Dan Towler

Daniel Lee "Deacon" Towler (March 6, 1928 – August 1, 2001) was an American professional football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) as a fullback for the Los Angeles Rams from 1950 through 1955. Towler was selected to play in the Pro Bowl four consecutive seasons (being the most valuable player in the January 1952 game); was named a first- or second-team All-Pro in four seasons; and was on the 1951 Rams' NFL championship team. He led the NFL in rushing yards one season and rushing touchdowns in two seasons. He was in the top four in total rushing yards over four consecutive NFL seasons, and was second in yards per carry in three consecutive seasons. He once rushed for over 200 yards in a single game.

Towler attended Washington & Jefferson College where he was a cum laude graduate in theology. As a member of the school's football team he was third in the nation in scoring in 1948, and was an Associated Press second-team Little All-American that year. He is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame.

Towler's stated primary objective throughout his life was to serve in the ministry. During his playing career with the Rams, he and the team had an agreement under which the Rams gave Towler the leeway to study at the University of Southern California's school of religion, unhindered by having to meet certain otherwise mandatory team obligations. After six years, Towler obtained a Master's Degree in theology from USC. He also later obtained a doctorate in education from USC.

Towler retired from professional football after the 1955 season, and became the minister of a church in Pasadena for the following decade. After that, among other things, Towler served as a chaplain, and assistant to the president, at California State University, Los Angeles. He also was the six-term president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education, among numerous other positions he served in over the years in the religious, charitable, educational, academic, and public sectors.

Early life Towler was born on March 6, 1928, in Donora, Pennsylvania, to William (a minister) and Evelyn Towler. Towler was raised in a religious family, and began reading the Bible at seven-years old, which became a daily ritual after that in his life. It was also around this time that he first developed the intention to become a minister. As a senior in 1945, playing fullback, the reportedly 217 lb (98.4 kg) or 195 lb (88.5 kg) Fowler scored 24 touchdowns and had a conference record 152 total points.

Towler was also a forward on the school's basketball team, an outfielder on its baseball team, and was a sprinter and threw the shot put on Donora's track and field team. He was on the dean's list as a student. He was part of the "Four Gazelles" backfield (Towler, Jack Sourbeer, Walt Cooper and Russ Hughes), that was considered at one time to have the fastest group of four running backs in college football in 1948, as each could run the 100-yard dash in 10.2 seconds or less.

As a freshman at W&J, Towler scored 60 points. He then scored 74 points in eight games as a sophomore, including a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. His 16.6 points per game led the nation in scoring average per game. He was twice selected All-Pennsylvania, in 1947 and 1948. He continued to be known as "Deacon" during his college playing time, as he had been in high school.

Towler was interested in becoming a professional football player, but only if he could continue seminary studies in the off-season or even during the football season. During his entire career (1950 to 1955), the NFL played 12-game seasons. As a rookie in 1950, he started one game at fullback. On the season, he had 130 yards rushing on 46 carries, with six rushing touchdowns. The Rams' starting fullback in the other 11 games was Dick Hoerner. Rams' linebacker Paul "Tank" Younger was also used as a fullback at times in 1950, with eight rushing attempts. The Rams lost to the Cleveland Browns 30–28 in the 1950 NFL championship game. Towler did not record any offensive statistics in the game.

In 1951, Towler started five games as a fullback, but led the team with 126 carries, 854 yards and a 6.8 yards per carry average. His six rushing touchdowns tied for the team lead with Hoerner (a starter in 10 games), who had 569 yards on 94 carries. Younger's offensive role increased that season, with 223 yards on 36 carries. Each of the three "Bull Elephants" averaged over six yards per carry that season.

