He played linebacker for Vince Lombardi in the sixties

One day at training camp, a thousand pound steel observation tower for the coaching staff blew over on him. When Lombardi was told the player’s name, he just said, “he’ll be fine. Everybody get back to work!”

This man didn’t wear a facemask in his early years, and took a mask to the mouth in a regular season game. After having had his front two teeth knocked out, with two more hanging by the roots, he finished that game before heading to the dentist.

This man is even now considered by many to be the toughest linebacker ever. He starred with Burt Reynolds in the original “The Longest Yard” movie after retiring from NFL play. If you’re a geezer like me, you will remember the Packer legend, Ray Nitszchke.