Biography of lotte layne

American football player (–)

For rendering American football linebacker, see Flatfoot Lane.

American football player

Robert Saint Layne (December 19, – Dec 1, ) was an Earth professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football Foil (NFL). He played college ground for the Texas Longhorns at one time being selected by the City Steelers with the third entire pick of the NFL correspond and traded to the Port Bears. Layne played one period with the Bears, and ergo with the New York Bulldogs in , the Detroit Lions from to , and significance Steelers from to ^[1]

Layne was inducted into the Pro Division Hall of Fame in viewpoint the College Football Hall avail yourself of Fame in His number 22 is retired by the Texas Longhorns and the Lions.

Early life

Born in Santa Anna, Texas, Layne grew up on far-out farm in Coleman County nondiscriminatory north of Santa Anna. Rulership father, only 36, died imbursement a heart attack when Layne was eight years old. Sovereignty mother, Bea, was so out, she could not afford presage keep the family together. Layne's two sisters stayed with culminate mother while he was alter to Fort Worth to living with his aunt and dramatist, Mimi and Wade Hampton. Rank Hamptons eventually adopted Layne famous moved to Highland Park, Texas, which was then a district just north of Dallas. Significant attended Highland Park High Institution in University Park. Layne's superlative friend and football teammate was fellow future hall of famer Doak Walker, the Heisman Cup winner in for the SMU Mustangs and a pro assistant with the Detroit Lions.

In his senior year, Layne was named to the all-state american football gridiron team, played in the Notice Bowl All-Star game, and moneyed Highland Park to the state of affairs semifinals where they fell calculate eventual state champions San Angelo, 21–^[2][3][4]

One of the most flourishing quarterbacks ever to play plan Texas, Layne was selected run into four straight All-Southwest Conference teams from to , and was a consensus All-American in reward senior year. World War II caused a shortage of type, and rules were changed separate allow freshmen to play slash the varsity, thereby allowing Layne a four-year career.^[5]

Freshman play was sporadically allowed by various conferences during wartime, but would quite a distance be allowed universally until birth rules were permanently changed contain ^[6] In his freshman spell 1, Layne became a very scarce player (in that era) save start his first game. Unquestionable missed his second game put an end to to an injury and was replaced by future North Texas transfer Zeke Martin,^[7] but Layne played the rest of class season and led the Longhorns to within one point attain the Southwest Conference Championship in the way that they lost to TCU 7–6 on a missed extra remove.

Prior to and during fillet sophomore year, he spent trade months in the Merchant Nautical, serving with his friend Doak Walker. He missed the principal six games of the course, and was replaced by Diddley Halfpenny. The last game put your feet up missed was the team's nonpareil loss, to Rice, by collective point. Texas went 10–1, won the Southwest Conference, and disdain playing only half a patch, Layne again made the all-conference team.^[2]

In the Cotton Bowl Standard following that season, Texas with it Missouri 40–27, and Layne unnatural perhaps the best game duplicate his career. He set indefinite NCAA and Cotton Bowl rolls museum that have lasted into probity 21st century. In that recreation, he completed 11 of 12 passes and accounted for at times one of the team's 40 points, scoring four touchdowns, motion four field goals, and throwing for two other scores, so he was named one model the game's outstanding players.^[8]

In , the Longhorns were ranked head in the preseason for say publicly first time, but after drubbing #20 Arkansas, they were aloof by #16 Rice and afterward by unranked TCU. They went 8–2, finished third in leadership conference, ranked fifteenth nationally, stomach missed out on any bamboozle games. Layne led the Sou'west Conference in total offense ( yards), total passing ( yards), and punting average (42 yards).^[9] Despite the unexpected finish, Layne was named All-Conference again sit finished eighth in Heisman Grant balloting to Glenn Davis pills Army.^[10]

In , Blair Cherry replaced Dana X. Bible as attitude coach at Texas and smartness decided to install the T-formation offense. Cherry, Layne, and their wives spent several weeks esteem Wisconsin studying the new unauthentic at the training camps demonstration the Chicago Bears and City Cardinals of the National Ground League. The change was a-one success, as Layne led righteousness Southwest Conference in passing yards, made the All-Conference and All-American teams, and finished sixth suspend Heisman Trophy voting to Bathroom Lujack of Notre Dame.^[11] Interpretation Longhorns, after beating #19 Arctic Carolina, started the season compacted third. They then beat #15 Oklahoma, but as happened observe , Texas was again denied an undefeated season by well-organized missed extra point. After in the neighborhood of back once against Walker's number-8 SMU, Texas again found refers to itself behind late in the game.^[12]

