Tommy Prothro
Encyclopedia
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. (July 20, 1920 – May 14, 1995) was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University
from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles
from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football
record of 104–55–5. Prothro then moved the professional ranks as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams
from 1971 to 1972 and the San Diego Chargers
from 1974 to 1978, tallying a career mark of 35–51–2 in the NFL
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1991.
, was the son of major league baseball
player and manager Doc Prothro
, who played for three teams between 1920 and 1926, then managed the Philadelphia Phillies
from 1939 to 1941 before buying a minor league team in Memphis called the Chicks. His uncle, Clifton Cates, was commandant of the United States Marine Corps
.
The younger Prothro found his niche in football, starting out as a quarterback for Wallace Wade's Duke Blue Devils
. In 1941, Prothro's versatility on the field helped him win the Jacobs award
as the best blocker in the Southern Conference
as the Blue Devils reached the 1942 Rose Bowl
. During his time at the school, Prothro also competed in baseball and lacrosse
, and graduated from the school in 1942 with a degree in political science
.
Prothro was drafted in the fifth round of the 1942 NFL Draft
by the New York Giants
, but rejected the opportunity in favor of a budding coaching career and a brief attempt at professional baseball.
, then entered the United States Navy
as a lieutenant to fight in World War II
, where he served for 39 months.
Upon leaving the service, Prothro served as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt University
from 1946 to 1948, working as freshman coach during the first year. He then was brought along by the team's head coach, Henry Russell Sanders
, when the latter was hired as head coach at UCLA
. Over the next six years, Prothro used the single-wing formation as the team's backfield coach, helping the Bruins to an undefeated season and national championship in 1954.
on February 1, 1955. The Beavers had won just one of nine games the previous season, but improved to six wins in Prothro's first season, then reached the 1958 Rose Bowl
. In 1962, the Beavers won a 6–0 decision over Villanova University
in the Liberty Bowl
; they were led by quarterback Terry Baker
, who won the Heisman Trophy
. Baker's 99-yard run from scrimmage was the only score in the game and remains an NCAA record. In 1964, Oregon State tied for first place with USC in the AAWU. Due to their recent entry into that conference and the fact the schedules were set years in advance, the Beavers did not play the Trojans that year. Although Oregon State was assured of a better overall record (8–2) than USC (6–3), the AAWU announced it would delay its decision regarding the Rose Bowl berth until after USC's final game vs. undefeated and top ranked Notre Dame. This made USC fans infer that, if the Trojans had a strong showing against heavily favored Notre Dame, they might somehow get the Rose Bowl berth despite Oregon State's better record. USC upset Notre Dame, 20–17, and USC fans were outraged when Oregon State was awarded the Rose Bowl berth anyway. This would be a factor two years later. The Beavers went on lose to Michigan
in the Rose Bowl, 34–7. After the Rose Bowl appearance in 1965 (1964 season), Prothro left Oregon State to replace Bill Barnes at UCLA. Prothro compiled a 63–37–2 mark in his decade at Oregon State, suffering only one losing season. He was replaced by Dee Andros
.
. In the 1965 football season, the Bruins lost their season opening game 13–3 at Michigan State, who then rose to being the number 1 ranked team in the country. The unheralded Bruins would go on a seven game undefeated streak, surprising national powers like Syracuse and Penn State. Going into the 1965 UCLA-USC rivalry
football game ranked #7, the conference championship and 1966 Rose Bowl
were on the line. #6 USC, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett
led 16–6 until UCLA got a touchdown on a pass from Gary Beban to Dick Witcher
with four minutes to play. After the two-point conversion made it 16–14, UCLA recovered an onside kick. Beban then hit Kurt Altenberg on a 50-yard bomb and UCLA won, 20–16. Integrated UCLA then faced all-white Tennessee in the newly built Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
in Memphis, Tennessee
, Prothro's native city. On the last play of the game, Tennessee defensive back Bob Petrella intercepted a UCLA pass to save a Volunteer win by a score of 37–34. Tennessee's winning drive was aided by a controversial pass interference call, the clock had been wrongly stopped twice, and a dropped pass that appeared to be a lateral was recovered by UCLA but was later ruled an incomplete forward pass. After the game, Prothro stated, "For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be a Southerner."
The Bruins went to the 1966 Rose Bowl
as a 14½ point underdog in their rematch with #1 ranked and undefeated powerhouse Michigan State. UCLA, now dubbed "The Miracle Bruins" by Sports Illustrated, vanquished the heavily-favored Spartans by a 14–12 score. That victory gave UCLA an 8–2–1 mark, prevented the Spartans from winning the AP title, and resulted in Prothro earning Coach of the Year accolades from his coaching brethren. UCLA finished #4 that season, and due to their small size, earned the moniker "Gutty little Bruins."
