by DraftDodger » Thu Feb 13, 2003 1:28 pm
Bronko Nagurski has no peers in the hard hitting tough guy football world. Just look at this from the Bears website:
Bronko Nagurski was the symbol of terrifying, crushing power on the gridiron. All who saw him play speak of him only in the most awesome of terms.
"Defense him?" Steve Owen, the long-time New York Giants coach, once said. "There's only one way to defense him - shoot him before he leaves the dressing room!"
"That boy could have been an all-American at all eleven positions," his University of Minnesota coach, Dr. Clarence Spears, insisted.
"There was something strange about tackling Nagurski," his long-time teammate, Red Grange, remembers. "When you hit him at the ankles, it is almost like getting an electric shock. If you hit him above the ankles, you are likely to get killed."
"Here's a check for $10,000, Nagurski," G.A. Richards, owner of the Detroit Lions, once said. "Not for playing the Lions, because you belong to the Bears, but just to quit the game and get the hell out of the league. You are ruining my team."
Thus grew the legend, a legend that was perpetuated in 1963 when Bronko Nagurski was unanimously elected to charter membership in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. To all that had a vote, it was unthinkable to honor Nagurski in any but this very first group of enshrinees!
Bronko may be best remembered for his bull-like thrusts at the enemy line. Yet he had no peer as a blocker and his tackling was as bone-harrowing and effective as any the game has seen. He was like a reinforced cement block on defense. His offensive versatility is not well known, but he was quite a threat as a passer and it was this ability which actually prompted the NFL to alter its rules in 1933!
Cafe Home
Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
