Jean Fugett

Jean Fugett
Born	(1951-12-16) December 16, 1951 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Former professional football player, lawyer, businessman
Years active	1972–1979 (NFL)
Known for	NFL tight end for Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins; business leadership at TLC Beatrice International Foods

Jean Schloss Fugett, Jr. (born December 16, 1951) is a former professional football player who occupied the tight end position in the National Football League (NFL), representing both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. He played collegiate football at Amherst College and subsequently embarked on careers in law and business.

Early life

Fugett was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and advanced academically by skipping two grades during his early education. Raised in the Catholic faith, he attended Cardinal Gibbons School, where he began participating in football as a senior, distinguishing himself at both tight end and defensive end positions. Graduating in 1968, he became the first African American athlete to be honored as Baltimore Catholic Athlete of the Year.

Awarded an academic scholarship to Amherst College in Massachusetts, Fugett intended to compete in both basketball and football. In his final collegiate season (1971), he led Amherst College by recording 39 catches for 635 yards and nine touchdowns, earning recognition as a Little All-American.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys selected Fugett in the thirteenth round (338th overall) of the 1972 NFL draft. Although the Cowboys usually carried just two tight ends, they added the 20-year-old rookie as a third option due to his promising abilities. In his rookie year, he served as backup to future Hall of Famer Mike Ditka, finishing with seven receptions for 94 yards, mainly utilized during passing situations.

In the 1973 campaign, after first-round pick Billy Joe DuPree assumed the starting role, Fugett remained a backup but improved his output with nine catches totaling 168 yards and three touchdowns, leading the team with an average of 18.7 yards per reception.

During the 1974 season, Fugett appeared in twelve games with two starts, accumulating four receptions for 60 yards and one touchdown. The following year, in 1975, he started nine games filling in for an injured DuPree and became the second-leading receiver on the team with 38 catches for 488 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, he started in Super Bowl X against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Washington Redskins

A court decision favoring the National Football League Players Association led to a brief introduction of free agency during the 1976 season. Taking advantage of this, Fugett signed with the Washington Redskins, seen as a successor to former All-Pro tight end Jerry Smith. Elevated to starter over Smith, he concluded the season with 27 receptions (tied for third on the team), 334 yards (third highest), and led Washington with six receiving touchdowns.

In the 1977 season, Fugett topped the team charts with 36 receptions for 631 yards, averaging 17.5 yards per catch, along with five touchdowns. He narrowly earned selection to the 1978 Pro Bowl, edging out competitor J. V. Cain based on team statistics. That offseason, Fugett underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee.

For the 1978 campaign, he started twelve out of fourteen games, recording 25 receptions for 367 yards and once again leading the team with seven receiving touchdowns.

During the 1979 season, Fugett’s playing time was curtailed by knee issues; he started six games before rookie Don Warren took over his role. Prior to the start of the 1980 season, Fugett retired after not receiving a contract offer from Washington.

NFL career statistics

Key
Bold	Denotes career best

Regular season

Season	Franchise	Appearances		Receiving Stats
		GP	GS	Receptions	Yards	Avg.	Longest	Touchdowns
1972	DAL	14	0	7	94	13.4	29	0
1973	DAL	12	0	9	168	18.7	48	3
1974	DAL	12	2	4	60	15.0	24	1
1975	DAL	14	9	38	488	12.8	54	3
1976	WAS	12	12	27	334	12.4	33	6
1977	WAS	14	14	36	631	17.5	52	5
1978	WAS	14	12	25	367	14.7	49	7
1979	WAS	11	6	10	128	12.8	30	3
Total		103	55	156	2,270	14.6	54	28

Playoffs

Season	Franchise	Appearances		Receiving Stats
		GP	GS	Receptions	Yards	Avg.	Longest	Touchdowns
1972	DAL	2	0	0	0	0.0	0	0
1973	DAL	2	0	2	37	18.5	38	0
1975	DAL	3	3	5	27	5.4	9	0
1976	WAS	1	1	4	61	15.3	20	0
Total		8	4	11	125	11.4	38	0

Personal life

During his tenure with the Redskins, Fugett pursued and completed his Juris Doctor degree at George Washington University Law School through evening classes. After concluding eight seasons in the NFL and successfully passing the Maryland bar exam, he transitioned into business alongside his brother, Reginald Lewis.

Fugett played a key role in establishing TLC Group in 1983 and took on significant leadership positions, such as Director and Vice-Chairman of McCall Pattern Company’s Management Committee, founding partner of a Baltimore-based law firm, and partner at Fanfone in Europe. After the passing of his brother in1993, Fugett assumed leadership of TLC Beatrice International Foods—then recognized as the largest black-owned and operated company in the United States—with peak revenues reaching $2.2 billion and a ranking of number 512 on Fortune’s top 1,000 corporations.

In addition to his legal and entrepreneurial endeavors, Fugett served as President of the Retired Players Steering Committee within the NFL Players Association, acted as legal advisor to Wall Street investment firm GFS Acquisition Partners, held the position of Managing Director at Axum Capital Partners, and contributed as a member of the Leadership Council for the American Diabetes Association’s Maryland Chapter.

Fugett currently resides in Baltimore with his wife Carlotta. They are parents to two sons, Joseph "Russell" and Reginald, along with a daughter Maude "Audie" Jones, who married professional baseball player Adam Jones in December 2014. The family includes five grandchildren.

He is descended from Carolyn and Jean S. Fugett, Sr., and is the grandson of Joseph R. Fugett.

External links

• Amherst’s four NFL alumni find success beyond the field
• Excelling in Football and Business: A Dual Achievement