By John Turney 
Sunday, August, 20, nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker Maxie Baughan died of natural causes at the age of 86.
Buaghan was a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1960 and immediately won the starting right linebacker position and helped the Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers in the NFL title game in his rookie season.
He was also the runner-up for the NFL Rookie of the Year award.
Prior to entering the NFL he'd been an All-American center and linebacker at Georgia Tech and was named to that school's Georgia Hall of Fame and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as well.
He played for the Eagles from 1960-65 and was voted All-Pro by the New York Daily News (NYDN) in 1961 and 1964 and by the Associated Press (AP) in 1964 as well. He also was voted to the Eastern Conference Pro Bowl teams five times in his six seasons in the City of Brotherly Love.
In 1966 he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. New Rams head coach George Allen valued experience and leadership and coveted Baughan so he sent a third-round pick and two players to the Eagles for the veteran linebacker. Allen had also traded for Steelers linebacker Maxie Baughan and coaxed Rams linebacker Jack Pardee out of a one-year retirement, totally revamping the Rams linebacker corps.
Baughan started five years for Allen at right linebacker and was the defensive signal caller for the defensive unit. The Rams' defense, with Baughan calling the plays, was among the best in the NFL in his five years there allowing the fewest points in pro football, the second-fewest yards, the second-fewest rushing yards and having the second-most sacks and creating the second-most turnovers.
With the Rams Baughan went to four more Pro Bowls and was first-team All-Pro in 1966 (NEA), 1967 (UPI) and was second-team in 1968 and 1969 (AP, NYDN).
After the 1971 season Allen was fired by the Rams but then quickly rehired in the Nation's Capital. Among the first orders of business was to rebuild his linebacking unit as he'd done with the Rams.
Allen sent a slew of draft picks to the Rams for a defensive lineman plus Baughan, Pattious and Pardee and a few other Rams players.
However, Baughan didn't suit up for Allen that year but Pottios and Pardee did
Baughan went back to his alma mater, Georgia Tech and coached a couple of seasons but in 1974 was back in the NFL as a player/coach for George Allen, with an emphasis on coach. But when injuries depleted the teams' linebackers Baughan did suit up in games late that year, playing in a couple and even recording a tackle at age 36.
After that year he retired for good and became the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Colts from 1975-79 and then the Detroit Lions from 1980-82.
He was hired to be the head coach at Cornell and stayed there for five years posting winning records in 1986 and 1988 finishing second and tied for first respectively in the Ivy League standings. The 1988 first-place finish was Cornell's first Ivy League championship since 1971.
After being fired at Cornell he returned to the NFL as a linebackers coach for the Vikings, Buccaneers and Ravens and had a hand in coaching Hall-of-Famers Derrick Brooks and Ray Lewis among others in his final stint in the NFL.
In his NFL career, he was credited with 24-1/2 sacks, 18 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. He played in 147 games, starting 143.
In total he was a first-team All-Pro four times, second-team All-Pro three seasons and of course went to nine Pro Bowls.
George Allen noted that while Baughan was not as physically gifted as some linebackers he made up for it with savvy and toughness, "I remember games where no one thought he could play but he not only played but performed as well as ever."
Allen added, "Maxie couldn't overpower blockers but he could outwit them and outlast them. He never gave up on a play and ended up getting back into plays he seemed out of."
He is a member of the Pro Football Researcher's Hall of Very Good and has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to the Georgia Tech and College Halls, he is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, both the Georgia and Alabama Sports Halls of Fame and the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame.
Yesterday Baughan was presented to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of twelve seniors committee finalists for the Class of 2024 but he fell short, not emerging as one of the three players who will be presented to the 50-member voting committee next January.
According to press reports Baughan is survived by his wife of 62 years, Dianne; his sons Max, Mark and Matt; and eight grandchildren.
From Brian wolf ...
ReplyDeleteRIP Maxie Baughan
With Gradishar finally nominated and hopefully voted in, Baughan should get his chance next year, though the deck of eligible seniors will be reshuffled, without a queue.
McMichael has a case and defied expectations in voting while Powell came out of nowhere ... who presented him John? A great job.
Wistert once again misses out and why have three seniors per year if older, deserving players cant be heard or honored? To the voters credit at least Howley and Powell started their careers in the 50s.
With so many Packers deserving consideration, I was hoping Sharpe as a more modern player could get elected, opening the door for Dilweg later, with Lewellen following after that but these guys still have to keep waiting.
Will Meador cancel out teammate Baughan next year?
Could both possibly join the Class Of 2025?
Maxie was a fine player with a distinguished career....are you talking about Art Powell, Brian? if so, wouldn't you agree that his numbers are inflated due to the best years of his career being in the early (no-defense) AFL years? ....now I'm not being facetious when I ask about your enthusiasm for Steve McMichael....would you take him over Big Daddy Lipscomb and if so why? I get that reasonable (and passionate) people can disagree, but.....
ReplyDeleteBW ...
ReplyDeleteActually Jim, I am happy for Powell and feel that his dominance of the early AFL years is justified for the HOF ... why?
Because with the NFL absorbing its history and statistics, they have to take the good and the bad, warts and all. Just like accepting the AAFC which the Browns dominated. Speedie, Lavelli, Willis, Motley and others made the HOF while spending most of their careers in this league. The AFL is no different, with every team being absorbed instead of three teams. Powell was such a great player that the Raiders and Al Davis came into prominence with the Raiders playing in SB II as a result of the trading of Powell to Buffalo for Lamonica. Unfortunatly, Powell got injured at the wrong time in his career.
I like Big Daddy Lipscomb and feel he has a case but like everyone says, he played when he wanted to. He may have been frustrated being part of a rotation but didnt seem to disrupt blocking enough for the coaches.
Like I have stated before, he liked to chase players and crunch them, even injuring them from behind. He may have felt that if he absorbed more attention and blocking, he would miss out on getting to the ball carrier or QB. He should have been a more relentless pass rusher like McMichael but needed a constant fire lit under him. Had he not died, and continued to go after the passer the way HC Parker wanted him to, he would have already made the HOF.
I personally feel that McMichael could have waited, Klecko as well but its still good that interior players make the Hall. Now its time to give a pure nose tackle recognition like Smerlas, Johnson, Baumhower, Krumrie or Washington recognition but like John already said, it will be Wilfork ...
I am sure Coach Troup is happy for Parker and Gradishar but I wonder who else he liked? Did he like McMichael or someone else better?