Chris Yandek
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http://www.thesportsinterview.com/RMFiles/PatSummerall.rm
Pat Summerall broadcasted NFL to fans for many decades. His most famous partnership with John Madden will never be forgotten, but before his broadcasting days, he was an NFL player. Pat reflects on his entire life in his new book Summerall: On And Off The Air. Pat talks about his battles with alcohol, his friendship with Mickey Mantle, and his time in the NFL.
First off how are you?
"I am doing fine."
How long did it take you to reflect upon all those decades of memories in your book Summerall: On And Off The Air?
"Well, actually from the time I first started, it was much more difficult than I thought it would be. From the time I first began, it took about five years. Basically, I started a long time ago. I happened to be in New York on 9/11, saw what happened to New York City, and saw the second plane hit the building with my own eyes. I sort of stopped writing a book at that time just because of what was going on in our country and didn't pick it back up for another year or so till after I had a liver transplant. Overall, it took about five years, but actually hard work, it probably took a year. Something like that."
While a college player at Arkansas in the 1950s you kicked a winning field goal to upset number four rival Texas 16-14. What do you remember about the game and how different is college football today?
"I don't remember much about that game. I remember the field goal was good and the place went wild. I remember that. College Football, my gosh as pro football has grown immensely beyond the magnitude I ever imagined. The equipment is better. The players are bigger, better. The diets are better. The coaching is better. There are so many more coaches. Traveling is so much easier. There is so many changes that it's hard to numerate all them. I think it's changed maybe not for the better, but it's certainly got a whole lot bigger."
You were drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1952 and your contract was $6000 and a $500 signing bonus. What do you remember about being part of the early years of the NFL with the Detroit Lions and are you amazed at how much has changed and how much the guys get on their contracts now?
"Well, I've seen it grow. I was part of it in the broadcasting booth after I got through playing. I watched the growth with my raw eyes as John Madden likes to say. I saw it happening in front of me. It's just kind of mind boggling. What kind of player would you get for $6000 today? You wouldn't even get someone's attention for that price. At that time, I thought it was a good offer. Certainly it has grown beyond everyone's imagination and expectation.â€Â
What was it like to be part of the 1952 Champion Detroit Lions and then go to the Chicago Cardinals till 1957 with a team that struggled to under 500 seasons most of the time you were there?
"Well, it was a big disappointment. The Lions were on the threshold of being NFL Champions at that time. They had a lot of marquee players, a lot of nice guys. The atmosphere surrounding the team was all positive. Everything was good, and then to go to the Cardinals was where everything was exactly the opposite. The equipment was poor. The practice facilities were poor. The attitudes were poor. We had some good players, but not nearly enough of them. The whole atmosphere was depressing as opposed to being very optimistic in Detroit."
You got traded to the New York Giants in 1958. What do you remember most about your offensive coach Vince Lombardi and defensive coach Tom Landry?
"Well, I had an opportunity. I played both ways. I was an offensive end and a defensive end. I had the opportunity to go to the offensive meetings and defensive meetings. They were very different in their approach, superb teachers. Lombardi was dynamic, flamboyant, loud, but you listened to what he had to say. You realized he knew exactly what he was telling you. If you did what he said, you would more than likely be successful. I learned more in the offensive meetings under Lombardi than I learned the whole other time I was in football. Landry was the same, entirely a different personality, but the results were the same. He was an excellent teacher. He was far less emotional than Lombardi, but again he said if you do what I say we'll win. Usually he turned out to be right."
What was it like to play football for the New York Giants in Yankee Stadium and have Mickey Mantle's locker for football season?
"Well, it just happened that I got the locker he used during baseball season. It just happened that when we moved in, I got the same locker he did. I know Mickey when we were both playing minor league baseball in Oklahoma. It wasn't like I was in awe of him at the time. It was just a situation where we were friends, remained friends, and actually became very close friends. The Giants had played in the polo grounds in the early years. They moved to Yankee Stadium in 1956. There was something about playing in Yankee Stadium, the aura of Yankee Stadium, the memories, the tradition. It made it a special place to stay and a special place to play. It was a first class atmosphere. No question about it."
