Norm Van Brocklin

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 his final three with the Philadelphia Eagles.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 through 1945, foregoing his senior year of high school.

Following World War II, Van Brocklin followed two former high school teammates north and enrolled at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

He became the starting quarterback in 1947 under first-year head coach Jim Aiken, and led the Ducks to a 16–5 record in his two seasons as a starter.

In 1948, Oregon tied with California for the title of the Pacific Coast Conference, forerunner of the Pac-12.

California was undefeated overall, and Oregon's only loss was at undefeated Michigan, that year's national champions, and the Ducks had seven victories in the PCC to Cal's six.

Oregon did not go to the Rose Bowl, however, because Cal was voted by the other schools to represent the PCC in the game.

Oregon needed only a 5–5 tie vote, as Cal had been to the game more recently, and with six Northwest schools and four in California, appeared favored to advance.

Oregon had opted for a playoff game, but California declined.

Among the Cal voters was the University of Washington, which elevated the intensity of the Oregon-Washington rivalry.

Breaking with tradition, the PCC allowed Oregon to accept an invitation to play SMU in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Van Brocklin received All-America honors at the University of Oregon, but was not selected by the Rams until the fourth round of the 1949 NFL draft due to concerns over his professional availability.

At age 23, he completed his bachelor's degree in June 1949.

Van Brocklin was selected 37th overall in the 1949 NFL draft, taken in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Rams.

Teams were not sure if he planned to play the 1949 season in college, so he fell in the draft, conducted in December 1948.

Van Brocklin signed with the Rams in July and joined a team that already had a star quarterback, Bob Waterfield.

Beginning in 1950, new Rams coach Joe Stydahar solved his problem by platooning Waterfield and Van Brocklin.

The 1950 Rams scored a then-record 466 points (38.8 per game – which is still a record) with a high octane passing attack featuring Tom Fears and Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch.

Fears led the league and set a new NFL record with 84 receptions.

During his first three seasons, he and teammate Bob Waterfield alternated as the starting quarterback, culminating with them leading Los Angeles to victory in the 1951 championship.

After Waterfield retired, Van Brocklin served as the Rams' primary starter from 1952 to 1957, concluding his tenure with six consecutive Pro Bowl selections and a passing-yards leading season in 1954.

He joined Philadelphia in 1958, where his three seasons all saw him receive further Pro Bowl selections, bringing his total to nine.

In his final season, he was named Most Valuable Player en route to winning the 1960 championship.

As the head coach of the expansion Vikings and Falcons, Van Brocklin had less success and was unable to reach the postseason with either team.

Nevertheless, he recorded the first winning season for both franchises.

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.

Born in Parade, South Dakota, Van Brocklin was one of nine children of Mack and Ethel Van Brocklin.

His father was a watchmaker.

The family moved to Northern California and settled in Walnut Creek, east of Oakland.

Van Brocklin was a three-sport standout at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, where he quarterbacked the football team to a 5–3 record as a sophomore and a 4–2–2 record as a junior.

It was the first time that a Pacific Coast team played in a major bowl game other than the Rose Bowl (a policy which was continued by the Pac-8 through 1974).

Both Oregon and California lost their New Year's Day bowl games.

That season, Van Brocklin was honored with an All-America selection and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Coincidentally, the Heisman Trophy winner that year was SMU running back Doak Walker.

Both Walker and Van Brocklin got Outstanding Player recognition for their performance in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Van Brocklin left Oregon for the NFL with one remaining year of college eligibility.

At that time, a player was not allowed to join the NFL until four years after graduating from high school.

Though he had only been at the University of Oregon for three years, he was eligible due to his time in the Navy during World War II.