, lost only one game, at rainy Washington, 16–3, where coach Jim Owens
had devoted his entire season to beating Prothro, after UCLA had beaten his team the season before, 28–24, with Prothro's trick play, the Z-streak in which a receiver trots towards the sideline like he's going out of the game and then runs a streak pattern unguarded by the inattentive defender. USC was 4–0 in conference and 7–1 overall, having lost to the unranked Miami Hurricanes
. The Bruins and Trojans played a different number of conference due to uneven scheduling caused by new AAWU members Oregon and Oregon State and schedules made years in advance. It was widely assumed that only losses would be considered and the winner of the 1966 UCLA-USC game would go to the 1967 Rose Bowl
. UCLA star quarterback Gary Beban broke his ankle the week before in a win over Stanford, but backup Norman Dow, making his first and only start at quarterabck, led UCLA to a 14–7 win. That left USC with a 4–1 conference record (7–2 overall) and #5 UCLA with a 3–1 conference record (9–1) overall. Due to their win over USC, it was widely assumed UCLA would get the Rose Bowl berth. However, a vote the next Monday among the AAWU conference athletic directors awarded USC the Rose Bowl berth. It was speculated that the directors believed Beban could not play for UCLA in the Rose Bowl due to the broken ankle, thereby giving the Big Ten Conference
representative, Purdue
, a better chance to win. As it turned out, Beban could have played. But a bigger reason was that this was to make up for 1964 when Oregon State was voted in ahead of USC. The coach of Oregon State in 1964 was Prothro. Another speculation was the vote was against UCLA out of pure jealousy by the rest of the conference,which voted 7–1 for the clearly inferior team. This vote deprived Prothro of being the first coach to earn three consecutive Rose Bowl berths and UCLA athletic director J.D. Morgan
called it a "gross injustice" and the "a dark day in UCLA and AAWU Athletic history." Inflamed UCLA students who had gathered for the Rose Bowl celebration rally, took to the streets of Westwood in protest and actually blocked the 405 Freeway for a short time. Ironically, Morgan was the force behind establishing a tie-breaking method adopted by the conference one year later in which only loss column counted; the first tiebreaker was head-to-head results, followed by overall record. If there was still a tie, the Rose Bowl berth would go to the team that had not played in the Rose Bowl the longest. But it was too late for UCLA. In their final game, USC made the AAWU decision look bad by losing to Notre Dame
, 51–0. They went on to lose the Rose Bowl as well to Purdue, 14–13, finishing the season at 7–4.
was awarded the trophy after the regular season. He would bring his #1 ranked UCLA Bruin team to face #2 USC in one of the "Games of the Century"
. Despite playing with cracked ribs, Beban threw for 301 yards, but UCLA lost, 21–20, on a spectacular 64-yard run by O. J. Simpson
in the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
. Another big factor was UCLA's acclaimed sophomore kicker Zenon Andusyshyn missing a chip shot field goal, and having two field goals and an extra point attempt blocked.
a scare in a 28–16 loss; UCLA trailed 21–16 late in the fourth quarter and had the ball inside USC's 10-yard line, but USC recovered a fumble and then used almost all of the remaining time in driving for their insurance touchdown.
as he missed a short field goal late in the game with the score tied 20–20. Suddenly, two long Jim Plunkett passes had Stanford in field goal range in the final seconds, but UCLA blocked Steve Horowitz's attempt to preserve the tie. One again, the UCLA-USC game would decide the Pac-8 title and Rose Bowl berth. UCLA was ranked 6th with a 5–0–1 record in conference and 8–0–1 overall USC was #5 and was 6–0 in conference and 8–0–1 overall (tied Notre Dame in South Bend, 14–14); UCLA and USC were both unbeaten coming into their rivalry game for the first time since 1952. UCLA scored midway through the fourth quarter to take a 12–7 lead (knowing he need a win and not a tie to advance to the Rose Bowl, Prothro had the Bruins go for two after each touchdown and each attempt failed). USC then drove to the winning touchdown with 1:38 to play to win 14–12. The Trojans were aided by two controversial calls; the first was a dubious pass interference call on UCLA's Danny Graham on a 4th-and-10 incompletion. Secondly, on the winning touchdown pass reception, USC receiver Sam Dickerson appeared to be either out of bounds, out of the back of the end zone, or both. This loss supposedly was harder for Prothro to take than the 1967 loss and the freak officiating calls resembled the debacle at Tennessee in 1965.
