Ron Mix
Encyclopedia
Ronald Jack Mix in Los Angeles, California
was an American football player.
Mix attended USC
, and upon graduation played right tackle and guard for the American Football League
's Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers (1960–1969) and the NFL Oakland Raiders
(1971& 1972; taxi squad during 1972).
, where he was an All American in 1959, Mix was an original Los Angeles Charger in 1960. Mix was also a member of the Delta Chi
Fraternity. He was elected the National Jewish College Athlete of the Year.
in Law degree, Mix was nicknamed "The Intellectual Assassin" for his physical play. Mix was called for a mere two holding penalties in ten years.
Mix, who was listed at 6' 5" and 270 pounds, was an early proponent of weightlifting to enhance athletic power. He was years ahead of the curve that soon at lineman and other football players taking up that practice to become better athletes. His power lifts included a military press
above his head of 300 pounds, a clean and jerk
above his head at 325 pounds, and a bench press
of 425 pounds, all of the lifts considered to be exceptionally strong for that era of play.
Although the Baltimore Colts picked him number 1 in 1960, he chose to go to the AFL, where he had also been the number 1 draft pick.
He was a factor in the Chargers' early domination of the AFL's Western Division, and in San Diego helped them win an American Football League Championship
in 1963, when they defeated the Boston Patriots.
He was elected to the AFL All-Star
team for nine straight years as a Charger, is a member of the All-time All-AFL Team
, and is one of only 20 men who played the entire 10 years of the AFL.
He was also the general manager
of the WFL Portland Storm
in 1974.
He was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1979. Mix is Jewish, and was also elected a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, being elected to that in 1980. He was the second player from the AFL to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lance Alworth was the first in 1978l
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
was an American football player.
Mix attended USC
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...
, and upon graduation played right tackle and guard for the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers (1960–1969) and the NFL 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...
(1971& 1972; taxi squad during 1972).
College career
A graduate of the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity 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...
, where he was an All American in 1959, Mix was an original Los Angeles Charger in 1960. Mix was also a member of the Delta Chi
Delta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
Fraternity. He was elected the National Jewish College Athlete of the Year.
Professional football career
Because he had a Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in Law degree, Mix was nicknamed "The Intellectual Assassin" for his physical play. Mix was called for a mere two holding penalties in ten years.
Mix, who was listed at 6' 5" and 270 pounds, was an early proponent of weightlifting to enhance athletic power. He was years ahead of the curve that soon at lineman and other football players taking up that practice to become better athletes. His power lifts included a military press
Military press
The military press is a variation of the overhead press weight training exercise using very strict form.The military press targets the deltoid muscles in the shoulders as well as the triceps...
above his head of 300 pounds, a clean and jerk
Clean and jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
above his head at 325 pounds, and a bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
of 425 pounds, all of the lifts considered to be exceptionally strong for that era of play.
Although the Baltimore Colts picked him number 1 in 1960, he chose to go to the AFL, where he had also been the number 1 draft pick.
He was a factor in the Chargers' early domination of the AFL's Western Division, and in San Diego helped them win an American Football League Championship
Professional American football championship games
Below is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:* the informal Pittsburgh circuit of professional football teams ;...
in 1963, when they defeated the Boston Patriots.
He was elected to the AFL All-Star
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
team for nine straight years as a Charger, is a member of the All-time All-AFL Team
American Football League All-Time Team
The American Football League All- Time Team was selected on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams would be determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors: Since the First team included two halfbacks, rather than a halfback and a fullback, Cookie Gilchrist, a...
, and is one of only 20 men who played the entire 10 years of the AFL.
He was also the general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the WFL Portland Storm
Portland Storm
The Portland Storm were an American football team based out of Portland, Oregon, playing in the World Football League. When the World Football League was created in October 1973, the Storm was the original New York franchise. When the Boston Bulls merged with New York to become the New York...
in 1974.
He was voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
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...
in 1979. Mix is Jewish, and was also elected a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, being elected to that in 1980. He was the second player from the AFL to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lance Alworth was the first in 1978l
After football
Mix currently practices law in San Diego, California with a practice focused on representing retired professional athletes in claims for workers' compensation benefits. Prior to that, he was a civil litigator and received an AV rating, which is the highest rating an attorney can receive for skill and integrity.See also
- Other American Football League players
- List of select Jewish football players
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Mix's 1967 Topps football card
- Ron Mix – Raidersonline.org
- Ron Mix Profile at USC Legends