Jon Brittenum

Jon Roger Brittenum (May 27, 1944 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the San Diego Chargers in the American Football League (AFL) for one season in 1968. He earlier played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Early life Brittenum was born in Brinkley, Arkansas, on May 27, 1944. He attended Brinkley High School in his hometown. He then studied at the University of Arkansas, He was the starting quarterback during his junior and senior seasons and was named an All-Southwest Conference in both years.

Professional career Brittenum was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the eighth round (64th overall) of the 1966 AFL Redshirt draft. He only featured on the team's practice squad,

Brittenum made his AFL debut with the Chargers on September 6, 1968, at the age of 24, in a 29–13 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. In a game on December 8 that same year, he replaced John Hadl – who completed just 9 of 25 passes and had six interceptions made off him – in the fourth quarter, but was promptly tackled in his own end zone by Buck Buchanan for a safety. The Chargers ultimately lost that game 40–3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, eliminating them from AFL Western Division contention. He was subsequently charged with misappropriating his investors' money, with 15 savings and loan associations claiming $30.6 million against his company. Brittenum faced a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, but was handed a five-year suspended sentence, 100 hours of community service, and restitution to four of his clients for $4 million. In the early 1990s, Brittenum managed a telemarketing firm based in North Little Rock.

Brittenum was selected for the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 2020, and was inducted the following year. He was also named to the Arkansas Razorbacks All-Decade team for the 1960s. He died on October 13, 2022, in South Texas. He was 78, and suffered from ill health in the years prior to his death.