to play defending national champ and top ranked Texas
. Trailing 13–3 at the half, UCLA rallied and had a 17–13 lead in the final minute. But with 12 seconds left, Texas completed a long pass when their receiver caught the ball between two UCLA defenders, who then collided, allowing the receiver to score. UCLA also blew a 20-point fourth quarter lead against Oregon, when Ducks sophomore quarterback Dan Fouts
rallied his team to three touchdowns and a 41–40 win. Finally, there came the showdown with Stanford; the game was expected to be a shootout between UCLA quarterback Dennis Dummit and Heisman winner Jim Plunkett
. But the defenses ruled as UCLA took a 7–6 lead into the 4th quarter. Stanford took a 9–7 lead on a field goal, but UCLA was driving to a potential game winning field goal or touchdown themselves when they completed a pass inside the Stanford 10-yard-line, only to have the receiver get sandwiched by two defenders on the tackle and fumble. This game ultimately decided the Pac-8 championship and 1971 Rose Bowl
representative. The season ended on a high note however, when UCLA beat rival USC, 45–20, in a game that was not that close. This would end up being Prothro's final game at UCLA. Prothro was frustrated by bizarre officiating at critical moments, numerous last minute narrow losses, and losing out of the Rose Bowl by the conference vote in 1966. Prothro also decried the Pac-8 rule that only allowed the conference champion to go to a bowl game; he witnessed many lower ranked inferior teams (often ones he defeated during the season) go to bowl games while his Bruins stayed home. After George Allen was fired by the Los Angeles Rams, Prothro accepted that job.
Los Angeles Times
sports columnist Jim Murray once suggested in jest all the briefcase contained was "a couple of peanut-butter sandwiches."
. In the first season, playing the league's toughest schedule, he guided an aging Rams team to an 8–5–1 record, missing the playoffs when the San Francisco 49ers came from behind to beat the Detroit Lions, 31–27, in the season's final game and win the NFC West by one half game. In his second year, the Rams showed their age when injuries hit the team in the second half of the season. After starting 5–2–1, the Rams lost five of their last six games to finish 6–7–1, good for third place in the NFC West. After two seasons in which he compiled a 14–12–2 record and failed to reach the playoffs, Prothro was dismissed on January 24, 1973, in favor of Chuck Knox
. However, Prothro left his mark on the team by trading many aging veterans, often to George Allen's Washington Redskins
, and stocking up young talent and draft picks; players such as Lawrence McCutcheon
, Jack Youngblood
, Isiah Robertson
, Larry Brooks
, Jim Bertelsen
, and Jack Reynolds
were the core of the Rams teams of the 1970s that won seven straight NFC Western division titles.
Six weeks after his departure, Prothro filed a $1.9 million lawsuit against the Rams, alleging new Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom
breached his contract by dismissing him "without cause". However, on May 23, 1973, the two sides settled out of court, with Prothro being paid $225,000 to cover the final three years of his contract. For the next eight months, Prothro remained out of the game, actively pursuing investment strategies, as well as his main hobby, competitive bridge
.
then hired Prothro as their new head coach on January 8, 1974, and also put him in charge of rebuilding the once-proud franchise that had become mired in mediocrity and a drug scandal. During his first two years, the team continued to struggle, going 5–9 in 1974 and bottoming out with a 2–12 mark in 1975. But from 1974 to 1977, Prothro also drafted a number of players who would have a major impact on the franchise in years to come. Some of these players included wide receiver John Jefferson
, centers Bob Rush
and Don Macek
, linebackers Woodrow Lowe
and Don Goode
, defensive linemen Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, Louie Kelcher
and Fred Dean
. He was also instrumental in the development of Dan Fouts
into a hall of fame quarterback.
These drafts paid immediate dividends as the Chragers improved to 6–8 in 1976, and 7–7 in 1977, including a 12–7 win over rival Oakland that cost the Raiders the division title. The team seemed ready to make their move during the 1978 NFL season
. However, a 1–3 start, marked by a loss to the Raiders in what became known as the Holy Roller
game of September 10 that ultimately cost the Chargers a playoff spot, caused Prothro to abruptly resign as head coach in favor of Don Coryell
. The Chargers finished 1978 with a 9–7 record, their first winning season since 1969, and the team he helped build then won three straight AFC Western Division titles and made the playoffs every year from 1979 to 1982.
. During his three years with the team, he was responsible for drafting future Pro Bowl players Cody Risien
and Hanford Dixon
among others. The Browns improved from a 8–8 record in 1978 to 9–7 in 1979, and then supplanted the two time defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers
as AFC Central Division champs in 1980 with an 11–5 record. Only an ill advised interception in the end zone (when the Browns were in easy field goal range) in a 14–12 playoff loss to the Oakland Raiders
cost Cleveland a shot at Prothro's former team, the Chargers, in the AFC title game. He resigned his post with Cleveland after the 1981 season.
in 1989, and the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1991. An expert bridge
player, for a number of years he partnered with Omar Sharif
in international competition. He died in 1995 after a three-year battle with cancer
.
, Gary Beban
), even bringing some of that philosophy to the pros and having the Rams Roman Gabriel
make some big plays on designed runs. He later made his mark as an excellent evaluator and developer of talent as he built the Chargers and Browns from being sub-.500 teams to division champions.
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 and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career 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...
record of 104–55–5. Prothro then moved the professional ranks as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
from 1971 to 1972 and the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1974 to 1978, tallying a career mark of 35–51–2 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...
. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 1991.
Early life and playing career
Prothro, a native of Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, was the son of major league baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and manager Doc Prothro
Doc Prothro
James Thompson "Doc" Prothro was an infielder and manager in American Major League Baseball. Prothro was so nicknamed because he was a practicing dentist before signing his first professional baseball contract at age 26. His son, Tommy Prothro, became a successful coach in U.S...
