Jim Whalen obit

Former Patriots TE Jim Whalen Passed Away

 

He was not on the list.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of former Boston Patriots tight end Jim Whalen, who passed away on Tuesday, December 18. Whalen, a Gloucester, Mass. resident, was 69.

Born May 20, 1943, in Cambridge, Mass., Whalen lettered in football, baseball and hockey at Boston College before joining the Patriots as a third round draft pick in 1965. Whalen played for the Patriots from 1965-69 and led the Patriots in receptions (153) and receiving yards (2,487) during his five year career with the team. In 1968, Whalen was a consensus all-league selection and led the Patriots in receptions (47), receiving yards (718) and touchdowns (7).

Whalen is honored in Patriots annals as a member of the Patriots’ 1960s All-Decade Team: a roster which was initially selected in 1971 as the Patriots’ 10th Anniversary Team.

Whalen was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He played in the American Football League (AFL) for the Boston Patriots, and then in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles. Whalen played college football at Boston College where he was a two time First-team All-East selection and one time All-American and was selected in the third round of the 1965 AFL Draft. He was also drafted in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.

Jim Whalen is the only football player to have 3 TD receptions in a college game played at Boston College Alumni Stadium and have 3 TD receptions in a professional football game played at Boston College Alumni Stadium.[citation needed] Jim caught a team record 3 TD passes for the Boston Patriots in their 41–10 rout of the Miami Dolphins at BC on October 15, 1967. The Boston Red Sox were playing in the 1967 World Series and the Patriots had to play at Boston College for this game. Earlier in 1962 as a sophomore at Boston College, Whalen hauled in a team record three touchdown receptions in a victory against Boston University.

Whalen would become the first Patriots receiver to be accorded First-team All-Pro (1968). That same year he was voted as team MVP and would subsequently be selected as the tight end on the Patriots All-Decade Team (1960s).