The Buffalo Bills led off the 1969 draft selecting OJ Simpson. A couple picks later, the Steelers grabbed “Mean” Joe
Photo courtesy of Ed White
Greene. Roger Wehrli went to St. Louis Cardinals at 19. Ted Hendricks was a second rounder, going 33rd to the Baltimore Colts.
Ed White, drafted by the Minnesota Vikings at 39, lasted longer in the NFL than all of them. The four-time Pro Bowl guard was actually drafted as a defensive lineman out of California and he wasn’t immediately thrilled at the prospect of switching to the line. But he adapted, taking his attacking demeanor to the offensive line, where he spent 17 years playing for Minnesota and San Diego.
From that draft, only Jeff Van Note and Charlie Joiner (whom White played with in San Diego) had longer careers, both by a single year. And during those 17 seasons he played in four Super Bowls and a handful more conference championship games with countless Hall of Fame teammates and coaches on both teams – actually breaking the games played mark set by long-time teammate and Hall of Fame nominee Mick Tingelhoff at the end of his career.
White, in a late-August phone call, walked us through some of his memories of playing with Tingelhoff, Dan Fouts, Fran Tarkenton and for Bud Grant and Don Coryell. He also caught us up on what’s keeping him busy these days – including painting in his studio and watching his son coach the local football team.
Here’s what he had to say:
Zoneblitz: Let’s lead off with your friend and teammate Mick Tingelhoff, who is up for the Hall of Fame this year – what are your recollections of him as a teammate? (more…)
Willie Davis is probably best known for his NFL playing career, perhaps rightfully so. After all, it did span 12 years and six league championships, including 1966 and 1967, when Green Bay won the first two Super Bowls.
But as good as he was on the field, Davis has led just as successful a life in his post-football days. He’s been a television commentator. He was president of All-Pro Broadcasting, which operates several radio stations. He was a successful executive in the beer industry. And he has served on the boards of nearly a dozen companies.
Davis grew up in Lisbon, La., where his mother hesitated to even let him play football. When he did get on the field, he parlayed the opportunity into a degree from Grambling State (where he played for the legendary Eddie Robinson) and a trip to the National Football League (where he played for the legendary Paul Brown and Vince Lombardi). He starred in the NFL, but he also nearly always had his eye on what he would do next.
With the help of co-authors Jim Martyka and Andrea Erickson Davis, Willie Davis wrote recently published a book, Closing the Gap, that covers the journey that is his life. He also recently joined Zoneblitz.com to share some of those thoughts.
Hunter Goodwin’s NFL career was not glamorous. He caught just 37 passes and two touchdowns while playing eight seasons as a tight end for Minnesota and Miami. But he stayed in the league for eight years by focusing on being a team player and doing the important, often-unrecognized dirty work in the trenches that made his team’s offense better.
Goodwin attributes his success in the NFL to grit and determination. He’s working just as hard in the decade-plus since he left football behind, establishing himself as a player in the real estate industry and filling his time with several community- and charity-based endeavors. Goodwin recently took some time with Zoneblitz.com to reflect on his football days and give an update on how what he’s been doing since moving on from the game.
Hunter Goodwin: My company’s focus us summed up in our mission statement: Maximize value creation for all stakeholders by providing integrated commercial real estate services to select market segments. We have a distinct accessible expertise and connection with our target markets. (more…)
Editor’s note: Professional athletes often get a bad rap. A handful of chowderheads make headlines on a regular basis for getting arrested or committing other bad deeds. Those incidents often overshadow the good works and interesting careers being pursued by current and former players outside their respective games. We’re planning to make a semi-regular feature out of recognizing some of these former football stars for the contributions they make to society when they leave the spotlight. Here is the first of those profiles.
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In 1983, the Denver Broncos traded quarterback Mark Herrmann, offensive lineman Chris Hinton and a first round pick the following year to the Baltimore Colts for John Elway. The trade turned out to be a highway robbery that helped make the Broncos competitive for years into the future.
But it was not the only steal the team made that year. In the 12th round — a round that does not even exist any more — the club selected Karl Mecklenburg, a linebacker from the University of Minnesota.
Though he was drafted late, Mecklenburg always figured he’d make it. And he did, playing playing 12 years in the NFL, amassing 79 sacks, six Pro Bowls and three First-Team All Pro nominations.
Mecklenburg played in three Super Bowls and has been named to the Broncos Ring of Fame and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. But his time in the public eye did not end when his NFL career did in 1994. He’s taken on the role of motivational speaker. He helps run a foundation aimed at getting kids to read. And he’s an active member of the Broncos’ alumni.
Mecklenburg shared some thoughts with Zoneblitz this week on his NFL past and his present.
Michael Oriard walked on at Notre Dame, becoming a two-year letter winner for the Fighting Irish, where he impressed enough to become the fifth-round draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1970. He played four years in the National Football League before getting cut after the 1974 player’s strike.
But while his NFL career ended, his life was just beginning. Currently at Oregon State University, he’s become a professor and an author, observing and commenting on many topics, including the National Football League and its status as a part of America’s culture.
Zoneblitz.com recently caught up with Oriard to find out how he got where he is and what plans he has for following up on his writings down the line. (more…)
As training camps get up and running teams rosters are full of unheralded guys chasing dreams of fame and fortune on the gridiron. Many will fulfill these dreams. Others will fade into history and move onto other professions.
One feature Zoneblitz plans to pursue as we get up and running is a periodic “Where are they now” segment aimed at tracking down some former NFL players and updating readers on how they’re getting by in their post-football lives.
We didn’t anticipate starting this feature up quite yet. But we stumbled by accident while doing the day job today onto a guy who never made it to the NFL regular season, but has ultimately done quite well for himself in the aviation industry instead.
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