This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.
This is Norm Van Brocklin of the Philadelphia Eagles. In a few moments I'll tell you about my greatest sports thrill.
This is Harry Whismur. What you're about to hear is a transcribed story of one of pro football's outstanding players and an event our special guest, Norm Van Brocklin, considers his greatest sports thrill.
And Norm himself is here to tell us all about it. But first, here is Bill Raddick with a message of interest from your United States Air Force.
In every sport, the importance of initiative cannot be overemphasized.
Recent servicemen, be sure you take the initiative today concerning your career.
It will really pay you to take a new look at your future in the United States Air Force. Here's why.
The new age of space is just beginning. It will be an exciting era full of challenge and promise.
Quite naturally, the Air Force will be on top of many new space age innovations as they're developed.
For this reason, the Air Force needs skilled tacticians now.
If your specialty is needed, and it may be, you'll have an important job with a guaranteed future.
You'll find the Air Force is anxious to advance you according to your abilities.
Remember, your service gained skills are more important now where the age of space is now, in the United States Air Force.
See your local Air Force recruiter for full details on a great future in the new age of space.
And now, back to Harry Wismer.
To many people who have been there, only two unforgettable events have taken place in the history of the Los Angeles Coliseum.
This is the stadium which has accommodated such spectacles as the Olympic Games, a 9 3 tenths, 100 yard dash by Mel Patton,
an earthquake which shifted 90,000 fans six inches towards Santa Monica, and an escaped lion that was stalked by hundreds of deputies.
However, by general acclamation, one of the two greatest events was the cross field sprint at a 1952 pro football game by Marilyn Monroe against the winds.
The other occurred in a game involving the Los Angeles Rams and more specifically, Norm Van Brocklin, their second string quarterback.
The Detroit Lions were leading 3-0 in the first period on October the 29th, 1950 when Bob Waterfield, suffering one of his rare off days,
was replaced by his lanky, freckle-faced understudy.
Norm Van Brocklin was nervous, he fumbled twice and passed wildly, but the Rams rallied around their sophomore relief quarterback and at half time had built up a 24-10 lead.
For the first time since he joined the club a year earlier, the Dutchman came into his own.
For the first time he stopped being a pale reflection of the gifted Bob Waterfield.
The second half went like this, 31-yard pass to Elroy Hirsch, 43 yards to Glenn Davis, 30 yards to Tom Beers, 42 yards to Bob Boyd, all in one period and all for touchdowns.
Van Brocklin later connected on a fifth touchdown pass that day, tying the club record held by the great Waterfield.
That was in 1950, in nine years with the Los Angeles Rams, before he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the spring of 1958.
Norm Van Brocklin was the National Football League's leading passer three times and finished second twice.
Only Sammy Ball and Bobby Lane have passed for more yardage.
No currently active quarterback has a higher efficiency rating in the league than Norm Van Brocklin.
His lifetime mark of 55.3% is the third highest in history.
Only the great Sammy Ball and Otto Graham topped that figure.
It was mere luck that Norman Van Brocklin landed at the University of Oregon.
He attended high school at Walnut Creek, California, not much more than passing distance from the University of California campus.
The natural thing would have been to register at California or at least another of that state's big schools.
But somehow he was overlooked in the scouting reports.
In 1947, Oregon football underwent an electrifying change and an unknown from Walnut Creek, California suddenly became the most talked about athlete in the state.
Van Brocklin led the Coast Conference in passing for two straight seasons.
Oregon won nine of ten in 1948 and went on to the Cotton Bowl on January the 1st, 1949.
Norman Van Brocklin reported to the Rams to find Clark Shaughnessy, the first of four head coaches he played under with the Rams, well-staffed at quarterback.
Why Shaughnessy kept him has always been a puzzle to Van Brocklin, although Norm thinks it might have been his ability to kick.
Using him only in spots in the first year, Shaughnessy was made to look good when the rookie pulled three crucial games out of the fire.
Norm's 32 completions and 58 attempts was a shade higher than Waterfield's, who threw nearly five times his many passes.
When Jim Hardy was traded to the Cardinals, the stage was set for a Waterfield-Van Brocklin battle for the number one job.
The friendly rivalry between Waterfield and Van Brocklin took a slightly awkward turn when the understudy beat out the master in 1950 for the National Football League Passing Championship
and also edged him on touchdown tosses 18 to 11.
The next season it took three decimal points to separate them, Waterfield holding the edge.
The 1952 season provided the final showdown, and Bob Waterfield Day at the Los Angeles Coliseum on December the 14th,
with 74,000 fans out to honor the captain, Coach Hampton Poole opened the game with Waterfield at quarterback.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were the opponents. Van Brocklin got his chance late in the first half and proceeded to steal Waterfield's game.
He completed 17 passes for three touchdowns, sinking the Steelers 28 to 14, and clinched his second Pro Passing crown.
That made certain the retirement of Bob Waterfield, a proud man whose lifetime record of 99 touchdowns by passing, was surpassed by Van Brocklin in 1957.
Since 1953, the first year he had the number one quarterback position all to himself at LA, through 1957,
Van Brocklin's passing and all around field generalship has established him as one of the outstanding quarterbacks in pro football.
Today, the Dutchman with the rubber-like arm is a man with a grievance and a goal.
When Los Angeles let him go, they made it known quietly that they hadn't won with him.
Well, the Rams in 1958 didn't win without Van Brocklin, which gave him a certain amount of satisfaction.
His goal? To win a title for the Philadelphia Eagles and coach Buck Shaw.
Those who know Norm Van Brocklin won't take this bet at any odds.
Now, before you meet our special guest, Norm Van Brocklin in person, in an interview from Philadelphia, and hear about his greatest sports thrill,
here is a message of interest to all young men with an eye on the future.
