The salient point of today's discussion revolves around the remarkable stories of kickers Chester Marcol and Roy Gerela, who not only excelled in their positions but also left indelible marks on NFL history. I delve into Marcol's extraordinary journey from a Polish immigrant to a leading scorer in the NFL, highlighting his infamous walk-off touchdown that occurred under the most dramatic circumstances against the Chicago Bears. In tandem, we explore Gerela's contributions to the Pittsburgh Steelers, particularly his pivotal role in Super Bowl 10, where his perseverance in the face of adversity galvanized his team to victory. We also reflect upon the esteemed centers of the 1974 season, such as Jeff Van Note and Jack Rudnay, whose resilience and dedication were instrumental in shaping their teams' offensive lines. Join us as we traverse these significant narratives that celebrate the legacy of these exceptional athletes within the rich tapestry of football history.
For more on the 1974 Football season, take a look at our segment on the American Football Timeline of 1974.
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Within the storied confines of Lambeau Field, a defining moment in NFL history is recounted, where Chester Markle, the Packers' kicker, finds himself in a sudden death overtime scenario against the fierce rival Chicago Bears. The tension escalates as Markle's field goal attempt is thwarted by a Hall of Fame defensive player. However, in a stroke of fortune, the kick ricochets back, allowing Markle to recover the ball and execute a remarkable run into the end zone, thus clinching an exhilarating victory for his team. This incident not only exemplifies the unpredictability of football but also serves as a testament to the enduring rivalry between the Packers and the Bears, a theme that resonates throughout the episode. The discussion subsequently transitions to an exploration of Markle's extraordinary life journey, tracing his evolution from a Polish immigrant with limited English proficiency to a celebrated NFL athlete. The episode delves into the nuances of his kicking style, which was heavily influenced by his soccer background, and how this unconventional approach allowed him to excel in a position that was traditionally undervalued. Drafted in 1972, Markle's ascent to becoming a leading scorer demonstrates the transformative power of determination and skill, as well as the broader implications of embracing diversity in sports. Moreover, the narrative extends to the legacy of Roy Jarella, another pivotal kicker from the 1970s who played a crucial role in the Steelers' success. Jarella's journey is marked by resilience and overcoming challenges, particularly during critical moments in Super Bowl history. By intertwining the careers of both Markle and Jarella, the episode not only highlights their individual achievements but also underscores the collective evolution of the kicker position in the NFL. As the episode concludes, it invites listeners to reflect on the rich tapestry of football history and the indelible impact of these athletes in shaping the game's legacy.
Transcript
It's sudden death overtime at Lambeau Field.
Speaker A:And the snapper snaps the ball back to the holder.
Speaker A:The kicker goes to kick it, he boots it.
Speaker A:But a defensive hall of Fame end rushes in and blocks the kick.
Speaker A:That tie game looks like it is over, but not for this kicker who had a remarkable play come up.
Speaker A:idiron timeline going back to:Speaker A:And our Gridiron timeline series is one that goes back in time and captures some of these legendary events and players and really rekindles those memories of them.
Speaker A:that I got recently from the:Speaker A:So our first one that we're going to be talking about is our feature story.
Speaker A:shown on this tops card from:Speaker A:Now, Chester Markle we'll talk about first.
Speaker A:His football career produced two of the most memorable story arcs in packers history, an improbable discovery that led to NFL stardom and one of the most bizarre walk off touchdowns ever seen on an NFL field.
Speaker A:Now, Marco emigrated from Poland to Michigan as a teenager and really couldn't speak any English at all.
Speaker A:And while kicking soccer balls in gym class at Imlay City High School, football coaches noticed his unusual soccer style, technique and raw power.
Speaker A:Now, he played in the NAIA football at Hillsdale College, where his powerful right leg and distinctive look, thick glasses and curly hair caught the attention of NFL scouts.
Speaker B:im in the second round of the:Speaker B:But that was because Marco was especially talented in this soccer style thing, which is our sort of our theme today, was just coming on with kickers like Markle.
Speaker B:And as an offensive rookie in:Speaker B:ne of the leaders here in our:Speaker B:ous moment though came in the:Speaker B:A big, big rivalry.
Speaker B:Packers, Bears it goes, it's a six all tie at the end of regulation, goes into overtime, but it, it's a slug fest, you know.
Speaker B:Six minutes into that sudden death overtime, Marco lined up for a 25 yard game winning field goal and the Bears hall of Fame defensive tackle Alan Page surged through the line and cleanly blocked the kick.
Speaker B:Instead of deflecting away, the football ricocheted straight back into Markle's chest.
Speaker A:Now before the Bears defense realized what happened, the bespeckled kicker secured the ball,.
Speaker B:Swept around the left end and ran into the end zone for a 25.
Speaker A:Yard walk off touchdown.
Speaker A:The packers won that game 12, 6 and head coach Bart Starr called the.
