Evening star., 1960-12-06
WIN, LOSE OR
DkAW By FRANCIS s1AAA
Quorterbocks Don't Grow Old

AFTER NINE YEARS with the Los Angeles Rams they
said Norm Van Brocklin all washed up Or II he
wasn't completely finished big time quarterback
Norm was too much the temperamenta to
suit the various Ram coaches That's what they said
Van Brocklns story that he was rked by the whims
OF his LA coaches and disguised with the playcaing
When Buck Shaw the sverhaired old Notre Dame tackle
came to Philadelphia to coach the Eagles in 1885, Van
Brockin asked to be traded to Phy because Shaw
there With no great sense of los the Rams swapped him.
They pair of discards Van Brocklin and Shaw
but the kind Of dscards the Redskins should pick up some
day All they've done is to cnch the Eastern Division title
In the National Football League with 9-1 record, all
the victories coming after 4124 to the Cleveland
Browns in the opening game.
Alas for the Rams and for the Francisco Forty
Miners who let Shaw after 1854 Los Angeles hasn't
since Van Brocklin left Neither have the FortyNners
although they tied with Baltimore and Green Bay
for the Western Division lead.
SHAW Is 50 YEARS OLD, Van Brocklin s4 and both
VOW this their last coach and player respec
lively They made it memorable campaign, Shaw win
ming his first title in IL years pro and the Dutchman
passing kicking and thinking well better than at any
other stage of his which also spans 10
Financially Shaw has been in a position where he
didn't coach He has corrugated box business and
SO was to have been his final in football But when
the Eagles finished last in their division with
Buck felt he couldn't quit can't retire ail-end club
he said and returned SO to finish in tie for second with
Us mark.
has included coaching jobs at North Carolina State
(36 ago. Nevada Santa Clara the Forty Miners of
both the old A-America Conference and NFI, and the
Air Force Academy
Were going to win no matter what it takes" Shaw
told the Eagles before the SO campaign We'll change
players every game If necessary If we have to- we'll have
one team playing one team going and one team coming
wHEREUPoN BUCK LOADED up with 10 new players
including II rockies Ths is basicaly same team we
had year ago." Shaw says of his titleholders
AS squad the Eagles are the youngest in the clubs
history but without the few veterans they couldn't have
done the job Chuck Bednark the center announced
his retirement after II years, changed his mind and
played 18th season "a magic Phy number) and it was
of Bednarik's best.
But the big was and is Van Brockln Unless
you want to for Johnny Unitas of the Colts the
Duchman has been the NILS best this season. AS Coach
Jim Lee Howell Of the Giants put 1t after Van Brockn
beat the defending Eastern champions twice successive
Sundays The Eagles have great quarterback who takes
apart we let him. We asked him to oblige and he did
Van Brockln can run no more so he hardly gets his
uniform dirty but he rubber and the
go not yet ended has him personal high
with ~ touchdown passes and 2185 yards by air. more
than twice the Eagles total on the ground.
H**H
STATISTICS MAKE FOR dreary reading as a rule but
they best serve to point Van Brockns amazing
The who may succeed Shaw as coach of the
Eagles has total Of I'll touchdown passes and
2S25 yards gained passing despite the during
ve OF his nine seasons with Los Angeles the Rams finished
last or tied for the BOBBY prize And there two
left to play.
The thought that good pro quarterbacks
really seem to grow old Van Brockn is there are
other old pappy guys in both the NFL and the AF who
are doing all right Charley Conerly finishing his 18th
season. and when he hurt the Giants ground halt
Bobby Layne Of Pittsburgh likewise is in his 18th year and
apparently is as good ever.
VA Title of the FortyNiners is another winding up
his 18th campaign Neither Eddie LIE Baron who had
good day last Sunday, AL Dorow of the New York
Ttans who has been making every Sunday banner day,
Is -Come-Lately But at the moment Van Brockn
is Exhibit A.