 Van Brocklin in 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25, 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback Punter | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | March 15, 1926 Parade, South Dakota, U.S.[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died: | May 2, 1983 (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 / round: 4 / pick: 37 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||||||||||||
| As a coach: | |||||||||||||||||||
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| As an executive: | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career: | 66–100–7 (.402) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Record at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||||||||||||
Norman Mack Van Brocklin (March 15, 1926 – May 2, 1983), nicknamed "the Dutchman", was an American professional football player, coach and executive. He played as a quarterback and punter in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He spent his first nine seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and his final three with the Philadelphia Eagles. Following his playing career, he was the inaugural head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 1961 to 1966 and the second head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1968 to 1974.
Van Brocklin played college football for the Oregon Webfoots, earning All-America honors, but was not selected by the Rams until the fourth round of the 1949 NFL draft due to concerns over his professional availability. During his first three seasons, he and teammate Bob Waterfield alternated as the starting quarterback, culminating with them leading Los Angeles to victory in the 1951 championship game. After Waterfield retired, Van Brocklin served as the Rams primary starter from 1952 to 1957, concluding his tenure with six consecutive Pro 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 named NFL Most Valuable Player en route to winning the 1960 championship.
As the head coach of the expansion Vikings and Falcons, Van Brocklin had less success and was unable to reach the postseason with either team. Nevertheless, he recorded the first winning season for both franchises. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
- ^ Grasso, John (June 13, 2013). Historical Dictionary of Football. Scarecrow Press. p. 413. ISBN 978-0-8108-7857-0.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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