Mike Gaechter
Encyclopedia
Michael Theodore Gaechter (born January 9, 1940 in Santa Monica, California
) is a former American football
safety in the National Football League
who spent his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys
. He played college football
at the University of Oregon
.
(Lancaster, CA), Gaechter attended the University of Oregon.
Because of grades, he enrolled at Clark College
where he competed in the long jump, the 100, 200, low and high hurdles, and as a member of the relay team.
In 1961 he earned his reacceptance to the University of Oregon
. That year during a track meet at the University of Washington
, he recorded his fastest time with 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash.
In 1962, Gaechter with teammates Mel Renfro
, Jerry Tarr
, and Harry Jerome
, ran the third leg on the University of Oregon
’s world record
setting team, in the 4x440 yard relay
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:b0EJusCRodYJ:www.goducks.com/pdf1/4205.pdf%3FATCLID%3D30960%26SPID%3D243%26DB_OEM_ID%3D500%26SPSID%3D4592+Mike+Gaechter+relay&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=us&lr=lang_en.
Gaechter’s college sport was track and field. He became a first-time starter on the football
team until his senior year and was voted the most improved player.
in 1962
as a rookie free agent defensive back
.
Gaechter started out in the pros at cornerback
, then switched to free safety in 1963
, before settling in at strong safety, where he earned the reputation as a feared hitter in the Cowboys secondary.
Although Gaechter was a former track star, as a football
player, he was tough and a hard hitter. He was the Cowboys first safety to sell out his body for the sake of the team.
His open-field hit on Green Bay’s Boyd Dowler
in the 1966
NFL championship game, was a highlight-reel play.
Gaechter played eight seasons and recorded 21 interceptions during his time in Dallas.
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 Gaechter and a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown
by running back
Amos Marsh
.
Gaechter had been a mainstay on the Cowboys defense for most of the 1960s, but he ruptured his achilles tendon
in the 1969
NFL's Playoff Bowl
, playing against the Los Angeles Rams. He never played again.
Cornell Green moved from cornerback
to strong safety to replace Gaechter.
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
) is a former American 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...
safety 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...
who spent his entire career with 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...
. 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 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 :...
.
College career
After going to Antelope Valley High SchoolAntelope Valley High School
Antelope Valley High School is located in Lancaster, California, and is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District, in northernmost Los Angeles County, California. It was founded in 1912. It is located near the western edge of the Mojave Desert...
(Lancaster, CA), Gaechter attended the University of Oregon.
Because of grades, he enrolled at Clark College
Clark College
Clark College may mean:*Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia *Clark College , a community college in the state of Washington*Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts...
where he competed in the long jump, the 100, 200, low and high hurdles, and as a member of the relay team.
In 1961 he earned his reacceptance to 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 :...
. That year during a track meet at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, he recorded his fastest time with 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash.
In 1962, Gaechter with teammates Mel Renfro
Mel Renfro
Melvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:...
, Jerry Tarr
Jerry Tarr
Gerald LaVern Tarr is a former collegiate and professional American football player who played in one AFL season for the Denver Broncos. Tarr was also a successful college track and field athlete....
, and Harry Jerome
Harry Jerome
Henry "Harry" Winston Jerome, was a Canadian track and field runner. He was the grandson of John Howard, a railway porter who represented Canada in the 1912 Summer Olympics....
, ran the third leg on 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 :...
’s world record
World records in athletics
World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....
setting team, in the 4x440 yard relay
4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...
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Gaechter’s college sport was track and field. He became a first-time starter on the 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...
team until his senior year and was voted the most improved player.
Professional career
He was signed by the Dallas CowboysDallas 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...
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....
as a rookie free agent 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...
.
Gaechter started out in the pros at cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, then switched to free safety in 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
, before settling in at strong safety, where he earned the reputation as a feared hitter in the Cowboys secondary.
Although Gaechter was a former track star, as a 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...
player, he was tough and a hard hitter. He was the Cowboys first safety to sell out his body for the sake of the team.
His open-field hit on Green Bay’s Boyd Dowler
Boyd Dowler
Boyd Hamilton Dowler is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played twelve seasons for the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins from 1959 to 1971...
in the 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...
NFL championship game, was a highlight-reel play.
Gaechter played eight seasons and recorded 21 interceptions during his time in Dallas.
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 Gaechter 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 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...
Amos Marsh
Amos Marsh
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...
.
Gaechter had been a mainstay on the Cowboys defense for most of the 1960s, but he ruptured his achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
in the 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
NFL's Playoff Bowl
Playoff Bowl
The Playoff Bowl was a post-season game for third place in the NFL, played ten times following the -69 seasons. Bell was a co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles as well as a co-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers during much of the 1940s...
, playing against the Los Angeles Rams. He never played again.
Cornell Green moved from cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
to strong safety to replace Gaechter.