Rich Shmelter has released his latest book, Professional Football Goes Hollywood: Professional Football and the City of Los Angeles' Rise to Prominence. He has sat down with us to discuss it in the Pigpen. The LA Rams, USC Trojans, UCLA, Bruins, The Chargers, Raiders, and the Buccaneers? Join us to find out!
LA Grows With Football
Professional Football Goes Hollywood and Author Rich Shmelter Shares HowHome ‣On This Day in Football History ‣Fun Facts about Football ‣Football Players in Hollywood ‣LA Grows With Football
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Introduction
Author Rich Shmelter covers the rise of LA with the movie industry’s growth and the importance of Hollywood coupled with USC and UCLA football. Professional football had quite an impact as well. The AAFC, its Los Angeles Dons, and the subsequent strategic move by the NFL Champion Cleveland Rams to LA. The Rams made waves by not only moving west of the Mississippi, expanding the bounds of the NFL but also signing African-American players Kenny Washington and Woody Strode, which broke the racial barriers in pro sports along with their famous UCLA backfield Mate Jackie Robinson who famously paved the way for black athletes in the MLB. These all helped LA grow as a city and a pro sports haven. Soon the MLB’s Brooklyn Dodgers move to Los Angeles, and later the NBA Lakers franchise, the AFL Chargers, Baseball’s Angels, and even the Raider NFL franchise for a stint.
Professional Football Goes Hollywood
Rich Shmelter has authored a great book that parallels the growth of Los Angeles along with the brands of football that played near the city.The 1951 Los Angeles Rams
1951 Rams had a very formidable offense. One of the best and productive in the history of football.
First the Quarterback tandem Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin could also shred the secondary with their passes to talented receivers Tom Fears and Crazy Legs Hirsch.
They also had a feared running game with two platoons of diverse styles.
Bull Elephant Back field
- Tank Younger
- Deacon Dan Towler
- Dick Hoerner
As Rich describes the Elephants, they were all big players at six-foot, 2-inches, and 240-pound backs that would muscle through any line for yardage and wear defenses down with their power-run style.
According to the My Dam Rams Website, the Elephants amassed 5,506 total yards, a team single-season record that has stood for years.
Towler registered the most impressive statistics of the Bulls. In six seasons (1950-55), he picked up 3,493 yards and posted an average gain of 5.2 yards per carry.
Pony Backfield
A second backfield unit of the offense, the Ponies, consisted of
- Vitamin Smith
- Tom Kalmanir
- Glenn Davis, formerly of the Army.
This smaller group of backs that were quick would then run wild on the worn-down defenders
The Move West
Rich also discusses the early years of the Rams. Origininally they were the Cleveland Rams in in 1946, after juest winning the NFL Championship, owner Dan Reeves moved the team to LA rather than compete against the upstart Cleveland Browns of the new AAFC. The Rams became the first fulltime franchise West of the Rockies.
Soon after the move at the strong suggestion of the committee overseeing contracts the Rams broke a decades old secret alliance of not signing minority players by inking forme UCLA Bruin stars Woody Strode and Kenny Washington.
Credits and Thanks
The information above is courtesy of Rich Shmelter and the banner image is taken from the iconic book cover.
Here are more items related to the story...
Norm Van Brocklin and his 554 Yard Day
Born March 15, 1926, in Parade, South Dakota, was the legendary Oregon Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin. He could quickly read the defenses and do what came automatically to him, find the open receiver for a gain. Norm was gifted with a peripheral vision that allowed him to take into view the entire panorama of play. In 1966 Norm Van Brocklin's collegiate story was placed into the College Football Hall of Fame. Norm left Oregon while still having a year of eligibility left. The Rams used their number four pick in the 1949 Draft to pick Norm. The Pro Football Hall of Fame says that even splitting time with fellow HOF QB Bob Waterfield, Van Brocklin won the NFL passing title in 1950, 52 & 54, playing for both the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles leading Philly to the NFL’s championship title in 1960. Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined him in 1971.
Bob Waterfield
Born July 26, 1920, in Elmira, New York, was Bob Waterfield Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined QB of the Rams franchise both in Cleveland and Los Angeles. He was important enough to the Rams franchise that his number 7 jersey was retired by the organization. The former UCLA Bruin's signal caller had his college career briefly interrupted when the U.S. Army called him into service during WWII. His football prowess was legendary and so was his off field life as he married actress Jane Russell just before serving in the Army and playing for Fort Bennings 176th Infantry football team. Mr. Waterfield returned to the Bruins after this service in the war in an honorable discharge due to a knee injury and played in the 1944 season for UCLA. He was drafted as the 42nd pick in the 1945 NFL draft by the Cleveland Rams, and as a rookie won the starting job, led the team to a 9-1 record and the NFL Championship in an exciting 15-14 victory over the Washington Redskins!
Kenny Wasington - Walking Alone
Author Dan Taylor tells about the legendary Man and Football Player Kenny Washington.The legendary athletes, teams, events and people that made contributions and memories in the sporting games we love. Enjoy this chronicled collection of the greatest stories of sport.
Gold Dust Trio
The amazing 1939 backfield of the UCLA Bruins that included trailblazing athletes Woody Strode, Kenny Washington, and Jackie Robinson.Topics Related to LA Grows With Football
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