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© 2025 COLD WIRE MEDIA. THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY

Sunday, April 26, 2026

The Life And Career Of Norm Van Brocklin

Ben Donahue
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The Life And Career Of Norm Van Brocklin
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

 

Over the past three-plus decades, pass-happy NFL offenses (and individual players) have broken numerous all-time league records.

However, one lofty mark that hasn’t been broken yet is the single-game passing yards record, set way back in 1951.

Incredibly, that was the year that Norm Van Brocklin threw for no less than 554 yards against the New York Yanks.

As the quarterback and punter for the Los Angeles Rams, “The Dutchman” alternated with fellow signal-caller Bob Waterfield for the NFL Championship in ‘51.

Then, in 1958, he left the Rams and headed east to play for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Van Brocklin’s fiery demeanor and inspired play took a franchise that had all of two wins that year to a world title in 1960.

During his career, Van Brocklin led the NFL in three different passing categories and was the league MVP, also in 1960.

Shortly after his second championship, the Dutchman left to become the head coach of the expansion Minnesota Vikings for six years and then the Atlanta Falcons from 1968 through the first eight games of 1974.

Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack in 1983 at the age of 57.

This is the story of Norm Van Brocklin.

 

Three-Sport Athlete

Norman “Norm” Mack Van Brocklin was born on March 15, 1926, in Parade, South Dakota, as one of nine children.

Less than four years later, the Great Depression rocked the country, and the family moved to Lafayette, California, in 1931.

By the time he enrolled at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, Van Brocklin was already a gifted athlete and played three sports.

Football, then, was mostly a ground-based game, but Van Brocklin had a penchant for throwing the pigskin.

Before his sophomore year, he was named the Dons’ starting quarterback and led the team to a 5-3 record.

A season later, the junior ran and passed Acalanes to a 4-2-2 record.

Normally, young men of Van Brocklin’s age would be thinking about their senior year and where they might play ball in college.

That was the last thing on his mind.

 

Joining the War Effort

Just before Van Brocklin began high school, World War II broke out in 1939.

It didn’t involve the U.S. until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and many young men across the country eagerly signed up to fight.

Van Brocklin was no different and decided to join the war effort when he turned 17, which happened to be in March of his junior year.

First, he needed a little deception to join the Navy, something that almost backfired.

“My grandmother worked at a local cannery, and somebody came in and alerted her that my father had been down at the recruiting office,” said Karen Vanderyt, Van Brocklin’s daughter. “He had forged my grandmother or grandfather’s name, and she was furious. She went down to school, grabbed him by the ear and marched down to the recruiting office.”

Eventually, Van Brocklin’s mother relented, and the teenager spent the next few years on a Navy destroyer stationed in the South Pacific.

 

Enrolling at Oregon

World War II ended in 1945, and Van Brocklin returned home to Northern California after his discharge.

Over the next few months, he finished up his remaining course work at Acalanes High and graduated in January 1946.

He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do next, so Van Brocklin followed a few of his friends to the University of Oregon to play college ball for coach Tex Oliver.

The Webfoots (also known as the Ducks by sportswriters) went 4-4-1 in 1946 while Van Brocklin primarily rode the pine.

Coach Oliver left the program following the season, and new coach Jim Aiken brought his Wing-T offense with him from the University of Nevada.

When the starting QB struggled the first two weeks, Aiken promoted Van Brocklin to the starting spot before an October 4 tilt against Nevada, the coach’s former school.

Following a rough 1-3 start in which Van Brocklin lost two games, Oregon didn’t lose again and finished 7-3.

Van Brocklin ended his first year as a starter by finishing sixth in the nation in passing yards and getting selected by the Pacific Coast Conference to its first-team All-PCC list.

 

All-American

Oregon and Van Brocklin ended 1947 with a taste for winning, and continued their streak with a 2-0 start in 1948.

The Michigan Wolverines hosted the Webfoots on October 2 and delivered a 14-0 shutout.

For the remainder of the regular season, Van Brocklin guided his teammates (including future USC and Tampa Bay Bucs coach John McKay) through their opponents unscathed, including three straight road games to end the year.

