1962 Bills Linebacker Profiles

ARCHIE MATSOS
Middle Linebacker
No. 56
Michigan State
"Speed and agility have brought Archie Matsos two seasons of All-Pro laurels as a middle linebacker. The Detroit-born diagnostician has led the club in individual tackles and his tremendous lateral movement has helped the play of his corner cohorts.
Archie is a busy Buffalo figure at sports dinners and the most popular off-season speaker."

-Don Schiffer, 1962 Pro Football Handbook

"This Detroit dandy gained all-league recognition for the second year in a row. His marvelous maneuverability and fine speed enabled him to intercept eight passes in both 1960 and 1961.
A member of Michigan State's Rose Bowl team of 1956, the powerful midwesterner, who was equally at home at center, guard and tackle, was switched to middle linebacker by the Bills because of his ability to diagnose plays."

-1962 Fleer No. 20

"Dynamic All-AFL middle linebacker, 1960-61.

Matsos is comparatively light (215 pounds) but extremely fast and agile. He has the best lateral movement in the league to either side and has 26% more tackles than any other Bill.

He has a keen diagnostic sense that has led to an unusually high number of pass interceptions the past two seasons.

A member of Michigan's 1956 Rose Bowl team, Archie is a much sought-after sports night speaker during the off-season."

-1962 Buffalo Bills Official Program, War Memorial Stadium

TOM LOUDERBACK 

Middle Linebacker 

No. 54

San Jose State

"Tom did a bang-up job as a middle linebacker for the Raiders last year. He previously played two years with the Philadelphia Eagles and also spent a season with Hamilton in the Canadian League.

He played in both the East-West Shrine Game and the College All-Star contest after playing at San Jose State where he was an All-Coast selection.

He formed and coached the Raider basketball and roller derby teams during the off-season."

-1962 Fleer No. 75

"The addition of Jackie Simpson to the linebacking trio will have no effect on the play of Tom Louderback, the Petaluma (Calif.) peach of a tackler who has helped give the Raiders some defensive strength up close. Two years as an Eagle and one in the Canadian circuit furnished the 28-year-old with the all-important experience required to diagnose opposing offenses.

Very active off the field, he's been coach of the club's basketball and roller derby teams."

-Don Schiffer, 1962 Pro Football Handbook (see Raiders)

"A three-year pro, Tom spent the last two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He's a strong, mobile linebacker with good balance. An All-Pacific Coast selection at San Jose State who played in the East-West Shrine and College All-Star games.

Tom coached the Raiders' off-season basketball and roller derby teams. Opponents think he sometimes roller skates to cover."

-1962 Buffalo Bills Official Program, War Memorial Stadium

MARV MATUSZAK
Linebacker
No. 55
Tulsa

"When Matuszak comes crashing through to rush a forward passer, better watch out. A mean hunk of man, he's all business.

Marv has been gaining experience each season and has become a pretty tough man to decoy. He usually can spot where a play is coming and has the answers ready and waiting for the ball-carrier. Big blockers don't discourage him, either."

-1958 Topps No. 79

"This could be Marv's year to shine. He could step into any of the linebacker positions and do a bang-up job, having made his knowledge of the game pay handsome dividends.

Drafted third by Pittsburgh in 1953, he clicked as a rookie, then put in two years in the Army. After playing for the Steelers in 1956 he was swapped to San Francisco for the following season and gained All-Pro recognition. In 1958 he was dealt to Green Bay and a year later the Packers sent him to the Colts for guard Fred Thurston. His hometown is South Bend, Indiana, but he's now living in Baltimore."

-1961 Baltimore Colts Official Program

1962

Marv is always bad news for the opposition, whether crashing through the line for a passer or being in the right place to tackle a ball carrier. He can spot where a play is going and is tough to decoy.
Selected to the Pro Bowl as a Steeler rookie in 1953 and again in 1957 as a 49er, Marv was named All-Pro in '57.

"A recent linebacking addition. Marv is starting his eighth pro year and was a two-time All-Pro selection during a career with stops in Pittsburgh, Green Bay, San Francisco and Baltimore.

Matuszak has figured in two big deals while in the NFL: San Francisco traded Earl Morrall and Mike Sandusky to Pittsburgh for him. Later, Baltimore acquired him from Green Bay for Fred Thrurston.

A strong, fast and agile Matuszak can play any of three linebacking positions. He's considered one of Tulsa University's all-time great stars."

-1962 Buffalo Bills Official Program, War Memorial Stadium

JOHN TRACEY

Linebacker-Tight End

No. 85

Texas A&M

MAIL-ORDER END

"For a fellow who never played high school football, John Tracey has done right well. He's an All-America at Texas A&M now.

John Tracey is six feet, three inches tall and weighs 215 pounds, every inch and pound impressive and ample. And before he came, via the mails, to star at Texas A&M as a mighty end, he had never played high school football- for which he should be ashamed of himself- a big and strong (and, it was discovered later, very talented) fellow like him. 'I just wasn't interested,' he says. 'I didn't know what I was missing.'

Basketball was his game, and he played it fairly well at Northeast Public High School in Philadelphia and at the neighborhood boys' clubs- where he did most of his growing up- until he broke his arm. In June of 1951, he graduated from high school and went to work. There were no college offers because, John thinks, the broken arm prevented the scouts from seeing him during his last year. 'I hung around Philly,' John said, 'doing factory work and playing ball. I even played a year of sandlot football, my first try at it. I guess I was becoming a tramp kid, content to hang aroud.'

