Ralph Kohl
Encyclopedia
Ralph Anson Kohl was an American football
player, coach and scout. He played at the tackle
position on the University of Michigan
's undefeated 1947
and 1948 football team
s. He signed to play with the Baltimore Colts, but a knee injury prevented him from playing in the NFL. He was an assistant football coach at Eastern Michigan University
(1952–1954) and a head coach at Franklin College (1955–1956) and Eastern Illinois University
(1957–1964). From 1964 until his retirement in 1993, Kohl worked as a professional football scout. He was considered the top scout in the BLESTO NFL scouting combine in the 1960s and 1970s and served as the head scout for the Minnesota Vikings
for two decades.
and grew up in University Heights
. He attended high school in Cleveland Heights
and prep school at the Kentucky Military Institute
. He briefly enrolled at both the University of Kentucky
and Western Teachers College
. He played for the Kentucky Wildcats football
team in 1942. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in Italy and Africa during World War II
.
and played at the right tackle position for head coach Fritz Crisler
on the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
that has been selected b the ESPN Big Ten College Football Encyclopedia as the best team in the history of Michigan football. He also played right tackle for Bennie Oosterbaan
's undefeated 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
. Kohl played on Crisler's offensive squad in 1947, and he was switched to a defensive tackle in 1948. His "alert recovery of a fumble" in the third quarter of the 1948 Ohio State game was credited with helping Michigan "cling to a precarious seven to three lead." The 1949 Michiganensian (the University of Michigan yearbook) said, "Ralph Kohl, gigantic tackle, was the power man in the offensive line. Transferring from the defensive spot which he held down in 1947, the big Cleveland boy was a vital cog in the front line of the Michigan attack."
During Kohl's two years playing for the Wolverines, the team won 19 games and lost 0 games, outscore opponents by a combined score of 646 to 97 and won an undisputed national championship in 1948 and a contested national championship in 1947. Kohl was selected to participate in two of the post-season college all-star games, both the East-West Shrine Game
played on New Year's Day 1949, and the 1949 Chicago Tribune Charities, Inc. All-Star Game played in the summer of 1949.
in the Greater Chicago League. From 1952 to 1954, he served as an assistant coach, with responsibility for the linemen, at Eastern Michigan University
. In April 1955, he became the head football coach at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana
. After two years as the head coach of the Franklin Grizzlies, Kohl was hired by Eastern Illinois University
in Charleston, Illinois
, as its head football coach in June 1957. Kohl served as the head football coach for the Eastern Illinois Panthers
from 1957 through 1964. His career coaching record at Eastern Illinois was 16 wins, 50 losses, and 2 ties. This ranks him eighth at Eastern Illinois in total wins and 15th at Eastern Illinois in winning percentage.
, Lions
, Eagles
and Steelers
Talent Organization. The four teams, later joined by the Minnesota Vikings
, Miami Dolphins
and Dallas Cowboys
, combined their scouting resources under the BLESTO banner. Kohl began as a scout for talent at Big Eight and then Big Ten universities. He was considered BLESTO's best scout and became the combine's Eastern supervisor scout in 1968. In the 1970s, Kohl became the head scout for the Vikings, a position he held for two decades until his retirement in 1993. In 1988, the Minneapolis Star Tribune praised Kohl for his talent as a scout: "Ralph Kohl, the Vikings' chief scout, is a respected judge of football flesh. He has been rating players for nearly a quarter of a century and once was the top scout for the Blesto combine. Clearly the man he knows his stuff ..." In September 1984, Kohl was one of the first scouts to tout Randall Cunningham
, then a little-known quarterback at UNLV. In 1981, Kohl recommended that the Vikings draft Villanova defensive lineman Howie Long
. Vikings general manager Mike Lynn recalled his response: "Howie Long? We said, 'What are you talking about, Ralph? You've got to be out of your mind,'" Long was drafted in the second round by the Oakland Raiders
and went on to a career that resulted in his being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. Lynn later noted, "Ninety to 95 percent of the players Ralph says will make the team will make it. It's an amazing statistic."
