Les Richter
Encyclopedia
Leslie Alan Richter was a Los Angeles Rams
National Football League
football
player, former head of operations for NASCAR
and president of the Riverside International Raceway
. He played in 8 Pro Bowls as a linebacker. Richter was born in Fresno, California
. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2011.
in 1952, where he played guard
and linebacker
, he served in the U.S. Army for two years. He was a first-round draft choice of the NFL's New York Yanks
, the 2nd pick overall, in the 1952 NFL Draft
. The Yanks folded before the 1952 season, and the Dallas Texans (NFL)
assumed the rights to Richter. They traded him to the Los Angeles Rams for eleven players, the 2nd largest deal ever made for a single player. The largest was in 1953, when Cleveland and Baltimore made a 15-player trade. One of the Browns traveling to Baltimore was defensive back Don Shula. (1)
During his 9 years with the Rams, Richter intercepted 16 passes and scored 193 points which included 1 touchdown
, 106 extra point
s, and 29 field goal
s. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1982. On August 25, 2010 he was nominated as a senior candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011 along with former Washington Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger
After retiring from football, Richter had been involved with auto racing in a variety of positions. He had been vice-president of special projects for International Speedway Corporation
, chairman of the board
for the International Race of Champions
, and senior vice president of operations for NASCAR
.
At the time of his death, Richter was working at the Auto Club Speedway, owned by a sister company to ISC.
On February 5, 2011 it was announced that he had been elected to the NFL Hall Of Fame along with Deion Sanders, Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Ed Sabol, Shannon Sharpe, and Chris Hanburger.
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
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...
football
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...
player, former head of operations for NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
and president of the Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside International Raceway was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989...
. He played in 8 Pro Bowls as a linebacker. Richter was born in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. He was inducted 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 2011.
Career
After graduating from the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1952, where he played guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
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 served in the U.S. Army for two years. He was a first-round draft choice of the NFL's New York Yanks
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks American football team played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons. In 1949, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins had requested the NFL to fold his Boston team and give him a new one in New York City...
, the 2nd pick overall, in the 1952 NFL Draft
1952 NFL Draft
The 1952 National Football League Draft was held on January 17, 1952. Picks made by New York Yanks were assigned to the new Dallas Texans.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:...
. The Yanks folded before the 1952 season, and the Dallas Texans (NFL)
Dallas Texans (NFL)
The Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, the financially troubled New York Yanks franchise were put on the market. Ted Collins had founded that franchise in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, moved it to New...
assumed the rights to Richter. They traded him to the Los Angeles Rams for eleven players, the 2nd largest deal ever made for a single player. The largest was in 1953, when Cleveland and Baltimore made a 15-player trade. One of the Browns traveling to Baltimore was defensive back Don Shula. (1)
During his 9 years with the Rams, Richter intercepted 16 passes and scored 193 points which included 1 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
, 106 extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
s, and 29 field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
s. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1982. On August 25, 2010 he was nominated as a senior candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011 along with former Washington Redskins linebacker Chris Hanburger
Chris Hanburger
Christian G. Hanburger, Jr. is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played his entire fourteen year career with the Washington Redskins from 1965 to 1978...
After retiring from football, Richter had been involved with auto racing in a variety of positions. He had been vice-president of special projects for International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation
International Speedway Corporation is a corporation whose primary business is the ownership and management of NASCAR race tracks. ISC was founded by NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. in 1953 for the construction of Daytona International Speedway and in 1999 they merged with Penske Motorsports to...
, chairman of the board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
for the International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions, better known as IROC, was a North American auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an American All-Star Game or The Masters...
, and senior vice president of operations for NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
.
At the time of his death, Richter was working at the Auto Club Speedway, owned by a sister company to ISC.
On February 5, 2011 it was announced that he had been elected to the NFL Hall Of Fame along with Deion Sanders, Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Ed Sabol, Shannon Sharpe, and Chris Hanburger.