Frank Reich
Encyclopedia
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. (born December 4, 1961) is a former American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
for the Buffalo Bills
, Carolina Panthers
, New York Jets
, and the Detroit Lions
. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate
and professional
ranks. Reich and starter Jim Kelly
formed one of the longest-tenured backup-and-starter tandems, playing together for nine years (1986–1994). He is currently the wide receivers coach
for the Indianapolis Colts
.
in Lebanon, Pennsylvania
where he played baseball, football, and basketball. Reich started on the football team for his last two years in high school. He played quarterback in the Big 33 Football Classic
(known as the "Super Bowl of high school games") his senior year of high school.
on a football scholarship and played backup to Boomer Esiason
the first few years. The biggest highlight of his college career was the comeback he led against the University of Miami
Hurricanes
on November 10, 1984 at the Orange Bowl Stadium
. Reich came off the bench to play for Stan Gelbaugh
, who had previously replaced him as the starter after Reich separated his shoulder in the fourth week of the season against Wake Forest
. Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar
had led the 'Canes to a 31-0 lead at halftime. At the start of the third quarter, Reich led the Maryland Terrapins
on multiple scoring drives. Three touchdowns in the third quarter and a fourth at the start of the final quarter turned what was a blowout into a close game. With the score 34-28 Miami, Reich hit Greg Hill with a 68-yard touchdown pass which deflected off the hands of Miami safety Darrell Fullington
to take the lead. Maryland scored once more to cap a 42-9 second half, and won the game 42-40, completing what was then the biggest comeback in NCAA history.
This comeback from 31 points down has since been exceeded by the Michigan State University
Spartans
' 41-38 comeback win
in 2006 over the Northwestern University
Wildcats
during which Michigan State trailed 38-3 in the third quarter.
in the third round (57th overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft
. The Bills already had drafted future Hall of Famer
Jim Kelly
in 1983 and when Kelly signed with the Bills in 1986, Reich was relegated to the backup role. Reich got his first start when Kelly went down with a shoulder injury in 1989. Reich led the Bills to two straight victories. He rallied the Bills in the fourth quarter by throwing two drives down the field for a 23-20 victory over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Rams. This first game for Reich occurred in front of a Rich Stadium crowd of 76,231 and a Monday Night Football audience. Reich returned the following season, however, when Kelly was injured again late in the season. Reich provided the Bills with two key wins, clinching them the AFC East
title and home field advantage
throughout the playoffs
.
On January 3, 1993, Reich led the Bills on a 35-3 run in the second half and overtime against the Houston Oilers
en route to a 41-38 victory, the largest comeback
in NFL history. Reich would help the Bills defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the divisional round with a score of 23-7 before once again giving the team back to Kelly, who led them into Super Bowl XXVII
, where they fell to the Dallas Cowboys
52-17.
After giving the Bills one more comeback victory late in the 1993 NFL season
, Reich was picked from the Bills in the 1995 expansion draft
to join the Carolina Panthers
to start off their first year. He threw the first touchdown pass to former Bills player Pete Metzelaars
in Bank of America Stadium
. The Panthers had drafted Kerry Collins
as their intended franchise quarterback, but Reich was the starter for most of the first half of the season until Collins was deemed ready to take the starting job. He was signed by the New York Jets
where he started for seven games and the Detroit Lions
. Reich retired following the 1998 NFL season
.
In the first round of the 1997 NFL playoffs, Reich took over as quarterback for the Detroit Lions
when Scott Mitchell was knocked out of the game. Late in the game, Reich dropped back and spiked the ball accidentally on fourth down, giving the ball to opponent Tampa Bay.
In the year of 2008, he served as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts
. After Tony Dungy
retired early in the year of 2009, Jim Caldwell (former Colts quarterback coach) replaced Dungy and Reich took his place as the new quarterbacks coach.
utilizing the great comebacks and the importance of God as a main keynote of his speeches. He credits the song "In Christ Alone" by Michael English
as his inspiration. He belongs to the Premier Speakers Bureau where his main topics are communication and teamwork. Reich attended the Charlotte Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary
, Charlotte, North Carolina
. There, he received a Seminary Degree and Master of Divinity
. He served as president of RTS' Charlotte campus from 2003-2006. Reich was also a pastor at Ballantyne Presbyterian until he moved to Indianapolis
.
