Chris Burford

Christopher William Burford III (born January 31, 1938) is an American former professional football player who played wide receiver in the American Football League. He played college football for the Stanford Indians, serving as team captain and leading the NCAA in receptions with 61 in 1959. He was selected in the first round of the 1960 AFL draft by the Dallas Texans.

As a rookie in 1960, Burford caught 46 passes for 789 yards and five touchdowns. One of those scores, in the Texans' first game, was both the first touchdown and the first points of any kind in franchise history — a 21-yard pass from quarterback Cotton Davidson. In 1961, he improved to 51 receptions for 850 yards and five touchdowns, earning All-Star honors. In 1962, he played just 11 games and missed the AFL title run after suffering a severe knee injury, but still caught 45 passes for 645 yards and a league-high 12 touchdowns to earn All-AFL honors. In 1963, he set a career high with 68 receptions for 824 yards.