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LaVern Torgeson
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LaVern Torgeson
LaVern Earl "Torgy" Torgeson (February 28, 1929 – March 20, 2015) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington State Cougars from 1948 through 1950. Torgeson played in the NFL for seven seasons, principally as a linebacker, for the Detroit Lions from 1951 to 1954 and for the Washington Redskins from 1955 to 1957.
After retiring as a player, Torgeson worked for 35 years from 1959 to 1993 as an assistant coach in the NFL. His coaching positions included stints with the Washington Redskins (1959–1961, 1971–1977, 1981–1993), Pittsburgh Steelers (1962–1968), and Los Angeles Rams (1969–1970, 1978–1980). He was a coach on three Super Bowl championship teams in 1982, 1987, and 1991. As a player and coach, he spent 42 years in the NFL, 26 of them with the Redskins.
Torgeson was born in La Crosse, Washington, a small town in the eastern part of the state, and attended La Crosse High School, and excelled in football, basketball, and baseball.
After graduating from high school in 1947, Torgeson enrolled at nearby Washington State College in Pullman, where he played college football on the Cougars' varsity from 1948 through 1950. He played on both offense as a center and on defense as a linebacker. Torgeson was the team captain in 1950, and he was selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the first-team center on the All-Coast team.
The morning of Torgeson's final game as a Cougar, the annual rivalry game with Washington in Spokane, his younger brother Robert, a sophomore at Washington State, died from carbon monoxide poisoning while sleeping in a parked car after traveling from Pullman to watch the game.
Torgeson was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round (58th overall pick) of the 1951 NFL draft. As a rookie, he appeared in all 12 games for the Lions, playing at both the linebacker and center positions. From 1952 to 1954, he played at the right linebacker position for the Lions. During the Lions' NFL championship seasons in 1952 and 1953, he had ten interceptions, including a 31-yard interception return for touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams on October 19, 1952.
In late January 1955, the Lions traded Torgeson and Jim Hill to the Washington Redskins in exchange for Walt Yowarsky and Jim Ricca. Torgeson played for the Redskins from 1955 to 1957, appearing in 35 games. He was released by the team in September 1958.
In September 1959, Toregson announced that he was retiring as a player and had been hired as an assistant coach with the Redskins. He was with the Redskins from 1959 to 1961.
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LaVern Torgeson
LaVern Earl "Torgy" Torgeson (February 28, 1929 – March 20, 2015) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington State Cougars from 1948 through 1950. Torgeson played in the NFL for seven seasons, principally as a linebacker, for the Detroit Lions from 1951 to 1954 and for the Washington Redskins from 1955 to 1957.
After retiring as a player, Torgeson worked for 35 years from 1959 to 1993 as an assistant coach in the NFL. His coaching positions included stints with the Washington Redskins (1959–1961, 1971–1977, 1981–1993), Pittsburgh Steelers (1962–1968), and Los Angeles Rams (1969–1970, 1978–1980). He was a coach on three Super Bowl championship teams in 1982, 1987, and 1991. As a player and coach, he spent 42 years in the NFL, 26 of them with the Redskins.
Torgeson was born in La Crosse, Washington, a small town in the eastern part of the state, and attended La Crosse High School, and excelled in football, basketball, and baseball.
After graduating from high school in 1947, Torgeson enrolled at nearby Washington State College in Pullman, where he played college football on the Cougars' varsity from 1948 through 1950. He played on both offense as a center and on defense as a linebacker. Torgeson was the team captain in 1950, and he was selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the first-team center on the All-Coast team.
The morning of Torgeson's final game as a Cougar, the annual rivalry game with Washington in Spokane, his younger brother Robert, a sophomore at Washington State, died from carbon monoxide poisoning while sleeping in a parked car after traveling from Pullman to watch the game.
Torgeson was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round (58th overall pick) of the 1951 NFL draft. As a rookie, he appeared in all 12 games for the Lions, playing at both the linebacker and center positions. From 1952 to 1954, he played at the right linebacker position for the Lions. During the Lions' NFL championship seasons in 1952 and 1953, he had ten interceptions, including a 31-yard interception return for touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams on October 19, 1952.
In late January 1955, the Lions traded Torgeson and Jim Hill to the Washington Redskins in exchange for Walt Yowarsky and Jim Ricca. Torgeson played for the Redskins from 1955 to 1957, appearing in 35 games. He was released by the team in September 1958.
In September 1959, Toregson announced that he was retiring as a player and had been hired as an assistant coach with the Redskins. He was with the Redskins from 1959 to 1961.