 Van Brocklin in 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25, 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Quarterback Punter | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1926-03-15)March 15, 1926 Parade, South Dakota, U.S.[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died | May 2, 1983(1983-05-02) (aged 57) Social Circle, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Acalanes (Lafayette, California) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College | Oregon (1946–1948) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1949: 4th round, 37th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Operations | |||||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career | 66–100–7 (.402) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||||||||||||
| Executive profile atPro Football Reference | |||||||||||||||||||
Norman Mack Van Brocklin (March 15, 1926 – May 2, 1983), nicknamed "the Dutchman", was an American professionalfootballquarterback and coach who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He spent his first nine seasons with theLos Angeles Rams and his final three with thePhiladelphia Eagles. Following his playing career, he was the inaugural head coach of theMinnesota Vikings from 1961 to 1966 and the second head coach of theAtlanta Falcons from 1968 to 1974.
Van Brocklin playedcollege football for theOregon Webfoots, earningAll-America honors, but was not selected by the Rams until the fourth round of the1949 NFL draft due to concerns over his professional availability. During his first three seasons, he and teammateBob Waterfield alternated as the starting quarterback, culminating with them leading Los Angeles to victory in the1951 championship game. After Waterfield retired, Van Brocklin served as the Rams primary starter from 1952 to 1957, concluding his tenure with six consecutivePro 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 namedNFL Most Valuable Player en route to winning the1960 championship.
As the head coach of the expansion Vikings and Falcons, Van Brocklin was unable to reach the postseason with either franchise, but recorded the first winning season for both. He was inducted to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
Born inParade, South Dakota,[1] Van Brocklin was one of nine children of Mack and Ethel Van Brocklin. His father was awatchmaker.[3] The family moved toNorthern California and settled inWalnut Creek, east ofOakland.[4][5][6] Van Brocklin was a three-sport standout atAcalanes High School inLafayette, where he quarterbacked the football team to a 5–3 record as a sophomore and a 4–2–2 record as a junior.[7][8] He served in theU.S. Navy from 1943 through 1945, foregoing his senior year of high school.[9]
Following World War II, Van Brocklin followed two former high school teammates north and enrolled at theUniversity of Oregon inEugene.[9] He became the starting quarterback in 1947 under first-year head coachJim Aiken,[10][11] and led theDucks to a 16–5 record in his two seasons as a starter. In1948, Oregon tied withCalifornia for the title of thePacific Coast Conference, forerunner of thePac-12. California was undefeated overall, and Oregon's only loss was at undefeatedMichigan,[12][13] that year'snational champions, and the Ducks had seven victories in the PCC to Cal's six.[14] Oregon did not go to theRose 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.[15] Among the Cal voters was theUniversity of Washington, which elevated the intensity of theOregon-Washington rivalry. Breaking with tradition, the PCC allowed Oregon to accept an invitation to playSMU in theCotton Bowl inDallas. 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.[16][17] That season, Van Brocklin was honored with anAll-America selection[18] and finished sixth in theHeisman Trophy voting.[19] Coincidentally, the Heisman Trophy winner that year was SMU running backDoak Walker. Both Walker and Van Brocklin got Outstanding Player recognition for their performance in the Cotton Bowl Classic.[20]
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 duringWorld War II. At age 23, he completed his bachelor's degree in June 1949.[21][22]
Van Brocklin was selected 37th overall in the1949 NFL draft, taken in the fourth round by theLos Angeles Rams.[23] Teams were not sure if he planned to play the 1949 season in college, so he fell in the draft,[21] 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 in1950, new Rams coachJoe 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 featuringTom Fears andElroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch. Fears led the league and set a new NFL record with 84 receptions. Van Brocklin and Waterfield finished 1–2 in passer rating as well. They were defeated by theCleveland Browns in the1950 title game, 30–28.[24]
