The 1951 Los Angeles Rams: Profiles of the NFL's First West Coast Champions

by George Bozeka (Editor)

Overview

The 1951 Los Angeles Rams were one of the greatest teams in professional football history. Led by pioneer owner Daniel Reeves, head coach Joe Stydahar, and future Hall of Famers Bob Waterfield, Norm Van Brocklin, Elroy Hirsch, Tom Fears, and Andy Robustelli, the team won the NFL championship of that season. In doing this, they defeated the defending champion Cleveland Browns in a fantastic rematch of the 1950 title game. The Rams were the first team in a major professional sports league to relocate to the West Coast, forever changing the face of the NFL and professional sports in America. Fueled by an exciting and accomplished lineup of veteran star players and impactful rookies, the product of the Rams' innovative scouting system and their reintegration of the NFL in 1946, the Rams successfully married the NFL to the glamorous world of Hollywood. Delve into the story of the '51 Rams, the NFL's First West Coast Champions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476678429
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	05/09/2022
Series:	Great Teams in Pro Football History
Pages:	380
Sales rank:	701,397
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Retired attorney George Bozeka is the president and assistant publications director of the Professional Football Researchers Association. He has written numerous articles in the association’s publication The Coffin Corner and was the recipient of the PFRA’s Bob Carroll Memorial Writing Award in 2011 and the Jack Clary Award in 2020. He lives in Akron, Ohio.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments George Bozeka v

Preface George Bozeka 1

Part 1 The City and the Organization

The City of Angels George Bozeka 5

History of Pro Football in Los Angeles Joshua Milton Anderson 10

Owner Daniel Reeves George Bozeka 20

Head Coach Joe Stydahar Lee Elder 27

Assistant Coaches Ryan C. Christiansen Bert Gambini Bryan Lutes Joe Ziemba 34

Building the 1951 Rams Matthew Keddie 59

The 1951 Draft Bert Gambini 65

Part 2 The 1951 Season

1951 Training Camp and Preseason Mark L. Ford 77

1951 Rams Offense-The Xs and Os Lee Elder 89

1951 Regular Season Game Summaries Rupert Patrick Rich Shmelter Neal Golden 98

Rams/Browns Rivalry Ed Gruver 136

1951 NFL Championship Game Rupert Patrick 140

1951 Rams Statistics Rupert Patrick 147

1951 Rams Superlatives Rupert Patrick 150

Part 3 The Team

Bob Boyd Bill Lambert 155

Larry Brink Patrick Gallivan 159

Bobby Collier Greg Selber 162

Tom Dahms Nicholas Ritzmann 164

Dick Daugherty Mark L. Ford 169

Glenn Davis Randy Snow 173

Tom Fears Rick Schabowski 178

Jack Finlay John Maxymuk 184

Jack Halliday Joshua Milton Anderson 187

Norb Hecker Greg D. Tranter 192

Elroy Hirsch Rick Schabowski 195

Dick Hoerner Greg D. Tranter 202

Marvin Johnson John Maxymuk 206

Tommy Kalmanir John Grasso 209

Tom Keane John Grasso 215

Bill Lange Richard C. Flowers II 219

Woodley Lewis Mark Fellin 221

Leon McLaughlin John Maxymuk 224

Don Paul Patrick Gallivan 227

Joe Reid Joshua Milton Anderson 231

Herb Rich Mark Fellin 235

Andy Robustelli John M. Vorperian 238

Don Simensen Mark L. Ford 246

Vitamin Smith Randy Snow 252

Harry Thompson Nicholas Ritzmann 256

Charlie Toogood Bill Lambert 260

Deacon Dan Towler Richard C. Flowers II 264

Norm Van Brocklin Bryan Lutes 268

Bob Waterfneld George Bozeka 276

Stan West Jay Zahn 284

Jerry Williams Gary A. Sarnoff 290

Jim Winkler Greg Selber 295

Tank Younger Rich Shmelter 298

Jack Zilly Joe Ziemba 303

Racial Integration and the Rams Ryan C. Christiansen 309

The NFL's Fashion Pioneers John M. Vorperian 326

Part 4 The Stadium

Memorial Coliseum Massimo Foglio 331

Part 5 The Press

Bob Kelley Joe Marren 339

Bud Furillo and Sid Ziff Joe Marren 343

Bob Oates and Melvin Durslag Joe Marren 349

Paul B. Zimmerman, Dick Hyland and Frank Finch Joe Marren 355

About the Contributors 363

Index 367