NFF Hall of Famer Rich McGeorge Passes Away
McGeorge redefined the tight end position as a two-time First-Team All-American at Elon.
IRVING, TEXAS (Dec. 24, 2025) – Rich McGeorge, a 2012 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductee who played tight end at Elon from 1966 to 1969, passed away Dec. 20. He was 77.
“Rich McGeorge represented the very best of college football as a player, later devoting his life to the game as a coach,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “As Elon’s first College Football Hall of Famer, he was a true pioneer whose impact transformed the tight end position and elevated his university onto the national stage. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all who were touched by his remarkable legacy.”
For the 1960s, Rich McGeorge was a very different tight end. In an era where tight ends were primary blockers, McGeorge was the main target for the Elon passing offense.
As Elon’s first player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, McGeorge rewrote the school’s receiving records book by setting school career records in receptions (224), yards (3,486) and touchdowns (31).
McGeorge set many records his junior year, including single-game records with 15 catches, 285 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He also set single-season records that same year, leading the league with 65 grabs for 1,081 yards and a 117.1 receiving yards per game average. He twice earned First Team All-America honors as well as First Team Academic All-America accolades.
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.
Chosen with the 16th overall pick of the 1970 NFL Draft, McGeorge enjoyed a nine-year career with the Green Bay Packers, earning the team’s Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1973.
He went on to a coaching career that included stops at Duke, Florida, North Carolina Central, Shaw, and the Miami Dolphins. He also served as the state chairperson for the Muscular Dystrophy Society of Wisconsin from 1975-78. McGeorge is a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard. McGeorge was inducted into the Elon University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979, the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1980 and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Elon retired his number “85” football jersey.
Born Sept. 14, 1948, McGeorge got his start at Jefferson High School in Roanoke, Virginia. 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).
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