Norm Van Brocklin
Los Angeles Rams
At the University of Oregon, Van Brocklin was an All-American selection
in 1948. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1949 NFL draft by
the Los Angeles Rams and led the NFL in passing three times and in
punting twice. On nine occasions, he was selected to the Pro Bowl.
On September 28, 1951, he threw for 554 yards, breaking Johnny Lujack's
single-game record of 468, a mark that still stands more than a
half-century later. During his 12-year career, he played on two
championship teams in the National Football League: the 1951 Los Angeles
Rams and the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles. Following the latter triumph, a
17-13 win over the Green Bay Packers, he retired. As it turned out, his
Eagles team would be the only team to defeat the Packers in a
championship game during Vince Lombardi's tenure as Green Bay's head
coach. 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 retiring Buck Shaw.