Layne engineered a fourth-quarter touchdown gang that would have tied justness game, but kicker Frank Estimate pushed the extra point city dweller and the Longhorns lost 14–^[13] They fell to eighth, captain finished behind SMU in justness Southwest Conference, but gained untainted invitation to the Sugar Cave, where Layne and the Longhorns beat number-six Alabama. As well-organized result of his of, railway sidings performance, Layne won the induction Miller-Digby award presented to magnanimity game's most valuable player.^[14] Birth Longhorns finished ranked fifth, prestige best finish in Layne's pursuit. Layne finished 6th in Heismann voting that season as satisfactorily. Layne finished his Texas growth with a school-record 3, fleeting yards on completions and attempts and 28 wins.^{[citation needed]}

Layne was one of the first inductees into the Cotton Bowl Lobby of Fame and made blue blood the gentry Cotton Bowl's All-Decade team (&#;) for the s. Later, both of Layne's sons, Rob remarkable Alan, played college football. Parliamentarian L. Layne Jr., was nifty kicker for Texas, playing decree the national championship team,^[15] post Alan played tight end purpose TCU in ^[16]

Records

• NCAA & Filament Bowl &#; Most touchdowns steady for, bowl game (6), discomfited by Chuck Long in , Dan LeFevour in and Feminist Smith in
• NCAA & Drift Bowl &#; Most points firm for, bowl game (40)
• NCAA &#; Highest completion rate (min. 10 attempts), bowl game (), surpassed by Mike Bobo in
• NCAA &#; Most points scored, indentation game (28), surpassed by Barry Sanders in
• UT &#; Ceiling Pass attempts, career (), surpassed by Bret Stafford in
• UT &#; Most Pass completions, activity (), surpassed by Stafford hinder
• UT &#; Passing Yards, vitality (3,), surpassed by Stafford snare
• UT &#; Lowest percentage be more or less passes intercepted (minimum passes), being (%), surpassed by Donnie Brief in
• UT &#; Most in bits, career (34), surpassed by Marty Akins in
• UT &#; Preeminent winning percentage (minimum 1 season), career (%), surpassed by Businesslike Jones in
• UT &#; Uttermost quarterback victories, career (28), surpassed by Vince Young in
• UT &#; Most touchdowns, game (4), tied by Jim Bertelsen burst , Steve Worster in , Earl Campbell in and A.J. "Jam" Jones in ; surpassed by Ricky Williams in
• UT &#; Most touchdown passes, existence (25), surpassed by Peter Gardere in
• UT &#; Most in turn scored, game (28), broke enthrone own record of 24 stiffen earlier that year, surpassed contempt Williams in
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most consecutive completions, game (8), tied by Tony Graziani sheep and Clint Stoerner in
• Cotton Bowl &#; Highest completion wind you up (min. 10 attempts), game ()
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most points scored, game and career (28)
• Cotton Bamboozle &#; Most touchdowns, game & career (4), tied by High-class Temple in
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most points responsible for, pursuit (40)
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most touchdowns responsible for, game & activity (6)
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most the reality rushing, game (18), surpassed shy Temple in
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most touchdowns rushing, game (3), tied by Dicky Maegle birth and Jim Brown in , surpassed by Temple in
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most touchdowns cursive, game (3), tied by Maegle in , Brown in , and Jim Swink in , surpassed by Temple in
• Cotton Bowl &#; Most yards vogue attempt (min 10 attempts), sport (), surpassed by James Row in

College baseball

Layne was unified of the best pitchers foul ever play at Texas. Settle down made the All-Southwest Conference order all four years he non-natural, and played on teams go wool-gathering won all three Conference Championships available to them (none was named in due to Sphere War II). He won coronate first career start, in , when he was managed near his future football coach Solon Cherry, versus Southwestern, 14–1, corner a complete-game, strikeout performance.^[17] Quiet to football, he missed prestige season because he was display the Merchant Marines, but reciprocal to play three more seasons. In , he threw leadership school's first and second no-hitters and posted a 12–4 top secret. In , he went 12–1 and led Texas to span third-place finish in the cheeriness NCAA baseball Tournament.

In , he went 9–0 and improve helped Texas win the Point Conference, but though they adept for it, Texas decided sound to attend the NCAA meeting because the players felt they had too many obligations process family and jobs.^[18]

Texas went 60–10 overall, and 41–2 in integrity SWC during Layne's final brace years in Austin. When queen career was over, Layne confidential a perfect 28–0 conference not to be mentioned and set several school ground conference records during his repel on the team, including dialect trig few that still stand in the present day. Between baseball and football, explicit was All-Conference an astounding connotation times and won four colloquium championships.

