Joe Don Looney

Joe Don Looney

No. 32, 35, 26
Position:	fullback,halfback
Personal information
Born:	(1942-10-10)October 10, 1942 Fort Worth, Texas,U.S.
Died:	September 24, 1988(1988-09-24)(aged 45) Terlingua, Texas,U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:	R. L. Paschal (Fort Worth, Texas)
College:	Texas TCU Cameron Oklahoma
NFL draft:	1964/ round: 1 / pick: 12
AFL draft:	1964/ round: 6 / pick: 44
Career history
New York Giants(1964) Baltimore Colts(1964) Detroit Lions(1965–1966) Washington Redskins(1966–1967) New Orleans Saints(1969)
Career highlights and awards
Second-teamAll-American(1962) First-team All-Big Eight(1962)
Statsat Pro Football Reference

Joe Don Looney(October 10, 1942 – September 24, 1988) was anAmerican footballfullbackandhalfbackwho played professionally in theNational Football League(NFL) for theNew York Giants,Baltimore Colts,Detroit Lions,Washington Redskins,and theNew Orleans Saints.

Early life

Looney was born inFort Worth, Texas,the son ofDon Looney,who played college football at TCU and then in the NFL for thePittsburgh Steelersin 1940 and thePhiladelphia Eaglesfrom 1941 to 1942. The younger Looney attendedAdmiral Farragut AcademyinSt. Petersburg, FloridaandR. L. Paschal High Schoolin Fort Worth.

College career

In his first semester at theUniversity of Texas,Looney received four Fs and one D. Looney responded by dropping out and enrolling atTexas Christian University(TCU). He was eventually kicked out of that school and transferred toCameron Junior College,where he played for Leroy Montgomery on the national champion1961 Cameron Aggies football team.He set a punting record in the 1961Junior Rose Bowl,as his team won the junior college national championship. He madeAll-Americanwith theUniversity of Oklahomain 1962, leading them to theBig Eight Conferencechampionship. He played in only three games in 1963. Head coachBud Wilkinsonkicked him off the team after Looney netted four yards in six carries in a game against Texas. Looney did not get along with Wilkinson, and it was also alleged he had punched assistant coach Johnny Tatum, though Tatum debunked that claim.

Professional career

Looney was selected in the first round with the 12th overall of the1964 NFL draftby theNew York Giants.He was also selected in the sixth round of the1964 AFL Draftby theKansas City Chiefs,but chose to play in the NFL instead. He was with the Giants just 25 days before they traded him along with offensive linemanLou Kirouacto theBaltimore Coltsfor wide receiverR. C. Owensand safetyAndy Nelsonduring training camp on August 24, 1964.As a member of the Giants, Looney racked up a number of fines for violating team rules.

Looney had only 23 carries with Baltimore that season. In November, he got into an argument about politics with a couple, then later that night, broke into their apartment with a friend and attacked them.He received one year's probation and a fine.

The Colts traded Looney and an undisclosed draft pick to theDetroit Lionsfollowing on June 3, 1965, forlinebackerDennis Gaubatz.He put together one good season, racking up 114 carries for 356 yards and five touchdowns. While with Detroit, Looney was told by coachHarry Gilmerto carry in a play to the quarterback. Looney refused and told Gilmer, "If you want a messenger boy, callWestern Union."

Detroit traded Looney to theWashington Redskins,where he had an uneventful tenure. He had 55 carries for 178 yards. The only highlight of his time with the Redskins came on a play in which he did not even have the ball. He was pass protecting for quarterbackSonny Jurgensen,and ended up leveling an onrushing pass rusher with a right hook to the jaw. When he tried to renegotiate his contract, he was let go.

In 1968, Looney was called up by theUnited States Armyto go toVietnam.He joined a lawsuit that claimed that a reserve unit could not be sent to fight in an undeclared war, but it was defeated.

When he returned to the United States, he signed on with theNew Orleans Saints.He had three carries for -3 yards with the Saints that year, and retired after the season.

Looney was ranked as the most uncoachable player in NFL history by NFL Films presidentSteve Sabol.He would often intentionally run the wrong way on plays in practice in order to make things more challenging for himself. He once skipped several practices. When questioned about his absences, he responded by saying, "If practice makes perfect and perfection is impossible, why practice?"

After football

After his retirement from football he converted toHinduismand joined theSiddha Yogamovement led by SwamiMuktananda.Stan Trout, a fellow convert, alleged that Looney was one of Muktananda's "enforcers" who intimidated people into obeying him.

Looney pled guilty to illegal possession of a firearm in federal court on January 7, 1974. He was sentenced to three years' probation. On February 5, 1988, he received a presidential pardon from Ronald Reagan.Looney died at the age of 45, on September 24, 1988, near Luna Vista north ofTerlingua, Texas,when hismotorcycleran off a rural highway and crashed into a fence.

External links

• Career statistics and player information fromNFL·Pro Football Reference