CB/HB Charles Richard "Dick" LeBeau (National Champion, 2x Super Bowl Champion, NFL HOF)

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Scout.com: Q&A: Dick LeBeau

 

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My Profile: Dick LeBeau, Steelers defensive coordinator, 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
Jeff D'Alessio, Sporting News
Wednesday, Jun. 23, 2010

Born: September 9, 1937, in London, Ohio
Status: Married
Alma mater: Ohio State
What's on TV: Seinfeld reruns, The Golden Girls reruns
What's in my iPod: Hayes Carll, John Prine
What I'm reading: Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle, by Bill Curry
What I drive: Anything with four wheels
Favorite flicks: The Wizard of Oz, The African Queen, Gone with the Wind
Magazine subscriptions: Golf, Golf Digest, Golf Week, golf anything
Bookmarks: Local weather ? so I can golf, PGA Tour
Superstitions: Every one known to man. The TV character Monk has nothing on me.
Worst habit: Golf
On my office walls: Photos of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler ? facing each other, for balance
Love to trade places for a day with ? Hayes Carll 'cause I can't play and sing like him
First job: Lifeguard, London Public Pool, 16 years old, 50 cents an hour. I remember the girls.
Talent I'd most like to have: The ability to hit a golf ball 330 yards
For dinner: Cheeseburger, corn on the cob, potato salad, fresh tomatoes from the garden
Favorite athletes to watch in other sports: I root for all Pittsburgh athletes.
Favorite city to visit: London, Ohio
Favorite teams as a kid: Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians
Favorite value in others: Honesty
Favorite physical attribute about myself: I can walk and chew gum at the same time.
And least ... Sometimes I stumble if it's the wrong gum.
Dream date: Veronica Lake
My greatest love: My guitar
My hero: Jimmy Dean
My bucket list: I'm blessed?I don't have one of these.
My motto: Better to be a used-to-be than a never-was.

Read more: My Profile: Dick LeBeau, Steelers defensive coordinator, 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee - Jeff D'Alessio, Sporting News - NFL - Sporting News

 

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Around the NFL: Steelers' LeBeau remembers his Ohio roots - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com

 

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As much as Carroll had an effect on him, there's no question who Polamalu's favorite coach is - to ask him about Steelers defensive coordinator [and long-overdue Hall-of-Famer] Dick LeBeau is to understand just how much a coach can mean to a player. How did it make Polamalu feel to know that LeBeau was finally getting his due as one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time?

"There's no question that he is the greatest coach of all time," Polamalu said, sounding as definite as a very soft-spoken guy can be, "and there's no question to me that he is the epitome of what a Hall-of-Famer should be. You're talking about a guy who played in the NFL and was very successful, with 63 interceptions - he reminds us of that all the time (laughs). He had the most consecutive starts at cornerback - over 100 games. He's been a special-teams coach, a coordinator, and a head coach. He's been part of the game longer than anybody who didn't own a team. So, to me, he's the most deserving guy ever, and the Hall of Fame people are lucky to have him as part of it."

Part of the value of that relationship is LeBeau's ability to take Polamalu's specific skills and move him into every kind of defensive set imaginable - from playing center field against the deep ball, to kamikaze blitzes from just about anywhere. "It's a level of trust, communication and understanding, most importantly, That's the relationship that Coach LeBeau and I have."

Troy Polamalu runs silent and deep - Shutdown Corner - NFL? - Yahoo! Sports

 

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Lions' Dick LeBeau on Hall of Fame induction: 'It's 10,000 dreams come true'
Published: Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tom Kowalski

AP File Photo
Detroit Lions defensive back Dick LeBeau, right, reaches for the Minnesota Vikings' Bob Grim, who missed a pass at the goal line from Vikings quarterback Gary Cuozzo, during a game on Nov. 15, 1970, in Minneapolis. LeBeau will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next week.


Dick LeBeau, the former Detroit Lions cornerback -- and current Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator -- will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next week.

"I guess I'm not dreaming, I guess it's really happening,'' LeBeau said during a conference call Tuesday. "I have a strong sense of history, and that's the largest impact it has on me. I'll be part of NFL history forever ... that's what makes me shake my head a little bit.

