Dan Audick
Encyclopedia
Daniel James Audick, Ed.D., (born November 15, 1954 in San Bernardino, California
) is a former American football
offensive lineman in the National Football League
from 1977 through 1984. Dan was born into a large military family as the son of Col. Albert E. Audick, Sr. and Stella Audick. After his birth, he and his nine siblings moved to military bases in France, Virginia, Tennessee, Japan, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California. As a high school senior at Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Audick earned All-State honors as an offensive lineman while contributing to the winning of what was then the AAA-Colorado high school football championship in 1971. In 2005, Audick was inducted with his teammates and coaches into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. Audick was a scholarship student-athlete for the University of Hawaii
Warrior football team from 1972 to 1977 and a team captain in the 1976 football season. Under the pioneering leadership of Coach Larry Price, he was one of the few former Warriors who made the transition from Division II Independent to Division IA Independent and who would go on to NFL careers and coaching careers. Notable Warrior pioneers that joined Audick in the transition of the Hawaii Warriors football
team to Division IA football and who played at the old Honolulu Stadium
and Aloha Stadium
include Charles Aiu, Arnold Morgado
, John Woodcock, and Rich Ellerson
.
in the 1977 NFL draft. He started in 33 of 76 regular season games while playing for the St. Louis Football Cardinals
, the San Diego Chargers
, and the San Francisco 49ers
. In post-season play, Audick started in 5 of 6 playoff games. During and after his playing career, he dealt with and overcame a bipolar-affective disorder. Under the leadership of Coach Don Coryell
, Audick played on a Chargers' team that clinched two consecutive playoff berths (1979 and 1980). With the 1980 San Diego Chargers
, Audick started at the right tackle position in the AFC Championship game versus the Oakland Raiders
where he protected Dan Fouts'
frontside in the "Air Coryell" offense.
In 1981, Audick was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Though he was considered to be "undersized" for the left tackle position, he was tasked with the responsibility of protecting Joe Montana's
"blindside." Under the guidance of Coach Bill Walsh, Audick was a key contributor on the final 89-yard drive that led to the play that has been immortalized as "The Catch" in the 1982 NFC Playoffs versus the Dallas Cowboys
. "The Catch", as the play has since been named by sportscasters, reminded older 49er fans of the "Alley-oop" passes that Y.A. Tittle threw to lanky receiver R.C. Owens back in the 1950s. A picture of Clark's leap in the air taken by Walter Iooss, Jr. appeared on the cover of that week's Sports Illustrated
and was also featured in an Autumn 2005 commercial for Gatorade
. Audick subsequently started in Super Bowl XVI
wearing number 61 for the 49ers' 26-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals
. As a result of the 49ers going on to win four Super Bowls in the decade, the 49ers went on to gain recognition as the "NFL Team of the 1980s."
When Michael Lewis's
was researching for his 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
, he called upon several former NFL coaches and players who had played the left tackle position including Audick. Audick helped Lewis understand the role of the "undersized" versus the "prototypical." Due to the arrival in the 1970s and early 1980s of the threatening presence of dominating pass rushing defensive end
s and linebacker
s like Lawrence Taylor
and Fred Dean
, NFL teams often choose an "undersized" tackle with excellent foot agility, blocking explosiveness, and quickness in lieu of a "prototypical" tackle in order to protect a quarterback's "blind side." In Lewis's book, Audick is credited with having played a contributing role in the evolution of the "undersized" left tackle position. In 2009, the book was made into a movie called The Blind Side
. In addition to being nominated for Best Picture for the 2010 Academy Awards
, the film won Best "Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role" for the role played by Sandra Bullock
in the true story portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy
. Mrs. Tuoghy is the adoptive mother of Michael Oher
, the 2009 1st round NFL pick by the Baltimore Ravens
.
Audick was the first student athlete
to graduate from the University of Hawaii
and to contribute to a winning Super Bowl
team.
Dan was the defensive line coach
in 1991 for Grossmont College
in El Cajon, California
.
