Gail cogdill biography

The Lions selected Cogdill in the sixth round of the 1960 NFL draft out of Washington State and he played for them in 1960-68.

Gail Cogdill Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College ...

He caught 43 passes for 642 yards his first season and was named NFL offensive rookie of the year on his way to the Pro Bowl. Cogdill also made the Pro Bowl in 1962 and ’63.

“Gail was simply a great football player, an outstanding receiver and teammate," Hall of Fame teammate and coach Joe Schmidt said Friday. "Frankly, we didn’t take advantage of his ability.”

Cogdill's best season came in 1962, when he had career highs of 53 catches and 991 yards.

That year, he was named the Lions’ most valuable player on a team that included Hall of Famers in Schmidt, Dick “Night Train” Lane, Yale Lary and Dick LeBeau.

Cogdill finished his career with the Lions as the team’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. He ranks sixth on the team’s all-time receiving list in receptions (325), Former Lions receiver Gail Cogdill, 79, dies - The Detroit News BER