A Football Story

[RiverDog]

A long time ago, I remember reading a story about Ray Mansfield, a former Pittsburgh Steeler center during the late 60's and early 70's. He was a local kid, a graduate of Kennewick High School and the University of Washington. He wasn't a HOF'er, but nevertheless, he was a very good player, having made two All Pro teams and played for two SB champions during his 13 year career.

Prior to one of the SB's in the 70's, the local paper did an interview with Mansfield. He recalled how in high school, he didn't have that much of an interest in football, but his wrestling coach, also the line coach for the football team, talked him into turning out in his junior year. He was good enough to earn a starting job at offensive tackle.

But his first varsity game went very poorly. The guy across the LOS had his way with Mansfield all game, making tackles behind the line of scrimmage and harassing their QB all game long. Mansfield was so dejected, felt like football might not be his sport, and contemplated quitting after just the one game, but his coaches and teammates talked him out of it. His subsequent games went much better, well enough for him to earn a scholarship at UW.

The irony of the story is that their opponent in that first game, Pendleton, OR, had a defensive lineman by the name of Bob Lilly, and it was Lilly who had been wreaking havoc with the junior offensive tackle playing his first football game. And here Mansfield thought he was playing against some ordinary, generic high school player.

[NorthHawk]

Interesting story.
Clearly his coaches saw more in him than he did and it demonstrates the importance to young kids (and not just in sports) to have someone believe in them and what they can do.

[RiverDog]

In the same story, Mansfield said that during warm-ups in the Super Bowl just prior to their game against Dallas, he was approached by a Cowboys player that he didn't recognize immediately as he said "Hi, Mr. Mansfield!" It was Ron Howard, the tight end who scored the Seahawks first ever TD in preseason who was a Cowboys tight end at the time. Apparently, Mansfield was doing some student teaching at Pasco High School and had Howard as a student.

[NorthHawk]

That must have been a bit of a surreal moment for both men.