Ronnie Knox
Encyclopedia
Ronald "Ronnie" Knox is a former National Football League
and Canadian Football League
quarterback
.
, Knox played under the tutelage of coach Jim Sutherland. He played his freshman season for Pappy Waldorf
's California Golden Bears
before abruptly transferring to UCLA in the fall of 1954. Knox's stepfather, Harvey Knox, was accused of interfering with the Bears' coaching staff and of making extreme monetary demands on the university. The elder Knox had also interfered with his son's high school coaches and Ronnie played for three different high school teams in three years. Harvey Knox was also accused of interfering in the business of his stepdaughter, actress Patricia Knox.
, but he would never appear in any pictures for the studio. Knox signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, but would leave the team after one month to once again pursue a film career. Knox signed with the Calgary Stampeders
on October 3, 1956, six days after quitting the Tiger-Cats.
Knox signed with the Chicago Bears
for the 1957 season
. Knox was suspended indefinitely by Bears Coach George Halas
in October of that season for violations which included his stepfather's public criticism of the team and missing two practices and a quarterback tutoring session without reason.
Due to a bitter dispute with the Bears, Knox was not allowed by Halas to play for the Bears or play for any other NFL team. Instead, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts
midway through 1958 CFL season
with a promise by Harvey Knox to the team that he would not interfere. His most notable performance came on October 25, 1958 when, playing the Ottawa Rough Riders
, he passed for 522 yards, then a team record and still second most in Argonaut history. After splitting up with his stepfather, Knox would play only one more season of football before retiring, saying that football was a "game for animals".
and San Diego Chargers
of the newly formed American Football League
.
In the 1960s
, 1970s
, and 1980s
Knox drifted around California
, residing only a short time in various towns, prior to moving again. In July 1988 a reporter located him as he was moving out of a one room apartment in Canoga Park, California. Knox had lived there for just several weeks, spending the majority of his time writing poetry. Aside from past residences in McKinleyville, CA, Malibu, CA, and San Francisco, Knox lived for short periods in other states, i.e. Maine
and Texas
. He also lived for brief stints in Mexico
and Europe
.
Having been single since a divorce in 1964, his philosophy was to stay free. Knox compared his lifestyle to the noble savage
written about by James Fennimore Cooper. He read English literature
by the hour, stretched out on a cot or in his worn out twelve-year-old car. He yearned for a life at sea.
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...
and Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
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...
.
High school phenom
A high school All-American at Santa Monica High SchoolSanta Monica High School
Santa Monica High School, informally known as SAMOHI, is located in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1884, it is one of the oldest high schools in the state....
, Knox played under the tutelage of coach Jim Sutherland. He played his freshman season for Pappy Waldorf
Pappy Waldorf
Lynn Osbert "Pappy" Waldorf was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, , Kansas State University , Northwestern University , and the University of California, Berkeley ,...
's California Golden Bears
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
before abruptly transferring to UCLA in the fall of 1954. Knox's stepfather, Harvey Knox, was accused of interfering with the Bears' coaching staff and of making extreme monetary demands on the university. The elder Knox had also interfered with his son's high school coaches and Ronnie played for three different high school teams in three years. Harvey Knox was also accused of interfering in the business of his stepdaughter, actress Patricia Knox.
College and pro football player
Knox played one season at UCLA before being declared ineligible due to accepting "under-the-table" financing. After leaving UCLA, Knox signed a movie contract with Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, but he would never appear in any pictures for the studio. Knox signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, but would leave the team after one month to once again pursue a film career. Knox signed with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
on October 3, 1956, six days after quitting the Tiger-Cats.
Knox signed with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the 1957 season
1957 NFL season
The 1957 NFL season was the 38th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions crushed the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game, 59–14.-Major rule changes:...
. Knox was suspended indefinitely by Bears Coach George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
in October of that season for violations which included his stepfather's public criticism of the team and missing two practices and a quarterback tutoring session without reason.
Due to a bitter dispute with the Bears, Knox was not allowed by Halas to play for the Bears or play for any other NFL team. Instead, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
midway through 1958 CFL season
1958 CFL season
The 1958 CFL season was the fifth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it would become known as the inaugural season of the Canadian Football League .-CFL news in 1958:...
with a promise by Harvey Knox to the team that he would not interfere. His most notable performance came on October 25, 1958 when, playing the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
, he passed for 522 yards, then a team record and still second most in Argonaut history. After splitting up with his stepfather, Knox would play only one more season of football before retiring, saying that football was a "game for animals".
Film actor, a drifter, and a poet
After leaving Toronto, Knox would appear in a few movies and television shows, but not return to football, despite offers from the Oakland RaidersOakland 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...
and 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...
of the newly formed 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...
.
In the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, and 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
Knox drifted around California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, residing only a short time in various towns, prior to moving again. In July 1988 a reporter located him as he was moving out of a one room apartment in Canoga Park, California. Knox had lived there for just several weeks, spending the majority of his time writing poetry. Aside from past residences in McKinleyville, CA, Malibu, CA, and San Francisco, Knox lived for short periods in other states, i.e. Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. He also lived for brief stints in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Having been single since a divorce in 1964, his philosophy was to stay free. Knox compared his lifestyle to the noble savage
Noble savage
The term noble savage , expresses the concept an idealized indigene, outsider , and refers to the literary stock character of the same...
written about by James Fennimore Cooper. He read English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
by the hour, stretched out on a cot or in his worn out twelve-year-old car. He yearned for a life at sea.