White Oak’s Max McGee Becomes One of First Big East Texas Legends

He did not even expect to play. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Max McGee walked into Super Bowl I in 1966 having broken curfew and didn't even bring out his helmet to play against the Kansas City Chiefs. But, oh, how things would change.

Packers starting receiver Boyd Dowler was injured early in the first quarter, so McGee had to borrow a teammate's helmet and entered the game.

A few plays later, he made a one-handed catch and ran 37 yards to paydirt, scoring the first touchdown in Super Bowl history. He would finish the Super Bowl with more catches, yards and touchdowns than the entire regular season.

Plus, he left a Super Bowl champion.

Where He Came From

Max McGee was born in Sexton City just outside of Overton and went to school in White Oak. In high school he immediately established himself as one of the state's best running backs -- before Kenneth Hall became a household name.

McGee became the first running back in Texas high school football history to surpass 3,000 yards rushing in a season, totaling 3,048 his senior year in 1949.

After High School

McGee played college ball at Tulane and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1954 NFL Draft. He punted and played receiver his rookie season before serving in the U.S. Air Force for two years. He returned to the Packers and played until 1967.

His last two seasons, he won Super Bowl rings. He finished with 345 career receptions for 6,346 yards and 50 touchdowns. McGee, who is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, didn't stop there; he was the color commentator on the radio broadcasts of Packers games from 1979-1998.

McGee died in 2007 at the age of 75, forever remembered as one of the early greats of East Texas football.