While living in Buffalo, New York
in the early 90s, Reich met a man named Jim Case who Reich hired to build his deck and refinish his base. A friendship between Reich and Case formed and they started a company together called Pro Display Inc. which specialized in sports memorabilia. Their main item was a football stand inspired by Frank's dad who created a wooden stand shaped like a football field where the goal posts held up the football. Frank Reich had co-founded a retail business in the 90s that he started with friend Boomer Esiason
and two others. They were part owners of Jim and Chuck's Boot Shop. The store expanded over the New England
area with fifteen stores where they still remain today.
On the January 30, 2010 episode of Saturday Night Live
, Jon Hamm portrayed Reich in a Gametime with Randy and Greg skit.
from 1953–1955 as a center
and linebacker
. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
in the 14th round of the 1956 NFL Draft
, but did not play in the National Football League
.
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...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
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...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and professional
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...
ranks. Reich and starter Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
formed one of the longest-tenured backup-and-starter tandems, playing together for nine years (1986–1994). He is currently the wide receivers coach
Wide receivers coach
A wide receivers coach is a coach in charge of the wide receivers in gridiron football. The wide receivers coach typically operates under a team's offensive coordinator. This coach also typically resides in the coach's box on gameday, often accompanied by or in place of the offensive coordinator....
for the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
High school years
Reich attended Cedar Crest High SchoolCedar Crest High School
Cedar Crest High School is a public high school located in the suburbs of Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The school serves about 1,600 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Cornwall-Lebanon School District.-General information:...
in Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
where he played baseball, football, and basketball. Reich started on the football team for his last two years in high school. He played quarterback in the Big 33 Football Classic
Big 33 Football Classic
The Big 33 Football Classic is an all-star American football game featuring the top high-school football players in Pennsylvania. Played since 1957, the game is often described as the "Super Bowl of High School Football." The last 14 contests have pitted players from Pennsylvania against players...
(known as the "Super Bowl of high school games") his senior year of high school.
College career
Reich was accepted to the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
on a football scholarship and played backup to Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
the first few years. The biggest highlight of his college career was the comeback he led against the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
on November 10, 1984 at the Orange Bowl Stadium
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
. Reich came off the bench to play for Stan Gelbaugh
Stan Gelbaugh
Stanley Morris Gelbaugh is a former professional American football quarterback. Although he played several seasons in the National Football League, he attained his greatest success in the World League of American Football with the London Monarchs, where he was the league's Offensive Most Valuable...
, who had previously replaced him as the starter after Reich separated his shoulder in the fourth week of the season against Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
. Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
had led the 'Canes to a 31-0 lead at halftime. At the start of the third quarter, Reich led the Maryland Terrapins
University of Maryland athletics
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
on multiple scoring drives. Three touchdowns in the third quarter and a fourth at the start of the final quarter turned what was a blowout into a close game. With the score 34-28 Miami, Reich hit Greg Hill with a 68-yard touchdown pass which deflected off the hands of Miami safety Darrell Fullington
Darrell Fullington
Darrell Fullington is a former American football free safety.Fullington was drafted fifth round out of the University of Miami to the Minnesota Vikings in 1988. Darrell was also with the New England Patriots, waived by them in September 1991 and eventually claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
to take the lead. Maryland scored once more to cap a 42-9 second half, and won the game 42-40, completing what was then the biggest comeback in NCAA history.
This comeback from 31 points down has since been exceeded by the Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
Spartans
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
' 41-38 comeback win
2006 Michigan State vs. Northwestern football game
The 2006 edition of the Michigan State Spartans / Northwestern Wildcats football game featured the biggest comeback in NCAA history. The Spartans, after falling behind to the Wildcats 38-3 with 9:54 remaining in the 3rd quarter, rallied to score 38 unanswered points to defeat the Wildcats...
in 2006 over the Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
Wildcats
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
during which Michigan State trailed 38-3 in the third quarter.
Professional career
Reich was drafted by the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round (57th overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft
1985 NFL Draft
The 1985 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 30 and May 1, 1985...
