John Symank

NFL player


ImageWidth = 150px
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DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1935|08|31
Birthplace= La Grange, Texas
DateOfDeath=January 23, 2002
Deathplace=Dauphin Island, Alabama
Position=Safety
College=Florida
DraftedYear=1957
DraftedRound=23 / Pick 268
ProBowls=
Honors=Gator Hall of Fame
DatabaseFootball=SYMANJOH01
PFR=
years=1957-1962
1963
teams=Green Bay Packers
St. Louis Cardinals
CBS=

John Richard Symank (August 31, 1935 - January 23, 2002) was an American football player who played seven seasons in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Cardinals from 1957 to 1963. He was also the head football coach for Northern Arizona University from 1969 to 1970.

John Richard Symank was born on August 31st, 1935 in LaGrange, Texas to Oswald "Curly" and Ann Pauline Symank. After losing his father at the age of eight, young Symank excelled at sports. Lettering in football and track as a Caldwell Hornet in Caldwell, Texas prepared him for a career as a professional athlete.

Symank played two years of football at Arlington State Junior College (now UTA) under coach Chena Gilstrap who would hire him years later as the Head Coach of UTA. Symank enrolled in the ROTC to fulfill his military obligation and was an active member throughout his college days.

In 1955 Symank transferred to the University of Florida. While enrolled he earned his Bachelors degree in Business Administration, two letters in track and football, and a spot in the Gators football hall of fame. He also improved to the rank of Captain in the ROTC.

Symank was discovered by the legendary Packer scout Jack Vainisi and in 1957 was picked in the 23rd round of the NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers. Despite making the record books that year with an impressive 9 pass interceptions, Green Bay accrued a losing record, and was a long way from the comforts of the South.

On November 2, 1958, week 6 of the regular season, the Packers played the undefeated Colts in Baltimore. The Colts had a talented second year quarterback by the name of Johnny Unitas and were on their way to a World Championship winning season. In the second quarter Symank made a hit on Unitas that would send him to the hospital with three broken ribs and a punctured lung. There are many conflicting stories out there about this incident. It has been described as a late hit that happened as the play was nearly over, and also that they were already on the ground and with a “raking motion” kneed Unitas in the chest. Sarah Symank said that after the players reviewed the film, “it appeared to be a clean hit”. Baltimore fans, and especially the press, were not so forgiving and the legend lives on how Johnny Symank broke Johnny Unitas’ ribs in game six of 1958 in a questionable hit. The Colts won the game 56 to 0, and Unitas missed only two games from his injury. Years later, when Symank coached for the Baltimore Colts, and Unitas was retired from football, they were friends and there were not any hard feelings over the incident.

After two losing seasons with the Packers Symank's fortunes changed when Vince Lombardi took total control of the Green Bay Packers organization- on and off the field. Lombardi, who had spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach for the New York Giants, was ready to prove himself to the world and most importantly to his new players. The team narrowly missed a shot at the World title and Lombardi was awarded NFL coach of the year.

In 1960 the team came back with the confidence to win. John Symank led the Packers in both interception-return and kickoff-return yardage helping his team get to the World Championship. During the game, Philadelphia’s Norm Van Brocklin, “the Dutchman”, on second down, threw a pass from the Packers 5 yard line that was intercepted in the end-zone by John Symank for a touchback. This set up a 3 and out as Bart Starr failed to connect on 3 straight passes, but Max McGee was not ready to punt the ball. On a trick play that did not come from Lombardi’s orders, McGee tucked the ball under his arm instead of punting and charged 35 yards up the middle of the field. They drove all the way down the field and ended it with a seven yard touchdown pass from Starr to McGee putting them back in the game. Despite the valiant effort, the Packers fell just eight yards short of being the 1960 World Champions. As the clock ran out the final score was Philadelphia 17, Packers 13.

Lombardi had made good on his promises as the Packers improved to a record of 11 wins, 3 losses to win the Western Conference title and a short trip to the World Championship Game. The New Years Eve game, held in Green Bay, was the first NFL game ever to gross over one million dollars, and was attended by 39,029 people. John Symank started and played in almost every defensive play of the game holding the Giants scoreless in a 37-0 blow-out.

In 1962 Lombardi led the Packers to the World Championship title again.

In 1963 John Symank was traded along with Bill Quinlan to the New York Giants. Before Symank ever wore a Giants uniform he was traded again to the Cardinals where he played his final season under a 13-1 Charley Johnson.

John Symank’s collegiate and professional coaching career spanned two and a half decades. Symank’s first coaching position was at Tulane in 1964 where he met fellow coach Bill Arnsparger, a relationship that would span his entire career. In 1965 he went to the University of Virginia for another year and coached under George Blackburn.

In 1966 Norb Hecker, who was one of Lombardi’s assistants that coached Symank at Green Bay, took the head coaching position at the new NFL expansion team the Atlanta Flacons. Hecker recruited Symank to join the Falcon’s first coaching staff. In 1967 Symank and Hecker were joined in Atlanta by former Packer Lew Carpenter. The Falcons owner was fed up after starting the franchise record off at 4-26-1, and Hecker was fired after the third game of the third season. Former Eagles quarterback Norm Van Brocklin took over as head coach for the rest of the 1968 season, and the assistant coaches including Symank were all fired at seasons end.

External links

* [http://johnsymank.com/pages/home.htm johnsymank.com]