Along the way, he used his uncanny knack of dissecting defenses and cool head under pressure to become the first Oregon quarterback to be selected as an All-American.

Van Brocklin was also awarded a second straight first-team All-PCC award.

Following the regular season, conference athletic directors voted Cal to play in the Rose Bowl, leaving Oregon to play SMU and Heisman Trophy winner Doak Walker in the Cotton Bowl.

During the contest, Van Brocklin passed for a touchdown and was a co-MVP, but the Webfoots lost to the Mustangs 21-13 to finish the year 9-2.

 

Going Pro

American Football on Field

 

Van Brocklin’s two-year totals at Oregon accounted for 1,949 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, and the school went 16-5 during that period.

Although he had a season of eligibility left, the signal-caller was graduating with his degree in the summer of 1949, so he declared his intention to turn pro.

The ‘49 NFL Draft was held in December 1948, and the Philadelphia Eagles took Penn linebacker and center Chuck Bednarik first overall.

Later that same day, the Los Angeles Rams selected Van Brocklin with the 37th overall pick in the fourth round.

 

Competing Against Waterfield

There was a slight problem with Van Brocklin joining the Rams.

In 1944, the franchise had selected former UCLA quarterback and punter Bob Waterfield, the same Bob Waterfield who was married to actress Jane Russell.

Having been the starter off and on since then, he didn’t have any trouble keeping Van Brocklin at bay in 1949.

That season, Waterfield passed for over 2,100 yards and 17 scores, while the rookie saw enough playing time to pass for 601 yards and six touchdowns of his own.

LA went 8-2-2 and lost to the Eagles in the NFL Championship.

When it came time for new coach Joe Stydahar to select his starter in 1950, he had a hard time choosing.

Waterfield was an established player, yet he tossed an NFL-worst 24 interceptions in 1949.

In fact, the veteran had passed for more interceptions than touchdowns in four of his five NFL seasons.

(The only time he didn’t was in 1946 when Waterfield threw for 17 touchdowns and 17 picks).

Van Brocklin was nearly as talented as Waterfield and had the ability to elude pass rushers and zip passes to his receivers.

So, before the season began, Coach Stydahar decided to use both QBs.

Van Brocklin would play in the second and fourth quarters for each game, and Waterfield would take the first and third quarters.

 

Split Duties

In the history of the NFL, teams splitting quarterback duties have most often come at a sacrifice of wins.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case for the Rams.

During the 1950 season, LA went 9-3 and scored an NFL record 466 points for the year (receiver Tom Fears set a league record with 84 receptions).

Waterfield completed 57.3% of his passes (best in the league) for 1,540 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Van Brocklin passed for 2,061 yards, 18 touchdowns and 14 picks while also leading the NFL in five categories (including an 85.1 passer rating).

Both players punted as well, with Waterfield taking the lion’s share of punting and kicking duties.

At the end of the regular season, Van Brocklin and Waterfield were selected for the Pro Bowl.

The Rams then met the Cleveland Browns for the NFL title, and Stydahar played Waterfield for the entire game (Van Brocklin had one attempt that was intercepted).

LA had a 14-13 lead at halftime, but eventually succumbed to the Browns, 30-28.

 

Record Day

American Football Field

 

The Rams returned in 1951 with both QBs splitting playing time again.

Waterfield is credited with 10 starts that year, with Van Brocklin only credited with two.

One of those starts just happened to be one of the greatest single-day feats of passing in history.

In Week 1, the Rams faced the New York Yanks, and Van Brocklin had a field day (pun intended).

During the contest, the quarterback dropped back to pass 41 times and completed 27.

While hitting receivers Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch for four touchdowns and one to Verda “Vitamin” Smith in a 54-14 blowout win, the Dutchman passed for an insane 554 yards, breaking Johnny Lujack’s record set in 1949.

Remarkably, even with the modern passing game, Van Brocklin’s record still stands.

At the end of the year, LA was 8-4 and met the Browns once again in the NFL Championship.

