in 55 he was a starter at defensive end for the rams, their quarterback at the time was Norm Van Brocklin.
Quote:
Norman Mack Van Brocklin (March 15, 1926 – May 2, 1983), nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons.
He spent his first nine seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles during his final three. Following his playing career, he was the inaugural head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 1961 to 1966 and the second head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1968 to 1974.
He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
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I wish I knew about all this back when I was in high school, coach Bighead never mentioned any of it.
I'm reluctant to tell this story about him, I don't come off very well in it but what the heck:
On of my friends had brought a large bottle of tequila to school. I believe this was in 1978.
I was not a drinker at that time at all, and I don't remember if it was out of curiosity or just peer pressure, but I helped him and a few others finish it off.
My next class was health, coach Bighead's class.
He must have smelled the booze on me and he gave me a note to take to the admin office. I panicked, then he said quietly "you probably won't have time to take it there before practice and you don't want to be late for practice, so take it now but don't give it to them tomorrow. Go."
He was just getting me out of his class so he didn't have to get me in trouble. At practice he had me run stop and go's for what seemed like an hour in full pads. I puked out what was left of the ta-kill-ya and to this day can't stand the smell of it.
He retired in the 80s and moved to the Colorado river near the parker dam.
I stopped in to see him one time before he died.
He was a big man, 6'4" and well over 300# by the time he retired. That's probably why he died so young.