In addition to his professional football career, Audick pursued three advanced degrees in the field of Sports Administration. Subsequent to his NFL retirement, he completed his MBA at San Diego State University
in 1986. In honing his studies to Sports Administration, he crafted his coursework and thesis toward the design and development of a computerized feedback system for college and professional football teams. It was not until 2006, that SDSU
formerly graduated the official first class for a Sports MBA program http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~cba/sports/. Audick was also an early participant in Internet education when he earned his second masters degree at the University of Phoenix's online
program from 1994 to 1996. Audick completed his education by earning a doctorate of education
in the field of Human Performance Technology
at the University of Southern California
. For his Ed.D. dissertation, Audick used an instructional design
enhancement to augment the instruction and communication of offensive passing routes and formations as compared with traditional approaches by using "eight points of a compass
" coupled with measurable distances down field and a "grid and code" system, respectively.
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive lineman in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1977 through 1984. Dan was born into a large military family as the son of Col. Albert E. Audick, Sr. and Stella Audick. After his birth, he and his nine siblings moved to military bases in France, Virginia, Tennessee, Japan, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California. As a high school senior at Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Audick earned All-State honors as an offensive lineman while contributing to the winning of what was then the AAA-Colorado high school football championship in 1971. In 2005, Audick was inducted with his teammates and coaches into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. Audick was a scholarship student-athlete for the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
Warrior football team from 1972 to 1977 and a team captain in the 1976 football season. Under the pioneering leadership of Coach Larry Price, he was one of the few former Warriors who made the transition from Division II Independent to Division IA Independent and who would go on to NFL careers and coaching careers. Notable Warrior pioneers that joined Audick in the transition of the Hawaii Warriors football
Hawaii Warriors football
The Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...
team to Division IA football and who played at the old Honolulu Stadium
Honolulu Stadium
Honolulu Stadium was a stadium located in the Moiliili district of Honolulu, Hawai'i, at the corner of King and Isenberg Streets. It was opened in 1926 and demolished in 1976. It was the primary sports venue in Hawai'i preceding Aloha Stadium. Famous athletes who competed in Honolulu Stadium...
and Aloha Stadium
Aloha Stadium
Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in the Halawa CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaii Warriors football team...
include Charles Aiu, Arnold Morgado
Arnold Morgado
Arnold T. Morgado, Jr. was a professional football running back in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 1994, he was inducted into the Punahou Athletic Hall of Fame...
, John Woodcock, and Rich Ellerson
Rich Ellerson
Rich Ellerson is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the United States Military Academy, a position he has held since the 2009 season. Ellerson served as the head football at Southern Utah University in 1996 and at California Polytechnic State...
.
Professional career
Audick was drafted by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the 1977 NFL draft. He started in 33 of 76 regular season games while playing for the St. Louis Football Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. In post-season play, Audick started in 5 of 6 playoff games. During and after his playing career, he dealt with and overcame a bipolar-affective disorder. Under the leadership of Coach Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
, Audick played on a Chargers' team that clinched two consecutive playoff berths (1979 and 1980). With the 1980 San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Audick started at the right tackle position in the AFC Championship game versus the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
where he protected Dan Fouts'
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
frontside in the "Air Coryell" offense.
In 1981, Audick was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Though he was considered to be "undersized" for the left tackle position, he was tasked with the responsibility of protecting Joe Montana's
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
"blindside." Under the guidance of Coach Bill Walsh, Audick was a key contributor on the final 89-yard drive that led to the play that has been immortalized as "The Catch" in the 1982 NFC Playoffs versus the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. "The Catch", as the play has since been named by sportscasters, reminded older 49er fans of the "Alley-oop" passes that Y.A. Tittle threw to lanky receiver R.C. Owens back in the 1950s. A picture of Clark's leap in the air taken by Walter Iooss, Jr. appeared on the cover of that week's Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and was also featured in an Autumn 2005 commercial for Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
. Audick subsequently started in Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI
Super Bowl XVI was an American football game played on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan to decide the National Football League champion following the 1981 regular season. It marked the first time that a Super Bowl was held at a cold-weather city...
wearing number 61 for the 49ers' 26-21 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. As a result of the 49ers going on to win four Super Bowls in the decade, the 49ers went on to gain recognition as the "NFL Team of the 1980s."
When Michael Lewis's
Michael Lewis (author)
Michael Lewis is an American non-fiction author and financial journalist. His bestselling books include The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Liar's Poker, The New New Thing, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, Panic and Home Game: An...
was researching for his 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game is a book by Michael Lewis released in 2006 about American football.-Plot:It features two dominant storylines...