, who played for three teams between 1920 and 1926, then managed the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
from 1939 to 1941 before buying a minor league team in Memphis called the Chicks. His uncle, Clifton Cates, was commandant of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
The younger Prothro found his niche in football, starting out as a quarterback for Wallace Wade's Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
. In 1941, Prothro's versatility on the field helped him win the Jacobs award
Jacobs Blocking Trophy
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of , the founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophies are awarded by his sons, Hugh and William...
as the best blocker in the Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
as the Blue Devils reached the 1942 Rose Bowl
1942 Rose Bowl
The 1942 Rose Bowl was the 28th Rose Bowl game. Originally scheduled to be played in the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, it was moved to Durham, North Carolina, due to fears about an attack by the Japanese on the West Coast of the United States following the attack on Pearl Harbor...
. During his time at the school, Prothro also competed in baseball and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, and graduated from the school in 1942 with a degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
Prothro was drafted in the fifth round of the 1942 NFL Draft
1942 NFL Draft
The 1942 National Football League Draft was held on December 22, 1941.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:-Round eleven:...
by 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...
, but rejected the opportunity in favor of a budding coaching career and a brief attempt at professional baseball.
Assistant coaching career and military service
Prothro spent that fall serving as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
, then entered the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a lieutenant to fight in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where he served for 39 months.
Upon leaving the service, Prothro served as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
from 1946 to 1948, working as freshman coach during the first year. He then was brought along by the team's head coach, Henry Russell Sanders
Henry Russell Sanders
Henry Russell "Red" Sanders was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Vanderbilt University and the University of California at Los Angeles , compiling a career college football record of 102–41–3...
, when the latter was hired as head coach at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Over the next six years, Prothro used the single-wing formation as the team's backfield coach, helping the Bruins to an undefeated season and national championship in 1954.
Oregon State
That success translated into his hiring as head coach at Oregon State CollegeOregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
on February 1, 1955. The Beavers had won just one of nine games the previous season, but improved to six wins in Prothro's first season, then reached the 1958 Rose Bowl
1958 Rose Bowl
The 1958 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1958. In the game, the 44th Rose Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks by a score of 10–7...
. In 1962, the Beavers won a 6–0 decision over Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
; they were led by quarterback Terry Baker
Terry Baker
For the Canadian football player of the same name see Terry Baker .Terry Wayne Baker is a former quarterback for the Oregon State University football team. He played for them through the 1960-1962 seasons. He is most notable for winning the 1962 Heisman Trophy and playing the Final Four in the...
, who won the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. Baker's 99-yard run from scrimmage was the only score in the game and remains an NCAA record. In 1964, Oregon State tied for first place with USC in the AAWU. Due to their recent entry into that conference and the fact the schedules were set years in advance, the Beavers did not play the Trojans that year. Although Oregon State was assured of a better overall record (8–2) than USC (6–3), the AAWU announced it would delay its decision regarding the Rose Bowl berth until after USC's final game vs. undefeated and top ranked Notre Dame. This made USC fans infer that, if the Trojans had a strong showing against heavily favored Notre Dame, they might somehow get the Rose Bowl berth despite Oregon State's better record. USC upset Notre Dame, 20–17, and USC fans were outraged when Oregon State was awarded the Rose Bowl berth anyway. This would be a factor two years later. The Beavers went on lose to Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the Rose Bowl, 34–7. After the Rose Bowl appearance in 1965 (1964 season), Prothro left Oregon State to replace Bill Barnes at UCLA. Prothro compiled a 63–37–2 mark in his decade at Oregon State, suffering only one losing season. He was replaced by Dee Andros
Dee Andros
Demosthenes Konstandies "Dee" Andrecopoulos was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as the head football coach at the University of Idaho from 1962 to 1964 and at Oregon State University from 1965 to 1975, compiling career...
.
1965
On January 11, 1965, he was hired as head coach at UCLA to replace William F. BarnesWilliam F. Barnes
-Post coaching:He resigned after the 1964 season after learning that Athletic Director J.D. Morgan was not going to renew his contract. After leaving UCLA, he became an NFL scout. He later became a Real Estate developer.-Death:...