Kohl developed a reputation as one of the best scouts in the NFL and said that the key to success was forming one's own opinions based on the facts and not buying into the conventional wisdom about players. He noted, "It's a matter of a guy being stereotyped. Scouts are old coaches, and coaches are parrots. They say the same thing, and even if it's a lie, if it's told often enough, people believe it." He was also dubious about the modern scouts' reliance on "all the measuring" of height, weight, speed, strength and agility. In Kohl's view, it was about something more basic, "The bottom line is, can the guy play football?"
in 1969. They later moved to nearby Saugatuck, Michigan
, and for 23 years from the 1970s until 1996, Kohl and his wife spent the winters at their second home in Pompano Beach, Florida
.
Kohl died in June 1997 at Holland County Hospital in Saugatuck, Michigan
. Kohl and his wife had been married for 45 years at the time of his death.
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, coach and scout. He played at the tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
position on the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
's undefeated 1947
1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
and 1948 football team
1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
s. He signed to play with the Baltimore Colts, but a knee injury prevented him from playing in the NFL. He was an assistant football coach at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
(1952–1954) and a head coach at Franklin College (1955–1956) and Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is a state university located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a...
(1957–1964). From 1964 until his retirement in 1993, Kohl worked as a professional football scout. He was considered the top scout in the BLESTO NFL scouting combine in the 1960s and 1970s and served as the head scout for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
for two decades.
Early years
Kohl was born in Shaker Heights, OhioShaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...
and grew up in University Heights
University Heights, Ohio
University Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It borders Beachwood to the east, Cleveland Heights to the west, South Euclid to the north and Shaker Heights to the south. The population was 13,539 as of the 2010 Census...
. He attended high school in Cleveland Heights
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The city's population was 46,121 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cleveland Heights is located at ....
and prep school at the Kentucky Military Institute
Kentucky Military Institute
The Kentucky Military Institute was a military preparatory school in Lyndon, Kentucky and Venice, Florida, in operation from 1845 to 1971....
. He briefly enrolled at both the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and Western Teachers College
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
. He played for the Kentucky Wildcats football
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
team in 1942. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in Italy and Africa during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
University of Michigan
After being released from the military, Kohl enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and played at the right tackle position for head coach Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
on the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
that has been selected b the ESPN Big Ten College Football Encyclopedia as the best team in the history of Michigan football. He also played right tackle for Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
's undefeated 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
. Kohl played on Crisler's offensive squad in 1947, and he was switched to a defensive tackle in 1948. His "alert recovery of a fumble" in the third quarter of the 1948 Ohio State game was credited with helping Michigan "cling to a precarious seven to three lead." The 1949 Michiganensian (the University of Michigan yearbook) said, "Ralph Kohl, gigantic tackle, was the power man in the offensive line. Transferring from the defensive spot which he held down in 1947, the big Cleveland boy was a vital cog in the front line of the Michigan attack."
During Kohl's two years playing for the Wolverines, the team won 19 games and lost 0 games, outscore opponents by a combined score of 646 to 97 and won an undisputed national championship in 1948 and a contested national championship in 1947. Kohl was selected to participate in two of the post-season college all-star games, both the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
played on New Year's Day 1949, and the 1949 Chicago Tribune Charities, Inc. All-Star Game played in the summer of 1949.
Football coach
In May 1949, after graduating from Michigan, Kohl signed with the Baltimore Colts, but a knee injury prevented him from playing in the NFL. Kohl began a career as the football coach at Belding, Michigan High School in 1950.. He then was the line coach for the Joliet SteelemenJoliet Central High School
Joliet Central High School is a public secondary school located in Joliet, Illinois. Central is part of Joliet Township High Schools, along with Joliet West and Joliet East . Prior to the opening of Joliet East and West, the school was called Joliet Township High School...
in the Greater Chicago League. From 1952 to 1954, he served as an assistant coach, with responsibility for the linemen, at Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
. In April 1955, he became the head football coach at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana
Franklin, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,463 people, 6,824 households, and 4,872 families residing in the city. The population increased by more than 50% during the 1990s , with new residents attracted by jobs in the community, as well as some people commuting to Indianapolis for work. The...