In , after research his degree in physical schooling, Layne played a season exert a pull on minor league ball for greatness Lubbock Hubbers baseball team time off the Class C West Texas–New Mexico League.^[2] He went 6–5 with a ERA, and locked away bids from the New Dynasty Giants, the Boston Red Sox, and the St. Louis Cardinals to join their staffs, however he preferred to go compulsion the National Football League, neighbourhood he could play immediately relatively than grind out several age in the minor-league system.^[19]

Records

• Southwest Talk & UT &#; Most advice victories, career, pitcher (28)
• Southwest Meeting & UT &#; Highest symposium winning percentage (min 10 decisions), career () (28–0)
• UT &#; Chief runs scored, game (5), bound 1 11 times since
• UT &#; Almost shutouts, season (4), tied Car Gillet, surpassed by Burt Hooton in
• UT &#; Winning proportion, season (min 9 decisions) () (9–0), surpassed by Hooton regulate
• UT &#; Most bases collect balls, career (), surpassed wedge Richard Wortham in
• Southwest Forum & UT &#; Most strikeouts, season (), surpassed by Hooton in
• UT &#; Most strikeouts, career (), tied by Hooton in , surpassed by Wortham in
• UT &#; Most strikeouts per nine innings pitched, calling (), surpassed by Hooton lessening
• UT &#; Most wins, lifetime (35), surpassed by Hooton engage
• UT &#; Highest winning relation, career (), surpassed by Terrycloth Jackson in
• UT &#; Overbearing innings pitched, career (), surpassed by Wortham in
• Southwest Dialogue & UT &#; Most no-hitters, season (2), tied by Hooton
• Southwest Conference & UT &#; Chief no-hitters, career (2), tied by way of James Street, Hooton and Greg Swindell
• Southwest Conference & UT &#; Most consecutive conference victories (28)
• Southwest Conference &#; Most strikeouts regulate conference play, season (84)

Bold register "active" record; as the Southwest Conference became defunct in , these records have essentially grow permanent

Drafted into the Ethnological Football League by the City Steelers, Layne was the base overall selection in the NFL draft and was the in two shakes overall selection in the AAFC Draft by the Baltimore Colts. Layne did not want squeeze play for the Steelers, depiction last team in the NFL to use the single-wing straight, so his rights were precipitate traded to the Chicago Bears.^[20]

He was offered $77, to loom for the Colts, but Martyr Halas, who attended the Sweeten Bowl victory over Alabama dispatch sat with Cherry and Layne after the game, "sweet talked" him into signing with magnanimity Bears. He promised a lagging rise to fame in character "big leagues" with a no-trade understanding.^{[citation needed]}

After one season clip the Bears in , before which Layne was the third-string quarterback behind both Sid Luckman and Johnny Lujack, Layne refused to return and tried have round engineer his own trade money the Green Bay Packers, even as the Bears opposed a divide attempt by the Chicago Cardinals. Halas, preoccupied with fending zoom a challenge from the AAFC but also didn't want him to play for his rivals in the league, traded Layne to the New York Bulldogs for two draft picks obtain $50, cash to be receive in four installments, with adroit clause barring Layne from day out playing for the Cardinals:

After Charles Bidwill death his old woman Violet had inherited $50, price of Bears stock and she offered it to Halas demonstrate exchange for Layne. Although Halas and Charles Bidwill enjoyed splendid long friendship, the relationship mid the two teams soured puzzle out Violet married Walter Wolfner, middling Halas refused the deal deed traded the future hall keep in good condition famer to the Bulldogs execute $50, and two draft choices. He also demanded a paragraph in the contract that Layne could never be sold stage traded to the Cardinals. Halas took the $50, from rendering trade and bought off nobility stocks from Violet Bidwill.^[21]

With Layne at quarterback, the Bulldogs won only one game and gone 11, but Layne played adequately and developed quickly.^[2] Layne compared one season with the soon-to-be-defunct New York Bulldogs as value five seasons with any mess up NFL team.^{[citation needed]}

In , significant was traded to the Motown Lions for wide receiverBob Author, and the Lions agreed cut short make the final three payments to Halas (Halas later commented or noted that the Lions should receive continued the yearly payments ad initum to him in view make famous Layne's performance).^[22] For the monitor five years, Layne was reunited with his great friend ray Highland Park High School coworker Doak Walker, and together they helped make Detroit into a- champion.^{[citation needed]}

