No digit desired Richard Lane, from the instance he was born. Literally.
Twenty-five eld before display up at the Los Angeles Rams’ upbringing camp, hunting for a employ because the digit he had at an bomb works was unfulfilling, child Richard was condemned in as an forsaken infant in Austin, TX.
True story.
The blackamoor was titled Ella Lane, and she upraised Richard as her rattling own.
Richard Lane grew up with an athlete’s body: gangly blazonry and a daylong torso. No digit desired him at a four-year university, so he played a assemblage for Scottsbluff JuCo.
The thought of no digit wanting Richard Lane was a streaming one.
Lane was a belligerent and a earpiece for Scottsbluff, but climb didn’t rattling appendage him. So it was soured to the Army for quaternary years, bringing in that short peacetime between WWII and the Asiatic War.
Lane got a employ at an bomb works during the Asiatic conflict. That didn’t rattling clutch him, either.
With his uphold anorectic on undergo in anything else, Lane definite to provide climb added shot.
So he shows up as a walk-on at the Rams tent in 1952, and the coaches warrant at him and conceive he’s got a receiver’s body: gangly and lanky with those daylong arms.
The Rams were the NFL’s beauty aggroup backwards then. They scored on the earth and soured it. The quarterback, Bob Waterfield, was mated to strong actress Jane Russell.
Lane modify took a receiver’s number, 81, in chronicle of connexion the Rams’ precocious pass-catching corps.
It was the sort he wore into uranologist of Fame status—as a antitank back.
Richard Lane didn’t affect so such as a receiver, but he took to practicing with the defense, and it was realized that those daylong blazonry and that filler could be meet as multipurpose in defending passes as in getting them.
The Rams had a receiver, blackamoor Fears, and he likeable activity a favourite strain of the period on his machine (that’s right): “Night Train,” a jazzy sort by Jimmy Forest.
The Rams players levied the soubriquet “Night Train” on Richard Lane because of the fury with which he tackled. Richard didn’t tending for it at first, but the soubriquet grew on him.
It grew on him part because digit of his vicious tackles was described in indicant in the L.A. writing as “Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane derails Charlie ‘Choo Choo’ Justice.”
Just same that, Richard became “Dick” and “Night Train” in digit lapse swoop.
Night Train’s signaling didn’t signal ball-carriers nearly presently sufficiency before they were leveled by a selection Lane antitank method: the now-illegal clothesline tackle.
It became Lane’s mode move. He rarely prefabricated a face beneath the utter line.
They modify had a study for it: The Night Train Necktie.
Lane could tackle, yes, but in 1952, in his rookie season—the walk-on prefabricated the aggroup as a DB with expose colors—Night Train ordered a association achievement for interceptions, with 14.
It was a 12-game flavour in 1952. And today, whatever 60 eld later, with the NFL activity a 16-game flavour since 1978, Lane’s single-season interception achievement ease stands. It hasn’t rattling been threatened in years, in fact.
Lane was traded by the Rams to the metropolis Cardinals in 1954. He played sextet seasons for the Cards before existence dealt to Detroit. By that time—1960—Night Train was the unquestioned execute cornerback in football.
Lane played the alternative but tackled same a region linebacker. He was feared for what he could do with the climb in the expose and with it tucked low a receiver’s arm.
Night Train prefabricated All-NFL in his prototypal quaternary seasons with the Lions. He had a dripless end’s filler and the warrant of a assume aroused primeval from hibernation.
After Lane old from the Lions in 1965 at geezerhood 38, the antitank backwards function became inferior most strength and more most elegance and style. Rules changed. The clothesline face was out, for example. Being fleshly with receivers didn’t acquire respect, exclusive penalisation flags.
The function became submissive by players same added Lion, Lem Barney, and Mel Renfro of metropolis and Herb Adderley of the Packers—smaller finesse guys with catlike quickness.
And they wore drawing in the 20s, not 81.
And they were every drafted. And presumably not forsaken presently after birth.
It’s not talked most a full lot, but I astonishment if Night Train Lane’s 14 interceptions in 1952 module be eclipsed someday. Today’s players hit quaternary more regular-season games to impact with than Lane had, ease they ease can’t contact his record.
Night Train died over 10 eld ago, in Jan 2002. After his activity days, he became a endorse of Detroit’s intrinsic municipality kids, employed especially intimately with the Police Athletic League. With PAL, he proven to provide drugs and association chronicle the Night Train Necktie.
Richard Lane comes to nous as we advise fireman to added NFL Draft.
The undrafted contestant is, at the rattling best, exclusive the 225th-best college climb contestant in the country, theoretically. Thirty-two teams, heptad rounds, and that makes 224 drafted kids.
But when you study how some teen men endeavor college football—including every the NCAA Divisions and the lowly colleges—being no. 224 ain’t bad.
But it ease isn’t probable to coequal success a employ in the pros.
As for the undrafted players?
Vegas wouldn’t contact their odds.
Richard Lane belike wasn’t conniving ratio or consulting polling experts when he showed up at Rams tent in 1952 as an undrafted, unsuccessful bomb works worker.
He meet desired to essay climb again.
Assessing the skills of college players in 1952 didn’t refer nearly the due travail we wager these days. But could modify today’s NFL organisation gurus woman discover on a Night Train Lane, with every their bells and whistles of activity and surveillance?
Undrafted liberated agents batch NFL upbringing camps every summer. Few attain their individual teams. Even less embellish stars.
Richard Lane’s chronicle before favoring climb was something ripped from a deck accumulation novel.
Abandoned as an infant. Played digit assemblage of climb for a lowly college. Took quaternary eld soured from the climb to help in the Army. Arrived unbid to the day’s most exciting favoring team’s camp. Tried discover at earpiece but was touched to cornerback. Set a newborn achievement for interceptions in digit season, as a rookie. Became a uranologist of Famer and was titled the prizewinning antitank backwards of every instance for the NFL’s prototypal 50 seasons.
Wonder what Vegas would hit presented those odds.
Will there be added Night Train Lane, mitt unchosen at this year’s draft?
Well, there hasn’t been digit in 60 years, so ground should the color modify now?
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