NFL Coach George Allen was Not a Celebrity When I Played for Him
- Posted on 26th July 2016
- in celebrity books, celebrity stories online, celebrity story, Entertainment, entertainment books, Hollywood High School, Hollywood memoirs
- by Ben
Celebrity
came eighteen years after George Allen recruited me to play football at Whittier college in 1953. As I wrote in the first volume of my memoirs, Three Stages, during the first week of practice under his tutelage I predicted he’d coach an NFL team. In mid-summer when NFL training camps are opening I often find myself waxing nostalgic about him and my football years. (By the way, with each passing season I become a better and better fullback in the fields of my memory.)
But today as I negotiated briskly the pedestrian traffic on upper Broadway my mind went back to broken field running. I’ve often thought, due to the constant crowds on the sidewalks, that if Manhattan high schools had football teams they’d produce a lot of great broken field runners.
While nowhere near his level, my running style was similar to Larry Csonka’s; don’t dodge ‘em, run over or through ‘em. Coach Allen would tell his fullbacks, “Put your head down and drive!” That’s what I did, straight ahead, no dodging, sidestepping, spinning – just drive ahead with all the power I had in me. The longest run of my career was maybe fifteen yards but I never lost a yard. In those days stats were not kept as they are today and anyhow most of my ball carrying was in scrimmages so I have no idea what my average was but I’d guess four or five yards.
Author Ben Bryant College Fullback
Then one day in practice I caught a punt.
For the first time in my life I had a wide open broken field in front of me. I was used to plunging up the middle of the line through a crowd and suddenly I found myself looking at a lot of running room. There were eleven other guys out there but there was a lot of space between them and I had time to get up to top speed before my first contact. I flattened that boy and then began to dodge and swivel. Next thing I knew there was no one between me and the end zone. What a thrill that unforgettable touchdown was!
They tell me I made a touchdown in a game my freshman year but due to (what we now recognize as) a concussion I got on the play I didn’t remember it.
Here’s a short excerpt from Three Stages. At Hollywood high:
Author Ben Bryant: Hollywood High Fullback
“I … was the holder for Jack Matthews, our place kicker. Jack was a phenom as a kicker. He was big, played tackle on offense and what is now known as nose tackle on defense. Jack could kick a forty yard field goal without even taking a step into the kick! With Bob Collins, the long snapper, we practiced for at least half an hour after practice every day and with us three together Jack never missed a kick in the two seasons we were the place kick unit. On Whittier College’s freshman football team two years later I experienced the only tremor of fear I ever had on a football field when we played his team. Jack was kicking an extra point for the Occidental College freshmen and I found myself with a straight shot at blocking his kick. For an instant I thought, ‘My God, he’s gonna break my arm!’
“He didn’t and I blocked the kick. We had a great laugh and my forearm was sore for a week.”
Anyhow I loved playing football – I still miss it – and even though I never played at their level I know how these NFL guys feel when their bodies can no longer do what their hearts want to do.
Lots more football in Three Stages. Click the title to get it.
Tags: Bob Collins, Coach George Allen, Hollywood High School, Whittier College
Recent Comments