Weeb Ewbank

Head Coach

• Baltimore Colts (1954-1962)
• New York Jets (1963-1973)

As Head Coach

• NFL Coach of the Year (1958 )
• Super Bowl winners (III )
• 2x NFL Championship (1958, 1959)
• AFL Championship ( 1968)
• Pro Football Hall of Fame (1978 )
• AFL All- Time Team (1970 )
• New York Jets Ring of Honor ( 2010)

Charles Wilbur " Weeb " Ewbank ( born May 6, 1907 in Richmond, Indiana, USA, † November 17, 1998 in Oxford, Ohio) was an US- American football coach in the National Football League ( NFL).

Career before the NFL

Ewbank was born as a child of Stella Dickerson and Charles Ewbank in Richmond and grew up in his native town, where he attended high school. After finishing school he studied at the Miami University in Oxford. At the local college football crew, he played as a quarterback. After finishing his studies, he was a coach at various schools. 1939 he worked at his old alma mater as a basketball coach. In 1943 he did his military service in the U.S. Navy, where he assistant coach Paul Brown was at a Navy team. In the years 1947 and 1948 Ewbank was Head Coach at Washington University.

NFL career

Cleveland Browns

In 1946, Paul Brown, the coach of the Cleveland Browns. He took Ewbank 1949 as assistant coach to Cleveland. The Browns were at that time one of the best teams in the All-America Football Conference ( AAFC ). In the 1949 season, the Browns were champions in this league. In the final, they could beat the San Francisco 49ers with 21:7. In the same year, the AAFC had to stop the operation of gambling due to financial problems. The Browns were taken in the NFL and had held a dominant position there. In 1950 they won the title again, this time in the NFL. In the NFL Championship game they sat against the favored Los Angeles Rams through with 30:28. By the year 1953 followed by three more play-off took part.

Baltimore Colts

1954, the Baltimore Colts in search of a coach and asked at Paul Brown if he would keep his assistant coach Blanton Collier appropriate. Brown pointed to Ewbank and this signed shortly thereafter a contract in Baltimore. The Colts developed under his leadership to a top team. Ewbank was able not only to improve the team, he also had a flair for young talent and led them to excellence. 1956 was a young quarterback in search of a new job, after he had not been used with his previous employer, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ewbank was looking for a back-up for quarterback George Shaw, led a call for 80 cents and Johnny Unitas was after he had to borrow the petrol money for the trip to Baltimore for the trial still together, a new job. He developed into one of the best playmakers in NFL history. Already in his first year in Baltimore Unitas could take over the role of starting quarterback after the fourth Round injured Shaw.

After the rounds were from 1954 to 1956 have been even disappointing for the Colts - it more each games were lost than gained, Ewbank could make for the first time positive the year 1957. The Colts won for the first time in four years more games than they lost. In the season 1958 Ewbank moved Then one with his team after a season with nine wins in the NFL Championship Game and were in the game to defeat the New York Giants at 23:17. Unitas threw in this final passes for a gain of space vo 314 yards, surpassing the performance of his counterpart Charlie Conerly significantly. Nevertheless, the game between the two teams was undecided until the end. Only in overtime Unitas was the decisive pass, the one yard could be caught before the end zone of Giants achieve. The game was the first football game that was decided in overtime. The Sporting News called a day later the game as the best ever played football game of all time. Due to its exciting gameplay and the fact that it could be followed by a broader public on national television, which is true for many football supporters today.

In the 1959 season, the Colts moved again in the final. Once again, the Giants were the opponents and they were defeated by the Colts. Also in this 31:16 victory of the Colts Unitas showed a good performance. In the years 1960-1962 it was possible the Colts no longer move into the final, which the owner of the team took to dismiss Ewbank and replaced by Don Shula on the occasion.

New York Jets

1963 obliged the New York Jets Ewbank as their new head coach. The Jets, who were settled in the American Football League was founded in 1960, were not among the successful teams in the league. This should also Ewbank initially not change. Ewbank it was not until in 1967 for the first time with his team to win more games than you lose. In 1965, the Jets had drafted Joe Namath with a charismatic young quarterback who should take care with his performances, but also with his exalted behavior off the field, a splash soon. Namath stood with Don Maynard a good wide receiver and Matt Snell a good running back who could also catch passes available. The young wide receiver George Sauer should develop into a top player likewise. 1967 Ewbank could win eight of 12 games. In 1968, he then succeeded for the first time of entry into the AFL championship game, where the Oakland Raiders were defeated by 27:23. While the quarterback of the Raiders Daryle Lamonica had caught a good day and scored with passports a space gain of 401 yards, however, Namath threw three touchdown passes and was able to decide the game. In the AFL- NFL Championship Game, which was later renamed Super Bowl III, were then calculated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts of the opponents. Namath "guaranteed " before the game in the public a victory of his team and then also gave word. The planes that were set perfectly by Ewbank, won in one of them almost flawless run game with 16:7. Alone George Sauer caught eight Namath passes from an area gain of 133 yards. Ewbank remained until 1973 coach of the Jets. However, success with his team he could celebrate no more.

Honors

Ewbank is since 1978 a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and in 1968 NFL Coach of the Year. It is located in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, in the AFL All- Time Team and the Miami University Athletic Hall of Fame. The New York Jets honor him on the Ring of Honor

Off the pitch

Ewbank was married and had three children. He is on the Oxford Cemetery in Oxford, Ohio, buried.