First NFL Players Who Were Hippies

[Sardondi]

This kind of came up over in Celebrity Deaths about Steve Sabol from NFL Films. Tim Rossovich came up, a crazy hippie linebacker for the Eagles and a couple of other teams in the late 60's early 70's. He was one of the first hippies in the NFL as I recall, although he definitely was not into love and peace. He was insane and spent his time trying to destroy himself jumping off buildings and eating light bulbs and stuff.

But I also recall a more traditional "peaceful" hippie NFLer that I think SI did a piece on around 1971. I believe his first name might have been Chip. I believe he was a linebacker for Oakland in the late 60's-early 70's, who, like Rossovich was one of the first hippie pro players. He was sort of underweight but fast, and he made a big deal out of his non-violence (I guess outside of football). He mediated, did a lot stretching and yoga instead of lifting weights, and drank a lot of fruit juice and ate vegetables instead of meat (but I don't think he was a hard vegetarian.

His Raider teammates hated him and gave him a hard time, certainly as a rookie, maybe afterward. They rode him, but he claimed they would also cheap-shot him in practice, wouldn't back him up in games and the like. Seems he gave up the NFL to hitch hike or go to an ashram or something. Anyone have any idea of who I'm talking about?

Any other "early adopters" you know of? I remember the Baltimore Colts (ha!) won Super Bowl V (that's "5", and it's not a typo!) with a field goal by Jim O'Brien whose hair was long (although he don't think he qualified as a hippie) so his teammates called him "Lassie".

Others?

[PB the Deplorable]

This kind of came up over in Celebrity Deaths about Steve Sabol from NFL Films. Tim Rossovich came up, a crazy hippie linebacker for the Eagles and a couple of other teams in the late 60's early 70's. He was one of the first hippies in the NFL as I recall, although he definitely was not into love and peace. He was insane and spent his time trying to destroy himself jumping off buildings and eating light bulbs and stuff.

But I also recall a more traditional "peaceful" hippie NFLer that I think SI did a piece on around 1971. I believe his first name might have been Chip. I believe he was a linebacker for Oakland in the late 60's-early 70's, who, like Rossovich was one of the first hippie pro players. He was sort of underweight but fast, and he made a big deal out of his non-violence (I guess outside of football). He mediated, did a lot stretching and yoga instead of lifting weights, and drank a lot of fruit juice and ate vegetables instead of meat (but I don't think he was a hard vegetarian.

His Raider teammates hated him and gave him a hard time, certainly as a rookie, maybe afterward. They rode him, but he claimed they would also cheap-shot him in practice, wouldn't back him up in games and the like. Seems he gave up the NFL to hitch hike or go to an ashram or something. Anyone have any idea of who I'm talking about?

Chip Oliver?

[Sardondi]

Chip Oliver?

Wow, that's scary fast, PB! The name doesn't ring a bell but I checked and he did only play 2 years for the Raiders, 68-69, apparently on special teams, and left no stats other than a 29 yard interception. I couldn't tell his position, but 6"2" 220 for a LB would be a little smallish perhaps, but for a S in those days he would have been a giant. Looks like out of the league after 69.

You may have nailed it, but I wonder if anyone has any kind of confirmation about him?

*edit* - I see he was born in Mississippi, but played @ Sou Cal. I just didn't get the vibe the guy I'm thinking of was a Southerner. And I wonder if he was black, since white guys from MS good enough for Division I ball (as it was known then) in those days rarely left the SEC. Black guys had to, since before mid-late 60's almost none of the SEC teams would let a black player on the team, so many talented black athletes went to schools like U Sou Cal. Before going to the NFL in 1969 Chip Oliver, if he was white, could have chosen from Coach Johnny Vaught at Ole Miss, who had a national championship, and either won or tied for the SEC championship 6 times between 1954-63, but then fell off a little as Bear Bryant became established and ass-raped the world. Or he could have played for Bryant at nearby U of Alabama, which had won nat'l championships in 61, 62 and 64; and Doug Dickey @ Tenn, Vince Dooley at Georgia and Ralph "Shug" Jordan at Auburn had variously won national championships or placed very high in final polls at least a couple of times in the 60's. So I kinda doubt the Chip I'm thinking of is this guy.