You retired at the beginning of the 1960s from the New York Giants and signed on at CBS Sports. What do you remember about the early days of the NFL being broadcasted on TV and being part of it?
"Well, I remember I wasn't making much money in my first CBS contract. It was an honor to be a part of it. We had no idea at that time. I was just doing Giants games as an analyst working with Chris Schenkel who was a great teacher. It was all new to me. I was in awe of being able to have that opportunity. I was living in North Florida and commuting to New York or where the Giants played every weekend. It was a thrill to be a part of it. We had no idea at the time what it was going to become or what football was going to be."
What are your memories of the time you spent with Howard Cosell besides his ability to drink more than most of the country under the table?
"Well, Howard and I lived in nearby communities. I lived in Stanford, Connecticut, he lived in Pound Ridge, New York, which were bordering towns. We got off the air at ABC in his case and CBS at my case about the same time. We rode the same train almost every weeknight. We got to be very good personal friends. When Howard had an audience, meaning more than one person, he was a performer. When it was just him and me, he was the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet."
After John Madden left for ABC and Monday Night Football, did you think about calling it a retirement since you weren't calling the big stage game every week anymore?
"Yeah. I did. In fact I did. That was when I stepped down and decided not to do it anymore. My health was failing at that time too. It was a good time to step down."
What do you remember about the Thanksgivings and all the other times you spent with John Madden and the Madden Cruiser?
"Well, I remember a lot of Thanksgiving dinners on that Madden Cruiser. When he first got the bus, I was a little skeptical about whether he would be able to keep up the travel. It didn't make any difference. Travel consideration was not a factor. We went from long distances. I wasn't sure he was going to be able to make it from week to week, but he did. He never was late. He never missed a game. It turned out that the bus was a blessing. That's where we had production meetings, we had a lot Thanksgiving dinners. That's where he and I really got to be very close friends in addition to being broadcast partners. Nothing about the bus is a bad sour memory to me because we had an awful lot of good times with both John and the drivers."
Your problem with alcohol is well documented through the book. What would you say to anyone who is listening or reading this interview that might have a problem with alcohol?
"I would say that I never thought I had a problem with alcohol until there was an intervention. A group of people got together and said to me we think you are drinking too much, we want you to go for help. I think that's what makes the disease so insidious. No one ever thinks they have a problem. I know I have told myself over and over again that I can quit anytime I want to. It's not a problem with me. I don't crave a drink. I can stop. I am bigger than this is. I am more powerful and stronger, and nobody is willing to ever admit they have a problem. I think that's the key to beating the problem, to curing if there is a cure, that is realizing to be honest with yourself and you have to admit that you do have a problem and until you do, you are never going to get over it."
You had a very close relationship with Mickey Mantle and spent a lot of time with him in his last years. What are your fondest memories of him and did you ever feel bad for him when he would call you on Sundays during the NFL season for inside information if he was down from gambling on College Football on Saturday?
"He became a very close personal friend. We spent a lot of time together, played a lot of golf together. It's true that he called me. He liked to bet on college football and bet on the pros. When he had a bad day in college, he'd call me no matter where I was on Sunday morning and ask what I thought about the pros that day. The biggest mistake I made was being correct a couple of times. Then he called every week like I was some kind of genius. It never affected our relationship. I just knew he'd like to bet. I'd tell him whatever I knew."
You needed a new liver to live and you did get the transplant, but how close did you feel physically before you got the transplant that your life might be over and that we are not talking right now?
"I got the liver transplant and I was close to being dead. I knew that. The doctor, after the operation was a success, told me I had 18 hours to live or it would of been over before I got a new organ. The operation was a success. I probably feel better than I have felt in over forty years. I feel stronger. I have more stamina. I just feel good when I get up in the morning. I am so grateful. If anyone has ever had an organ replaced and it works this well, you should be just as thankful as I am because I have never felt better."
Finally, will we see you in any future projects down the road?