. The Bills already had drafted future Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
in 1983 and when Kelly signed with the Bills in 1986, Reich was relegated to the backup role. Reich got his first start when Kelly went down with a shoulder injury in 1989. Reich led the Bills to two straight victories. He rallied the Bills in the fourth quarter by throwing two drives down the field for a 23-20 victory over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Rams. This first game for Reich occurred in front of a Rich Stadium crowd of 76,231 and a Monday Night Football audience. Reich returned the following season, however, when Kelly was injured again late in the season. Reich provided the Bills with two key wins, clinching them the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
title and home field advantage
Home Field Advantage
Home Field Advantage is a 2000 independent film starring Tony Award-winning actor Dan Fogler in the role of Charlie....
throughout the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1990-91
The NFL playoffs following the 1990 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXV.The league expanded its playoff system from a 10-team to a 12-team tournament...
.
On January 3, 1993, Reich led the Bills on a 35-3 run in the second half and overtime against the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
en route to a 41-38 victory, the largest comeback
The Comeback (American football)
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history...
in NFL history. Reich would help the Bills defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh 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 divisional round with a score of 23-7 before once again giving the team back to Kelly, who led them into Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
, where they fell to 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...
52-17.
After giving the Bills one more comeback victory late in the 1993 NFL season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, Reich was picked from the Bills in the 1995 expansion draft
Expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion draft...
to join the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
to start off their first year. He threw the first touchdown pass to former Bills player Pete Metzelaars
Pete Metzelaars
Peter Henry Metzelaars is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League...
in Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...
. The Panthers had drafted Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
as their intended franchise quarterback, but Reich was the starter for most of the first half of the season until Collins was deemed ready to take the starting job. He was signed by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
where he started for seven games and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. Reich retired following the 1998 NFL season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
.
In the first round of the 1997 NFL playoffs, Reich took over as quarterback for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
when Scott Mitchell was knocked out of the game. Late in the game, Reich dropped back and spiked the ball accidentally on fourth down, giving the ball to opponent Tampa Bay.
In the year of 2008, he served as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. After Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
retired early in the year of 2009, Jim Caldwell (former Colts quarterback coach) replaced Dungy and Reich took his place as the new quarterbacks coach.
Life outside of football
Throughout Reich's NFL career, he remained a devout Christian. He is a motivational speakerMotivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
utilizing the great comebacks and the importance of God as a main keynote of his speeches. He credits the song "In Christ Alone" by Michael English
Michael English
Michael English is an American Christian singer. Initially, he was a member of his family's singing group, and is currently a member of The Gaither Vocal Band. During his solo career, he recorded eight studio albums. English's highest-charting solo single was "Your Love Amazes Me", which reached No...
as his inspiration. He belongs to the Premier Speakers Bureau where his main topics are communication and teamwork. Reich attended the Charlotte Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary
Reformed Theological Seminary
Reformed Theological Seminary is a non-denominational, evangelical Protestant seminary. RTS's first campus remains in Jackson, Mississippi, United States though the school has expanded to include several additional campuses.-Founding:...
, Charlotte, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. There, he received a Seminary Degree and Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
. He served as president of RTS' Charlotte campus from 2003-2006. Reich was also a pastor at Ballantyne Presbyterian until he moved to Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
While living in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in the early 90s, Reich met a man named Jim Case who Reich hired to build his deck and refinish his base. A friendship between Reich and Case formed and they started a company together called Pro Display Inc. which specialized in sports memorabilia. Their main item was a football stand inspired by Frank's dad who created a wooden stand shaped like a football field where the goal posts held up the football. Frank Reich had co-founded a retail business in the 90s that he started with friend Boomer Esiason
Boomer Esiason
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason is a former American football quarterback and current network color commentator. He played for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals before working as an analyst for ABC and HBO...
and two others. They were part owners of Jim and Chuck's Boot Shop. The store expanded over the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
area with fifteen stores where they still remain today.
On the January 30, 2010 episode of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, Jon Hamm portrayed Reich in a Gametime with Randy and Greg skit.
Personal
Reich's father, Frank, played for Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
from 1953–1955 as a center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
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...
. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 14th round of the 1956 NFL Draft
1956 NFL Draft
The 1956 National Football League Draft was held on November 29, 1955.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
, but did not play 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...
.