Amos Marsh
Encyclopedia
Amos Marsh, Jr. was a professional American football
running back
in the National Football League
for the Dallas Cowboys
and the Detroit Lions
. He played college football
at Oregon State University
. Amos attended, and graduated from high school at Wallowa High School
in Wallowa, Oregon, as did his brother Frank Wayne Marsh
. Frank also went on to play professional football
with the San Diego Chargers
.
, Arizona
, but played football
and ran track at Wallowa High School
in north eastern Oregon.
He was the starting running back
and led Wallowa
to the Tu-Valley football
co-championship in 1957.
Wallowa
, Enterprise
and Union
tied for the title that season, but only Wallowa
advanced to the state playoffs after a vote by the league's school superintendents.
In his senior year, he was part of the Shrine East-West All Star game.
As a sprinter in track, Marsh helped Wallowa
win the 1957 State Class "B" title. He also competed in the long jump
.
During his high school years, he developed a famous track rivalry with Jim Puckett
from Cove High School. The two dueled repeatedly in the 100 yard dash, with Puckett winning every race.
Marsh was the 100-yard dash state runner up three times, from 1956-1958. The 100-yard dash, no longer contested, was run from 1927-1977.
on a track and field scholarship, where he competed as a sprinter
, hurdler and a broad jumper.
In college, the tables turned and Marsh repeatedly beat Puckett
, who ran representing the University of Oregon
.
He also played football
as a wingback
, halfback
, split end and kicker.
Marsh was part of the No. 6 ranked University of Southern California
upset 14-0 at the Los Angeles Coliseum on September 16, 1960. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 in the preseason by Playboy magazine and it was the last time an OSU
team experienced victory at USC
.
As a senior, he was shifted to split end and apparently forgotten, caught only 10 passes.
in the draft.
Because of his speed, Gil Brandt
signed him as a free agent
in 1961
to play for the Dallas Cowboys
.
No one expected much of him when he reported to the Cowboys training camp at Saint Olaf, Minnesota, but he became a quality NFL player from the start.
He started his career at wide receiver
, but his speed and size quickly earned him a starting fullback
job alongside featured fullback
Don Perkins
. He was an excellent receiver out of the backfield and also returned kicks
and punts
his first couple of years.
Nicknamed "Moose" and "Forward Marsh", he was well-built, fast, studious, and a hard worker. "Hardest thing I had to learn was how to run in an open field," he said.
In 1962
against the Philadelphia Eagles
, the Cowboys became the first NFL team in history to produce two 100-yard plays in the same game: a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown
by strong safety Mike Gaechter
and a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
by Marsh.
His 1962 season
is worth remembering. He gained 802 yards on only 144 carries, he was one of the top 10 rushers in the NFL and also lead the league with a 5.6 yards average per carry .
he was traded to the Detroit Lions
and led them that year in rushing with 495 yards.
He retired after the 1967 season
. For his career, he rushed for 3,222 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Marsh's health began to deteriorate in 1979 because of diabetes, and a series of minor strokes was followed by a major stroke that caused serious brain damage.
He had been hospitalized since 1991 and died on 2 November 1992.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sisters, a brother, two daughters and two sons.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
. Amos attended, and graduated from high school at Wallowa High School
Wallowa High School
-Academics:In 2008, 100% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 20 students, 20 graduated and 0 dropped out.-Notable alumni:*Amos Marsh, football player Dallas Cowboys*Frank Wayne Marsh, football player San Diego Chargers...
in Wallowa, Oregon, as did his brother Frank Wayne Marsh
Frank Wayne Marsh
Frank Wayne Marsh , is a former professional American football defensive back in the American Football League for the San Diego Chargers. He played college football at Oregon State University. Frank attended, and graduated from high school at Wallowa High School in Wallowa, Oregon, as did his...
. Frank also went on to play professional football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
with the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Marsh was born in WilliamsWilliams, Arizona
Williams is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States west of Flagstaff. Its population was 2,842 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,094. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, but played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and ran track at Wallowa High School
Wallowa High School
-Academics:In 2008, 100% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 20 students, 20 graduated and 0 dropped out.-Notable alumni:*Amos Marsh, football player Dallas Cowboys*Frank Wayne Marsh, football player San Diego Chargers...
in north eastern Oregon.
He was the starting running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and led Wallowa
Wallowa High School
-Academics:In 2008, 100% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 20 students, 20 graduated and 0 dropped out.-Notable alumni:*Amos Marsh, football player Dallas Cowboys*Frank Wayne Marsh, football player San Diego Chargers...
to the Tu-Valley football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
co-championship in 1957.
Wallowa
Wallowa High School
-Academics:In 2008, 100% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 20 students, 20 graduated and 0 dropped out.-Notable alumni:*Amos Marsh, football player Dallas Cowboys*Frank Wayne Marsh, football player San Diego Chargers...
