Brad Ecklund
Encyclopedia
Bradford Ecklund was a center
in the AAFC
and in the National Football League
. He was chosen twice (1950, 1951) to play in the Pro Bowl. He was born in Los Angeles, California
and died in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey
.
.
He never played for a team—frosh, varsity, military or Oregon—that he wasn't named captain of. And he never played in a league where he wasn't named on the all-conference team—at fullback in high school, in college or as a professional.
Ecklund matriculated at Oregon in 1941, expecting to play fullback
. But the Webfoots were loaded in the backfield, and weak up front. Coach Tex Oliver moved the massive Ecklund to center
during fall camp. By the first game, at Stanford, he was first string. He started every game, but flunked out of school.
When World War II erupted, Ecklund joined the Marine Corps
, and took up boxing for fun. He became the Marine Corps Golden Gloves
champion. He played for the Naval Air Station football team in Jacksonville, Florida for two years, before being dispatched for overseas duty at Okinawa.
He learned what it meant to be a member of team in the South Pacific, fighting in interminable battles from island to island. "I was in the second wave," he said in 1993. "It was the guys in the first wave who got their butts shot up."
The man one sportswriter called "the indestructible giant" returned to Oregon in '46, and picked up where he left off. "By being four years in the service, they forgave me" for flunking out, he said. "When I came back, I never made less than a B average. I'd matured and realized what I almost lost."
In the next three years, playing both sides of the line, he averaged over fifty minutes per game. He was All-PCC
in '46, '47 and '48. On Oregon's '48 team, Ecklund played all 60 minutes of five games—Stanford, USC, Michigan, St Mary's and Washington—and was only knocked out of one game all year, when an Idaho player kicked him in the head 4 minutes into the 3rd quarter. He graduated from Oregon in 1949 with degrees in health and physical education.
's New York Yankees
for more money. He stayed with the team after the AAFC-NFL merger, through its sale and relocation to Dallas
, then signed with the Baltimore Colts. In 1953, Ecklund was named the most valuable offensive lineman of the Colts, an honor for which he received all of $100. Having achieved that career milestone, he quit the team and returned to Oregon to coach high school football.
Ecklund was an assistant to Len Casanova's late-50s Oregon teams, then jumped to the NFL in 1960, where Tom Landry
gave him his first coaching gig with the new Dallas Cowboys. He moved to the new Atlanta team in 1966, where he coached under his former Oregon teammate Norm Van Brocklin
, and later coached at New Orleans, Philadelphia and Chicago.
A member of the Screen Actors Guild, having earned a role in the movie North Dallas Forty
, Ecklund also did some acting in TV commercials and appearances as John Wayne’s look-alike while residing in Los Angeles.
Ecklund retired from coaching in 1979, and spent most of the rest of his working life as a substitute teacher in the Philadelphia area
In 1999, Brad Ecklund was named University of Oregon "Lineman of the Century."
Ecklund was a charter member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
.
A resident of Vincentown, New Jersey
, Ecklund died on February 6, 2010, of congestive heart failure
at a hospice in Mount Holly Township.
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...
in the 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...
and 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...
. He was chosen twice (1950, 1951) to play in the Pro Bowl. He was born in Los Angeles, California
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...
and died in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey
Mount Holly Township, New Jersey
Mount Holly Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States as well as an eastern suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 10,728. It is the county seat of Burlington County....
.
Amateur career
As a senior in high school at Milwaukie, Oregon, Ecklund was named to the Metro all-star team at fullback. He was a four-sport star — baseball, track, basketball and football — and was drafted by the Philadelphia Athletics, but turned down baseball for a full ride at OregonOregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
.
He never played for a team—frosh, varsity, military or Oregon—that he wasn't named captain of. And he never played in a league where he wasn't named on the all-conference team—at fullback in high school, in college or as a professional.
Ecklund matriculated at Oregon in 1941, expecting to play fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
. But the Webfoots were loaded in the backfield, and weak up front. Coach Tex Oliver moved the massive Ecklund to 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...
during fall camp. By the first game, at Stanford, he was first string. He started every game, but flunked out of school.
When World War II erupted, Ecklund joined the Marine Corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
, and took up boxing for fun. He became the Marine Corps Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
champion. He played for the Naval Air Station football team in Jacksonville, Florida for two years, before being dispatched for overseas duty at Okinawa.
He learned what it meant to be a member of team in the South Pacific, fighting in interminable battles from island to island. "I was in the second wave," he said in 1993. "It was the guys in the first wave who got their butts shot up."
The man one sportswriter called "the indestructible giant" returned to Oregon in '46, and picked up where he left off. "By being four years in the service, they forgave me" for flunking out, he said. "When I came back, I never made less than a B average. I'd matured and realized what I almost lost."
In the next three years, playing both sides of the line, he averaged over fifty minutes per game. He was All-PCC
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
in '46, '47 and '48. On Oregon's '48 team, Ecklund played all 60 minutes of five games—Stanford, USC, Michigan, St Mary's and Washington—and was only knocked out of one game all year, when an Idaho player kicked him in the head 4 minutes into the 3rd quarter. He graduated from Oregon in 1949 with degrees in health and physical education.
Professional career
He passed up a contract offer from the Green Bay Packers, choosing to join the upstart All-America Football ConferenceAll-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...
's New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for more money. He stayed with the team after the AAFC-NFL merger, through its sale and relocation to Dallas
Dallas Texans
-American football:*Dallas Texans , 1952 team in the National Football League*Dallas Texans , 1960–1962 team that is now the Kansas City Chiefs*Dallas Texans , 1990–1993 Arena Football League team-Ice hockey:...
, then signed with the Baltimore Colts. In 1953, Ecklund was named the most valuable offensive lineman of the Colts, an honor for which he received all of $100. Having achieved that career milestone, he quit the team and returned to Oregon to coach high school football.
Ecklund was an assistant to Len Casanova's late-50s Oregon teams, then jumped to the NFL in 1960, where Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
gave him his first coaching gig with the new Dallas Cowboys. He moved to the new Atlanta team in 1966, where he coached under his former Oregon teammate Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
, and later coached at New Orleans, Philadelphia and Chicago.
A member of the Screen Actors Guild, having earned a role in the movie North Dallas Forty
North Dallas Forty
North Dallas Forty is a 1979 dramatic film starring Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, and G. D. Spradlin. It was directed by Ted Kotcheff and based on the best selling novel by Peter Gent: the screenplay was by Kotcheff, Gent, Frank Yablans and Nancy Dowd ....
, Ecklund also did some acting in TV commercials and appearances as John Wayne’s look-alike while residing in Los Angeles.
Ecklund retired from coaching in 1979, and spent most of the rest of his working life as a substitute teacher in the Philadelphia area
In 1999, Brad Ecklund was named University of Oregon "Lineman of the Century."
Ecklund was a charter member of the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
.
A resident of Vincentown, New Jersey
Vincentown, New Jersey
Vincentown is an unincorporated area within Southampton Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 08088....
, Ecklund died on February 6, 2010, of congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
at a hospice in Mount Holly Township.