Then, in June of 1953 at the age of 19 and two years out of high school, John was drafted and sent to Camp Atterbury in Indiana. That was where he played his first organized football. 'My platoon sergeant was the quarterback for the camp team,' John said. 'After drills, he'd go back out on the field to throw a football around, and I'd go along to catch it. He liked the way I caught the ball and got me a tryout with the camp team.'

The normal run of Army duties being what they are, better than 200 boys showed up for the tryout. Making the team, of course, meant lighter duties. Although Tracey was clearly inexperienced, the coaches liked his size, his speed, his natural talent for catching the ball, and the dogged way he dug in and learned the game. He got a job. He was first-string by mid-season.

When his outfit, the Eighth Division, was moved to Fort Carson, Colorado, John went out for football again. His coach, Chet Lewkaski, had played at Kentucky under Bear Bryant, and after seeing Tracey through a few games he wrote Bryant, now at Texas A&M, to take a look at the boy. Soon, Bryant was at Fort Carson, watched John play, liked what he saw and told him to keep in touch.

In May of 1955, Tracey was discharged and went home to Philadelphia and a job assembling air conditioners. But he knew now that he wanted to go to college and to play football. In the summer, he wrote to Bryant, and, sure enough, Bryant wrote back. Come on ahead, he said, I've cleared an athletic scholarship for you. So John saved his money and in early September, his mail-order scholarship in hand, he flew to College Station, Texas.

'I had decided that I wanted to play football at A&M,' John said. 'You see I'd been away from high school a long while, and I had a lot of studying to make up so I didn't want any distractions. And College Station is a long way from home- 1,745 miles. I know the exact distance. I figured I wouldn't be able run off home every chance I had, and that I'd have to stay and study.'

Getting back to school was tough for him. He had to review all his old high school subjects. Algebra and biology, particularly, were forgotten. And on the field he had to learn, too. 'I was way behind the other fellows.' But John is a natural athlete. He was able to do things easily which other players have to study and practice and strain to master. He beat a high school All-America for a regular end spot on the freshman team. Then, after the first game, he was moved to fullback. The frosh had small backs and the coaches wanted some meat back there. John weighed 220 at the time and could run 100 yards in ten seconds.

Up with the varsity the next spring, he was returned to end and won a starting job. Jack Pardee, the regular fullback, had shoulder troubles, however, and one of the coaches told John to remember his fullback plays, just in case. 'Come on coach,' John said, 'let me play end.'

This was his position. 'I love to catch that ball,' he says. 'There's nothing like it. In college ball I learned that this game is great. In the service there was no go, go, go. Here, it's all go, go, go. There's always a challenge. And I love to catch that ball.

'The only thing I like almost as much is defense. It's an art, I guess. The play comes your way, and you're wondering what the other fellow is thinking. You decide quick and you go at him. The action is great.'

Coach Bryant was exhilarated by what he saw of Tracey. If there is anything Bryant likes, it is a big, burly, hard-nosed player- and Tracey is all of that. He played an aggressive defense, was a natural blocker because 'he just put his nose in there and hit,' and he was a natural pass-catcher. He was All-Southwest at the end of his sophomore season.

Understandably, A&M expected great things of him last year. The Aggies were after a title and John had an important share in the assignment. But he chipped a bone in his ankle early in the game against Baylor. He played the remainder of the quarter; apparently the coaches failed to notice that he was hurt. He came out for four minutes at the end of the quarter, limping, and then went back in. Hobbling around the field in the second half, he was belted again, this time on the elbow. And still he played.

In fact, he played through the entire schedule, mostly because the Aggies were thin behind him, and he had only an average season due to the injuries. 'I didn't mind playing,' he says. 'I wanted to play. I can't watch a ball game.'

This past spring, John was due to have an operation to remove the calcium deposits that had formed on his ankle. But with new coach Jim Myers coming in, he wanted to impress. 'I had my job to protect,' he says. So he talked the doctors into delaying the operation until after spring practice, and he went out and showed his new coach what he could do. 'The ankle held up until the last two days,' he says. 'Then the deposit broke off and the ankle locked. So I went to Houston for the operation. I'm okay now.'

He's okay all around now. At the age of 25 and married, he has ambitions. He wants to play pro ball (which he will) and owns a sportrs shop. He is happy, living in a four-room apartment with his wife Betty ('She's a great housekeeper'), being called 'Pops' by his teammates, finding important friendships with them ('There's isn't a greater bunch of fellows anywhere'), and playing a game he learned late in athletic life and now loves. He is no tramp kid."

-Sport Magazine, November 1958

RALPH FELTON
Linebacker
No. 57
Maryland
Coming to Buffalo from Washington last year, Ralph played in all 14 games, made two interceptions and was named second-team All-AFL by UPI. Primarily a fullback during his college days at Maryland, Ralph has recovered from the knee injuries that threatened his career a few years ago.

"The Bills' old-pro left-side linebacker is starting his 10th season. He's one of the AFL's best red-doggers. He constantly advises, encourages and protects the Bills' younger players. He's particularly adept at covering for injury-slowed teammates without weakening his own position.

Ralph was considered by many observers to be the Bills' most effective 1960 performer. He was an All-American fullback at the University of Maryland. He announced his retirement at the end of 1961, but reconsidered upon close evaluation of the Bills' 1961 title possibilities.

'I think we can do it.' "

-1962 Buffalo Bills Official Program, War Memorial Stadium