Jon Staggers
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Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
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| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | December 14, 1948 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Helias Catholic (Jefferson City, Missouri) | ||||||||
| College | Missouri | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1970: 5th round, 105th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Jonathan Leroy Staggers Jr. (born December 14, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was a star football player for Helias High School in Jefferson City, Missouri. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, starring as a running back/wide receiver before playing six seasons in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions. He is the first cousin of tennis great Arthur Ashe.[1][2][3] His father, Jonathan Staggers, was a basketball coach at Lincoln University Hayward State University and Claflin College[4]
Staggers started his career with two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers: 1970 and 1971. The Steelers drafted him out of the University of Missouri in the fifth round (the 105th pick overall) in 1970. This was the same draft in which the Steelers picked two future Pro Football Hall of Famers: Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount.[5] Shortly before the start of the 1972 season, the Steelers waived Staggers and the Green Bay Packers claimed him on September 13, 1972.[6]
Staggers played for the Packers from 1972 to 1974. 1973 and 1974 proved to be the most productive seasons of his career. Staggers led the Packers both seasons in both receiving yardage and punt return yardage.[7][8] His 85 yard punt return for a touchdown against the Houston Oilers in 1972 was the longest punt return that season.[9] But with the Packers under the new management of Bart Starr, Staggers lost his wide receiver starting job to Ken Payne, and his punt return job to rookie Willard Harrell, and the Packers waived him shortly before the start of the season. The Detroit Lions claimed him off of waivers on September 22, 1975.[10][11] Staggers played in five games as a wide receiver for the Lions, starting in four. Unlike with the Steelers and Packers, however, he was not used as a punt returner in Detroit.[12]