. After two years as the head coach of the Franklin Grizzlies, Kohl was hired by Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is a state university located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a...
in Charleston, Illinois
Charleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,838 as of the 2010 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor Mattoon, Illinois...
, as its head football coach in June 1957. Kohl served as the head football coach for the Eastern Illinois Panthers
Eastern Illinois Panthers
The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the men's and women's athletic teams representing Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. Eastern Illinois University's colors are blue and gray. Eastern Illinois sports teams, except for men's soccer and swimming teams, participate in NCAA Division I in...
from 1957 through 1964. His career coaching record at Eastern Illinois was 16 wins, 50 losses, and 2 ties. This ranks him eighth at Eastern Illinois in total wins and 15th at Eastern Illinois in winning percentage.
Football scout
After the 1964 season, Kohl resigned his position as the head coach at Eastern Illinois to accept a job a scout for BLESTO, an NFL scouting combine that was an acronym for the BearsChicago 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...
, Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, 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 Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
Talent Organization. The four teams, later joined by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, combined their scouting resources under the BLESTO banner. Kohl began as a scout for talent at Big Eight and then Big Ten universities. He was considered BLESTO's best scout and became the combine's Eastern supervisor scout in 1968. In the 1970s, Kohl became the head scout for the Vikings, a position he held for two decades until his retirement in 1993. In 1988, the Minneapolis Star Tribune praised Kohl for his talent as a scout: "Ralph Kohl, the Vikings' chief scout, is a respected judge of football flesh. He has been rating players for nearly a quarter of a century and once was the top scout for the Blesto combine. Clearly the man he knows his stuff ..." In September 1984, Kohl was one of the first scouts to tout Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
, then a little-known quarterback at UNLV. In 1981, Kohl recommended that the Vikings draft Villanova defensive lineman Howie Long
Howie Long
Howard "Howie" Matthew Moses Long is an American former National Football League defensive end and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000...
. Vikings general manager Mike Lynn recalled his response: "Howie Long? We said, 'What are you talking about, Ralph? You've got to be out of your mind,'" Long was drafted in the second round by the 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...
and went on to a career that resulted in his being inducted into 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...
. Lynn later noted, "Ninety to 95 percent of the players Ralph says will make the team will make it. It's an amazing statistic."
Kohl developed a reputation as one of the best scouts in the NFL and said that the key to success was forming one's own opinions based on the facts and not buying into the conventional wisdom about players. He noted, "It's a matter of a guy being stereotyped. Scouts are old coaches, and coaches are parrots. They say the same thing, and even if it's a lie, if it's told often enough, people believe it." He was also dubious about the modern scouts' reliance on "all the measuring" of height, weight, speed, strength and agility. In Kohl's view, it was about something more basic, "The bottom line is, can the guy play football?"
Family and later years
Kohl and his wife, Dorothy Kohl, had a daughter, Jackie, who was born in approximately 1954. He moved with his wife and daughter to Holland, MichiganHolland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
in 1969. They later moved to nearby Saugatuck, Michigan
Saugatuck, Michigan
Saugatuck is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 925 at the 2010 census. The city is within Saugatuck Township, but is administratively autonomous....
, and for 23 years from the 1970s until 1996, Kohl and his wife spent the winters at their second home in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
.
Kohl died in June 1997 at Holland County Hospital in Saugatuck, Michigan
Saugatuck, Michigan
Saugatuck is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 925 at the 2010 census. The city is within Saugatuck Township, but is administratively autonomous....
. Kohl and his wife had been married for 45 years at the time of his death.