"It's 10,000 dreams come true and I just count my blessings every day.''

LeBeau played for 14 years in the NFL and then spent the next 37 years as a coach in the league. He recently was elected to the Hall of Fame as a candidate from the Senior Committee.

In response to a question about Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Polamula calling LeBeau the greatest coach of all time, LeBeau said, "It's probably been the most humbling experience of my career -- the way my players talk about me. It's absolutely the highest compliment that's been paid to me, how these men respond and talk about me.

Lions' Dick LeBeau on Hall of Fame induction: 'It's 10,000 dreams come true' | MLive.com

 

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Mon Aug 02
The Hall-of-Famers: Dick LeBeau (Part 1)
By Doug Farrar

As we come closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies on Saturday, Aug. 7, Shutdown Corner will have features on all the 2010 inductees. We begin with Dick LeBeau, the former great cornerback and current defensive coaching genius. This is part one of a two-part interview.

"Everything he touches, he leaves it better than he found it. That is the special mark of the man." ? Marvin Lewis

There is a very short list of people who can claim a legitimate and influential tenure of 50 years or more in the NFL ? you're basically talking about the league's Mount Rushmore when you discuss names like George Halas, Paul Brown and Don Shula. All slam-dunk Hall of Famers, and it's past time to add another name to that list. Dick LeBeau, the humble genius who runs the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, will enter the Hall this weekend in celebration of a pro football career that began in 1959, when the Ohio State grad caught on as a defensive back with the Detroit Lions. Over the next 14 seasons, LeBeau started 171 straight games (a record for his position) and picked off 62 passes, which is tied for seventh-highest all-time to this day.

As a player, LeBeau was as smart as they came, and he knew that opposing quarterbacks were looking to exploit his side of the field ? after all, LeBeau was lined up on the other side of Dick "Night Train" Lane and Lem Barney at different times through his career. "For one thing, you were aware that they were both probably going to end up in the Hall of Fame ? Night Train for what he had done, and Lem for what he would do," LeBeau said last week. "Lem was one of our best offensive weapons ? he would take a kickoff or punt back, or take an interception back ... I think that if he came out today as a first-year player in the league, he'd be a standout and as unique as he was in his rookie season. He had the most tremendous balance and quick feet of any defensive back I've ever seen, and that includes right up to the present day."

The Hall-of-Famers: Dick LeBeau (Part 1) - Shutdown Corner - NFL? - Yahoo! Sports

 

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Shutdown Corner
Mon Aug 02
The Hall-of-Famers: Dick LeBeau (Part 2)
By Doug Farrar

As we come closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies on Saturday, Aug. 7, Shutdown Corner will have features on all the 2010 inductees. We begin with Dick LeBeau, the former great cornerback and current defensive coaching genius. This is Part 2 of a two-part interview; you can find Part 1 here.

If you want Dick LeBeau's Hall of Fame credentials as a defensive coach, don't ask the man himself - all he'll tell you is that it's all about his players. You'll want to ask the players themselves. Perhaps the most compelling testimony I've heard - among the greatest endorsements I've seen a player give his coach - came from current Steelers safety Troy Polamalu(notes) when I asked him about "Coach Dad" at a Nike 7-on-7 tournament in early July.

"There's no question that he is the greatest coach of all time," Polamalu told me, "and there's no question to me that he is the epitome of what a Hall-of-Famer should be. You're talking about a guy who played in the NFL and was very successful, with 63 interceptions - he reminds us of that all the time (laughs). He had the most consecutive starts at cornerback - over 100 games. He's been a special-teams coach, a coordinator, and a head coach. He's been part of the game longer than anybody who didn't own a team. So, to me, he's the most deserving guy ever, and the Hall of Fame people are lucky to have him as part of it."

The Hall-of-Famers: Dick LeBeau (Part 2) - Shutdown Corner - NFL? - Yahoo! Sports

Posted: Monday August 2, 2010
Steelers close camp for LeBeau ceremony

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -The Pittsburgh Steelers are closing training camp to the public on Saturday so they can attend defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Steelers will hold a morning practice that will be closed to spectators, then board buses for the evening ceremony in Canton, Ohio. The team will return that night and plans to practice Sunday afternoon, a workout that will be open to the public.

