Buster Ramsey

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Garrard Sliger "Buster" Ramsey (March 16, 1920 – September 16, 2007) was an American football player for the College of William and Mary and Chicago Cardinals. He was defensive coordinator for three Detroit Lions championship teams in the National Football League (NFL) in the 1950s before he became the first head coach of the Buffalo Bills in the new American Football League.

Playing career

After a stint in the United States Navy during World War II, Ramsey played for the Chicago Cardinals from 1946 to 1951. During his time there, Ramsey was a member of the 1947 NFL World Championship team.

Coaching career

In 1951, Ramsey served as a player-coach for the Cardinals before becoming the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator in 1952. During his tenure with the Lions, Ramsey developed the 4-3 defense, a staple of modern football. In addition, he was among the first coaches to blitz linebackers in a package called Red Dog. With Ramsey as defensive coordinator the Lions won three World Championships in the 1950s. He developed a number of Lions greats including future Hall of Famers Jack Christiansen, Yale Lary and Joe Schmidt among others.

In 1960, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. purchased the Buffalo Bills franchise in the fledging American Football League. Wilson did so with visions of another 1950s Detroit Lions dynasty -- his new team even adopted their silver-and-blue color scheme. Given his Lions pedigree, Ramsey was considered to be the ideal candidate for the head coach position as one of the first significant hires in the organization.

The Bills struggled to score points in their first two seasons, which often negated their stellar play at the other side of the ball. Ramsey was fired after the 1961 AFL season, before not before he was laid the foundation for a defense that would become the foundation for 1964 and 1965 league championship teams. He would go on to serve as the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1962 to 1964.

Personal life

Ramsey had a brother, Knox Ramsey, who also played for the College of William and Mary, and later professionally for the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins. Ramsey was elected into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1974, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

Head coaching record

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
BUF 1960 5 8 1 .393 3rd in AFL Eastern – – – –
BUF 1961 6 8 0 .429 4th in AFL Eastern – – – –
BUF Total 11 16 1 .411 – – – –
AFL Total[1] 11 16 1 .411 – – – –
Total 11 16 1 .411 – – – –

See also

References

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External links

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