Ernie Stautner facts for kids
Pro Football Hall of Fame induction
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| No. 63, 70 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
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| Born: | April 20, 1925 Cham, Bavaria, Germany |
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| Died: | February 16, 2006 (aged 80) Carbondale, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Vincentian Institute (Albany, New York) | ||||||||
| College: | Boston College | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1950 / Round: 2 / Pick: 22 | ||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Ernest "Ernie" Stautner (born April 20, 1925 – died February 16, 2006) was an amazing German-American football player and coach. He was best known for playing as a tough defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Ernie also coached for several teams, including the Steelers, Washington Redskins, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Boston College. Ernie Stautner was so good that he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969!
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Early Life and College Football
Ernie Stautner was born in a place called Prienzing, near Cham, in Bavaria, Germany. When he was three years old, his family moved to East Greenbush, New York in the United States. He went to Columbia High School and the Vincentian Institute.
During World War II, from 1943 to 1946, Ernie bravely served in the United States Marine Corps. After the war, he went to Boston College. There, he was a star player for four years, playing both offense and defense. He even handled kickoffs and extra points! One of his teammates at Boston College was Art Donovan, who also became a famous football player. Ernie earned a degree in psychology in 1950.
In 1973, Ernie was honored by being added to the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame.
Playing Career with the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Ernie Stautner in the second round of the 1950 NFL draft. He played his entire professional career with the Steelers, from 1950 to 1963. Even though he was considered small for a defensive lineman at 6 feet 1 inch and 235 pounds, he was one of the best. He became a key player for the Steelers' tough defense.
Ernie was chosen for the Pro Bowl nine times during his 14-year career. The Pro Bowl is like an all-star game for the best players in the NFL. He also made the All-NFL team four times (1955, 1956, 1958, 1959). He only missed six games in his whole career!
Ernie was incredibly tough. A former teammate, Andy Russell, once shared a story about him. During a game, Ernie came back to the huddle holding his hand. Russell saw that one of Ernie's thumb bones was sticking out of his skin! But Ernie just asked, "What's the play?" He then played the rest of that defensive series. When he got to the sideline, he just asked for some tape, wrapped his hand into a club, and played the rest of the game!
When Ernie retired, the NFL didn't officially track quarterback sacks (when a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage). But he still had three safeties (which means tackling an opponent in their own end zone), which was tied for the league lead at the time. He also recovered 23 fumbles, ranking third in league history. Despite his amazing play, the Steelers never made the playoffs while he was on the team. He played through many injuries, including cracked ribs, broken noses, broken fingers, and two broken shoulders.
On October 25, 1964, the Steelers honored Ernie by retiring his jersey number, 70. He was the first Steelers player to have his number retired! He was also named to the Steelers' 50th and 75th Anniversary All-Time Teams. In 2017, he was part of the first group inducted into the Steelers' Hall of Honor.
On September 13, 1969, Ernie Stautner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is a huge honor, and he was chosen in his very first year of eligibility.
Coaching Career Highlights
After his playing days, Ernie Stautner became a successful coach.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1963–1964): He started as a player-coach with the Steelers.
- Washington Redskins (1965): He then coached the defensive line for the Washington Redskins.
- Dallas Cowboys (1966–1988): Ernie spent a long time as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys. From 1973 to 1988, he was the team's defensive coordinator. He helped develop famous defensive players like Randy White and Ed "Too Tall" Jones. He also helped create the Cowboys' famous "Doomsday" and "Doomsday II" defenses, which were known for being incredibly tough.
- Dallas Texans (1990): In 1990, Ernie became the head coach for the Dallas Texans, an Arena Football League team. He led them to the ArenaBowl IV championship game and was named the league's Coach of the Year!
- Denver Broncos (1991–1994): He then coached the defensive line for the Denver Broncos.
- Frankfurt Galaxy (1995–1997): Ernie returned to Germany to be the head coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy in NFL Europe. He led his team to two World Bowls (championship games) in 1995 and 1996, winning the World Bowl in 1995!
Personal Life
Ernie Stautner was once the owner of the Sara-Placid Drive-In Theater in North Elba, New York. He also appeared in a commercial for Miller Lite Beer in 1973, along with other famous people like football player Matt Snell and drummer Buddy Rich. These commercials were very popular and helped launch the famous "Less Filling, Tastes Great" ad campaign.
Ernie Stautner passed away at age 80 in a nursing home in Carbondale, Colorado, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He is buried in Texas.