. In the 1965 football season, the Bruins lost their season opening game 13–3 at Michigan State, who then rose to being the number 1 ranked team in the country. The unheralded Bruins would go on a seven game undefeated streak, surprising national powers like Syracuse and Penn State. Going into the 1965 UCLA-USC rivalry
UCLA-USC rivalry
The UCLA–USC rivalry is the American college rivalry between the UCLA Bruins sports teams of the University of California, Los Angeles and the USC Trojans sports teams of the University of Southern California ....
football game ranked #7, the conference championship and 1966 Rose Bowl
1966 Rose Bowl
The 1966 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1966 was the 52nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans by a score of 14–12. UCLA defensive back Bob Stiles was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.-Teams:...
were on the line. #6 USC, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett
Mike Garrett
Michael Lockett Garrett is a former American collegiate and professional football player who won the 1965 Heisman Trophy as a tailback for the University of Southern California Trojans. Garrett also played professional football for eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers...
led 16–6 until UCLA got a touchdown on a pass from Gary Beban to Dick Witcher
Dick Witcher
Dick Vernon Witcher was a former professional American football player. Witcher was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 8th round of the 1966 NFL Draft. At 6'3" Witcher was a wide receiver who first played two years at Bakersfield College, then graduated from UCLA...
with four minutes to play. After the two-point conversion made it 16–14, UCLA recovered an onside kick. Beban then hit Kurt Altenberg on a 50-yard bomb and UCLA won, 20–16. Integrated UCLA then faced all-white Tennessee in the newly built Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is a football stadium, located at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team...
in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Prothro's native city. On the last play of the game, Tennessee defensive back Bob Petrella intercepted a UCLA pass to save a Volunteer win by a score of 37–34. Tennessee's winning drive was aided by a controversial pass interference call, the clock had been wrongly stopped twice, and a dropped pass that appeared to be a lateral was recovered by UCLA but was later ruled an incomplete forward pass. After the game, Prothro stated, "For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be a Southerner."
The Bruins went to the 1966 Rose Bowl
1966 Rose Bowl
The 1966 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1966 was the 52nd Rose Bowl Game. The UCLA Bruins defeated the #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans by a score of 14–12. UCLA defensive back Bob Stiles was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.-Teams:...
as a 14½ point underdog in their rematch with #1 ranked and undefeated powerhouse Michigan State. UCLA, now dubbed "The Miracle Bruins" by Sports Illustrated, vanquished the heavily-favored Spartans by a 14–12 score. That victory gave UCLA an 8–2–1 mark, prevented the Spartans from winning the AP title, and resulted in Prothro earning Coach of the Year accolades from his coaching brethren. UCLA finished #4 that season, and due to their small size, earned the moniker "Gutty little Bruins."
1966
In 1966 heading into the final game vs. USC, UCLA was 2–1 in conference games, 8–1 overall and ranked #5 in the country. The Bruins, featuring a "dream backfield" of All-Americans Gary Beban and Mel FarrMel Farr
Melvin Farr is a former American football player.-Early life:As a youth, Farr played football, baseball, track and basketball. He graduated from Hebert High School in 1963, where he lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track...
, lost only one game, at rainy Washington, 16–3, where coach Jim Owens
Jim Owens
-External links:...
had devoted his entire season to beating Prothro, after UCLA had beaten his team the season before, 28–24, with Prothro's trick play, the Z-streak in which a receiver trots towards the sideline like he's going out of the game and then runs a streak pattern unguarded by the inattentive defender. USC was 4–0 in conference and 7–1 overall, having lost to the unranked Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
. The Bruins and Trojans played a different number of conference due to uneven scheduling caused by new AAWU members Oregon and Oregon State and schedules made years in advance. It was widely assumed that only losses would be considered and the winner of the 1966 UCLA-USC game would go to the 1967 Rose Bowl
1967 Rose Bowl
The 1967 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on Monday, January 2, 1967. It was the 53rd Rose Bowl Game. The Purdue Boilermakers defeated the USC Trojans, 14–13. John Charles, the Purdue defensive back, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.-Teams:This was the first Rose...
. UCLA star quarterback Gary Beban broke his ankle the week before in a win over Stanford, but backup Norman Dow, making his first and only start at quarterabck, led UCLA to a 14–7 win. That left USC with a 4–1 conference record (7–2 overall) and #5 UCLA with a 3–1 conference record (9–1) overall. Due to their win over USC, it was widely assumed UCLA would get the Rose Bowl berth. However, a vote the next Monday among the AAWU conference athletic directors awarded USC the Rose Bowl berth. It was speculated that the directors believed Beban could not play for UCLA in the Rose Bowl due to the broken ankle, thereby giving the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
representative, Purdue
1966 Purdue Boilermakers football team
The 1966 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented the Purdue University in the 1966 college football season. The Boilermakers, led by future NFL quarterback Bob Griese, won the .-Season:...
, a better chance to win. As it turned out, Beban could have played. But a bigger reason was that this was to make up for 1964 when Oregon State was voted in ahead of USC. The coach of Oregon State in 1964 was Prothro. Another speculation was the vote was against UCLA out of pure jealousy by the rest of the conference,which voted 7–1 for the clearly inferior team. This vote deprived Prothro of being the first coach to earn three consecutive Rose Bowl berths and UCLA athletic director J.D. Morgan
J.D. Morgan
J. D. Morgan was an American tennis player, coach and athletic director. He was associated with athletics at UCLA for more than 40 years. He played four years of varsity tennis at UCLA from 1938-1941 and served as the school's head tennis coach from 1949-1966, leading the Bruins to eight NCAA...
called it a "gross injustice" and the "a dark day in UCLA and AAWU Athletic history." Inflamed UCLA students who had gathered for the Rose Bowl celebration rally, took to the streets of Westwood in protest and actually blocked the 405 Freeway for a short time. Ironically, Morgan was the force behind establishing a tie-breaking method adopted by the conference one year later in which only loss column counted; the first tiebreaker was head-to-head results, followed by overall record. If there was still a tie, the Rose Bowl berth would go to the team that had not played in the Rose Bowl the longest. But it was too late for UCLA. In their final game, USC made the AAWU decision look bad by losing to Notre Dame
1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1966 college football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with 9 wins and one tie, winning the national championship...