LeBeau, considered one of the NFL's most innovative defensive coaches, is being enshrined for his 14-season playing career with the Detroit Lions. He played in 171 consecutive games, the most by a cornerback, and is tied for eighth place in NFL history with 62 interceptions.

Read more: Steelers close camp for LeBeau ceremony - NFL - SI.com

 

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BEING A BUCKEYE

Father Time might intercept him some day, but he leaves the impression he wants to find out if 80 is the new 60.

Like the famous clock, Big Ben, the LeBeaus of London were built to last.

Robert Emerson LeBeau Jr. ? brother Bob ? lives an active life at 76.

Their father, Robert Emerson LeBeau Sr., was an accountant who raised his family right in town, in a house close to the London courthouse. Nearby was a strip of grass behind the post office, where the neighborhood boys played tackle football games.

?Dick would be up against kids 5 years older than him,? Bob says. ?I never heard a whine out of him. Even as a little kid, he liked it.?

Their father was almost 88 when he died, the day before the Steelers? 1995 season opener. Dick had a defense to coordinate the next day. The Steelers got choked up when they gave him a game ball after beating Detroit, which had been Dick?s team throughout his 14-year NFL playing career.

The LeBeau boys absorbed their sports from their father. The discipline came from their mother, Beulah, who was 96 when she died last September.

It was Dad who talked Dick into going to Ohio State in 1955.

Dick had outgrown his brother and was a sinewy 6-footer by his senior year at London High School. He feared he was too small for Columbus.

?I never thought of myself as being an Ohio State player,? he says. ?I was always pretty much in awe of the program, of Ohio Stadium ... 88,000 people seemed like a million.

?Only one person from my town had ever played at Ohio State. The Buckeyes were seven or eight deep at every position.?

He wasn?t even sure football should be his college sport. He was just as good at basketball and golf.

?He thought he might have a better shot at playing football at Cincinnati,? Bob LeBeau says. ?I remember Dad saying, ?Dick, if you can play at Cincinnati, you can play at Ohio State.? ?

Coach Woody Hayes won a national championship in his fourth year at Ohio State, 1954. LeBeau became a Buckeye in 1955.

By 1957, he started on offense and defense for another national championship team.

HOF 2010: Dick LeBeau builds his case for the defense - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCYNOvxBIu4&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Dick LeBeau: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2010[/ame]

 

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LeBeau's long wait over as Hall of Fame awaits

By ALAN ROBINSON (AP)

PITTSBURGH ? As the decades passed and Dick LeBeau was repeatedly left out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, one of the best defensive players of his era began to believe he wouldn't join the three other members of the Detroit Lions secondary who were already enshrined.

At least until a very persuasive group of lobbyists took up his cause. How's this for a blue-ribbon panel to sway opinion: Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, James Farrior, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith?

LeBeau's 38-season career as an NFL head and assistant coach wasn't supposed to factor into his candidacy ? only his 14 playing seasons ? but the key members of the LeBeau-coached defense that helped the Steelers win the Super Bowl twice in the last five seasons didn't care. To them, a football hall of fame that excluded LeBeau wasn't a true hall of fame.

So the players began wearing replica LeBeau No. 44 Lions jerseys to functions such as the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, and to road games where they felt their influence might be felt. Perhaps their best argument came when, relying heavily on the innovative zone blitzes LeBeau developed during his days as a Bengals assistant, the Steelers defense put together one of the most dominating seasons in NFL history as Pittsburgh won the 2009 Super Bowl.

"Dick LeBeau," Polamalu said, "is the greatest coach of all time.

The Associated Press: LeBeau's long wait over as Hall of Fame awaits

 

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Consistency was LeBeau's calling card
Posted Aug. 03, 2010
By Mike Wilkening

Second in a series of profiles of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's seven-member Class of 2010.

