Earl Looman
American football coach (1932–1992)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Earl Looman Jr. (July 21, 1932 – January 3, 1992) was an American football player and coach.
Marion County, Florida, U.S.
| No. 79 | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Guard, defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 21, 1932 |
| Died | January 3, 1992 (aged 59) Marion County, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Fremont Ross (Fremont, Ohio) |
| College | Toledo (1950) Stetson (1951–1952, 1955) |
| NFL draft | 1956 (18th round, 211th overall pick) |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
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* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
Coaching | |
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| Awards and highlights | |
Early life and football career
Looman grew up in Toledo, Ohio, and attended Fremont Ross High School. He then played college football for Stetson. He was used as a right tackle, defensive end, and linebacker throughout his career.[1] He played with the team from 1951 to 1952 before enrolling in the military.[1] He returned in 1955 as a senior and earned National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American honors along with being named team MVP.[1]
Looman was drafted in the 18th round of the 1956 NFL draft to the Baltimore Colts as an offensive guard.[2] He signed with the team on February 27, 1956.[3] He suffered a back sprain within the first five minutes of the initial summer workouts.[4] He was then cut due to the injury not healing.[4]
In 1956, after being released by the Colts, Looman returned to his alma mater, Stetson, as the team's line coach.[5] He had initially declined the position to sign with the Colts.[2] Stetson dropped football after the season and Looman was hired as the head football coach for Florida Military School.[6] As head coach, his team ran a Split-T offense.[6]
In 1962, Looman returned to the gridiron as a player-coach for the Daytona Beach Thunderbirds of the Florida Professional Football League (FPFL).[7] He also served as the team's defensive line coach.[7] The team became members of the Southern Football League (SFL) in 1964.[8] In 1965, the team moved to Orlando and became the Orlando Thunderbirds.[9] He served as a co-interim head coach for the season after Bud Asher announced his resignation due to a financial dispute.[9]
In 1970, Looman served as an assistant coach for Father Lopez Catholic High School.[10] In 1972, he reunited with Asher as his defensive line coach for New Smyrna Beach High School.[11]
Personal life
On November 9, 1956, Looman married Betsy Duck in DeLand, Florida.[12] In June 1957, the pair received their bachelor's degrees in science and music, respectively.[5]
Looman died on January 2, 1992.[13]