Jack Snow
On this date in 1943 legendary Los Angeles Rams wide receiver, Jack Snow was born.
After a standout career at St. Anthony’s and Notre Dame, Snow (6-2, 190) was taken in the first round (8th overall) of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. The draft was held on November 28, 1964.
He was also drafted by the AFL’s San Diego Chargers. While in New York accepting a post-season award the Vikings approached him with a contract but Snow said he wanted to wait until he heard the Chargers offer before he signed anything.
The news that came out of Minnesota after this was Snow didn’t want to play in the cold weather. Snow denied this and said he wanted to hear from the Chargers, who were late contacting him, to weigh his options.
So Vikings’ head man, Norm Van Brocklin dealt Snow’s rights to the Rams on December 30, 1964. The Rams sent former All-Pro wide receiver Red Phillips and second-year defensive tackle Gary Larsen to Minnesota. ***See Note***
He became a starter during his rookie season and played all eleven years of his career for the Rams. He caught 340 passes, scored 45 touchdowns, and average 17.7 yards-per-catch. He was a Pro Bowler in 1967
The father of former MLB (Angels/Giants) first baseman J.T. Snow, Jack later went on to a successful real estate career and in broadcasting. He died of a staph infection in 2006 at the age of 62.
***The story is thick with irony. Van Brocklin had been the Rams starting quarterback throughout most of the 1950’s. He shared time with Bob Waterfield and was at the helm when the team won its only Los Angeles title in 1951.
Van Brocklin later became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and a serious anti-Ram. He often referred to his old club as the “Prune Pickers” and led the Falcons to their first win over the Rams in 1972, 31-3.
Red Phillips’s career was pretty much done, he played three seasons with his new team. But Gary Larsen, who backed up Rosey Grier and Merlin Olsen in 1964, went on to play ten seasons with the Vikings. He appeared in three Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls for Minnesota.
For Snow by coming to the Rams, he missed playing in three Super Bowls and suffered through bitter playoff losses to the Vikings in 1969 and 1974.
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