Speaker B:Play the most dramatic victory he had ever witnessed.
Speaker A:The ball from that play remains on display in the Green Bay packers hall of Fame.
Speaker B:Amazing story there.
Speaker B:But he wasn't the only scoring leader.
Speaker A:That year in the afc.
Speaker B:Taylor.
Speaker A:The Pittsburgh Steelers had a kicker with some stories of his own, Roy Jarella.
Speaker A:You know, he's.
Speaker A:His:Speaker B:He's a two time super bowl champion.
Speaker B:But one of those super bowls, Super Bowl 10, he ended up igniting the Steelers into victory for that second Lombardi Trophy for that franchise.
Speaker B:Jarella's most famous play came in that Super Bowl 10 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Speaker B:One of the greatest Super Bowls of all time.
Speaker B:Battling crack ribs sustained earlier while making attack on kickoff coverage, Jarell up in the third quarter and hooked a 33 yard field goal wide left.
Speaker B:With Dallas leading 10 to 7 would have tied the game of the Cowboys.
Speaker B:Cliff Harris ran over and mockingly patting Jarella on the helmet, thanking him for the miss.
Speaker B:Now middle linebacker Jack Lambert immediately charged in, grabbed Harrison, slammed him to the turf, and when the referee threatened Lambert with an ejection, Lambert famously barked that Harris shouldn't be taunting his kicker.
Speaker B:rth quarter rally to secure a:Speaker B:Now Jarella in the:Speaker B:The:Speaker B:Dressed in full gorilla suits and masks, they hung massive banners from the upper deck of Three River Stadium and pounded their chest whenever Jarella trotted out for a kick.
Speaker B:When the fans approached Jarella with the concept, he humbly suggested they choose the football future hall of Famers like Terry Bradshaw or Mean Joe Green instead.
Speaker B:The founders refused, telling them that they were going to make him a star because how they loved him to kick.
Speaker B:And at one point famous announcer for the Steelers, Myron Cope encouraged the group to yell and hoot and holler and do all kinds of fun antics when the opposing kicker of the Steelers was up to kick.
Speaker B:And they did that and followed the lead of Myron Cope, who was a founder of the Terrible Towel.
Speaker B:Now he was born in Alberta, was Jarella and raised at Powell River, British Columbia.
Speaker B:Jarella grew up playing soccer alongside his brothers Ted and Metro.
Speaker B:And when Roy moved to Hawaii for high school and later attended New Mexico State, he primarily played as a defensive back and a conventional punter.
Speaker B:His older brother Ted, then kicking for the CFL's BC Lions, wrote Roy a letter urging him to experiment with the emerging soccer style approach, kicking with the instep rather than a straight toe.
Speaker B:Roy adopted the technique in college and becoming New Mexico State's first soccer style kicker.
Speaker B:him into the AFL NFL Draft in:Speaker B:But he was an AFL player first with those Houston Oilers which he would play twice a year against.
Speaker B:Once the AFL and NFL finally merged and the Steelers went over to the AFL teams and they played in the AFL Center AFC Central back then and now the Oilers are the Tennessee Titans and playing in the South.
Speaker B:some great Centers from that:Speaker B:Kentucky when he entered the:Speaker B:ng over as Atlanta starter in:Speaker B:Pro selections, including the:Speaker B:retirement at the end of the:Speaker B:,:Speaker B:Now, across his 18 seasons in Atlanta, Van Note snapped the ball to 14 different starting quarterbacks.
Speaker B:stant turnover to through the:Speaker B:Jack Rudnay, that Kansas City Chiefs guy center, was almost equally tenured.
Speaker B:as a fourth round pick in the:Speaker B:ack injury while playing in a:Speaker B:Sidelined for the entire:Speaker B:He is part of a rare group drafted by an AFL franchise and earning a Super bowl ring with an AFL champion that he never took a single regular season snap or postseason snap in the American Football League.
Speaker B:Now throughout the:Speaker B:Curly Culp, an NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ, one of the most physically dominant nose tackles in pro football history.
Speaker B:As hall of Fame quarterback Lynn Dawson famously recalled, Rudner used to advocate that every center in the NFL should be forced to spend a week in practice going up against Culp and to understand the true leverage and power that is needed to defend off a fend off a defender like Culp was now.
Speaker B:Rodney credited those grueling practices with making him game days ready against opposing defensive tackles feel manageable by comparison.
Speaker B:runs in Chief's history from:Speaker B:ebuilding rosters of the late:Speaker B:to the Chiefs hall of Fame in:Speaker B:had some peak moments in the:Speaker B:Check out our gridiron timeline@pigskindispatch.com under timeline and as well as many of the other things, we have our our featured games and many hall of Fame legends and legends of the games bios that you can enjoy too, well as some great stories, YouTube videos and podcasts just like you're checking out here.
Speaker B:Check out the show notes for more.
Speaker B:Until next time, everybody have a great Gridiron day.