Coach Stydahar started Waterfield for the first three-plus quarters.

The contest was tied at 17 before Stydahar inserted Van Brocklin in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Almost immediately, he connected with Fears for a 73-yard touchdown.

The Rams held on for a 24-17 victory and a world title.

Little did fans of the franchise know that the team wouldn’t win another championship until the “Greatest Show on Turf” in 1999.

 

The Dutchman Starts Full Time

In 1952, Waterfield and Van Brocklin split time for the third year in a row, with the Dutchman starting seven games to Waterfield’s five.

Van Brocklin passed for 1,736 yards, 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, and picked up second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods.

Additionally, he led the NFL with a 55.1 completion percentage while the Rams went 9-3 and lost in the conference playoff game to Detroit.

Weeks after the year ended, Waterfield retired, meaning Van Brocklin would lead the team full-time as quarterback and punter.

Between 1953 and 1955, he went to the Pro Bowl every year and was voted an All-Pro in ‘54 and ‘55.

The 1954 season was a particularly good year for the QB as he passed for an NFL-best 2,637 yards (also a career-high) and led the league in three other categories.

A year later, Van Brocklin booted the pigskin for a career-high 2,676 yards on 60 punts for an NFL-leading 44.6 yards per punt average.

LA went 8-3-1 and lost in the NFL Championship to Cleveland, 38-14, while the Dutchman threw a ghastly six interceptions.

 

Van Brocklin Joins the Eagles

A general view of the Philadelphia Eagles helmet after the game against the Washington Redskins at the Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Redskins defeated the Eagles 17-14.
Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /Allsport

 

Unfortunately, the next two years were unkind to Van Brocklin and the Rams.

Even with an offensive minded coach like Sid Gillman, the team struggled in the win column, netting 10 combined wins in 1956 and 1957.

In ‘56, the Dutchman competed with Bill Wade for playing time, and only started five games, but led the NFL with a 72-yard punt.

The following season, he started every game and passed for 2,105 yards, 20 touchdowns and an NFL worst 21 interceptions (which tied a career-high) while rushing for a career-best four touchdowns.

When the Rams’ 6-6 ended, Van Brocklin told the team he was retiring and headed back to Oregon to go into business for himself.

However, months later, he decided to stick around, and LA traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles.

There, he found a kindred spirit in new Eagles head coach Buck Shaw, who told Van Brocklin that he could have complete control over the offense as a type of “player/coach.”

Philly only won two games in 1958, but the Dutchman led the NFL with 374 pass attempts and 198 completions for 2,409 yards, 15 touchdowns and 20 picks.

 

Playing Angry

Things improved in 1959 when Van Brocklin passed for 2,617 yards (the second-highest total of his career) with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and was selected for an eighth Pro Bowl.

“Norm Van Brocklin is still the most accomplished passer in pro football. He throws long, short, hard or soft with equal facility. He could use more protection, but he unloads so quickly that he can get by with what he has….” wrote Sports Illustrated.

The Eagles reached seven wins, and the offense hummed with End Tommy McDonald on the receiving side of Van Brocklin’s passes.

“His play calling was absolutely fantastic,” said McDonald.

Seven wins morphed into 10 wins in 1960 when the high-flying Eagles were spurred on by the fiery spirit of their play-caller.

Along with his steady play, Van Brocklin was always known as a bit of a hot head who mixed things up with opponents, coaches, fans and even teammates.

”He was a fierce competitor, a no-nonsense guy on the field,” said Philly defensive end and future NFL coach Marion Campbell.

The Dutchman tossed the ball for 2,471 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, and punted the ball 60 times for 2,585 yards and a 43.1 yards-per-punt average.

 

Philly Wins It All in 1960

Philadelphia Eagles club equipment

 

Philly reached the NFL Championship against the Vince Lombardi-led Green Bay Packers in 1960.

Van Brocklin connected with McDonald for a score in the second quarter, but the Packers led the Eagles 13-10 late in the game.

Not wanting to lose yet another title contest, Van Brocklin drove the Eagles 39 yards, and running back Ted Dean dove in from five yards out for the 17-13 victory.

