Abe Gibron
Encyclopedia
Abraham Gibron (September 22, 1925 – September 23, 1997) was an American football
coach and player. He is best remembered for his tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears
of the National Football League
. He played in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns
, the Philadelphia Eagles
, and the Bears. He also played in the All-America Football Conference
for the Buffalo Bills
.
Gibron graduated from Elston High School in Michigan City, Indiana
. After a stint in the military, he played his freshman year of college football
at Valparaiso University
before lettering twice at Purdue University
. It was at Purdue that he met John McKay, with whom he would later work on the Buccaneers
staff. He was drafted in the first round of the secret AAFC
draft in 1949 by the Buffalo Bills
. He was also drafted
in the sixth round of the 1949 NFL Draft
by the New York Giants
, but chose to play with the Bills. After the league's merger with the National Football League
, the players from the defunct teams went into a pool, from which Gibron was selected by the Cleveland Browns
. Gibron played for the Browns for seven seasons. In six of those campaigns, the Browns played in the NFL Championship game, winning three times. Individually, he was selected to four Pro Bowl
s, and was named All-Pro
from 1952
-1954
. In 1957, Gibron was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles
, then moved on the following year to play two seasons with the Chicago Bears
. He ultimately played in 115 games over 11 seasons.
From 1960-1964, he served as offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins
, then went back to Chicago in a similar capacity for the Bears from 1965-1971. When head coach Jim Dooley
was dismissed after three consecutive losing season, including a disastrous 1-13 slate in 1969, Gibron was elevated to the top slot on January 27, 1972.
By time Gibron assumed the reins, Gale Sayers
had finally been forced to retire due to his chronically bad knees, Dick Butkus
was on in the twilight of his great career, and the team's passing game was severely limited with left-handed scrambler Bobby Douglass
under center. In his three seasons, the Bears compiled an 11-30-1 record, resulting in Gibron's dismissal two days after the team's final game of the 1974 NFL season
. The 4-10 record the Bears compiled in Gibron's last season allowed Chicago to pick fourth overall in the 1975 NFL Draft
and select future all-time rushing leader Walter Payton
.
Gibron stayed in Chicago in 1975, serving as head coach of the World Football League
's Chicago Winds
. After the league folded in October of that year, Gibron resurfaced the following year as an assistant with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, where he served for nine seasons.
Although not a successful head coach in terms of his won/lost record, Gibron was known for his colorful personality, and his substantial girth. Buccaneer rookie Charley Hannah
once said after dining with him, "He was eating things we wouldn't even go swimming with in Alabama".
A humorous clip of Gibron singing Joy to the World
on the sidelines during a 1973 game against Denver was made famous by NFL Films
in Football Follies
.
Gibron played himself in the critically acclaimed TV movie Brian's Song
(1971), the story of Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers
.
In December 1996 and February 1997, Gibron suffered strokes that confined him to his home for the remainder of his life. He died at home in Belleair, Florida
.
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...
coach and player. He is best remembered for his tenure as head coach of 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...
of 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...
. He played in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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...
, and the Bears. He also played in the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
.
Gibron graduated from Elston High School in Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
. After a stint in the military, he played his freshman year of college football
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...
at Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
before lettering twice at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. It was at Purdue that he met John McKay, with whom he would later work on the Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
staff. He was drafted in the first round of the secret AAFC
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
draft in 1949 by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
. He was also drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the sixth round of the 1949 NFL Draft
1949 NFL Draft
The 1949 National Football League Draft was held on December 21, 1948.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but chose to play with the Bills. After the league's merger with 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...
, the players from the defunct teams went into a pool, from which Gibron was selected by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Gibron played for the Browns for seven seasons. In six of those campaigns, the Browns played in the NFL Championship game, winning three times. Individually, he was selected to four Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s, and was named All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
from 1952
1952 NFL season
The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL...
-1954
1954 NFL season
The 1954 NFL season was the 35th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Cleveland Browns defeated the Detroit Lions in the NFL Championship Game.-Major rule changes:...
. In 1957, Gibron was traded to 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...
, then moved on the following year to play two seasons 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...
. He ultimately played in 115 games over 11 seasons.
From 1960-1964, he served as offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, then went back to Chicago in a similar capacity for the Bears from 1965-1971. When head coach Jim Dooley
Jim Dooley
James William Dooley was a former American football player and coach. He is best remembered for his tenure in both capacities with the National Football League's Chicago Bears....
was dismissed after three consecutive losing season, including a disastrous 1-13 slate in 1969, Gibron was elevated to the top slot on January 27, 1972.
By time Gibron assumed the reins, Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
had finally been forced to retire due to his chronically bad knees, Dick Butkus
Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player for the Chicago Bears. He was drafted in 1965 and he is also widely regarded as one of the best and most durable linebackers of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears. He...
was on in the twilight of his great career, and the team's passing game was severely limited with left-handed scrambler Bobby Douglass
Bobby Douglass
Robert Gilchrist Douglass is a former American football quarterback in the NFL, who played most of his career with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the second round of the 1969 NFL Draft. During his career, he also played for the San Diego Chargers, the New Orleans Saints, the Oakland...
under center. In his three seasons, the Bears compiled an 11-30-1 record, resulting in Gibron's dismissal two days after the team's final game of the 1974 NFL season
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
. The 4-10 record the Bears compiled in Gibron's last season allowed Chicago to pick fourth overall in the 1975 NFL Draft
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
and select future all-time rushing leader Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
.
Gibron stayed in Chicago in 1975, serving as head coach of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
's Chicago Winds
Chicago Winds
The Chicago Winds was the World Football League's ill-fated 1975 successor to the Chicago Fire. The team was named the Winds because Chicago was nicknamed "The Windy City." The Winds played at Soldier Field and was assigned to the WFL's Western Division for 1975 .-Pursuit of Joe...
. After the league folded in October of that year, Gibron resurfaced the following year as an assistant with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, where he served for nine seasons.
Although not a successful head coach in terms of his won/lost record, Gibron was known for his colorful personality, and his substantial girth. Buccaneer rookie Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the Los Angeles Raiders...
once said after dining with him, "He was eating things we wouldn't even go swimming with in Alabama".
A humorous clip of Gibron singing Joy to the World
Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton song)
"Joy to the World" is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening words, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"...
on the sidelines during a 1973 game against Denver was made famous by NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
in Football Follies
Football Follies
Football Follies are collections of American football bloopers performed by National Football League players. Produced by NFL Films, these collections also spoof parts of popular culture. Mel Blanc joined in the fun in 1976 with The Son of Football Follies, and returned in 1989 for The Super Duper...
.
Gibron played himself in the critically acclaimed TV movie Brian's Song
Brian's Song
Brian's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with Chicago Bears running back teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale...
(1971), the story of Chicago Bears teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears....
.
In December 1996 and February 1997, Gibron suffered strokes that confined him to his home for the remainder of his life. He died at home in Belleair, Florida
Belleair, Florida
Belleair is a town in Pinellas County, Florida, United States.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of . of it is land and of it is water.-Form of Government:...
.