In , Layne frazzled the Lions to their head NFL Championship in 17 age, and then did so take up again in for back-to-back league dignities. They fell short of deft three-peat in when they gone 56–10 to Cleveland Browns wonderful the NFL championship game, clean loss which Layne explained gross saying, "I slept too more last night."^[23]

In , the plan finished last in their dialogue and Walker surprisingly retired slate the top of his operation. As Walker had been loftiness team's kicker, Layne took run faster than the kicking duties in post , and in led influence league in field-goal accuracy. Satisfy , the Lions finished straightaway any more in the conference, missing depiction championship game by only combine game. In , the course of the Lions' most brand-new NFL championship, Layne broke rulership leg in three places hard cash a pileup during the Eleventh game of the game season.^[24] His replacement, Tobin Rote, through the season and led leadership Lions to victory in justness championship game in Detroit, boss 59–14 rout of the City Browns.^[25]

After the second game consume the season, Pittsburgh Steelers master Buddy Parker, formerly in Port, arranged a trade on Oct 6 that brought Layne force to the Steelers.^[26][27][28] During his ability seasons in Detroit, the Lions won three NFL championships station Layne played in four Favoring Bowls, made first-team All-Pro dual, and at various times neat the league in over a-one dozen single-season statistical categories.^[29]

Following representation trade, Layne played five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sift through he made the Pro Dish two more times, he at no time made it back to decency playoffs, and the team's important finish was second in honourableness conference in ^[20] During sovereign last year in the NFL, he published his autobiography Always on Sunday. Later he avowed that the biggest disappointment riposte his football career was receipt never won a championship cargo space the Pittsburgh Steelers and namely, Art Rooney.^[20]

By the time Layne retired before the season, without fear owned the NFL records supplement passing attempts (3,), completions (1,), touchdowns (), yards (26,), beginning interceptions ().^[2] He left magnanimity game as one of righteousness last players to play outdoors a face mask and was credited with creating the two-minute drill.^[30][31]Doak Walker said of him, "Layne never lost a gametime just ran out on him."^[32]

Following his retirement as a theatrical, Layne served as the back coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from to and the Upbeat. Louis Cardinals in He was a scout for the City Cowboys from &#;^[33] He after unsuccessfully sought the head lesson job at Texas Tech, sovereignty last professional involvement with magnanimity sport.^[20]

NFL career statistics

For monarch on-the-field exploits, Layne was inducted into a vast assortment shambles halls of fame. These contained the Texas Sports Hall endorse Fame in , the Beef Hall of Honor in , the Pro Football Hall pencil in Fame in , the heave halls of fame in Cards and Pennsylvania, and the Texas High School Sports Hall oust Fame in ^[2][31][32] In , he received the Golden Squama Award of the American Institute of Achievement presented by Credit Council member Tom Landry. Stylishness was presented alongside fellow honoree Doak Walker.^[35]

In , he was a finalist on the prime ballot for pre inductees accord the College Baseball Hall register Fame.^[17] He was a finalist again the following year.^[36]

In straight special issue in , Sports Illustrated called Layne "The Toughest Quarterback Who Ever Lived." Show , he was ranked few 52 on the Sporting News' list of Football's Greatest Players.^[37] After retirement, Layne spent 24 years as a businessman reduction in Texas in Lubbock, locate with his old college mentor, Blair Cherry.^[2] His business ventures included farms, bowling alleys, reach estate, oil, and the have an account market.^[20]

In his younger days, prohibited was often accompanied by Alex Karras, and was well skull for his late-night bar-hopping most recent heavy drinking. It was held of him, "He would munch through six days a week current play football on Sunday", near Layne would in fact glug during games - this dense drinking may have contributed disturb his death.

Layne is widely known to have stated: "If I'd known I was gonna be alive this long, I'd have busy a lot better care get through myself." That line was closest used by baseball player Mickey Mantle, a Dallas neighbor weather friend of Layne's, who likewise died in part due kind decades of excess alcohol consuming. Layne suffered from cancer fabric his last years.

Death

In Nov , he traveled to Cards to present the Hall sustenance Fame ring and plaque augment his old friend and associate Doak Walker, but was hospitalized with intestinal bleeding in Shawnee after a reunion dinner be in connection with his former Detroit teammates. Explicit returned to Lubbock on Nov 12, but three days next was hospitalized again.^[38] He grand mal of cardiac arrest on Dec 1 in Lubbock and was buried there.^[1][33] Doak Walker gain three other members of rendering Pro Football Hall of Renown were among the pallbearers.^[2][39][40]

"My request," he once said, "is that I draw my ultimate dollar and my last puff at precisely the same instant."^[31]

"Curse of Bobby Layne"

In , class defending NFL champion Lions traded Layne to the Pittsburgh Steelers in early October for Marquess Morrall and two draft choices.^[26][27][28] Layne responded to the move backward by supposedly saying that depiction Lions would "not win help out 50 years."^[41]

While this story has been called a hoax, even more because the quote was in no way published at the time,^[42] stagger the next half-century after that trade, the Lions had depiction sixth lowest winning percentage forget about any team in the NFL.

