Marlin McKeever
Encyclopedia
Marlin Thomas McKeever was an American football
defensive end
, fullback
and punter at the University of Southern California
and a tight end
and linebacker
during his 13-year National Football League
(NFL) career. He was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming
.
honors during his years playing, 1958-60. He was the Trojans' leading receiver in his junior and senior years. His work at linebacker got the attention of professional football scouts.
by the Los Angeles Rams, playing in the league from 1961
to 1973
. He spent 1961-66 with the Rams, 1967 with the Minnesota Vikings
, 1968-70 with the Washington Redskins
, 1971-72 back with the Rams and finally 1973 with the Philadelphia Eagles
before retiring. He was a one-time Pro Bowl
er, in 1966
. During his professional career, he was coached by four members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
: George Allen
, Bud Grant
, Otto Graham
, and Vince Lombardi
.
were the first twin
s to earn All-America status. They grew up in Los Angeles
. Both he and his brother appeared in the 1962 Three Stooges
comedy film The Three Stooges Meet Hercules
playing the Siamese Cyclops twins Ajax and Argo. Mike died in 1967, after a car accident that left him in a coma
for 22 months. On August 18, 1966, Marlin was a passenger in Roman Gabriel's car and lost a finger when Gabriel crashed into a parked car.
After the NFL, McKeever became a stockbroker and insurance executive. He also became the leader of the Trojan Football Alumni Club and close friend of recent USC coaches, including Pete Carroll
.
On October 26, 2006, he fell at his home and slipped into a coma shortly thereafter. Doctors in the intensive care unit
at St. Mary Medical Center
] in Long Beach, California
reported a blood clot on his brain. He died from his injuries the next day.
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...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
, 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...
and punter at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California Trojans football
The USC Trojans football program, established in 1888, represents the University of Southern California in college football. USC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I FBS and the Pacific-12 Conference . The Trojans have been a football powerhouse throughout NCAA...
and a tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
during his 13-year 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) career. He was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
.
College career
McKeever earned two-time All-AmericaAll-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors during his years playing, 1958-60. He was the Trojans' leading receiver in his junior and senior years. His work at linebacker got the attention of professional football scouts.
Professional career
McKeever was a first round pick in the 1961 NFL Draft1961 NFL Draft
The 1961 National Football League Draft took place on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise, and the Vikings were also awarded the first selection position in this draft. This draft was also the first regular draft for...
by the Los Angeles Rams, playing in the league from 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 1973
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
. He spent 1961-66 with the Rams, 1967 with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, 1968-70 with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 1971-72 back with the Rams and finally 1973 with 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...
before retiring. He was a one-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er, in 1966
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
. During his professional career, he was coached by four members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
: George Allen
George Allen (football)
George Herbert Allen was an American football coach in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.-Early life:...
, Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
, Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
, and 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...
.
Personal
Marlin and his brother Mike McKeeverMike McKeever
Mike McKeever was a guard at the University of Southern California football team.-College career:McKeever earned All-America honors. He was also chosen to the academic All-America team. Mike and his brother Marlin McKeever were the first twins to earn All-America status...
were the first twin
Twin
A twin is one of two offspring produced in the same pregnancy. Twins can either be monozygotic , meaning that they develop from one zygote that splits and forms two embryos, or dizygotic because they develop from two separate eggs that are fertilized by two separate sperm.In contrast, a fetus...
s to earn All-America status. They grew up in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Both he and his brother appeared in the 1962 Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
comedy film The Three Stooges Meet Hercules
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules
The Three Stooges Meet Hercules was the third feature film to star the Three Stooges after their 1959 resurgence in popularity. By this time, the trio consisted of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Joe DeRita . Released by Columbia Pictures, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules was directed by long-time...
playing the Siamese Cyclops twins Ajax and Argo. Mike died in 1967, after a car accident that left him in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
for 22 months. On August 18, 1966, Marlin was a passenger in Roman Gabriel's car and lost a finger when Gabriel crashed into a parked car.
After the NFL, McKeever became a stockbroker and insurance executive. He also became the leader of the Trojan Football Alumni Club and close friend of recent USC coaches, including Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
.
On October 26, 2006, he fell at his home and slipped into a coma shortly thereafter. Doctors in the intensive care unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
at St. Mary Medical Center
St. Mary Medical Center (Long Beach)
St. Mary Medical Center is a hospital in Long Beach, California, USA. It is currently operated by Catholic Healthcare West. SMMC has all private acute care rooms for patients.-Services:...
] in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
reported a blood clot on his brain. He died from his injuries the next day.