Lou Creekmur

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Lou Creekmur

Date of birth:	January 22, 1927 (1927-01-22) (age 81)
Place of birth:	Hopelawn, New Jersey
Career information
Position(s):	Offensive Tackle, Offensive Guard
College:	William and Mary
NFL Draft:	1948 / Round: 26 (Philadelphia Eagles)
Organizations
As player:
1950-1959	Detroit Lions
Career highlights and Awards
Pro Bowls:	1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1996

Lou Creekmur (born January 22, 1927 in Hopelawn, New Jersey) was a NFL left offensive tackle/guard for the Detroit Lions from 1950-59. He was also used as a defensive lineman in critical situations. In 1996, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Creekmur played football in an era in which protective equipment - especially helmets - were nowhere as sophisticated as they are today. During his high school and early pro years, anyone who wore a face mask was considered a "sissy." As a result, Lou Creekmur's nose has been broken and reset some 13 times. Like many players of the 1940s and 1950s, he has that distinctive "flat nose" look that comes about from most of the cartilage being gone. Only in the middle 1950s, when players finally got tired of the bloody noses and smashed faces that occurred each game, did simple face masks come into vogue. Like most linemen, Creekmur had a simple two-bar mask that still left the nose and eyes exposed. Most ends and quarterbacks either went without a mask or used a single bar. Contrast this to today's helmets where the face is enclosed in a full cage and a clear shield completely protects the eyes.

Apart from the broken noses, Creekmur is remarkable in that in 10 full seasons he never missed a game. His single most serious injury as in the last game of the season in the mid 1950s in which he dislocated his shoulder. However, because it was in fact the last game and that year the Lions were eliminated from post-season play, his record stayed in tact. When you consider that conditioning in the 1950s pretty much consisted of a lot of running and slamming into sleds, it's amazing that Creekmur was able to go his entire career without significant injury.

Creekmur's primary job was to protect his quarterback from being tackled by a large defensive end and give the QB time to set and throw a successful downfield pass. His favortie quarterback was the famous - and infamous - Bobby Lane. He is fond of telling the story about how Lane would frequently treat his front five linemen to expensive steak dinners, not only to thank them for their efforts at making him look good, but to encourage their loyalty. Detroit Lions linemen would literally do anything to protect Lane, and the number of championships they attained during his tenure is proof of their dedication.

Creekmur played high school football at Woodbridge High School.^[1]