In the 1951 season, Towler was third in the NFL in total rushing yards, and second in yards per carry behind Tobin Rote's 6.9 yards per carry. The Rams defeated the Cleveland Browns in the 1951 NFL Championship Game, 24–17. In that game, Fowler rushed for 36 yards in 16 carries, with one touchdown. He was selected to play in the January 1952 NFL All-Star Game (now the Pro Bowl). United Press International (UPI) named him first-team All-Pro, and the Associated Press (AP) named him second-team All-Pro that season. He was the January 12, 1952 Pro Bowl’s most valuable player. He was again selected to play in the Pro Bowl, and both the AP and UPI named him first-team All-Pro. The Rams lost in the divisional round of the 1952 NFL playoffs to the Detroit Lions. Towler had 54 yards on 13 carries for one touchdown, and a 21-yard reception in that game. The Lions were the eventual NFL champions that year.

In 1953, Towler started nine games. He had 879 yards on 152 carries, with seven rushing touchdowns. He also had 11 receptions for 125 yards and one receiving touchdown. He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season, and he was a first-team UPI All-Pro. In 1953, the AP only selected one team of offensive and defensive All-Pros, and Towler was not named to that team. Towler was, however, one of five other offensive players who received an honorable mention for All-Pro from the AP for the 1953 season. His 5.8 yards per carry was second in the NFL. He was also second in rushing yards and tied for third in rushing touchdowns (just behind Tank Younger who had eight that season).

In a November 1953 game against the Baltimore Colts, Towler rushed for a career game-high 205 yards on only 14 carries; including a 73-yard touchdown run. Towler also had runs of 32, 31 and 25 yards in that game. He later said, "Our right halfback was hurt, so I was moved from fullback to right half, and wasn't familiar with it. I was taking tosses from the quarterback and going every which way but the right way. I ran the wrong way on practically every play and it was the best running game I ever had".

In 1955, Towler only started three games. He missed nine starts because of a knee condition that persisted during the season. He finished the regular season with 137 yards on 43 carries, with three rushing touchdowns. For the third time in six years, the Rams played the Cleveland Browns for the NFL championship. With Tank Younger unable to play, Towler started at fullback for the Rams in that game, which Cleveland won. Towler had 64 yards in 14 rushing attempts, in his last professional football game.

Towler retired after six seasons to become a Methodist minister. During his six seasons with the Rams he started 36 games, appearing in 67. He had 3,493 yards in 672 rushing attempts, with 43 touchdowns and a 5.2 yards per carry average. He also had 662 receptions for 665 yards. Legacy and honors The football statistics website Football Nation calls Towler "the greatest running back you don't know," and "a bright, shining star who lit up the NFL for an oh-so-brief but spectacular three-year period unlike any before or since." "or a three-year period in the early 1950s," says Football Nation, "Towler was the closest thing the NFL has ever produced to an unstoppable ball carrier". In 1999, Towler was inducted into Washington & Jefferson’s Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Washington Greene Hall of Fame in 1999. Personal life During college at W&J, while studying theology, Towler preached at church services. He considered himself a full-time student and part-time football player. Towler had an agreement with Rams' owner Dan Reeves that his studies took priority over football, and if there was a conflict between school and team meetings, he would attend classes.

NFL career statistics Legend Won the NFL championship Led the league Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Rushing Receiving GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 1950 RAM 12 1 46 130 2.8 34 6 8 63 7.9 17 0 1951 RAM 12 5 126 854 6.8 79 6 16 257 16.1 46 0 1952 RAM 12 11 156 894 5.7 44 10 11 68 6.2 13 0 1953 RAM 12 9 152 879 5.8 73 7 11 125 11.4 49 1 1954 RAM 12 7 149 599 4.0 24 11 10 127 12.7 36 0 1955 RAM 7 3 43 137 3.2 14 3 6 25 4.2 11 0 67 36 672 3,493 5.2 79 43 62 665 10.7 49 1

Playoffs Year Team Games Rushing Receiving GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 1950 RAM 2 0 2 2 1.0 2 0 1 7 7.0 7 0 1951 RAM 1 1 16 36 2.3 9 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 1952 RAM 1 1 13 54 4.2 17 1 1 21 21.0 21 0 1955 RAM 1 1 14 64 4.6 15 0 1 7 7.0 7 0 5 3 45 156 3.5 17 2 3 35 11.7 21 0