Forrest Gregg - Winning in the Trenches: A Lifetime of Football

COPYRIGHT 2009 BY FORREST GREGG AND ANDREW OTOOLE

First trade paperback edition 2010

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any fashion, print, facsimile, or electronic, or by any method yet to be developed, without express permission of the copyright holder.

Published by Clerisy Press

Distributed by Publishers Group West

First edition, first printing

For further information, contact the publisher at:

CLERISY PRESS

PO Box 8874

Cincinnati, OH 45208-0874

www.clerisypress.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Gregg, Forrest, 1933

Winning in the trenches: a lifetime of football / by Forrest Gregg and Andrew OToole.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-57860-363-3 ISBN-10: 1-57860-363-3 (cloth)
ISBN-13: 978-1-57860-462-3 ISBN-10: 1-57860-462-1 (paper)

1. Gregg, Forrest, 1933 2. Football coachesUnited StatesBiography.

3. Football playersUnited StatesBiography. 4. Green Bay Packers (Football team)

5. Cleveland Browns (Football team : 19461995)

I. OToole, Andrew. II. Title.

GV939.G745A3 2009

796.332092dc22

[B]

2009025304

EDITED BY JACK HEFFRON AND DONNA POEHNER

COVER AND INTERIOR DESIGNED BY STEPHEN SULLIVAN

COVER IMAGE COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES/ROBERT RIGER

THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS COURTESY OF VERN BIEVER:

, COURTESY OF THE CLEVELAND BROWNS

ALL OTHER PHOTOS ARE TAKEN FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF FORREST GREGG.

Printed in the United States of America

To the three most important people in my life

Barbara, Forrest Jr., and Karen

With love

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I n the back of this book there is a list of achievements and awards Forrest Gregg has accumulated during the course of his remarkable football career. This accounting is necessary because Forrest isnt one to tout his own accomplishments. Oh, youll learn of teammates, coaches, and championships in these pages, but since Forrest isnt one to pat himself on the back, I will.

Perhaps the greatest testament to Forrest Gregg as a football player came from his coach, the legendary Vince Lombardi, who once proclaimed Forrest to be, the finest player I ever coached. High praise, indeed, but he is so much more than a football legend. Most importantly, Forrest Gregg is one of the finest gentlemen to ever step foot on a National Football League field. His rise from very humble beginnings in Depression-era East Texas to one of the NFLs most respected citizens is an inspiration.

I hope readers of this book will find as much enjoyment in getting to know Forrest Gregg as I have.

Forrest and I first met while I was writing a biography of Paul Brown. The conversation took place on the telephone, and toward the end of our talk Forrest mentioned that a few friends had been suggesting that he write his life story. Some months later, after the Brown manuscript was off to the publisher, Forrest and I were brought together by one of his SMU players, Greg Ziegler. Id like to thank Greg for the significant role he played in making this book a reality. Hes been a fountain of information for me and a source of encouragement for Forrest.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of this project was having the opportunity to meet Barbara, Forrests wife of forty-nine years. Barbara provided me with a deeper understanding of Forrest and offered an intriguing point of view of her husbands life and career. Thanks for everything, Barbara.

A number of others were helpful in putting this book together.

Forrests teammates and friendsPaul Hornung and Willie Davis

With the Cleveland BrownsDino Lucarelli and Bob Markowitz

With the Cincinnati BengalsJack Brennan, PJ Combs, and Jan Sutton

With Southern Methodist UniversityBrad Sutton

And always, thanks and love to my bride, Mickie. Its a beautiful thing, this life we have.

Andrew OToole

INTRODUCTION

From East Texas to Canton

W hen people see me today they notice the big diamond-studded ring I wear on my right hand.

Whats that ring? they ask.

Its from Super Bowl II.

Invariably they respond with, You were in the first two Super Bowls. Wheres the ring for the first one?

Its in a safe deposit box, I tell them.

The jewelry may be safely locked up, but the memories still flash in my mind. I was fortunate to play for six NFL championship teams, and that ring from the second Super Bowl holds special significance because it was our third consecutive title in Green Bay, something no other team had previously achieved. But its the first titleand our victory over the New York Giants in 1961 to win the titleI savor most. I had been in the league for five years at that point, long enough to realize that every player doesnt get the opportunity to play in a championship game. I couldnt know at the time that we would be back to battle for the league title four more times before the decade ended.

Its the luck of the draw when a player is drafted into the NFL out of college. What would have happened to me if I had signed with the Canadian Football League? Or what if I were drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, which is where I hoped to go? My career would have been far different. I was fortunate that the Green Bay Packers selected meout of SMU in 1956.

At the time, of course, I wasnt sure if Id gotten all that lucky. The Packers had been mired in mediocrity for decades. And I wasnt sure where Green Bay was located. Still, I was thankful that a professional football team wanted me and thought I was good enough to play at that level.

Still, the Green Bay Packers?

But fortune smiles on us in funny ways. The Packers were building the nucleus of one of pro footballs great dynasties. Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, Bill Forester, Ray Nitschke, Jerry Kramer, Dan Curry so many of us came into the league within a year or two of one another. We grew up together, learned together, and won together.

Indeed, my life has been blessed. Throughout my childhood I lived and worked on a farm where money was scarce and food hard to come by. Heck, I never even laid eyes on a football game until the ninth grade, when I suited up for my first high school contest. Ive accomplished much through hard work and diligence, but nothing Ive achieved would have come about without the help of others. Our actions, the events we live, and the people who touch usthese are the things that define us. And as I sit down ready to commit my memories to paper, the names and faces rush before me.

I was recruited to Southern Methodist University by Sleepy Morgan, a fella from Sulphur Springs, Texas. I remember Sleepy telling me once, Dont ever forget where you came from. Dont ever forget the people who helped get you there. And I havent forgotten. Not Birthright or Sulphur Springstwo dusty Texas towns that helped form me. Nor did I forget Bill Chapman, who hired me to work in his cleaners while I was in high school. He gave me a job, told me how to do it, and he didnt look over my shoulder while I did it. I thought there was something to be gained by that philosophy and never forgot it. I have to admit, however, I might not always have stuck to that approach as a coach.

A generous fella named Wade Scott owned a restaurant in Sulphur Springs. He recognized someone who was in need of help. There were many times when I went to his restaurant, and Mr. Scott would let me slide on the bill. When I worked a little extra I would pay on my tab, whatever I could afford. At one point Mr. Scott waved off my attempt to pay, saying, You dont owe me anything. Save your money and enjoy your life.