John Symank
Encyclopedia
John Richard "Johnny" Symank (August 31, 1935 – January 23, 2002) was an American college and professional football
player who was a defensive back
in the National Football League
(NFL) for seven seasons during the 1950s and 1960s. Symank played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Green Bay Packers
and St. Louis Cardinals
of the NFL. He was later the head coach
for Northern Arizona University
and the University of Texas at Arlington
football teams.
descent, a Slavic group that emigrated to Central Texas in the mid-nineteenth century from Germany.
Symank's father died when Johnny was only 8 years old. Symank attended Caldwell High School
in Caldwell, Texas
, where he excelled in sports and lettered in high school football
and track and field
for the Caldwell Hornets.
, Symank attended Arlington State Junior College
in Arlington, Texas
, and played for the Arlington Rebels football team under coach Chena Gilstrap
in 1953 and 1954. Symank enrolled in the college's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) unit to fulfill his military obligation and remained an active ROTC member throughout his college career.
Symank received an athletic scholarship
to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football
team in 1955 and 1956. Woodruff later ranked Symank as one of the five best defensive backs to play for the Gators during the 1950s, and one of the ten best offensive backs of the decade.
While he was a Gator, he earned two varsity letter
s in both football and track, and became a captain in the university's ROTC unit. Symank graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in business administration in 1957, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
. Despite Symank making the NFL record books his rookie
season with nine pass interception
s, Green Bay finished the season with a losing 3–9 record.
During the season, the Packers played the undefeated Baltimore Colts on their home field in Baltimore in the third game of the season. The Colts had talented second-year quarterback
Johnny Unitas
and were on their way to 1958 NFL Championship
. In the second quarter, Symank made a hit on Unitas that resulted in three broken ribs and a punctured lung. Some sports commentators described it as a "late hit" that happened as the play ended; Sarah Symank said that after the Packers reviewed the film, "it appeared to be a clean hit." Baltimore fans, and especially the press, were not so forgiving and many sports columnists accused Symank of breaking Unitas' ribs in a questionable play. The Colts won the game 56–0, and Unitas missed only two games from his injury. Years later, when Symank was a Baltimore Colts assistant coach, and Unitas was retired from football, the two became close friends.
After two back-to-back losing seasons with the Packers, Symank's career fortunes turned when new coach Vince Lombardi
took total control of the Green Bay Packers organization—on and off the field. Lombardi, who had worked the previous five seasons as an assistant coach for the New York Giants
, was an enthusiastic leader eager to prove himself as a head coach. The Packers narrowly missed a shot at the NFL championship and Lombardi was recognized as the NFL coach of the year in .
In , the Packers returned with renewed confidence in themselves and Lombardi's system and philosophy. Symank led the Packers in both interception-return and kickoff-return yardage, helping his team get to the 1960 NFL Championship Game
. During the game, the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, on second down, threw a pass from the Packers' five-yard-line that Symank intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. This set up three downs and out as Packers quarterback Bart Starr
threw three straight incomplete passes. On a fake punt play that was not ordered by Lombardi, Packers punter Max McGee ran thirty-five yards up the middle of the field for the first down; the Packers then drove the length of the field for a touchdown, putting the Packers back in the game. Despite the Packers furious fourth-quarter efforts, they fell eight yards short of winning the 1960 NFL championship as time expired; the final score was Philadelphia over Green Bay 17–13.
During the season, Lombardi led the Packers to an improved record of 11–3, a the Western Conference title, and a short trip to the 1961 NFL Championship Game
. The New Year's 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. Symank started and played in almost every defensive play of the game, as the Packers defense held the Giants scoreless in a 37–0 blow-out. The following season, Lombardi led Symank and the Packers to another victory in the 1962 NFL Championship Game
.
In , 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 St. Louis Cardinals
, where he played his final 9–5 season under coach Wally Lemm
. During Symank's seven-year NFL career, he played in eighty-nine regular season games, recovered twelve fumbles, intercepted nineteen passes and returning them for 387 yards and a touchdown.
in New Orleans, Louisiana
in 1964, when he met fellow assistant coach Bill Arnsparger
, a relationship that spanned Symank's entire coaching career. In 1965, he went to the University of Virginia
in Charlottesville, Virginia
and worked under head coach George Blackburn
.