"I have no idea. Right now there are no plans. I'd like to do some work on football games or baseball games or whatever the sporting event might be, but right now I don't know. I can't say you won't see me, still never say never."
http://www.thesportsinterview.com/RMFiles/PatSummerall.rm
Pat Summerall broadcasted NFL to fans for many decades. His most famous partnership with John Madden will never be forgotten, but before his broadcasting days, he was an NFL player. Pat reflects on his entire life in his new book Summerall: On And Off The Air. Pat talks about his battles with alcohol, his friendship with Mickey Mantle, and his time in the NFL.
First off how are you?
"I am doing fine."
How long did it take you to reflect upon all those decades of memories in your book Summerall: On And Off The Air?
"Well, actually from the time I first started, it was much more difficult than I thought it would be. From the time I first began, it took about five years. Basically, I started a long time ago. I happened to be in New York on 9/11, saw what happened to New York City, and saw the second plane hit the building with my own eyes. I sort of stopped writing a book at that time just because of what was going on in our country and didn't pick it back up for another year or so till after I had a liver transplant. Overall, it took about five years, but actually hard work, it probably took a year. Something like that."
While a college player at Arkansas in the 1950s you kicked a winning field goal to upset number four rival Texas 16-14. What do you remember about the game and how different is college football today?
"I don't remember much about that game. I remember the field goal was good and the place went wild. I remember that. College Football, my gosh as pro football has grown immensely beyond the magnitude I ever imagined. The equipment is better. The players are bigger, better. The diets are better. The coaching is better. There are so many more coaches. Traveling is so much easier. There is so many changes that it's hard to numerate all them. I think it's changed maybe not for the better, but it's certainly got a whole lot bigger."
You were drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1952 and your contract was $6000 and a $500 signing bonus. What do you remember about being part of the early years of the NFL with the Detroit Lions and are you amazed at how much has changed and how much the guys get on their contracts now?
"Well, I've seen it grow. I was part of it in the broadcasting booth after I got through playing. I watched the growth with my raw eyes as John Madden likes to say. I saw it happening in front of me. It's just kind of mind boggling. What kind of player would you get for $6000 today? You wouldn't even get someone's attention for that price. At that time, I thought it was a good offer. Certainly it has grown beyond everyone's imagination and expectation.â€Â
What was it like to be part of the 1952 Champion Detroit Lions and then go to the Chicago Cardinals till 1957 with a team that struggled to under 500 seasons most of the time you were there?
"Well, it was a big disappointment. The Lions were on the threshold of being NFL Champions at that time. They had a lot of marquee players, a lot of nice guys. The atmosphere surrounding the team was all positive. Everything was good, and then to go to the Cardinals was where everything was exactly the opposite. The equipment was poor. The practice facilities were poor. The attitudes were poor. We had some good players, but not nearly enough of them. The whole atmosphere was depressing as opposed to being very optimistic in Detroit."
You got traded to the New York Giants in 1958. What do you remember most about your offensive coach Vince Lombardi and defensive coach Tom Landry?
"Well, I had an opportunity. I played both ways. I was an offensive end and a defensive end. I had the opportunity to go to the offensive meetings and defensive meetings. They were very different in their approach, superb teachers. Lombardi was dynamic, flamboyant, loud, but you listened to what he had to say. You realized he knew exactly what he was telling you. If you did what he said, you would more than likely be successful. I learned more in the offensive meetings under Lombardi than I learned the whole other time I was in football. Landry was the same, entirely a different personality, but the results were the same. He was an excellent teacher. He was far less emotional than Lombardi, but again he said if you do what I say we'll win. Usually he turned out to be right."
What was it like to play football for the New York Giants in Yankee Stadium and have Mickey Mantle's locker for football season?
"Well, it just happened that I got the locker he used during baseball season. It just happened that when we moved in, I got the same locker he did. I know Mickey when we were both playing minor league baseball in Oklahoma. It wasn't like I was in awe of him at the time. It was just a situation where we were friends, remained friends, and actually became very close friends. The Giants had played in the polo grounds in the early years. They moved to Yankee Stadium in 1956. There was something about playing in Yankee Stadium, the aura of Yankee Stadium, the memories, the tradition. It made it a special place to stay and a special place to play. It was a first class atmosphere. No question about it."