Anyone? Or any other hippie players?

[PB the Deplorable]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1084181/index.htm

I don't know if that's who you were thinking of or not. 

I actually used to like the Raiders.  That was before the Seahawks came into the league and became my home state favorite.  When I moved to SF area the 49ers were winning Superbowls, it was hard to get Seahawk news, and very easy to switch over - I think it took about a week to jump on the bandwagon.  Go '9ers!

[Sardondi]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1084181/index.htm

I don't know if that's who you were thinking of or not.....

Wow! That has to be him. Great job PB!

As for the Raiders, I was fan in the days before and just after the NFL-AFL merger. The days of Geroge Blanda (like a48 yo grandfather at QB! 26 seasons in the NFL!!!!) Daryle Lamonica, Snake Stabler, DE Ben Davidson of the handlebar mustache, bald-headed DT Otis Sistrunk, whom Howard Cosell said on Monday Night Football was from "the University of Mars", WR Fred Biletnikoff, whose whole body had "stickum" covering it, Center Jim "Double 0" Otto, LG Gene Upshaw before he became a truly frightening character as the player's union rep, DT Dan Birdwell with fingers so massive a quarter could pass through his AFL championship ring. Other famous Raiders like punishing blocker OT Bob "Boomer" Brown,  and SS Jack "The Assassin" Tatum (whom I really disliked) weren't to come to the Raiders until 71.

I just realized Ben Davidson was sort of a short-haired hippie who sort of epitomized the freewheeling consciousness altering anything goes attitude of Oakland/San Fran of that era.

[BigDave]

Fred Dryer of the Giants and Rams,Dickie Post of the Chargers and Oilers and Tim Rossovich of the Eagles and Chargers could be considered hippies in the late 60's and early 70's. Fred Dryer lived in a Volkswagon van His entire time with the Giants(1969-1971)

[Sardondi]

Dryer of course I knew but overlooked. Post I didn't know. And Paper*Boy and I ran down the Rossovich info over at Celebrity Deaths.

I remember Jim "Sundance" Kiick of the Dolphins at one point early on had a blue-eyed baby Afro and a Fu Manchu, as here we see just the mustache at the beginning of the Dolphins legendary unbeaten year of '72. (But running mate Larry "Butch" Csonka's clipped 'stache and lengthened but straight 'burns were strictly small-town police department look.)




Of course by 73-74 everybody was getting into the hair act, so it didn't really mean anything about hippiedom. But generally for the black guys well into the 70's, the bigger the Afro, the more militant the player.

[Eddie Coyle]

 
               I envision Mike Curtis clotheslining that long haired fool who ran on the field in December, 1971...the NFL was very conformist. I think actual hippies were few and far between and the renegade Raiders were closer to being defrocked members of the Gypsy Jokers MC or Black Liberation Army than hippies.

[Sardondi]

               I envision Mike Curtis clotheslining that long haired fool who ran on the field in December, 1971...the NFL was very conformist. I think actual hippies were few and far between and the renegade Raiders were closer to being defrocked members of the Gypsy Jokers MC or Black Liberation Army than hippies.

Yep. unlike the NBA, in which wild-ass behavior was expected. Mike Curtis was America's SuperEgo, doing what we ought to do, handing punishment out to those who would violate societal norms. Which is why he busted that guy's ass.

Oh, I forgot John Riggins. Of course he was less hippie than insane rock n' roller, wearing an afro and mohawk in the same week. Will forever be known to Baby Boomers for being obviously drunk at some D.C. society dinner and drunkenly telling his tablemate, sitting Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, "Just loosen up, Sandy, baby!"





Not so much a hippie as crazy man - John "The Tooz" Matuszak, who with a physique which reminded one more of a stud Black Angus bull than a human football player, was one of the first obvious massive abusers of anabolic steroids. And when you ask who he played for, most folks remember only the Raiders...of course:




But we need t go back more to the true hippie types...

[PB the Deplorable]

... the renegade Raiders were closer to being defrocked members of the Gypsy Jokers MC...

haha, nice.  I def picture them roaring into the Coliseum on hogs, swinging chains over their heads.  Except Stabler, he was a good ol' boy - his girlfriend was known as Wonderfully Wicked Wanda, and got the blame after a few of their losses...