Norb Hecker
, one of Lombardi's assistants who coached Symank at Green Bay, became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons
, the NFL's new expansions team, in . Hecker recruited Symank to join the Falcons' first coaching staff. In , Symank and Hecker were joined in Atlanta by former Packer Lew Carpenter
. The Falcons' owner was frustrated with his team's 4–26–1 record, and Hecker was fired after the third game of his third season. Former Eagles quarterback Norm Van Brocklin took over as the Falcons head coach for the balance of the season, and the Falcons assistant coaches including Symank were fired at season's end.
in 1969 and 1970, He picked his former Packers teammate and quarterback Lamar McHan
as his offensive coordinator
and C. O. Brocato, a very successful coach at Jesuit High School in Shreveport, Louisiana
, as his defensive coordinator
. The trio coached the NAU Lumberjacks together for two years and moved again when his alma mater
, the University of Texas at Arlington (formerly Arlington State Junior College), asked him to be the head coach of the UT Arlington Mavericks. Symank was the eleventh head college football
coach for the Arlington Mavericks, and he held that position for three seasons, from 1971 until 1973. He and his assistants assumed command over a completely demoralized team and set out to rebuild the program using the same techniques he had learned from Lombardi. Symank's three-year win-loss record at UT Arlington was 11–21.
as an assistant coach for the Baltimore Colts, and also coached under Marchibroda's successor, Mike McCormack, from to . After years of frustration, the Colts management was ready to make major changes, so Symank, along with the rest of the Colts coaches, were fired.
(LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
. Hired to be the LSU defensive coordinator, Symank was the first assistant hired by Arnsparger. The LSU Tigers
posted an 8–3–2 record, including the loss to Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl. Arnsparger earned the SEC's Coach of the Year award for turning around an LSU program that had a losing 4–7 record the year before. In 1985 the Tigers came back even stronger, and Symank moved from defensive coordinator to coach the Tigers linebackers and coordinate Arnsparger's recruiting program. He had an affinity for recruiting small town high school players, and felt it was his duty to give promising young players the same chance he had been given. A college education, four years playing college football, and maybe a shot at an NFL roster, but most importantly, Symank would always say: "get that diploma because no matter how good you are, you can't play forever."
Symank died at his beach house on Dauphin Island, Alabama
in 2002; he was 66 years old. He was survived by his wife Sarah and their children.
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...
player who was a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
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...
(NFL) for seven seasons during the 1950s and 1960s. Symank 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...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL. He was later the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
and the University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
football teams.
Early life
Symank was born in LaGrange, Texas in 1935, to Oswald "Curly" and Ann Pauline Symank. Symank's family was of WendishSorbian languages
The Sorbian languages are classified under the Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. They are the native languages of the Sorbs, a Slavic minority in the Lusatia region of eastern Germany. Historically the language has also been known as Wendish or Lusatian. Their collective ISO 639-2 code...
descent, a Slavic group that emigrated to Central Texas in the mid-nineteenth century from Germany.
Symank's father died when Johnny was only 8 years old. Symank attended Caldwell High School
Caldwell High School (Caldwell, Texas)
Caldwell High School is a secondary school in Caldwell, Texas. According to the Texas Education Agency, Caldwell is a Recognized and Exemplary School.-Athletics:Caldwell High School has won the following state titles:Boys Track 1970...
in Caldwell, Texas
Caldwell, Texas
Caldwell is a city in Burleson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,449 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Burleson County. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area....
, where he excelled in sports and lettered in high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
for the Caldwell Hornets.
College career
After graduating from high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Symank attended Arlington State Junior College
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, and played for the Arlington Rebels football team under coach Chena Gilstrap
Chena Gilstrap
Chena Gilstrap was the ninth head college football coachfor the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks located in Arlington, Texasand he held that position for thirteen seasons, from 1953 until 1965....
in 1953 and 1954. Symank enrolled in the college's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) unit to fulfill his military obligation and remained an active ROTC member throughout his college career.
Symank received an athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team in 1955 and 1956. Woodruff later ranked Symank as one of the five best defensive backs to play for the Gators during the 1950s, and one of the ten best offensive backs of the decade.
