Topics: NFL
An NFL veteran who is remembered as a legend with the Los Angeles Rams, Jack Youngblood's fearsome reputation was well earned.
A standout defensive end at the collegiate level for the Florida Gators, the 6ft 4ins, 247lb quarterback hunter was drafted with the 19th overall pick in the 1971 NFL draft.
Across a 14-year career spent exclusively with the Rams, Youngblood was an eight time All-Pro selection and twice led the NFL in sacks.
He was named on the NFL's Team of the Decade for the 1970s, his No.85 jersey was retired by the Rams and he has been inducted into both the NFL and College Football Hall of Fame.
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But the most revealing fact about Youngblood's illustrious gridiron career is that he played in both the 1979 NFC Championship game and Super Bowl XIV with a broken leg.
The NFL Network selected Youngblood's 1979 playoff run among its list of the 'gutsiest performances' of all time.
In his autobiography, Youngblood recounted once having a pistol pointed at his eye after an altercation in a bar. His assailant pulled the trigger, but the gun didn't fire.
That toughness earned him the No.1 spot when NFL.com counted down the 'scariest players' in the league's history, pipping the likes of New York Giants defensive legend Lawrence Taylor and tough-tackling Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus to the No.1 position.
Youngblood retired in 1984 and his new profession sees him occupying a different kind of field.
"I'm trying to stay out of trouble to be honest with you," Youngblood told the Rams' official website when, in an interview earlier this year, he was asked what he is up to these days.
"When you have a little more time on your hands outside of the work and the routine you had while you were playing, it's so different than the real world.
"I have a farm up in Jefferson County, so I try to get up there thee to five days a month because 200 acres will keep you busy for sure and that takes up quite a bit of time and effort."
