Ray Mansfield
Encyclopedia
Burt James Ray Mansfield (January 21, 1941 – November 3, 1996) was an American football
center
in the NFL
for the Philadelphia Eagles
and Pittsburgh Steelers
.
Mansfield grew up in Kennewick, Washington
and attended Kennewick High School
. He played college football
at the University of Washington
from 1960 to 1962. In 1961 he was a member of the Huskies team that won the Rose Bowl
17-7 against the University of Minnesota
. In 1962 he participated in the East-West Shrine Game
. He is a member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame. He was drafted in the 1963 NFL Draft
by the Eagles and played for them for one season.
Mansfield moved to the Steelers in 1964 and was their starting center through the 1976 season. He was a member of the Steelers' Super Bowl
-winning teams in 1974 and 1975. In his last season as a Steeler, he kicked the extra point
on the Steelers' final touchdown in a playoff game after Roy Gerela
pulled a groin muscle.
Mansfield went on to a successful career as an insurance broker. He died from a heart attack
in November 1996 while hiking in the Grand Canyon
.
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...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
in the NFL
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 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...
and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
.
Mansfield grew up in Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities...
and attended Kennewick High School
Kennewick High School
Kennewick High School is a public high school located in eastern Kennewick, Washington. It was founded in 1904 to serve the educational needs of the new city of Kennewick. It is one of only a few schools to have its music department honored with the title of "Grammy Signature School".The current...
. 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 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...
from 1960 to 1962. In 1961 he was a member of the Huskies team that won the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
17-7 against the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. In 1962 he participated in the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
. He is a member of the UW Athletic Hall of Fame. He was drafted in the 1963 NFL Draft
1963 NFL Draft
The 1963 National Football League Draft was held on December 4, 1962.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Eagles and played for them for one season.
Mansfield moved to the Steelers in 1964 and was their starting center through the 1976 season. He was a member of the Steelers' Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
-winning teams in 1974 and 1975. In his last season as a Steeler, he kicked the extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
on the Steelers' final touchdown in a playoff game after Roy Gerela
Roy Gerela
Roy Gerela is a former American football placekicker best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won three Super Bowl rings....
pulled a groin muscle.
Mansfield went on to a successful career as an insurance broker. He died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in November 1996 while hiking in the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
.