James Edward Orr Jr. (October 4, 1935 – October 27, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, running from 1958 to 1970.
The speedy Orr was an unrecruited walk-on at the University of Georgia in 1955 and was touted along with a fellow sophomore halfback mate as "Zip Kids." It quickly became clear that Orr's forte was as a pass receiver rather than a runner, however, and he was cast in the role of flanker in the offense.
Drafted in the late rounds by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1957 NFL draft, Orr was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of his debut 1958 season. There as a split end he set team records en route to selection as the 1958 NFL Rookie of the Year in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls. He was traded to the Baltimore Colts ahead of the 1961 NFL season.
Orr played ten years in Baltimore and became a fan favorite, with the corner of the end zone of Memorial Stadium where he caught many of his passes nicknamed "Orrsville." He retired a Super Bowl champion after the 1970 season.
Jimmy Orr was born October 4, 1935, in Seneca, South Carolina. His father, James Orr Sr., was a prominent doctor in the small community.
He attended Seneca High School where he was a star basketball player, averaging 19 points a game over his last two years and earning All-State Class A honors.
Orr only played one year of high school football, starting at quarterback. Injuries had prevented him from playing more — a broken arm one year and a broken leg another.
Despite his limited ability to get on the field, Orr's footspeed was impressive. "I had lots of scholarship offers," Orr later claimed, "but I decided to go to school to study — I wasn't going to play football at all."
Orr initially enrolled at Clemson College, the state land-grant university for whites in his home state of South Carolina, paying his own tuition.
"I guess it was family pressure that got me into that — but I spent one semester there and quit," he recalled.
A desire for athletic competition remained. He had his uncle speak with a friend who was the University of Georgia's former trainer, Neal Alford. Alford encouraged Orr to try to make the Bulldogs as a walk-on.
In the spring of 1955 Orr transferred to Georgia and walked on a spring practice. He was not only impressive enough carrying the ball at halfback that he not only made the Georgia team in 1955 but was offered an athletic scholarship beginning in 1956.
As an incoming sophomore who had never played collegiate football elsewhere, Orr was immediately eligible to play for the Georgia varsity team. He began fall practice as the #2 right halfback on the depth chart.
The situation clarified by the time of the September 17 opener against Ole Miss. Orr's erstwhile competitor at right halfback, sophomore J.B. Davis, was moved to left halfback and the two speedy youngsters were paired in a backfield immediately nicknamed "The Zip Kids" by the press. Although Georgia came up on the short end of a 26–13 score in the opener, a 27-yard pass from quarterback Dick Young to Orr set up a 46-yard aerial strike to Orr — and excitement ensued.
Orr's output in 1955 proved to be most peculiar, however. Although playing in all 10 of Georgia's games as a "halfback," he would carry the ball only 23 times, being limited to just 51 yards — a paltry average of 2.2 yards per carry. Yardage gained through the air was quite another matter, however, with Orr snaring 43 passes for 443 yards and 3 touchdowns — an impressive average of 18.5 yards per catch. Orr was quickly evolving into a "flanker back" — effectively the third receiver in a three end offense. He would make his mark in the NFL at wide receiver, not as a running back.
Orr would receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgia in 1958.
Jimmy Orr almost missed selection in the 1957 NFL draft, eventually taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the 25th round of the 30 round draft with the 291st pick overall. Orr signed his contract with the Rams at the end of June 1958.
College football reverted to the single platoon system for economic reasons in 1953 so at Georgia Orr saw game time both as a flanker on the offense and a defensive halfback on the other side of the ball. Intrigued by his speed but aware of the physical limitations of his slender body type in the violent NFL game, head coach [Sid Gillman] and the Rams attempted to cast Orr as a defensive back at the pro level. The experiment would prove short-lived.