Norm Van Brocklin

The Dutchman led the Eagles to their 1960 NFL championship and was named league MVP.

Norman Mack Van Brocklin (March 15, 1926 – May 2, 1983) was an American professional football quarterback and coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. Nicknamed "the Dutchman", he spent his first nine seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and his final three with the Philadelphia Eagles. Following his playing career, he was the inaugural head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 1961 to 1966 and the second head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1968 to 1974.

Quick Facts

Position: Quarterback, punter
Born: 15 March 1926
Birthplace: Parade, South Dakota, U.S.
Died: 2 May 1983
Place of death: Social Circle, Georgia, U.S.
High school: Acalanes (Lafayette, California)
College: Oregon (1946–1948)
Draft year: 1949

Lore & Background

Van Brocklin played college football for the Oregon Webfoots, earning All-America honors in 1948. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1949 NFL draft by the Rams. He and Bob Waterfield alternated as starting quarterback, leading the Rams to victory in the 1951 championship game. After Waterfield retired, Van Brocklin was the Rams' primary starter from 1952 to 1957, earning six consecutive Pro Bowl selections and leading the league in passing yards in 1954. He joined the Eagles in 1958, extending his Pro Bowl selections to nine. In his final season, he was named NFL Most Valuable Player en route to winning the 1960 championship. As head coach of the expansion Vikings and Falcons, he recorded the first winning season for both but did not reach the postseason. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

Reader's Guide

Van Brocklin was born in Parade, South Dakota, one of nine children. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945. He enrolled at the University of Oregon and became starting quarterback in 1947. In 1948, Oregon tied for the Pacific Coast Conference title but did not go to the Rose Bowl; instead, they played SMU in the Cotton Bowl. Van Brocklin was traded to the Eagles in 1958 for two players (offensive lineman Buck Lansford and defensive back Jimmy Harris) and a first-round draft pick. He retired after the 1960 season. He became the Vikings' first head coach in 1961.

Did You Know?

Van Brocklin threw for an NFL-record 554 yards in a single game in 1951, a record that still stands.
He led the NFL in passing three times and in punting twice, and retired as the all-time punts leader with 523.
The 1960 Eagles were the only team to defeat the Green Bay Packers in a playoff game during Vince Lombardi's tenure.
Van Brocklin finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1948.