Early in his playing career, Dick LeBeau was told that "less than one percent of one percent" of all NFL players make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On Saturday evening, LeBeau, the Steelers' defensive coordinator, joins that very short list of players enshrined in Canton, Ohio, for his work as a Lions cornerback from 1959-1972. LeBeau, 73, is the 18th Lion to be enshrined, eight of whom were on Detroit's roster at some point during LeBeau's 14 seasons with the club. LeBeau's older brother, Bob, will present him.

LeBeau, who was nominated by the Hall's senior committee, which considers candidates whose careers concluded at least 25 years ago, is the 21st defensive back to be enshrined. Only five have more interceptions, but none started more consecutive games than LeBeau, who was in the lineup 171 straight games for Detroit. It's a mark he is proud of, and one illustrative of a "roll-up-my-sleeves" approach that has guided him throughout an NFL career that spans more than 50 years.

"I think that's reflective of the person I am," said LeBeau, who is in 52nd consecutive season as a player or coach.

ProFootballWeekly.com - Consistency was LeBeau's calling card

 

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Steelers Coach Dad Finally Gets His Day in Canton - Behind the Steel Curtain

Back in the day, LeBeau could play
He's a top-notch coach today, but he'll be enshrined as a cornerback
Thursday, August 5, 2010
By Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

He is now known as an ageless coach, a 72-year-old still at the top of his profession.

But long before Dick LeBeau was the revered defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, long before he was the coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, LeBeau was a player.

Thirty-eight years have passed since LeBeau's 14-season career with the Detroit Lions ended.

When LeBeau tells his players about his experience as a player, he sometimes gets a 'You-really-played-this-game?' look. "Yeah, I do," LeBeau said, laughing. "But I pound them with so many of my stories they don't have a choice not to believe it."

For years, LeBeau's prowess as a player was overshadowed by his success as a coach. But on Saturday, the London native's career as a durable, ball-hawking cornerback will be given its proper due when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

"It hasn't settled in, really," LeBeau said. "I can hardly believe it. It's naturally one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me in my life. How can you express the gratitude you have for an award like this?"

Last Updated: August 05. 2010
Lions star, longtime coach Dick LeBeau earns Hall pass
Mike O'Hara / Special to The Detroit News

Dick LeBeau's journey through pro football has spanned 52 years, from player to coach.

Now, while most young players can only dream of accomplishing what LeBeau has throughout his career, they'll have to add one more item to that list.

Dick LeBeau, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"I still get up in the morning and pinch myself and count my blessings and say, 'I guess I'm not dreaming,' " LeBeau said in a conference call. " 'This is really happening.' "

Yes, it's really happening. LeBeau, who played all 14 of his NFL seasons with the Lions, will join the likes of Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, among others, in Saturday's induction ceremonies in Canton, Ohio.
Model of consistency

For LeBeau, who turns 73 on Sept. 9, his induction is long overdue for reasons that were out of his control.

In a strange way, LeBeau's success as a coach has overshadowed his playing career, spent entirely with the Lions from 1959-72.

An innovator as an assistant -- defensive coordinator for the Steelers since 2004 -- he's revered as a teacher and creator of the zone blitz. The 2010 season will be his 38th in coaching.

But LeBeau was voted to the Hall as a player, and nothing should diminish his greatness. As his statistics bear out -- 62 career interceptions that rank seventh on the NFL's career list and third among pure cornerbacks -- he was one of the very best to play the game.

"Dick wasn't the fastest guy in the league, nor was he the slowest," said Lem Barney, a Hall of Fame cornerback with the Lions and LeBeau's teammate for six seasons.

"Dick had 62 interceptions. That should tell you something."

From The Detroit News: Lions star, longtime coach Dick LeBeau earns Hall pass | detnews.com | The Detroit News

NFL Network-Dick-LeBeau-s-legacy

NFL Network-LeBeau-Better-coach-or-player

 

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Hall of Fame induction is '10,000 dreams come true' for LeBeau
By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, August 6, 2010

By the numbers
Here is a look at the playing career of former Lions great Dick LeBeau, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday in Canton, Ohio
3
Selections to the Pro Bowl (1965-67)
3
LeBeau's NFL rank in career interceptions when he retired as a player after the 1972 season
7
LeBeau's current NFL rank ? he is tied with Dave Brown ? in career interceptions
9
Interceptions LeBeau had in 1970, when he led the NFC in that category
62
Career interceptions LeBeau had while playing from 1959-72
171
Consecutive games started by LeBeau, still an NFL record for a cornerback
762
Interception return yards LeBeau had during his career

What they are saying
Steelers players and coaches weigh in on defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

? "Dick LeBeau is the best to coach this game, in my estimation. He'll probably be the best guy I will ever work for. I would walk through fire for Dick LeBeau. I'll have tears in my eyes when he walks across that stage to give that speech."