In1951, Van Brocklin and Waterfield again split quarterbacking duties and the Rams again won the West. That year, Hirsch set an NFL record with 1,495 receiving yards and tiedDon Hutson's record of 17 touchdown receptions. This time, the Rams won thetitle rematch against Cleveland, 24–17.[25] Waterfield (9–24, 125 yards) took most of the snaps at theL.A. Coliseum, but Van Brocklin (4–6, 128 yards) threw a game-winning 73-yard touchdown pass to Fears.[25] It was the Rams' only NFL championship while originally based in southern California; their next came in1999, several years after the move east toSt. Louis.[26] After returning to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, the Rams subsequently won Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
Earlier in 1951 on opening night, Van Brocklin threw for an NFL record 554 yards on September 28, breakingJohnny Lujack's single-game record of 468 set two years earlier.[27] Waterfield was injured so Van Brocklin played the entire game and completed 27 of 41 attempts with five touchdowns. Despite the increase in passing attacks by NFL teams in recent years, the yardage record still stands, set 74 years ago.[28][29]
Waterfield retired after the1952 season and Van Brocklin continued to quarterback the Rams, leading them to thetitle game again in1955, hosted at the L.A. Coliseum. In that game, the visitingBrowns crushed the Rams 38–14 as Van Brocklin threw six interceptions.[30] In early January 1958, he announced his retirement from pro football after nine seasons and had plans to enter private business in Oregon atPortland.[31][32]
Less than five months later in late May, Van Brocklin changed his mind and was traded to thePhiladelphia Eagles for two players (offensive linemanBuck Lansford and defensive endJimmy Harris) and afirst round draft pick.[33][34] It was disclosed he did not want to play another season for the Rams under head coachSid Gillman's offense, but it was not a personality issue with Gillman.[33] Under famed head coachBuck Shaw, Van Brocklin was given total control of the offense in Philadelphia in1958, and he steadily improved the Eagles' attack. In his third and final season with Philly in1960, the team had the best regular season record in league at 10–2, and hosted theGreen Bay Packers in theNFL Championship Game atFranklin Field.[35] Throwing to his favorite receiver, 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 176 lb (80 kg)Tommy McDonald, Van Brocklin led the Eagles to victory. In a game dominated by defense, he led a fourth quarter comeback, resulting in a final score of 17–13.[36]
During his twelve-year career, Van Brocklin played on two NFL championship teams: the1951 Los Angeles Rams and the1960 Philadelphia Eagles.[37][38] Following the latter triumph, he retired. As it turned out, the Eagles were the only team to defeat the Packers in a playoff game duringVince Lombardi's tenure as Green Bay's head coach.[39] Van Brocklin led the NFL in passing three times and in punting twice. On nine occasions, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was a first team All-Pro for the 1960 season.[40]
Van Brocklin cut his ties with the Eagles after his belief that the team had reneged on an agreement to name him head coach to replace the retiringBuck Shaw. On January 18, 1961, he accepted the head coaching position for the expansionMinnesota Vikings,[41][42] less than a month after winning the NFL Championship game. During his six years with Minnesota, Van Brocklin compiled a record of 29–51–4 (.369).[43] The tenure was highlighted by his contentious relationship with quarterbackFran Tarkenton.[44] Van Brocklin was displeased with Tarkenton's penchant forscrambling, preferring that he stay in the pocket. The feud culminated with Tarkenton's demand for a trade[44] and Van Brocklin's surprise resignation on February 11, 1967.[45] Tarkenton was traded to theNew York Giants shortly after Van Brocklin's departure,[46] but was reacquired by Van Brocklin's successor,Bud Grant, five years later in1972. One thing Van Brocklin was known for was his disdain for soccer-style kickers (now the standard in the NFL). In one game, soccer-style kickerGaro Yepremian beat Van Brocklin's team and after the game, a reporter asked how he felt about losing the game on a last-second field goal, and he replied "They ought to change the god-damned immigration laws in this country". However, Van Brocklin did end up having a soccer-style kicker in Nick Mike-Mayer in his final two seasons as coach of the Atlanta Falcons, in 1973 and 1974.[47]
During his first year off the field in over two decades, Van Brocklin served as a commentator on NFL broadcasts in1967 forCBS.[48]