You retired at the beginning of the 1960s from the New York Giants and signed on at CBS Sports. What do you remember about the early days of the NFL being broadcasted on TV and being part of it?
"Well, I remember I wasn't making much money in my first CBS contract. It was an honor to be a part of it. We had no idea at that time. I was just doing Giants games as an analyst working with Chris Schenkel who was a great teacher. It was all new to me. I was in awe of being able to have that opportunity. I was living in North Florida and commuting to New York or where the Giants played every weekend. It was a thrill to be a part of it. We had no idea at the time what it was going to become or what football was going to be."
What are your memories of the time you spent with Howard Cosell besides his ability to drink more than most of the country under the table?
"Well, Howard and I lived in nearby communities. I lived in Stanford, Connecticut, he lived in Pound Ridge, New York, which were bordering towns. We got off the air at ABC in his case and CBS at my case about the same time. We rode the same train almost every weeknight. We got to be very good personal friends. When Howard had an audience, meaning more than one person, he was a performer. When it was just him and me, he was the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet."
After John Madden left for ABC and Monday Night Football, did you think about calling it a retirement since you weren't calling the big stage game every week anymore?
"Yeah. I did. In fact I did. That was when I stepped down and decided not to do it anymore. My health was failing at that time too. It was a good time to step down."
What do you remember about the Thanksgivings and all the other times you spent with John Madden and the Madden Cruiser?
"Well, I remember a lot of Thanksgiving dinners on that Madden Cruiser. When he first got the bus, I was a little skeptical about whether he would be able to keep up the travel. It didn't make any difference. Travel consideration was not a factor. We went from long distances. I wasn't sure he was going to be able to make it from week to week, but he did. He never was late. He never missed a game. It turned out that the bus was a blessing. That's where we had production meetings, we had a lot Thanksgiving dinners. That's where he and I really got to be very close friends in addition to being broadcast partners. Nothing about the bus is a bad sour memory to me because we had an awful lot of good times with both John and the drivers."
Your problem with alcohol is well documented through the book. What would you say to anyone who is listening or reading this interview that might have a problem with alcohol?
"I would say that I never thought I had a problem with alcohol until there was an intervention. A group of people got together and said to me we think you are drinking too much, we want you to go for help. I think that's what makes the disease so insidious. No one ever thinks they have a problem. I know I have told myself over and over again that I can quit anytime I want to. It's not a problem with me. I don't crave a drink. I can stop. I am bigger than this is. I am more powerful and stronger, and nobody is willing to ever admit they have a problem. I think that's the key to beating the problem, to curing if there is a cure, that is realizing to be honest with yourself and you have to admit that you do have a problem and until you do, you are never going to get over it."
You had a very close relationship with Mickey Mantle and spent a lot of time with him in his last years. What are your fondest memories of him and did you ever feel bad for him when he would call you on Sundays during the NFL season for inside information if he was down from gambling on College Football on Saturday?
"He became a very close personal friend. We spent a lot of time together, played a lot of golf together. It's true that he called me. He liked to bet on college football and bet on the pros. When he had a bad day in college, he'd call me no matter where I was on Sunday morning and ask what I thought about the pros that day. The biggest mistake I made was being correct a couple of times. Then he called every week like I was some kind of genius. It never affected our relationship. I just knew he'd like to bet. I'd tell him whatever I knew."
You needed a new liver to live and you did get the transplant, but how close did you feel physically before you got the transplant that your life might be over and that we are not talking right now?
"I got the liver transplant and I was close to being dead. I knew that. The doctor, after the operation was a success, told me I had 18 hours to live or it would of been over before I got a new organ. The operation was a success. I probably feel better than I have felt in over forty years. I feel stronger. I have more stamina. I just feel good when I get up in the morning. I am so grateful. If anyone has ever had an organ replaced and it works this well, you should be just as thankful as I am because I have never felt better."
Finally, will we see you in any future projects down the road?
"I have no idea. Right now there are no plans. I'd like to do some work on football games or baseball games or whatever the sporting event might be, but right now I don't know. I can't say you won't see me, still never say never."
