| First Bills coach Garrard "Buster" Ramsey dies |
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| Written by Admin |
| Tuesday, 18 September 2007 12:05 |
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SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tenn. (AP) -Garrard ``Buster'' Ramsey, the first coach of the Buffalo Bills, has died. He was 87. Nephew Knox Wagner Ramsey Jr. said Ramsey died of pneumonia Sunday at a Chattanooga-area retirement center where he had been living. Ramsey played guard at William and Mary, where he was the school's first All-American. In the NFL, as a two-way player as a lineman, he was part of the Chicago Cardinals' team that won the 1947 championship. In 1959, he became coach of the newly formed Bills team of the old AFL, where he was 11-16-1 in two seasons before being fired in 1962. He also held coaching positions with the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers. As a defensive coach with the Lions in the 1950s, Ramsey was credited with helping develop the 4-3 defense and helped popularize blitzing linebackers. He ended his coaching career with the Steelers in 1965. After that, he retired to the Smoky Mountains foothills in East Tennessee, where he raised cattle and served on the Blount County School Board and the county commission. He was born in Walland and grew up in Knoxville. After college, Ramsey served in the Navy during World War II where he was a drill instructor. Survivors include two sons, one daughter and five grandchildren. Graveside services will be Saturday in Maryville. |
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