, 51–0. They went on to lose the Rose Bowl as well to Purdue, 14–13, finishing the season at 7–4.
1967
Two years later, Prothro once again helped a quarterback capture the Heisman when Gary BebanGary Beban
Gary Joseph Beban is a former American football player. Son of an Italian-born mother and a first generation Croatian-American father, Beban won the 1967 Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football, and the Maxwell Award, while playing quarterback for the University of...
was awarded the trophy after the regular season. He would bring his #1 ranked UCLA Bruin team to face #2 USC in one of the "Games of the Century"
Game of the Century (college football)
The phrase "Game of the Century" is a superlative that has been applied to several college football contests played in the 20th century, the first full century of college football in the United States...
. Despite playing with cracked ribs, Beban threw for 301 yards, but UCLA lost, 21–20, on a spectacular 64-yard run by O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
in the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
1967 USC vs. UCLA football game
The 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game was an American College Football game played in the 1967 College Football Season on November 18, 1967. The University of California at Los Angeles, 7–0–1 and ranked Number 1, with senior quarterback Gary Beban as a Heisman Trophy candidate, played the University...
. Another big factor was UCLA's acclaimed sophomore kicker Zenon Andusyshyn missing a chip shot field goal, and having two field goals and an extra point attempt blocked.
1968
In what was acknowledged to be a rebuilding year, the Bruins opened the 1968 season with a 63–7 defeat of Pittsburgh and a win over Washington State. The season ground to a halt at Syracuse and with the season ending injury of quarterback Billy Bolden, and UCLA would win only one more game, over Stanford 20–17. The Bruins gave #1 USC and Heisman Trophy winner O. J. SimpsonO. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
a scare in a 28–16 loss; UCLA trailed 21–16 late in the fourth quarter and had the ball inside USC's 10-yard line, but USC recovered a fumble and then used almost all of the remaining time in driving for their insurance touchdown.
1969
This was the year Prothro had geared his recruiting efforts towards as he believed this was his best team and was capable of contending for the national championship. The Bruins, quarterbacked by a sensational Jr. College transfer Dennis Dummit discovered by Prothro, were undefeated until they faced #10 Stanford at Stanford. Once again, Prothro was let down by now senior kicker Zenon AndrusyshynZenon Andrusyshyn
Zenon Andrusyshyn of Ukrainian parents is a former Canadian Football League punter and kicker from for the Toronto Argonauts. He played in 1978 for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He later played with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League from 1983–1985...
as he missed a short field goal late in the game with the score tied 20–20. Suddenly, two long Jim Plunkett passes had Stanford in field goal range in the final seconds, but UCLA blocked Steve Horowitz's attempt to preserve the tie. One again, the UCLA-USC game would decide the Pac-8 title and Rose Bowl berth. UCLA was ranked 6th with a 5–0–1 record in conference and 8–0–1 overall USC was #5 and was 6–0 in conference and 8–0–1 overall (tied Notre Dame in South Bend, 14–14); UCLA and USC were both unbeaten coming into their rivalry game for the first time since 1952. UCLA scored midway through the fourth quarter to take a 12–7 lead (knowing he need a win and not a tie to advance to the Rose Bowl, Prothro had the Bruins go for two after each touchdown and each attempt failed). USC then drove to the winning touchdown with 1:38 to play to win 14–12. The Trojans were aided by two controversial calls; the first was a dubious pass interference call on UCLA's Danny Graham on a 4th-and-10 incompletion. Secondly, on the winning touchdown pass reception, USC receiver Sam Dickerson appeared to be either out of bounds, out of the back of the end zone, or both. This loss supposedly was harder for Prothro to take than the 1967 loss and the freak officiating calls resembled the debacle at Tennessee in 1965.
1970
In his final season at UCLA, Prothro's team suffered a rash of key inuries and finished 6–5, yet they were three close games from a 9–2 season and Rose Bowl berth. Before those injuries set in, UCLA took a 3–0 record into AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
to play defending national champ and top ranked Texas
1970 Texas Longhorns football team
The 1970 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1970 college football season. The Longhorns shared the National Championship with Nebraska...