While he was a Gator, he earned two varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s in both football and track, and became a captain in the university's ROTC unit. Symank graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in business administration in 1957, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
Professional playing career
Green Bay Packers scout Jack Vainisi "discovered" Symank, and the Packers subsequently selected him in the twenty-third round (268th pick overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft1957 NFL Draft
The 1957 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1956.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. Despite Symank making the NFL record books his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season with nine pass interception
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
s, Green Bay finished the season with a losing 3–9 record.
During the season, the Packers played the undefeated Baltimore Colts on their home field in Baltimore in the third game of the season. The Colts had talented second-year quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
and were on their way to 1958 NFL Championship
NFL Championship Game, 1958
The 1958 National Football League Championship Game was played on December 28, 1958 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. It was the first ever National Football League playoff game to go into sudden death overtime. The final score was Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17. The game has since...
. In the second quarter, Symank made a hit on Unitas that resulted in three broken ribs and a punctured lung. Some sports commentators described it as a "late hit" that happened as the play ended; Sarah Symank said that after the Packers reviewed the film, "it appeared to be a clean hit." Baltimore fans, and especially the press, were not so forgiving and many sports columnists accused Symank of breaking Unitas' ribs in a questionable play. The Colts won the game 56–0, and Unitas missed only two games from his injury. Years later, when Symank was a Baltimore Colts assistant coach, and Unitas was retired from football, the two became close friends.
After two back-to-back losing seasons with the Packers, Symank's career fortunes turned when new coach Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
took total control of the Green Bay Packers organization—on and off the field. Lombardi, who had worked the previous five seasons as an assistant coach for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, was an enthusiastic leader eager to prove himself as a head coach. The Packers narrowly missed a shot at the NFL championship and Lombardi was recognized as the NFL coach of the year in .
In , the Packers returned with renewed confidence in themselves and Lombardi's system and philosophy. Symank led the Packers in both interception-return and kickoff-return yardage, helping his team get to the 1960 NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1960
The 1960 National Football League championship game was the 28th NFL title game. The game was played on Monday, December 26, 1960 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. During the game, the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Norm Van Brocklin, on second down, threw a pass from the Packers' five-yard-line that Symank intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. This set up three downs and out as Packers quarterback Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
threw three straight incomplete passes. On a fake punt play that was not ordered by Lombardi, Packers punter Max McGee ran thirty-five yards up the middle of the field for the first down; the Packers then drove the length of the field for a touchdown, putting the Packers back in the game. Despite the Packers furious fourth-quarter efforts, they fell eight yards short of winning the 1960 NFL championship as time expired; the final score was Philadelphia over Green Bay 17–13.
During the season, Lombardi led the Packers to an improved record of 11–3, a the Western Conference title, and a short trip to the 1961 NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1961
The 1961 National Football League championship game was the 29th title game. The game was played at "New" City Stadium, later known as Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, Wisconsin on December 31, 1961...
. The New Year's 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. Symank started and played in almost every defensive play of the game, as the Packers defense held the Giants scoreless in a 37–0 blow-out. The following season, Lombardi led Symank and the Packers to another victory in the 1962 NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1962
The 1962 National Football League championship game was the 30th NFL title game. The game was played on December 30, 1962 at Yankee Stadium in New York City between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers. The attendance for the game was 64,892. The Packers were coached by Hall of Fame coach...
.
In , Symank was traded along with Bill Quinlan
Bill Quinlan
William David Quinlan is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and the Washington Redskins. He also played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
to the New York Giants. Before Symank ever wore a Giants uniform, he was traded again to the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, where he played his final 9–5 season under coach Wally Lemm
Wally Lemm
Wally Lemm was a football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels and achieved his greatest prominence as head coach of the American Football League's Houston Oilers and the National Football League's St...
. During Symank's seven-year NFL career, he played in eighty-nine regular season games, recovered twelve fumbles, intercepted nineteen passes and returning them for 387 yards and a touchdown.