Former servicemen, did you know that some Air Force jet fighters contain 15 times as much electrical wiring as did World War II aircraft?
It's true, and it points up the fact that today's Space Age Air Force is a highly technical organization.
Naturally, technical experts are needed to keep the many Air Force jets, rockets, and missiles operational.
Trained men, men like yourself, are needed right now.
If there's an opening in your field, you'll have an important job with a guaranteed future,
regular pay boosts, tax-free allowances for food, quarters, and clothing, and many other Air Force benefits.
Take advantage of your experience and background now.
And by the way, former servicewomen are also needed by the Air Force.
So, all you recent servicemen and women, see your local recruiter about joining the Space Age Air Force soon.
An important job in a promising career field could be your reward.
Now back to Harry Wismer.
Norm Van Brocklin, what was your greatest sports thrill?
Well, Harry, I guess the ultimate in any sport is to be a champion.
Back in 1951, when we were fortunate enough to win the Western Division, when I was playing the Los Angeles Rams,
and we played the Cleveland Browns back in 1951 for the championship,
and we came on and won the ballgame 24 to 17 in the last couple of minutes,
and I was fortunate enough to throw a pass to Tom Fiers to beat him.
In my opinion, Harry, that was my greatest sports thrill.
What was the big difference in coaching that you noticed the most when you made the jump from the Collegians to the Pros?
Well, in college ball, we only had about six passes we threw, and we only had about 15 or 20 running plugs.
In the summer of 1949, Clark Shaughnessy was the coach of the Rams, and if you know the history of Clark Shaughnessy,
he's a bug on paperwork and drawing those Xs and zeros.
And he told me, he says, now I want you to forget everything that you did in college.
He said, you and the other quarterback, who was a rookie that year also, Bobby Thomas,
and he says, you meet me tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock at Room So-and-So out at UCLA campus.
So we went out there for two weeks. All we did was study football.
And at the end of about 15 minutes, he lost me, and I didn't come through for about a month.
They have a glossary of expressions here in pro ball, and they do more with the game than I had been used to in college,
and it was quite a jump for me.
Do you recall the first game you ever played with the Los Angeles Rams?
I sure do. Since I was a little kid, I always read about Sleg and Sammy ball.
The first ball game I got in with the Los Angeles Rams, the coach told me, he said,
now I want to play Bob Waterfield today, and if he doesn't get a touchdown the first couple of times, he gets in there.
He says, you're going in there, kid. So I said, okay.
So Bob didn't move the ball club in the first play I was in there. I was real nervous, and I fumbled the ball from center.
The Redskins recovered in the first play Sammy ball threw for a touchdown, and we were down seven to nothing.
Fortunately, we were able to come back and win the ball game,
but I feel very good about Mr. Shaughnessy having confidence in me and putting me back in there.
Norm, as the quarterback, do you run the team in the field, or do you take suggestions from your teammates from time to time?
We do both, Harry. I get my best suggestions from ends and tackles and centers and guards and remaining backs.
They're the fellows that tell you how the fellows play them over them.
If a tackle is charging real hard, well, usually that would indicate that we get trapped.
If he's playing soft, well, we feel we can double team him real good and go off tackle, say.
Or an end can come back and tell me, give me a corner, give me a pose, give me a hook.
I've got a pigeon over here, feed me today, and things like that. Those are the kind of things that go on all the time in the huddle.
Norm, does a quarterback ever change a play from the time you leave the huddle until the ball is snapped at the line of scrimmage?
Yes, we have several audible, we call them audible signals. We give them audibly on the line of scrimmage.
Some ball clubs use colors and then a number, and some ball clubs just use names.
The Rams used to use names and colors together. With the Eagles, we used numbers.
I'll give you an example. We were playing the Chicago Cardinals here in Philadelphia, and they were shooting seven men at us.
They came in there and got us. Next time I came up there, and they not only shot seven, but they brought a defensive halfback up there.
I said, this is getting a little ridiculous. They're shooting everybody with a coach up here.
So I rubbed off with an audible signal, swung the two remaining backs and peaks, clearance peaks.
Our fullback was fortunate enough to get through the line. I popped him a little short pass, and he ran all the way for touchdown.
There was nobody left. They gambled on getting me before the receiver got off the line of scrimmage.
Norm, is there a game in your pro career you wish you could play over again if you had the chance?
I sure do. In 1955, we were playing those same Cleveland Browns for the championship out in Los Angeles.
We had two weeks to get ready for them. As we went on the field, I would have sworn we were going to beat these guys real good.
We would have gone out and beat 38 to 14. I had five passes intercepted. That night, I had never felt so badly in all my life.
It was probably the most embarrassing day I ever spent, especially when about 50 million people watched it all over the United States.
Norm, what is the funniest thing that ever happened to you on a football field?
The funniest thing that ever happened to me on a football field took place in Philadelphia in 1950.
We were playing Philadelphia Eagles. I was then a Ram. The World Series between the Yankees and the Phillies were on.
We played over at Municipal Park instead of Shide Park or Connie Mack Stadium.
There were about 15,000 people in that great big stadium out there. We came to town 6-0 leading the league.
The Eagles had a pretty good football club, too. They had a middle guard named Piggy Barnes.
Piggy was tearing our center up pretty good. Our statuto from Notre Dame.
He kept hitting the statuto and he was half-knocking me down and doing a good job on the statuto.
We came out of the huddle one time and lined up. The statuto said, if you don't quit throwing that forearm, I'm going to knock your teeth out.
Piggy had a rubber mouthpiece and he pulled it out and he said, go ahead. He said, somebody already beat you to it.
Thank you very much, Norm Van Brockland of the Philadelphia Eagles.