015 Pit 3 Julio Jones 136 2015 Atl 4 Antonio Brown 129 2014 Pit

That's a fine group of pass catchers that Thielen could be approaching. Unless the Vikings offense really gets rolling over the final three games with new offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski calling the plays I don't think Thielen will threaten Marvin Harrison's record. However, Cris Carter's Vikings team record of 122 receptions is within reach. Thielen is currently leading the league in receptions. If he can hold that lead he could become the fourth Vikings pass catcher to lead the league. The others:

Chuck Foreman (73 in 1975)
Rickey Young (88 in 1978)
Cris Carter (122 in 1994)

Chuck Foreman's 1975 season is unique. His 1,070 yards were seven short of leading the NFC in rushing, His 22 touchdowns and 73 receptions did lead the NFC in those categories. So, Foreman was seven yards short of being the only player in league history to earn a conference Triple Crown.

But, this is supposed to be about receptions!

That brings me to the evolution of the league's single season reception record. As with all NFL statistics records it starts with 1932. That's when the league's decision-makers finally decided to keep track of what players did on the field.

Rec Player Year Team 21 Ray Flaherty 1932 New York Giants 22 John "Shipwreck" Kelly 1933 Brooklyn Dodgers 34 Don Hutson 1936 Green Bay Packers 41 Don Hutson 1937 Green Bay Packers 74 Don Hutson 1942 Green Bay Packers 77 Tom Fears 1949 Los Angeles Rams 84 Tom Fears 1950 Los Angeles Rams 92 Lionel Taylor 1960 Denver Broncos 100 Lionel Taylor 1961 Denver Broncos 101 Charley Hennigan 1964 Houston Oilers 106 Art Monk 1984 Washington Redskins 108 Sterling Sharpe 1992 Green Bay Packers 112 Sterling Sharpe 1993 Green Bay Packers 122 Cris Carter 1994 Minnesota Vikings 123 Herman Moore 1995 Detroit Lions 143 Marvin Harrison 2002 Indianapolis Colts

Don Hutson was the first receiver to dominate the league. That can be seen in the leap that the receptions record took when he started catching passes like no other. After that, it's a gradual increase until Harrison. He put the record so far out there that it looked like it could last a while. And it has. 16 years and counting. That's approaching the 20 years that Charley Hennigan held the record. With passing dominating the league more each season it's only a matter of time before someone catches Harrison. Antonio Brown and Julio Jones have come close.

This record evolution has a personal pet peeve. The NFL has long acknowledged the statistics of AFL players and teams. Lionel Taylor and Charley Hennigan accumulated their receiving numbers in the rival league. It's great that the NFL acknowledges the AFL. I just don't like that they won't show the same respect to the All-America Football Conference. I'm sure that the NFL's rationale is that they had a complete and successful merger with the AFL and only two teams (Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers) successfully came over from the AAFC. The Baltimore Colts (not the same Colts team that continues to this day) joined the NFL as well but folded after a single season. Seeing as the football talent and general circumstances were fairly jumbled following World War II the caliber of play probably wasn't all that different between the NFL and the AAFC. Yet, the NFL has never respected the play of the AAFC. Or it's players.

Anyway, this is supposed to be a look at the evolution of the NFL's single season receiving record. Not a rant about some personal issue.

This evolution clearly tracks the league's change from run-dominant to pass-dominant. In 2009, Brandon Marshall caught 21 passes in a single game to match Ray Flaherty's 1932 season total. The game has changed so much. This list also shows that the AFL was way ahead of the NFL in the passing evolution.