Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I heard a talk that PFRA member, John Maxymuk gave on Greasy Neale this week, it was fantastic, enlightening, and gave lots of very interesting insight to his life. I was struck by the fact that he would be a great subject for something like the" a football life" series.

Who are some older players, coaches, contributors that we don't typically think about hat would be great subjects for "A football life" Let's set aside the obvious, Bert Bell, Big Daddy Lipscomb, I'm thinking of lesser known folks that were not only important, but also interesting.

There could be several candidates from the past for upcoming episodes but would todays' young audiences care about previous NFL football history? I did, based on previous NFL Films stories, presentations etc, but today's audiences are different and sensitive.

One of the reasons I quit watching the NFL Network was because it wouldnt show its archives and vaults of footage enough from the past, but its a double-edged sword; if they show the players from the past or present they need to properly compensate them, like actors with residuals--man, I never realized Matthew Perry made so much money from residuals with Friends--but the League, owners and networks, including the NFL Network and Films probably wont do it. They should, especially for the families of deceased players and coaches but they would rather pay for "analysts" to talk ALL DAY about the previous games or games coming up ...

Years ago ESPN would show a lot of NFL Films material on the 50s 60s, 70s, 80s. It filled up time effectively. You could record it for your personal library.

Don Klosterman could cover the early Chargers, then the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers, Baltimore Colts, and Los Angeles Rams from 1960-1980.

George Young would have insight into the Colts, Dolphins, and Giants from the late sixties to the late nineties.

Good thread.

Have they done one on Joe Thomas? 49er fans rightfully hate him but until he crashed and burned in SF, football was his entire life and had major success in Miami and Baltimore before Irsay chose HC Ted Marchibroda over him. Marchibroda was one of the best head coaches with an overrall losing record and developed many QBs. He would be a great subject as well for the show.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2023 5:00 pm Have they done one on Joe Thomas? 49er fans rightfully hate him but until he crashed and burned in SF, football was his entire life and had major success in Miami and Baltimore before Irsay chose HC Ted Marchibroda over him. Marchibroda was one of the best head coaches with an overrall losing record and developed many QBs. He would be a great subject as well for the show.

I don't think they did, but around 2004, I do remember him being a subject for a small segment on NFL Films Presents.

Thanks 7D ...

I saw that but got it confused from the show ... I dont think he should make the HOF but has a case. A show dissecting his success and problems in Baltimore and SF would be fascinating.There was speculation that he lost it in SF because of the Milk - Moscone assassinations and felt he would be harmed as well. With Aids about to become a pandemic in SF, a very crazy, chaotic time. Thank goddess a nerdy coach and QB from Monongahela PA would help turn the fortunes of this city around.

Thank goddess a nerdy coach and QB from Monongahela PA would help turn the fortunes of this city around.

Excuse me if I don't feel very thankful that the 49er dynasty happened.

Haha I didnt either, I was a Cowboys fan. That loss in SF that kept the Cowboys out of the SB, was the first and only time I cried after watching a football game. In retrospect however, this city needed that team.

How about John "Red" Cochran, who was a part of 7 NFL Championships - 1 as a player, 5 as an assistant coach and 1 as a scout? He played for Curly Lambeau at the Chicago Cardinals and coached under Vince Lombardi at the Packers (having previously been an assistant coach on the Lions last Championship team in 1957) . One of the players he closely worked with in Green Bay was Bart Starr....and Cochran would go on to coach for Starr when Starr became the Packers head coach. After moving into scouting, he would, a number of years later be part of Ron Wolf's scouting staff in Green Bay.

Between his college playing days (at Wake Forest) and his pro playing days, he was a B24 pilot in WWII.

He really did have a full football life - nearly 60 years in the NFL.