Bobby Layne

• Chicago Bears (1948 )
• New York Bulldogs (1949 )
• Detroit Lions (1950-1958)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (1958-1962)

• 5 × Pro Bowl ( 1951-1953, 1956, 1958, 1959)
• 6 × All- Pro ( 1952-1954, 1956, 1958, 1959) 1st 2nd team
• NFL 1950s All- Decade Team
• Back number blocked when the Lions
• Texas Sports Hall of Fame (1991 )
• Longhorn Hall of Honor
• Pro Football Hall of Fame (1967 )
• College Football Hall of Fame (1968 )
• 3 × NFL Champion (1952, 1953, 1957)

Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne ( born December 19, 1926 in Santa Anna, Texas, † December 1, 1986 in Lubbock, Texas), nicknamed " Gadabout Gladiator" was a US- American football player. He played as a quarterback and kicker in the National Football League ( NFL). His greatest successes came with the Detroit Lions.

Youth

Bobby Layne was born in Santa Anna. When he was six years old his father died and he went to live with an uncle in Fort Worth. After his mother died at the age of eight years, he alone was raised by his uncle and his family. The family later moved to Dallas. Bobby Layne attended the High School and studied at the school his future teammates at the Detroit Lions, Doak Walker, know. With Walker, he remained until his death friends. Along with Walker Layne played on the school American football, first at the position of guards, but later on the position of tailbacks. In his senior year he played with his football team in the play- offs of the state championship and was selected in the national team. In 1944, Robert received Layne, who had drawn attention to himself during his school days as a baseball player, a baseball scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin.

Playing career

College career

Robert Layne studied from 1944 to 1948 at the University of Texas. He played there in the baseball team, and as a quarterback on the football team. In 1945, he served in the U.S. Navy in the short term but then returned to his college and led his football team to the Conference Championship and in the Cotton Bowl. The game against the University of Missouri was won with 40:26. Layne scored four touchdowns in the game. He was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the game. After the 1947 season Layne led his team in the Sugar Bowl. The game against the University of Alabama has won 27:7. Also in this game Layne was successful. He scored with a pass a room gain of 99 yards, which could be exploited by his opponents to a touchdown. Another touchdown he scored by a separate run into the end zone of the opposing team. Even after the game against the University of Alabama, he was declared the MVP. After the season, also was appointed to the All American.

Even as a baseball player Layne was in college successfully. He ran for four years as a pitcher for his college baseball team. His 39 victories during his student days were over seven defeats. In 1946, he scored two no- hitters. In 1948 he successfully completed his university studies in sport and then played briefly in a baseball unterklassigen League Baseball. His activities as a baseball player he hired in favor of a career as a football player, after he became aware that professional clubs had interest in his commitment.

Professional career

Bobby Layne was drafted in 1948 by the Chicago Bears in the first round in third place. The Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference ( AAFC ) wanted to commit Layne and picked him in the AAFC Draft. They offered Layne to an annual salary of 77,000 U.S. dollars. However, this took on the less doped offer of NFL clubs, as he held the NFL for the more established league. The career of Layne began initially unpromising. The head coach and owner of the Bears, George Halas, first used him only as a substitute behind the trunk quarterback Sid Luckman and gave him after the season for $ 50,000 in cash and two future first-round draft rights to the New York Bulldogs from.

Layne lived in New York City a disastrous second season. His team lost ten of twelve games, he was able to achieve only nine touchdowns with 18 interceptions. After this season, Layne was about to end his career, but was then released to the Detroit Lions. The rise of Layne to a top player began. In 1950 Doak Walker was committed by the Lions and 1951, Buddy Parker, the coach of the team from Detroit. In the years 1950-1952 more top players like Pat Harder, Lou Creekmur, Yale Lary and Jack Christiansen got signed by the Lions. The first title for Layne did not take this team a long time coming.

After the Regular Season 1952 Bobby Layne moved with his team for the first time in the playoffs and the NFL Championship game. In the NFL playoff the Cleveland Browns were defeated with 17:7. Layne scored by a run in the opponent's end zone a touchdown. The following year, the Lions were able to defend their title and won the NFL playoff again against the Browns with 17:16. Also in this game succeeded Bobby Layne a touchdown. Also the game in 1954 was a success for the Lions. Bobby Layne led his team in the third final in a row. The final against the eternal rival of Cleveland was bad for Layne. He threw six interceptions and was instrumental in the defeat of his team - 56:10.

In 1957, George Wilson took over as coach at the Lions and Layne won his third championship. Once again, the Browns were the final opponents and turn them were beaten by the Lions. This time they lost significantly with 59:14. Bobby Layne was in this game, however, no use time, he had three games previously suffered a broken leg and was replaced by Tobin Rote.

Tobin Rote had convinced the coach of the Lions in his first final. Wilson planned for the 1958 season alternately use the two playmakers. This was a condition that was not acceptable to Layne. Buddy Parker was now coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He succeeded Layne during the season in 1958 to undertake. The Steelers, however, Layne could not move into a playoff. After the 1962 season, Bobby Layne finished his playing career.

Robert Layne not only won three league titles, get him even more Jahresbestleistungen. In 1951 he threw 152 passes to a room gain of 2403 yards. 26 of his passes could be exploited by his fellow players for touchdowns. After his career, he held numerous Karrierebestleistungen - as the record for the most touchdowns or the best value for the total space gain achieved. Bobby Layne was considered a very tenacious player who never gave lost a game and always wanted to win. Doak Walker led his friend out, " Bobby never lost a game Some days, time just ran out on him. " ( German: " Bobby Layne never lost a game, some days it just ran out of time "). Despite his athletic performance, Layne was considered very drinkable, who also missed no party. In 1957, he was arrested. The police accused him drunk to have sat at the wheel of his car. Punished but Layne was not for that. He could credibly assure the judicial process that only his Texan dialect was responsible for his slurred at the police control debate.

After playing career

Immediately after his playing career Layne assistant coach was with the Steelers and the St. Louis Cardinals. While still a student, Layne had married and was the father of two sons. After he had finished his coaching career, he was businessman in Lubbock, the hometown of his wife. Bobby Layne died of liver cancer. He is buried in the City of Lubbock Cemetery.

Honors

Bobby Layne played five times in the Pro Bowl six times and was voted All- Pro. His shirt number is no longer assigned by the Lions. Bobby Layne is a member of the NFL 1950s All- Decade Team, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Longhorn Hall of Honor in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.