, Enterprise
Enterprise High School (Oregon)
Enterprise High School is a public high school in Enterprise, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 92% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 39 students, 36 graduated, 0 dropped out, and 3 are still in high school....
and Union
Union High School (Oregon)
-Academics:In 2008, 97% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 36 students, 35 graduated, 0 dropped out, and 1 is still in high school....
tied for the title that season, but only Wallowa
Wallowa High School
-Academics:In 2008, 100% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 20 students, 20 graduated and 0 dropped out.-Notable alumni:*Amos Marsh, football player Dallas Cowboys*Frank Wayne Marsh, football player San Diego Chargers...
advanced to the state playoffs after a vote by the league's school superintendents.
In his senior year, he was part of the Shrine East-West All Star game.
As a sprinter in track, Marsh helped Wallowa
Wallowa High School
-Academics:In 2008, 100% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma. Of 20 students, 20 graduated and 0 dropped out.-Notable alumni:*Amos Marsh, football player Dallas Cowboys*Frank Wayne Marsh, football player San Diego Chargers...
win the 1957 State Class "B" title. He also competed in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
.
During his high school years, he developed a famous track rivalry with Jim Puckett
Jim Puckett
Jim Puckett was an American track and field sprinter at Cove High School and the University of Oregon.-Early years:Nicknamed "Cove Comet", Puckett is considered among the greatest track and field athletes in Oregon prep history....
from Cove High School. The two dueled repeatedly in the 100 yard dash, with Puckett winning every race.
Marsh was the 100-yard dash state runner up three times, from 1956-1958. The 100-yard dash, no longer contested, was run from 1927-1977.
College years
Marsh went to Oregon State UniversityOregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
on a track and field scholarship, where he competed as a sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
, hurdler and a broad jumper.
In college, the tables turned and Marsh repeatedly beat Puckett
Jim Puckett
Jim Puckett was an American track and field sprinter at Cove High School and the University of Oregon.-Early years:Nicknamed "Cove Comet", Puckett is considered among the greatest track and field athletes in Oregon prep history....
, who ran representing the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
.
He also played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as a wingback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
, split end and kicker.
Marsh was part of the No. 6 ranked University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
upset 14-0 at the Los Angeles Coliseum on September 16, 1960. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 in the preseason by Playboy magazine and it was the last time an OSU
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
team experienced victory at USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
As a senior, he was shifted to split end and apparently forgotten, caught only 10 passes.
Dallas Cowboys
Marsh was overlooked by both the NFL and the AFLAmerican Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
in the draft.
Because of his speed, Gil Brandt
Gil Brandt
Gil Brandt was a Vice President of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988.Brandt served as the Cowboys' chief talent scout since the club's birth in 1960. He had served as a part-time scout for the Los Angeles Rams under General Manager Tex Schramm in the 1950s...
signed him as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1961
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
to play for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
No one expected much of him when he reported to the Cowboys training camp at Saint Olaf, Minnesota, but he became a quality NFL player from the start.
He started his career at wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, but his speed and size quickly earned him a starting fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
job alongside featured fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Don Perkins
Don Perkins
Donald Anthony Perkins is a former American football halfback who spent eight seasons with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:...
. He was an excellent receiver out of the backfield and also returned kicks
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
and punts
Punt returner
Punt returner is a position on special teams in American football.-Description:The role of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it is punted and to give his team good field position by returning it. Before catching the punted ball, the returner must assess the situation on the field while...
his first couple of years.
Nicknamed "Moose" and "Forward Marsh", he was well-built, fast, studious, and a hard worker. "Hardest thing I had to learn was how to run in an open field," he said.
In 1962
1962 NFL season
The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee....
against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the Cowboys became the first NFL team in history to produce two 100-yard plays in the same game: a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
by strong safety Mike Gaechter
Mike Gaechter
Michael Theodore Gaechter is a former American football safety in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys...
and a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
by Marsh.
His 1962 season
1962 NFL season
The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee....
is worth remembering. He gained 802 yards on only 144 carries, he was one of the top 10 rushers in the NFL and also lead the league with a 5.6 yards average per carry .
Detroit Lions
In 19651965 NFL season
The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the...
he was traded to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and led them that year in rushing with 495 yards.
He retired after the 1967 season
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
. For his career, he rushed for 3,222 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Life after Football
After retiring from the NFL, he worked as a political campaigner and volunterred at a youth outreach program.Marsh's health began to deteriorate in 1979 because of diabetes, and a series of minor strokes was followed by a major stroke that caused serious brain damage.
He had been hospitalized since 1991 and died on 2 November 1992.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sisters, a brother, two daughters and two sons.