, he called upon several former NFL coaches and players who had played the left tackle position including Audick. Audick helped Lewis understand the role of the "undersized" versus the "prototypical." Due to the arrival in the 1970s and early 1980s of the threatening presence of dominating pass rushing defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
s and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s like Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
and Fred Dean
Fred Dean
Frederick Rudolph "Fred" Dean is a former American football player in the National Football League, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. His career started with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and ended with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1985 season. Dean was born in Arcadia, the seat of...
, NFL teams often choose an "undersized" tackle with excellent foot agility, blocking explosiveness, and quickness in lieu of a "prototypical" tackle in order to protect a quarterback's "blind side." In Lewis's book, Audick is credited with having played a contributing role in the evolution of the "undersized" left tackle position. In 2009, the book was made into a movie called The Blind Side
The Blind Side (film)
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical drama film. It is written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL...
. In addition to being nominated for Best Picture for the 2010 Academy Awards
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
, the film won Best "Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role" for the role played by Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
in the true story portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Leigh Anne Roberts Tuohy is an American interior designer. She is best known for being featured in Michael Lewis's 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and its 2009 feature film adaptation The Blind Side...
. Mrs. Tuoghy is the adoptive mother of Michael Oher
Michael Oher
Michael Jerome Oher is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels...
, the 2009 1st round NFL pick by the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
.
Audick was the first student athlete
Student athlete
A student athlete is a term used to describe a participant in an organized competitive sport sponsored by the educational institution in which he or she is enrolled, a term primarily used in the United States. It is used to describe the direct balance of a full-time student and a full-time athlete...
to graduate from the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
and to contribute to a winning Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
team.
Dan was the defensive line coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
in 1991 for Grossmont College
Grossmont College
Grossmont College is a community college located in El Cajon, California, in the county of San Diego. The campus sits in the Fletcher Hills community of El Cajon and is bordered by the cities of San Diego and Santee. Grossmont College is one of the two colleges that make up the Grossmont-Cuyamaca...
in El Cajon, California
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
.
Academic career
- Bachelors of Business Administration from University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
(1977) - Masters of Business Administration from San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
(1986) - Masters of Arts in Organizational Management from University of PhoenixUniversity of PhoenixThe University of Phoenix is a for-profit institution of higher learning. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group Inc. which is publicly traded , an S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona...
(1996) - Doctorate of Education from University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(2004)
In addition to his professional football career, Audick pursued three advanced degrees in the field of Sports Administration. Subsequent to his NFL retirement, he completed his MBA at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
in 1986. In honing his studies to Sports Administration, he crafted his coursework and thesis toward the design and development of a computerized feedback system for college and professional football teams. It was not until 2006, that SDSU
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
formerly graduated the official first class for a Sports MBA program http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~cba/sports/. Audick was also an early participant in Internet education when he earned his second masters degree at the University of Phoenix's online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
program from 1994 to 1996. Audick completed his education by earning a doctorate of education
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in the field of Human Performance Technology
Human performance technology
Human Performance Technology , also known as Human Performance Improvement , "uses a wide range of interventions that are drawn from many other disciplines, including total quality management, process improvement, behavioral psychology, instructional systems design, organizational development, and...
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. For his Ed.D. dissertation, Audick used an instructional design
Instructional design
Instructional Design is the practice of creating "instructional experiences which make the acquisition of knowledge and skill more efficient, effective, and appealing." The process consists broadly of determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and...
enhancement to augment the instruction and communication of offensive passing routes and formations as compared with traditional approaches by using "eight points of a compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
" coupled with measurable distances down field and a "grid and code" system, respectively.
External links
- http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=AUDICDAN01
- http://www.chargers-stats.com/1980.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_playoffs,_1980-81
- http://www.sptimes.com/News/111999/Sports/_The_Catch__lands_a_s.shtml St. Petersburg Times
- http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125140/index.htm
- http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125154
- http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/features/superbowl/archives/16/
- http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~cba/sports/
- http://www.thesportscorp.org/html/sportsCorp/events/SHOF/1971%20Wasson%20Text.pdf