. Trailing 13–3 at the half, UCLA rallied and had a 17–13 lead in the final minute. But with 12 seconds left, Texas completed a long pass when their receiver caught the ball between two UCLA defenders, who then collided, allowing the receiver to score. UCLA also blew a 20-point fourth quarter lead against Oregon, when Ducks sophomore quarterback Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
rallied his team to three touchdowns and a 41–40 win. Finally, there came the showdown with Stanford; the game was expected to be a shootout between UCLA quarterback Dennis Dummit and Heisman winner Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
. But the defenses ruled as UCLA took a 7–6 lead into the 4th quarter. Stanford took a 9–7 lead on a field goal, but UCLA was driving to a potential game winning field goal or touchdown themselves when they completed a pass inside the Stanford 10-yard-line, only to have the receiver get sandwiched by two defenders on the tackle and fumble. This game ultimately decided the Pac-8 championship and 1971 Rose Bowl
1971 Rose Bowl
The 1971 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1971. It was the 57th Rose Bowl Game. The Stanford Indians defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 27-17. The MVP was Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett.-Ohio State:...
representative. The season ended on a high note however, when UCLA beat rival USC, 45–20, in a game that was not that close. This would end up being Prothro's final game at UCLA. Prothro was frustrated by bizarre officiating at critical moments, numerous last minute narrow losses, and losing out of the Rose Bowl by the conference vote in 1966. Prothro also decried the Pac-8 rule that only allowed the conference champion to go to a bowl game; he witnessed many lower ranked inferior teams (often ones he defeated during the season) go to bowl games while his Bruins stayed home. After George Allen was fired by the Los Angeles Rams, Prothro accepted that job.
The Briefcase
One of Prothro's unusual characteristics was the fact he carried a briefcase to the sidelines in each game he coached at Oregon State and UCLA. Dressed in a suit and tie, fedora, and thick black framed glasses, he looked more like he was going to a business meeting that to coach a football game. The mystery was nobody knew what, if anything, was in the briefcase. Prothro was never seen opening it during games, and even his players weren't sure what was in it. Some speculated game plans, some thought scouting reports, and some thought it was empty.Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
sports columnist Jim Murray once suggested in jest all the briefcase contained was "a couple of peanut-butter sandwiches."
Los Angeles Rams
On January 2, 1971, Prothro accepted a new challenge when he was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles RamsSt. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. In the first season, playing the league's toughest schedule, he guided an aging Rams team to an 8–5–1 record, missing the playoffs when the San Francisco 49ers came from behind to beat the Detroit Lions, 31–27, in the season's final game and win the NFC West by one half game. In his second year, the Rams showed their age when injuries hit the team in the second half of the season. After starting 5–2–1, the Rams lost five of their last six games to finish 6–7–1, good for third place in the NFC West. After two seasons in which he compiled a 14–12–2 record and failed to reach the playoffs, Prothro was dismissed on January 24, 1973, in favor of Chuck Knox
Chuck Knox
Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox is a former American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with...
. However, Prothro left his mark on the team by trading many aging veterans, often to George Allen's 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,...
, and stocking up young talent and draft picks; players such as Lawrence McCutcheon
Lawrence McCutcheon
Lawrence McCutcheon is a former American football running back for the Los Angeles Rams from 1972–1980, the Denver Broncos & Seattle Seahawks in 1980 and finished his playing career in 1981 with the Buffalo Bills, reuniting with his former Rams coach Chuck Knox.-Professional Career:McCutcheon was...
, Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
, Isiah Robertson
Isiah Robertson
Isiah "Butch" Robertson is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills . He was selected to six Pro Bowls during his years with the Rams. He picked off 25 passes in his career, returning three for touchdowns...
, Larry Brooks
Larry Brooks
Lawrence Lee Brooks, Sr. , is a former American Football defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams eleven seasons from 1972 to 1982 in the National Football League...
, Jim Bertelsen
Jim Bertelsen
Jim Bertelsen played halfback for the University of Texas at Austin from 1969–1971. He was a highly regarded Wisconsin high school football player, playing for the Hudson High School Raiders. He helped lead the Texas Longhorns to a National Championship in 1969, playing halfback in the famed...
, and Jack Reynolds
Jack Reynolds
Jack Reynolds may refer to:* Jack Reynolds , English footballer who played for both Ireland and England* Jack Reynolds , English footballer who was later the manager of Ajax Amsterdam...
were the core of the Rams teams of the 1970s that won seven straight NFC Western division titles.
Six weeks after his departure, Prothro filed a $1.9 million lawsuit against the Rams, alleging new Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom was an American entrepreneur and former owner of two professional football teams, the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams....
breached his contract by dismissing him "without cause". However, on May 23, 1973, the two sides settled out of court, with Prothro being paid $225,000 to cover the final three years of his contract. For the next eight months, Prothro remained out of the game, actively pursuing investment strategies, as well as his main hobby, competitive bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
.
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
then hired Prothro as their new head coach on January 8, 1974, and also put him in charge of rebuilding the once-proud franchise that had become mired in mediocrity and a drug scandal. During his first two years, the team continued to struggle, going 5–9 in 1974 and bottoming out with a 2–12 mark in 1975. But from 1974 to 1977, Prothro also drafted a number of players who would have a major impact on the franchise in years to come. Some of these players included wide receiver John Jefferson
John Jefferson
John Jefferson is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League . He was selected out of Arizona State University in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He played three seasons in San Diego, where he became the first NFL player to gain...
