User:Harper J. Cole/sandbox/Triple Crown (draft)

In the National Football League (NFL) a receiver is said to have won the triple crown if they lead the league in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns within a particular season. Finishing joint first in any or all of those three categories is also considered sufficient.[1] The term triple crown has been used to describe the feat at least as far back as 1990, when it was achieved by Jerry Rice.[2]

Since the NFL began keeping statistics in 1932, the triple crown has been won sixteen times by twelve different players. This includes one player (Lance Alworth )who did so in the American Football League (AFL), the NFL having adopted AFL records when the two leagues merged in 1970.[3] Don Hutson of the Green Bay Packers is the only man to win more than one triple crown, having done so five times (1936, 1941-45). The most recent triple crown winner was Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams, in 2021.

NFL and AFL receivers who have won the triple crown

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Receiving triple crown winners
Year Name Position Team Receptions Yards Touchdowns Notes Ref
1932 Ray Flaherty End New York Giants 21 350 5 [4]
1936 Don Hutson End Green Bay Packers 34 536 8 [5]
1941 Don Hutson End Green Bay Packers 58 738 10 [6]
1942 Don Hutson End Green Bay Packers 74 1,211 17 Hutson achieved more than double the numbers of his nearest competitors in all three categories. [7]
1943 Don Hutson End Green Bay Packers 47 776 11 [8]
1944 Don Hutson End Green Bay Packers 58 866 9 [9]
1951 Elroy Hirsch End Los Angeles Rams 66 1,495 17 [10]
1953 Pete Pihos End Philadelphia Eagles 63 1,049 10 Tied with Billy Wilson for touchdowns. [11]
1959 Raymond Berry End Baltimore Colts 66 959 14 [12]
1964 Johnny Morris Flanker Chicago Bears 93 1,200 10 Tied with Bobby Mitchell for touchdowns. Surpassed by AFL receivers in all three categories. [13][14]
1965 Dave Parks End San Francisco 49ers 80 1,344 12 Tied with Bob Hayes for touchdowns. Surpassed by AFL receivers in all three categories. [15][16]
1966 Lance Alworth Flanker San Diego Chargers 73 1,383 13 AFL triple crown winner. Alworth would also win the triple crown if NFL players were included, being top in receptions and yards, while tying Bob Hayes for touchdowns. [17][18]
1990 Jerry Rice Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers 100 1,502 13 [19]
1992 Sterling Sharpe Wide Receiver Green Bay Packers 108 1,461 13 [20]
2005 Steve Smith Sr. Wide Receiver Carolina Panthers 103 1,563 12 Tied with Larry Fitzgerald for receptions; tied with Marvin Harrison for touchdowns. [21]
2021 Cooper Kupp Wide Receiver Los Angeles Rams 145 1,947 16 [22]
 
Don Hutson won four triple crowns in a row and five in total, both records.
 
In 2021, Cooper Kupp became the first triple crown winner for sixteen years.
  1. ^ Gordon, Grant. "Rams WR Cooper Kupp captures receiving triple crown". nfl.com. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  2. ^ Silver, Michael (31 December 1990). "Little fanfare after Rice makes 100th reception". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. pp. C1, C2.
  3. ^ Pavlik, Ed. "Opinion: pro football records should include the AAFC" (PDF). Pro Football Researchers. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  4. ^ "1932 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  5. ^ "1936 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  6. ^ "1941 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  7. ^ "1942 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  8. ^ "1943 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  9. ^ "1944 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  10. ^ "1951 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  11. ^ "1953 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  12. ^ "1959 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  13. ^ "1964 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  14. ^ "1965 AFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  15. ^ "1965 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  16. ^ "1966 AFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  17. ^ "1966 AFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  18. ^ "1966 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  19. ^ "1990 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  20. ^ "1992 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  21. ^ "2005 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  22. ^ "2021 NFL receiving". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.