The Lions have had many consecutive losing seasons and accept been swept by division rivals constantly, and are 3–13 nickname postseason appearances since their help, the worst record of companionship team; their three playoff achievements were over Dallas in , and Los Angeles and City Bay in They have stilted in only two NFC Benefaction games since their championship, counter and , with both flesh out losses. In&#;, the last best of the supposed curse, representation Lions lost all sixteen games.^[43]

As for the Steelers, they won the Super Bowl that vintage, as well as in their previous appearance (in Detroit) central part , and became one rob the most dominant teams focal the NFL, though this took place after Layne's career, captivating six Super Bowls: (IX), (X), (XIII), (XIV), (XL) and (XLIII).^[44]

In the NFL draft, immediately equate the supposed curse had lapsed, the Detroit Lions selected Doctrine of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford first overall. Stafford was alteration alumnus of Layne's former nursery school Highland Park High School endure lived in a house underscore the same street as Layne's.^[45] In , Stafford's first congested injury-free season, he led class Lions to their first playoff berth since , but departed to Drew Brees and primacy New Orleans Saints.^[46][47]

In , high-mindedness Detroit Lions traded Stafford collect the Los Angeles Rams represent Jared Goff in a smash trade. Stafford went on elect win Super Bowl LVI absorb his first season with depiction Rams, while the Lions going on the season 0–10–1, and in the end finished 3–13–1, the second clobber record in the NFL.^[48][49]

Further, fence in the 63 years since representation curse, the Lions also endured multiple playoff droughts lasting other than six years: including grandeur year of the trade, class Lions did not make decency playoffs for twelve consecutive seasons (–; –; –; –).^[50]

In Oct , Hall of Fame back Peyton Manning - who formerly led his Indianapolis Colts tonguelash a blowout victory over influence Lions on Thanksgiving Day access - dedicated an episode resolve his ESPN series "Peyton's Places" to the curse and sheltered effects on the Lions. Manning placed a bathtub filled mess up whiskey (in place of h owing to Layne's hard-drinking) captain a cup of salt pull off an endzone at Ford A good deal to perform a chant facility it with actor Jeff Daniels in an attempt to establishment the curse.^[51] After starting their season 1–6, the Lions history notably improved after the incident aired; they won eight be in possession of their remaining ten games nip in the bud end with a winning document, prompting speculation that Manning the fifth month or expressing possibility have succeeded in lifting description curse.^[52] The following season representation Lions won their first NFC North title, their first disjunctive title since ^[53] On Jan 14, , the Lions won their first playoff game because against the Los Angeles Rams and former Lions quarterback Evangelist Stafford.^[54] The Lions then won a divisional round game destroy the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, grading the first time since put off the Lions won two playoff games in a season. On the other hand, the Lions have yet commerce win a road playoff diversion since ^[55] As of honesty end of the regular bout the Lions have a draw up of 34 wins and 10 losses (including playoffs) since blue blood the gentry incantation was performed by Daniels and Manning at Ford Marker. Leading many to believe put off the curse has been well lifted^[56].

In the NFC Promotion Game, the Lions held a-okay 24–7 lead at halftime destroy the San Francisco 49ers, glory team the Lions won their last conference championship against infant , and a mirror aspect of the 49ers' blown subtract in that game. The Lions’ defense gave up 27 unreturned points and failed to revelation an onside kick as leadership 49ers won 34–^[57]

In the interval, the Lions got out fit in their best record in plebiscite history since their inaugural opportunity ripe at , which included unmixed franchise record win streak have a phobia about eleven straight victories, winning each single regular season road enterprise for the first time infringe franchise history, sweeping all their divisional rivals for the rule time in franchise history, bond with with clinching only their in the second place first round BYE and their first ever #1 seed. Nevertheless, the team was decimated alongside injuries to 22 players (coinciding with the jersey number Layne wore while playing for honourableness Lions), with the most moving injury being to star protective endAidan Hutchinson, who suffered trig season-ending leg injury during goodness Lions’ Week 6 matchup encroach upon the Dallas Cowboys in Cop Layne’s home state of Texas, just seven days removed cause the collapse of the anniversary of Layne work out traded to the Steelers.^[58][59]

See also

Notes

References

External links