With the 1960 season in the books, the NFL named the Dutchman its MVP (along with his ninth Pro Bowl), and Shaw was the Coach of the Year.

The Eagles’ win marked the only time that Lombardi was defeated in a championship game or Super Bowl during his tenure in Green Bay.

 

Career Stats and Awards

Van Brocklin could have continued playing, but he decided to end his career on a high note and retired.

During his 12 years in the NFL, the Dutchman passed for 23,611 yards, 173 touchdowns and 178 interceptions.

He rushed the ball for 40 yards and 11 touchdowns, and punted the ball 523 times for 22,313 yards and a 42.7 yards-per-punt average.

The Dutchman was a nine-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, one-time MVP, two-time NFL champion, and led the league once each in passing yards, percentage and passer rating.

In 1966, Van Brocklin was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, and added to the NFL’s 1950s All-Decade Team.

He’s also a member of the Eagles’ Hall of Fame, the South Dakota Hall of Fame, the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Rams’ Ring of Honor.

 

Van Brocklin Becomes a Coach

The Minnesota Vikings were formed as an expansion team in 1961, and general manager Bert Rose hired Van Brocklin to be the franchise’s first head coach.

In the third round of the ‘61 draft, the coach picked Georgia quarterback Fran Tarkenton, and signed former 49ers running back Hugh McElhenny, along with former Cleveland defensive end Jim Marshall.

From 1961 through 1963, Minnesota won 10 games total, and Van Brocklin clashed with Tarkenton.

The QB often tucked the ball and ran while his coach strongly preferred he stay in the pocket.

Following eight wins in 1964, the Vikings dipped to seven victories in 1965 and then four in 1966.

By this time, Tarkenton was fed up with Van Brocklin and asked to be traded.

Not only did he chafe about the coach’s constant badgering, but there was also the issue of “Stormin’ Norman’s” temper.

(One example of his many tirades was after soccer-style kicker Garo Yepremian, who was born and raised in Cyprus, beat the Vikings on a field goal, and Van Brocklin told the media, “They ought to change the god-damned immigration laws in this country.”).

On February 11, 1967, the coach resigned from his position and left the team.

Tarkenton, who was dealt to the New York Giants, commented about how Van Brocklin was, “a great quarterback and a brilliant offensive mind [and also] a dysfunctional human being, totally dysfunctional.”

 

Retirement and Death

Red roses on black granite tombstone

 

Roughly a year and a half later, Van Brocklin was hired by the Atlanta Falcons to take over a club that was 0-3 under head coach Norb Hecker in 1968.

The Falcons had also been an expansion club that started play in 1966 and was having trouble gaining traction.

Although Van Brocklin coaxed the organization to a winning record in 1971 and even nine wins in 1973, he was fired after a 2-6 start in 1974 (his former Philly teammate, Marion Campbell, took over).

His 13-year head coaching career record was 66-100-7, and neither of his teams experienced the playoffs.

Van Brocklin then retired to his farm in Georgia and briefly coached running backs at Georgia Tech in 1979.

Despite his temper, Van Brocklin was known for his generosity and kindness, which he showed to friends and neighbors, especially later in life.

“He had a short temper, no question about that,” his daughter said in 1983. “But he was a very sentimental man, a very loving, caring father. There’s a side to my father that not many people saw.”

After suffering for years from the effects of long-term smoking as well as a brain tumor, the Dutchman died suddenly of a heart attack on May 2, 1983.

He was only 57 years old.

 

References

https://www.pro-football-reference.com

eastbaytimes.com

pophistorydig.com

profootballresearchers.com

nytimes.com

profootballhof.com

https://www.cfbhall.com

sdexcellence.org

https://footballfoundation.org

https://goducks.com

https://www.profootballhof.com

https://www.pro-football-reference.com

https://www.pro-football-reference.com

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Ben Donahue
Contributor at Pro Football History
Over 25 years of experience in sports including coach, athletic director, game day operations, media relations, football operations, and scout. He is [...]

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