In1968, Van Brocklin took over as head coach of theAtlanta Falcons on October 1, replacingNorb Hecker, who had started the season with three defeats, extending the team losing streak to ten games.[49] Over the next seven seasons, Van Brocklin had mixed results, putting together a 37–49–3 mark. He led the team to its first winning season in1971 with a 7–6–1 record, then challenged for a playoff spot in1973 with a 9–5 mark.[50] His 1973 Falcons handed the Fran Tarkenton-led, 9–0 Minnesota Vikings its first defeat, onMonday Night Football.[51] However, after winning just two of his first eight games in1974, he was fired.[52][53]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| MIN | 1961 | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 7th in NFL Western | — | — | — | — |
| MIN | 1962 | 2 | 11 | 1 | .179 | 6th in NFL Western | — | — | — | — |
| MIN | 1963 | 5 | 8 | 1 | .393 | 4th in NFL Western | — | — | — | — |
| MIN | 1964 | 8 | 5 | 1 | .607 | 2nd in NFL Western | — | — | — | — |
| MIN | 1965 | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 5th in NFL Western | — | — | — | — |
| MIN | 1966 | 4 | 9 | 1 | .321 | 6th in NFL Western | — | — | — | — |
| MIN Total | 29 | 51 | 4 | .369 | — | — | — | |||
| ATL | 1968 | 2 | 9 | 0 | .182 | 4th in NFL Coastal | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 1969 | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 3rd in NFL Coastal | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 1970 | 4 | 8 | 2 | .357 | 3rd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 1971 | 7 | 6 | 1 | .536 | 3rd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 1972 | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 2nd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 1973 | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 2nd in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 1974 | 2 | 6 | 0 | .250 | 4th in NFC West | — | — | — | — |
| ATL Total | 37 | 49 | 3 | .433 | — | — | — | |||
| Total | 66 | 100 | 7 | .402 | — | — | — | |||
Following his dismissal, Van Brocklin returned to hispecan farm inSocial Circle, Georgia, east ofAtlanta.[54] His only connections to football during this era were as a running backs coach forGeorgia Tech under head coachPepper Rodgers in 1979,[55] who was fired that December.[56] It was his only stint as an assistant coach. Rodgers's successorBill Curry brought in a new staff in 1980 and Van Brocklin then was a college football analyst on "Superstation"WTBS in Atlanta.[3][57]
Van Brocklin, a heavy cigarette smoker, suffered a number of illnesses, including abrain tumor.[58] After it was removed, he told the press, "It was a brain transplant. They gave me a sportswriter's brain, to make sure I got one that hadn't been used."[59] He died of aheart attack in 1983 at age 57,[3][57] five weeks after former teammateBob Waterfield.[60][61]
Van Brocklin was posthumously elected to the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.[62]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| APNFL MVP | |
| NFL champion | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Punting | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rtg | Punts | Yds | Avg | Lng | Blk | ||
| 1949 | LA | 8 | 0 | — | 32 | 58 | 55.2 | 601 | 10.4 | 6 | 2 | 51 | 111.4 | 2 | 91 | 45.5 | 46 | 0 |
| 1950 | LA | 12 | 6 | 5–1 | 127 | 233 | 54.5 | 2,061 | 8.8 | 18 | 14 | 58 | 85.1 | 11 | 466 | 42.4 | 51 | 0 |
| 1951 | LA | 12 | 2 | 1–1 | 100 | 194 | 51.5 | 1,725 | 8.9 | 13 | 11 | 81 | 80.8 | 48 | 1,992 | 41.5 | 62 | 1 |
| 1952 | LA | 12 | 6 | 6–0 | 113 | 205 | 55.1 | 1,736 | 8.5 | 14 | 17 | 84 | 71.5 | 29 | 1,250 | 43.1 | 66 | 0 |
| 1953 | LA | 12 | 12 | 8–3–1 | 156 | 286 | 54.5 | 2,393 | 8.4 | 19 | 14 | 70 | 84.1 | 60 | 2,529 | 42.2 | 57 | 0 |
| 1954 | LA | 12 | 11 | 6–4–1 | 139 | 260 | 53.5 | 2,637 | 10.1 | 13 | 21 | 80 | 71.9 | 44 | 1,874 | 42.6 | 61 | 0 |
| 1955 | LA | 12 | 12 | 8–3–1 | 144 | 272 | 52.9 | 1,890 | 6.9 | 8 | 15 | 74 | 62.0 | 60 | 2,676 | 44.6 | 61 | 0 |
| 1956 | LA | 12 | 4 | 2–2 | 68 | 124 | 54.8 | 966 | 7.8 | 7 | 12 | 58 | 59.5 | 48 | 2,070 | 43.1 | 72 | 0 |
| 1957 | LA | 12 | 12 | 6–6 | 132 | 265 | 49.8 | 2,105 | 7.9 | 20 | 21 | 70 | 68.8 | 54 | 2,392 | 44.3 | 71 | 0 |
| 1958 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 2–9–1 | 198 | 374 | 52.9 | 2,409 | 6.4 | 15 | 20 | 91 | 64.1 | 54 | 2,225 | 41.2 | 58 | 1 |
| 1959 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 7–5 | 191 | 340 | 56.2 | 2,617 | 7.7 | 16 | 14 | 71 | 79.5 | 53 | 2,263 | 42.7 | 59 | 1 |
| 1960 | PHI | 12 | 12 | 10–2 | 153 | 284 | 53.9 | 2,471 | 8.7 | 24 | 17 | 64 | 86.5 | 60 | 2,585 | 43.1 | 70 | 0 |
| Career | 140 | 101 | 61–36–4 | 1,553 | 2,895 | 53.6 | 23,611 | 8.2 | 173 | 178 | 91 | 75.1 | 523 | 22,413 | 42.9 | 72 | 3 | |
