Biography

Carl Ekern was born in Richland, Washington

Richland, Washington

Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...

. He attended Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, CA. Ekern was a graduate of San Jose State University

San José State University

San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...

 and played pro football from 1976 to 1988 for the Los Angeles Rams. He died of head injuries on August 1, 1990 when the Jeep he was driving ran off a highway near the Kern County town of Ridgecrest, California

Ridgecrest, California

Ridgecrest, formerly known as Crumville, was incorporated as a city in 1913. It is located in the Indian Wells Valley in northeastern Kern County, California, adjacent to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake . Ridgecrest is the only incorporated city along US 395 in Kern County...

. At the time of the accident, Ekern was en route to Minden, Nevada

Minden, Nevada

Minden is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,836 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Douglas County and is adjacent to the city of Gardnerville. It is named after the town of Minden, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It...

, where he was a volunteer counselor and coach at the Rite of Passage, a camp for juvenile delinquents. The camp is located about 15 miles east of Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...

.

Carl Ekern Spirit of The Game Award

The Carl Ekern award, honoring the former Rams linebacker, is the
St. Louis Rams award given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, work ethic, and commitment to his teammates.

External links

• NFL profile
• Carl Ekern football statistics
• Rite of Passage the at-risk youth camp at which Ekern volunteered