Al Carmichael

Albert Reinhold Carmichael (November 10, 1928 – September 7, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL).

Carmichael holds the distinction of scoring the first touchdown in AFL history, a 59-yard pass reception from Frank Tripucka for the Denver Broncos against the Boston Patriots on September 9, 1960.

Early life Carmichael prepped at Gardena High School.

College career Following a three-year enlistment in the Marine Corps - he also played for the El Toro Marines, gaining about 1,000 yards in each of two years at the El Toro Marine Air Corps Station - Carmichael played one year of college football at Santa Ana Junior College. At Santa Ana, he rushed for 1,110 yards with 19 TDs to earn Little All-American honors and was on a Junior Rose Bowl squad. Carmichael then played at the University of Southern California (USC). As a Trojan, he was a three-year letter winner (1950-51-52), leading the team in rushing as a sophomore and in kick returns as a senior.

Following his playing career, Carmichael was inducted into the Green Bay Packers, Santa Ana College, All-Services and Orange County Halls of Fame.

Stunt double Carmichael was a stuntman in more than 50 films, including Jim Thorpe – All-American (1951) for Burt Lancaster (1951), Saturday's Hero (1951), All-American (1953), Pork Chop Hill (1959), It Started with a Kiss (1959), The Big Operator, Elmer Gantry (1960), one of the doubles for Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Son of Flubber (1962), How the West was Won (1962), and the TV show Rawhide.

Family Carmichael married Jan and they had three children Chris, Pam, and Stacy. He lived in Orange County working in the pool-cleaning and automobile businesses before moving to Palm Desert to sell real estate in 1984.