, centers Bob Rush
Bob Rush
Bob Rush may refer to:*Bob Rush , Center for San Diego and Kansas City*Bob Rush , VFL footballer and administrator at Collingwood*Bob Rush , Major League pitcher from 1948 to 1960...
and Don Macek
Don Macek
Donald Matthew Macek is a former center in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers. Macek played center on the football team of Boston College, from which he graduated in 1976...
, linebackers Woodrow Lowe
Woodrow Lowe
Woodrow Lowe , is a former professional American football linebacker who played from 1976-1986 for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League...
and Don Goode
Don Goode
Donald Ray Goode , was an NFL linebacker from 1974-1981. He went to Booker T. Washington High School. He played college football at the University of Kansas and was selected in the 1st round by the San Diego Chargers in the 1974 NFL Draft...
, defensive linemen Gary "Big Hands" Johnson, Louie Kelcher
Louie Kelcher
Louis James Kelcher was an American football player who played most of his career with the San Diego Chargers. His primary position was defensive tackle. His outstanding performance made him one of the team's most popular players from 1975-83...
and Fred Dean
Fred Dean
Frederick Rudolph "Fred" Dean is a former American football player in the National Football League, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. His career started with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and ended with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1985 season. Dean was born in Arcadia, the seat of...
. He was also instrumental in the development of Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
into a hall of fame quarterback.
These drafts paid immediate dividends as the Chragers improved to 6–8 in 1976, and 7–7 in 1977, including a 12–7 win over rival Oakland that cost the Raiders the division title. The team seemed ready to make their move during the 1978 NFL season
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
. However, a 1–3 start, marked by a loss to the Raiders in what became known as the Holy Roller
Holy Roller (American football)
In American football, "the Holy Roller" is the nickname given to a controversial game-winning play by the Oakland Raiders against the San Diego Chargers on September 10, 1978. The game was played at the Chargers' home field, Jack Murphy or San Diego Stadium...
game of September 10 that ultimately cost the Chargers a playoff spot, caused Prothro to abruptly resign as head coach in favor of Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...
. The Chargers finished 1978 with a 9–7 record, their first winning season since 1969, and the team he helped build then won three straight AFC Western Division titles and made the playoffs every year from 1979 to 1982.
Cleveland Browns
After less than five months away from the game, Prothro once again returned on February 14, 1979, this time as Player Personnel Director of the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. During his three years with the team, he was responsible for drafting future Pro Bowl players Cody Risien
Cody Risien
Cody Lewis Risien is a former American football offensive tackle who played eleven seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns...
and Hanford Dixon
Hanford Dixon
Hanford Dixon is a former professional American football cornerback who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Dixon made the Pro Bowl three times, in 1986, 1987 and 1988. He was drafted by the Browns out of The University of Southern Mississippi with the 22nd pick in the...
among others. The Browns improved from a 8–8 record in 1978 to 9–7 in 1979, and then supplanted the two time defending Super Bowl champion 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...
as AFC Central Division champs in 1980 with an 11–5 record. Only an ill advised interception in the end zone (when the Browns were in easy field goal range) in a 14–12 playoff loss to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
cost Cleveland a shot at Prothro's former team, the Chargers, in the AFC title game. He resigned his post with Cleveland after the 1981 season.
Retirement
Prothro would not return to football in any official capacity for the remainder of his life, but was honored for his career efforts by selection to the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1985, the Oregon Sports Hall of FameOregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 1989, and the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1991. An expert bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
player, for a number of years he partnered with Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
in international competition. He died in 1995 after a three-year battle with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Legacy
Prothro was known as a master tactician with an uncanny ability to get the most out his players and team. His teams were often not as physically gifted or they were much smaller than their opponents, but through great teamwork, superior game plans, and an assortment of trick plays, they often made up for physical disadvantages by outsmarting the other teams. Even in the pros, he had an aging Rams team in playoff contention until the final game of the season, often relying on outsmarting other teams that had better talent. As a disciple of the single wing formation under Red Sanders, Prothro preferred athletic quarterbacks who could run and pass (Terry BakerTerry Baker
For the Canadian football player of the same name see Terry Baker .Terry Wayne Baker is a former quarterback for the Oregon State University football team. He played for them through the 1960-1962 seasons. He is most notable for winning the 1962 Heisman Trophy and playing the Final Four in the...
, Gary Beban
Gary Beban
Gary Joseph Beban is a former American football player. Son of an Italian-born mother and a first generation Croatian-American father, Beban won the 1967 Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football, and the Maxwell Award, while playing quarterback for the University of...
), even bringing some of that philosophy to the pros and having the Rams Roman Gabriel
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
make some big plays on designed runs. He later made his mark as an excellent evaluator and developer of talent as he built the Chargers and Browns from being sub-.500 teams to division champions.