? Associate head coach/defensive line coach John Mitchell

? "To me, it's long overdue. He hasn't coached me personally, but we have a great relationship. We have a lot of talks and a lot of fun, and he's just a great guy. If I ever played defense, he'd be the guy I want coaching me because I see what he does for the defensive players."

? Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger

? "He's got that gift that makes the person he's talking to feel like they're the most important person. That's a gift. He's got that common touch that makes you believe you're the most important person that there is."

? Defensive backs coach Ray Horton

? "Of course, I'm going to shed a tear for him. I love coach LeBeau. I look at him like a father figure. He's a walk-on-water type guy."

? Cornerback Ike Taylor

? "I'm glad he's getting his just due. He's definitely at the top of my list for one of the most awesome people ever. I love to be around him and the environment he creates. He's big time, but he's going to make you feel that you're big time."

? Inside linebacker Larry Foote

Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau still has a hard time believing he is bound for football immortality.

"I get up in the morning and pinch myself and say: 'I guess I'm not dreaming.' " LeBeau said. "It really hasn't hit me. I'm not sure that it ever will. It's 10,000 dreams come true."

It may seem to LeBeau that just as many people are there for him Saturday night when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Steelers are taking six buses to Canton, Ohio, for the induction ceremony. Former high school, college and NFL teammates will also be among the crowd at Fawcett Stadium.

The ripples of the beloved LeBeau finally getting into the Hall extend so far that they caused Norwin High School's Class of 1980 to reschedule its 30-year reunion.

It had originally been set for Saturday. When LeBeau got voted into the Hall of Fame, class president Dan Priatko told his fellow Norwin alums that the date of the reunion had to be moved. (It was held in June.)

Priatko is the son of Bill Priatko, who roomed with LeBeau at Browns training camp in 1959 and is still a close friend.

"He told Coach LeBeau, 'There's no way I'm going to miss seeing you inducted,' " Bill Priatko said

Hall of Fame induction is '10,000 dreams come true' for LeBeau - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Canton calling LeBeau
By: Mike Bires
Beaver County Times
Thursday August 5, 2010

LATROBE ? It took 33 long years, but Dick LeBeau has finally arrived at the doorstep of football immortality. And in his mind, he wouldn?t be there if not for the men he?s coached as defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

For years, the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting panel ignored his outstanding accomplishments as a Detroit Lions cornerback.

But in recent years, a cast of Steeler defenders past and present spoke up, challenging and persuading the voters to finally get it right.

The Hall finally got it right.

On Saturday night, LeBeau will be among the seven inductees into the Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

?I owe everything to my players,? LeBeau said at training camp at St. Vincent College. ?If they hadn?t spoken up, I probably wouldn?t have gotten the nomination.

?It?s my guys on defense who?ve kept my name out there, whether by wearing my jersey or just by playing like the devil.?

Beaver County Times:?Canton calling LeBeau

Meet Dick LeBeau

Position: Cornerback.

Age: 72.

Birthplace: London, Ohio.

College: Ohio State.

Team: Lions, 1959-72.

Milestones: Three-time Pro Bowler, NFL-record 171 consecutives games at his position, finished career with 62 interceptions, third-most in league at time of his retirement.

Where is he now? Defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Read more: Teammates, players: Former Lion Dick LeBeau is an easy choice for Hall | freep.com | Detroit Free Press Teammates, players: Former Lion Dick LeBeau is an easy choice for Hall | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Dick LeBeau joins Hall of Fame Saturday
By Joe Reedy ? [email protected] ? August 5, 2010

When the Pittsburgh Steelers visited the White House last year after winning the Super Bowl, Dick LeBeau got a surprise when he was recognized by President Barack Obama during his speech.