Early assistantships
Symank's college and professional coaching career spanned two and a half decades. Symank's first assistant coaching job was at Tulane UniversityTulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
in 1964, when he met fellow assistant coach Bill Arnsparger
Bill Arnsparger
William Stephen "Bill" Arnsparger is a former American college and professional football coach.- Early years :Arnsparger was born in Paris, Kentucky in 1926. He attended Paris High School, and became connected with the school's longtime football and basketball coach, Blanton Collier...
, a relationship that spanned Symank's entire coaching career. In 1965, he went to the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
and worked under head coach George Blackburn
George Blackburn
George "Blackie" Blackburn was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at Miami University , the University of Cincinnati , and the University of Virginia , compiling a career college football record of 61–60–7...
.
Norb Hecker
Norb Hecker
Norbert Earl Hecker was an American football player and coach who was part of eight National Football League championship teams, but may be best remembered as the first head coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons....
, one of Lombardi's assistants who coached Symank at Green Bay, became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the NFL's new expansions team, in . Hecker recruited Symank to join the Falcons' first coaching staff. In , Symank and Hecker were joined in Atlanta by former Packer Lew Carpenter
Lew Carpenter
Lewis Glen "Lew" Carpenter was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Arkansas and professionally for ten seasons in the NFL as a halfback and fullback with the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers...
. The Falcons' owner was frustrated with his team's 4–26–1 record, and Hecker was fired after the third game of his third season. Former Eagles quarterback Norm Van Brocklin took over as the Falcons head coach for the balance of the season, and the Falcons assistant coaches including Symank were fired at season's end.
College head coach
Symank was the head football coach for Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, ArizonaFlagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
in 1969 and 1970, He picked his former Packers teammate and quarterback Lamar McHan
Lamar McHan
Clarence Lamar McHan was a professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. McHan played football collegiately at the University of Arkansas. He was ninth in the 1953 Heisman Trophy balloting.McHan played for the Green Bay Packers from 1959-1960...
as his offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and C. O. Brocato, a very successful coach at Jesuit High School in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, as his defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. The trio coached the NAU Lumberjacks together for two years and moved again when his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the University of Texas at Arlington (formerly Arlington State Junior College), asked him to be the head coach of the UT Arlington Mavericks. Symank was the eleventh head 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...
coach for the Arlington Mavericks, and he held that position for three seasons, from 1971 until 1973. He and his assistants assumed command over a completely demoralized team and set out to rebuild the program using the same techniques he had learned from Lombardi. Symank's three-year win-loss record at UT Arlington was 11–21.
Return to the NFL
Bill Arnsparger became the head coach of the New York Giants in , and called Symank to join his new staff. After winning just seven games in three seasons, Arnsparger was fired in . Symank was hired by Ted MarchibrodaTed Marchibroda
Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:...
as an assistant coach for the Baltimore Colts, and also coached under Marchibroda's successor, Mike McCormack, from to . After years of frustration, the Colts management was ready to make major changes, so Symank, along with the rest of the Colts coaches, were fired.
At home in Louisiana
In 1984 a new opportunity presented itself when Bill Arnsparger accepted the head coaching position at Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
(LSU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. Hired to be the LSU defensive coordinator, Symank was the first assistant hired by Arnsparger. The LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
posted an 8–3–2 record, including the loss to Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl. Arnsparger earned the SEC's Coach of the Year award for turning around an LSU program that had a losing 4–7 record the year before. In 1985 the Tigers came back even stronger, and Symank moved from defensive coordinator to coach the Tigers linebackers and coordinate Arnsparger's recruiting program. He had an affinity for recruiting small town high school players, and felt it was his duty to give promising young players the same chance he had been given. A college education, four years playing college football, and maybe a shot at an NFL roster, but most importantly, Symank would always say: "get that diploma because no matter how good you are, you can't play forever."
Symank died at his beach house on Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dauphin Island is a town in Mobile County, Alabama , on a barrier island also named Dauphin Island , at the Gulf of Mexico. The population was 1,371 at the 2000 census. The town is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area...
in 2002; he was 66 years old. He was survived by his wife Sarah and their children.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1950–1959
- History of the Green Bay PackersHistory of the Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team that has played since 1919 and played professionally in the National Football League since 1921.-Founding:...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Green Bay Packers players
- List of University of Florida alumni