# Myron Pottios

Myron Joseph Pottios (born January 18, 1939) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was elected to play in three Pro Bowls.

## Early life

Pottios was born on January 18, 1939, in Van Voorhis, Pennsylvania. He attended Charleroi High School in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Pottios played fullback and linebacker for the Cougars, and was on the 1956 team that had a perfect regular season record and advanced to the WPIAL Class AA final. In 2016, the Charleroi Area School District officially named its stadium after Pottios.

## College career

Pottios played college football at the University of Notre Dame, where he played offensive line and linebacker. He was a team captain at Notre Dame. Some experts saw Pottios as a potential top NFL pick at offensive guard. He was drafted in the second round of the 1961 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers (19th overall), also in the third round of the 1961 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders (20th overall). He chose to play in Pittsburgh.

## Professional career
### Pittsburgh Steelers

Pottios became the starting middle linebacker of the Pittsburgh Steelers from his rookie year, 1961, up to 1965. In his rookie year, he played in all 14 games, intercepting 2 passes and recovering 1 fumble for a defense that was 7th among 14 NFL teams in points allowed. He did not play in 1962 because of a broken arm. In 1963, he played in all 14 games, intercepting 4 passes for a defense that finished 8th among 14 NFL teams in points allowed, playing alongside rookie outside linebacker Andy Russell.
In September 1964, he suffered a broken arm in the exhibition Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. He played in only 7 of 14 games, intercepting 1 pass and recovering 1 fumble for a defense that finished 9th among 14 NFL teams in points allowed. In 1965, he again was injured in a preseason game. He played in only 6 games, intercepting no passes and with no fumble recovery for a defense that finished 12th among 14 NFL teams in points allowed and a team that ended the season at 2–12.
In 1963, Pottios was selected first team All Pro by the Sporting News and NEA, and second team by the Associated Press. He was in three Pro Bowls (1961, 1963-1964). In January 1964, for the first time NFL players themselves voted on an all star team. Pottios was one of the players chosen at linebacker.

### Los Angeles Rams

In contrast, when Pottios joined the Rams from 1966 to 1970, with George Allen as head coach, they were above the .500 mark throughout the period. The Rams made the playoffs twice, in 1967 and 1969, with won-lost records of 11–1–2 and 11–3, respectively. Pottios was the starting middle linebacker from 1967 to 1970, playing between outside linebackers Jack Pardee and Maxie Baughan throughout. In 1966, Pottios played in 12 games, but was the backup middle linebacker to the 37-year-old Bill George who played in all 14 games. In 1967, he played 11 of 14 games, intercepting 1 pass and recovering 1 fumble for the best defense in the league among 16 NFL teams in points allowed. That team lost to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round, in which Pottios started at middle linebacker.
In 1968, he played all 14 games, recovering 4 fumbles for a defense that finished 3rd among 16 NFL teams in points allowed. But, in 1969, he played in only 5 of 14 games, replaced by Doug Woodlief. That team lost to the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round with Woodlief as the starter. In 1970, his final year with the Rams, he regained his starting middle linebacker position, playing in all 14 games, with 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles recovered for a defense that finished 4th among 26 NFL teams in points allowed.

### Washington Redskins

Pottios, along with Jack Pardee, Maxie Baughan, Diron Talbert, John Wilbur and Jeff Jordan, followed head coach George Allen to the Redskins which also acquired a 1971 fifth-round pick (124th overall–traded to Green Bay Packers for Boyd Dowler) from the Rams for Marlin McKeever, first and third rounders in 1971 (10th and 63rd overall–Isiah Robertson and Dave Elmendorf respectively) and third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounders in 1972 (73rd, 99th, 125th, 151st and 177th overall–to New England Patriots, traded to Philadelphia Eagles for Joe Carollo, Bob Christiansen, Texas Southern defensive tackle Eddie Herbert and to New York Giants respectively) on January 28, 1971.
Playing up to 1973, his team reached the playoffs all three years, inserted between outside linebackers Pardee (1971–72) or Dave Robinson (1973) and Chris Hanburger (1971–73). In 1971, Pottios played in all 14 games and had one interception for a defense that finished 4th of 26 teams in the NFL in points allowed. That team lost a divisional round game to the San Francisco 49ers in which Pottios started. In 1972, he played in only 7 games of 14 games, replaced by Harold McLinton, and recovered 1 fumble for a defense that finished 3rd of 26 teams in the NFL in points allowed. However, Pottios was the starting middle linebacker in all 3 playoff games the Redskins played that year, when they won a divisional round game against the Green Bay Packers and the NFC championship game against the Dallas Cowboys, in which the Roger Staubach-led Cowboys were limited to a miserable 169 yards of total offense and 3 points. However, Washington lost Super Bowl VII to the Miami Dolphins 14–7, in which they could not handle the running attack led by Larry Csonka. In 1973, his final year in the NFL, he played in only 6 of 14 games, but started a divisional round match against the Minnesota Vikings, losing his final game.
For his career, Pottios had 12 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries.

## Coaching

Pottios coached under Willie Wood for the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League, that lasted less than two years.