Elon College tight end, Green Bay Packers tight end….NFL First Round Draft Pick…So many great things you could say about the former Elon College football player, who we used to watch playing on Monday Night Football, in the National Football League…Excellent receiver and blocker, and he played college basketball at Elon too…Plus he was from nearby Roanoke, Virginia….See More in Rich McGeorge below from the Elon University website, and from WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia…He was one of the BEST all-time….Rich McGeorge….RIP
from Elon University Athletics:
Richard “Rich” McGeorge ’72, one of Elon University’s most distinguished athletes and a cherished figure in both collegiate and professional football, died December 20 at the age of 77. He is remembered for a life defined by perseverance, leadership and deep devotion to the people and institutions he loved.
Born in Roanoke, Virginia, McGeorge arrived at Elon College in the late 1960s and quickly became a transformational force on the football field. As a tight end under legendary coach Red Wilson, he rewrote Elon’s receiving records book, ending his career as the school’s career record-holder with 224 receptions for 3,486 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also set single-season marks with 65 grabs for 1,081 yards, and single-game records with 15 catches, 285 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He was the MVP in the Carolinas Conference twice while setting school, conference, district and NAIA national records during his four-year career.
In addition to playing football, McGeorge was also a standout member of Elon’s basketball team, scoring 1,044 points in 76 games and being named All-Conference (Carolinas Conference) in 1969. His career field goal percentage of .589 ranks second in Elon men’s basketball history.
As both a junior and senior, he received the prestigious Elon Athletics Stein H. Basnight Outstanding Athlete Award.
McGeorge was named a two-time first-team All-American and an Academic All-American, helping to elevate Elon’s national profile and inspiring generations of athletes who followed him.
His extraordinary collegiate career caught the attention of the NFL. In 1970, the Green Bay Packers selected McGeorge in the first round of the NFL draft. He became a favorite target of quarterback Scott Hunter and a reliable, tough and intelligent presence on the field. He played nine seasons at Green Bay and was the team’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1973. As one of the NFL’s most respected tight ends of the era, McGeorge caught 175 passes for 2,370 yards and 13 touchdowns in his pro career. Considered both a premier receiver and blocker, McGeorge pulled in more passes (175) than any other tight end in Green Bay’s annals. At the end of his career, only six players in the storied franchise’s 60-year history had caught more passes.
After retiring as a player, McGeorge found what many who knew him believed to be his true calling: coaching and mentorship. He held assistant coaching positions at Duke, under Red Wilson, and at Duke and Florida under Steve Spurrier, with the Miami Dolphins under Don Shula and Jimmie Johnson, and then later again at Duke under Carl Franks. He finished his coaching career under coaches Rod Broadway and Darrell Asberry at North Carolina Central and Shaw, respectively.
McGeorge was inducted into the Elon Sports Hall of Fame in 1979, the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1980, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012, and in 2013, Elon celebrated McGeorge’s induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, recognizing not only his athletic achievements but also his lasting influence on the state’s sporting legacy.
At Elon, McGeorge has long been remembered as one of the most dominant football players in school history, and as someone who carried the spirit of the university into every chapter of his life. Elon retired his number “85” football jersey, and he was the featured speaker at the groundbreaking for Rhodes Stadium in 2000. He and his wife, Bonnie Moore McGeorge ’70, were elected to the Elon Alumni Board in 2006. A display recognizing his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is located in the Woods Center at Rhodes Stadium.
McGeorge is survived by his wife, Bonnie; his sons, Randy McGeorge (Kim) and Jason McGeorge (Diane); his grandchildren, Cameron McGeorge, Colin McGeorge, Madison McGeorge, Molly McGeorge, and Emily McGeorge; and his two sisters-in-law, Gayle McGeorge and Patsy Jenkins (Dan).
Clements Funeral and Cremation Services, 1105 Broad St., Durham, is handling arrangements. A visitation and memorial service are scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 23. The visitation will be held from 1-3 p.m., followed immediately by a memorial service from 3-4 p.m.
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Roanoke’s own Richard Eugene McGeorge, a former NFL tight end for the Green Bay Packers and a graduate of Jefferson High School, passed away at 77 on Saturday, December 20, 2025, according to his obituary.
Born on September 14, 1948, he played basketball and football at Jefferson High School. He played both sports at Elon College in the late 1960s, where he holds a school career record with 224 receptions for 3,486 yards and 31 touchdowns on the gridiron.
In basketball, he compiled 1,044 career points and 688 rebounds. He also had a shooting percentage of 58.9, a school record that stood for 42 years, according to Elon University.
He was drafted 16th overall in the first round as a tight end for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Draft, and he played in the league for nine years.
McGeorge went into coaching in his post-NFL career, working at Duke and the University of Florida as part of the coaching staff under Steve Spurrier. He also was on Don Shula and Jimmie Johnson’s staff at Miami. He finished his coaching career North Carolina Central and Shaw, his obituary said.
He’s survived by his wife, Bonnie McGeorge; his sons, Randy McGeorge (Kim) and Jason McGeorge (Diane).
McGeorge’s family urges the public to consider organ donation, as he was a recipient of a donation that extended his life.