After that, LeBeau thought of his late father, Richard. Said LeBeau: "I looked to the sky and said, 'Sarge, we've come a long way from the cornfields of Ohio.' "

On Saturday, the 72-year-old LeBeau will reach his ultimate destination when he is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

He has spent 52 seasons in the NFL as a player and coach, including 18 with the Bengals as secondary coach, defensive coordinator and head coach. He is the fifth player or coach with ties to the organization to enter the Hall of Fame, joining Paul Brown, Anthony Munoz, Charlie Joiner and Bill Walsh.

LeBeau, who grew up in London, Ohio, and played in college for Ohio State, still has ties to Cincinnati. He spends part of the offseason here and his son, Brandon, lives in Montgomery.

Dick LeBeau joins Hall of Fame Saturday | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Photo Gallery | Cincinnati.Com

 

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History finds LeBeau

By GEOFF HOBSON

GEORGETOWN, Ky. _ Dick LeBeau was cool when cool started with Elvis in the ?50s and Heisman Trophy winner Hopalong" Cassady gave him his locker at Ohio State.

He stayed cool in the red-hot ?60s and ?70s of change when he retired as the NFL?s third all-time interceptor with 62 and along the way got Dennis Hopper into his Lions locker room and had conversations with screen sirens Myrna Loy and Donna Reed. He once irked Reed?s husband at a Hollywood bash when she was introduced under his name and LeBeau made the dry-as-Ohio River-crack, ?You look like Donna Reed.?

LeBeau stayed as cool as cyberspace in the rampaging ?80s and ?90s of software when he turned pro football on its ear by inventing the zone blitz in Cincinnati and perfecting it in Pittsburgh. But the guy that golfed with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Weiskopf still played with his barber in Montgomery, Ohio.

History finds LeBeau

 

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Lewis: LeBeau's honor in Canton 'deserving'
BY JOE REEDY ? The Cincinnati Enquirer ? August 7, 2010

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Growing up, Marvin Lewis had Dick LeBeau's football card. When he entered the NFL coaching ranks on Bill Cowher's staff in Pittsburgh in 1992, Lewis saw how good LeBeau is as a coach.

Tonight, LeBeau takes his place among the legends when he is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Lewis said he learned from LeBeau his innate abilities to break down an offensive football team and how to attack them. He also saw LeBeau's demeanor and calmness in dealing with players.

"Because Dick's a quiet person it took awhile for him to get these kudos," Lewis said recently. "Anyone who worked around and with him know what a great coach and person he is and how we relates to his players. This is so deserving."

Marvin Lewis has admired Dick LeBeau for years | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati.Com

LeBeau didn't need to do so much reminding the part offseason.

He had something new for the players.

"He told the young guys in mini-camp, 'I don't know if you know, but I'm going into the Hall of Fame,' " said Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel. "The next day he said the same thing again. I think he's extremely excited and we all think it's very much deserved. It's finally happening for him."

LeBeau finally headed to Canton - Washington Greene PA Sports - www.observer-reporter.com

LeBeau, the player, was anything but paper lion
Saturday, August 07, 2010
By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Modern-day professional football fans, especially those in Pittsburgh, have a keen understanding of Dick LeBeau's contributions to the game as a coach. He is regarded as one of the finest defensive coordinators of all time and is credited with perfecting the zone-blitz defense that has revolutionized the way teams have played the past generation.

But how many of those same fans have a true appreciation for Ricky LeBeau, the defensive back for the Detroit Lions from 1959-72 who was regarded as one of the finest players of his time?

LeBeau was known as Ricky, or sometimes Dickie-Bird, among his Lions teammates. In George Plimpton's best-selling book, "Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback," LeBeau is described as a young player in the following passage:

"Thin-hipped, built like a high school basketball player, his hair worn longer than most of the others', he was called Ricky, less a diminutive of Richard than derived from a crop of teenage movie stars and singers of the time, all of that name, whose manner and attitude he seemed to cultivate," Plimpton wrote.

Read more: LeBeau, the player, was anything but paper lion

 

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Alumni Association interview, via an Archie Griffin facebook page.

Official.site