Todd Christensen
 Todd Christensen

Todd Christensen was born in Pennsylvania while his father was working on a doctorate degree at Penn State University. After teaching in West Virginia, his father was offered a professorship in Eugene, Ore., when Todd was 5 and the family relocated.

Athletically, Christensen’s early desire was to continue excelling in track and field as he had when he set the world records as a 9-year-old boy. “Puberty and adolescence helped me realize that I was not as fast as I had thought,” he recalled. “My body went a different direction and that was when I started leaning towards football.”

At BYU, Christensen was a four-year starter (1974-77) at running back, led the team for three consecutive seasons in receiving and was a All-Western Athletic Conference selection in 1977. His career numbers while at BYU: 152 receptions, 1,586 yards and 15 touchdowns. He graduated with a degree in social work in 1978 before embarking on his pro career.

That same year, Todd was a second-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys. But after suffering a broken foot in the final exhibition game that season, he was released.

He found himself on the roster of the New York Giants in 1979 and played in one regular season game before joining the Oakland Raiders for the duration of that season and the following nine.

Todd found a home with the Raiders, but he didn't emerge as a household name until 1982. Following those years of anonymity, one sportswriter quipped, "Christensen was best known for being the answer to a trivia question: Which pro player has scored a safety, caught a touchdown pass, recovered a fumble, returned a kickoff and punt, and run from scrimmage? Now, he's simply known as one of the best tight ends in football."

Todd led the NFL in receptions in 1983 with 92 catches, more than any other tight end in a single season. Leading the Raiders in receptions from 1982 to 1986, he was a secondary's worst nightmare and a consensus All-Pro pick for four years.

Todd was a special teams captain on the 1981 team that defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl XV. The one-two punch of Christensen and Marcus Allen led the Raiders to another Super Bowl victory in 1983.

In 1987 Todd played in his fifth and last Pro Bowl game. He retired as number three on the Raiders' all-time pass-receiving and yardage-gained list.

As well known for his wit and intelligence as for his football prowess, Todd once quoted the late Walt Kelly: "Too soon we breast the tape, and too late we find the fun was in the running."

While Todd was a member of the Raiders, he and his wife invited a teammate and his wife, Burgess and Josie Owens, to Thanksgiving dinner. “My wife has this tradition of putting kernels of corn on everyone’s plate prior to eating,” he said. “We have to pick them up and say something that we are grateful for. Also dining with us that night were a couple of elders who asked Burgess and Josie some questions. The Owens were impressed with the experience and the way that we lived our lives. They were baptized on New Year’s Day in 1983.”

Before his retirement after the 1988 season, Christensen compiled some of the most impressive statistics ever posted by a tight end. He led the NFL in total receptions twice (1983, 1986), tallied 5,872 career yards in receiving, caught 52 touchdowns and was a part of Super Bowl teams in 1981 and 1984. Additionally, he was a five-time All-Pro selection. In 461 career receptions, he averaged 12.7 yards per catch.

Football has been the conduit to most of Christensen’s athletic accomplishments, but like a wayward son returning home, he has made a full circle and, at 46, has returned to competitive track and field. In 2001, he began competing on the adult track and field circuit. In March 2002, he captured the 45-49 age group indoor pentathlon in Chicago, setting a world age group record in the process. In July 2002, he competed, and won, the National Masters Decathlon Championships in Trenton, N.J. Though he didn’t set a world record at the event, he did nab the title easily.