Milan Lazetich

Milan "Sheriff" Lazetich (August 27, 1921 – July 9, 1969) was an American professional football player in the 1940s. He played college football for the University of Montana and University of Michigan. He was a first-team All-Big Ten tackle and second-team All-American in 1944 for the Michigan Wolverines. He later played professional football for the Cleveland / Los Angeles Rams. He played on the 1945 NFL Championship team as a rookie and was an All-Pro guard/linebacker for the Rams in 1948 and 1949.

Early life Lazetich was born in 1921 in Anaconda, Montana. He was the son of Peter Lazetich, a pioneer Serbian rancher. He joined the U.S. Navy during World War II but received a medical discharge. After being introduced to Big Ten football in 1944, Lazetich told reporters that "no end or back ever threw a block like a pony that has been running wild for a couple of years, especially when he feels the first touch of a saddle." An NEA wire service story reported: "To him the Big Nine schedule can't be as tough as the battering bucking broncs handed out." At the end of the 1944 season, Lazetich, in his sophomore season, was selected for the Associated Press All Big Ten Team as a first-team tackle. He was also picked as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, International News Service, and Central Press Association.

Cleveland and Los Angeles Rams In August 1945, the 23-year-old Michigan sophomore signed to play professional football for the Cleveland Rams. With the Rams, Lazetich was converted from a tackle to a guard on offense and linebacker on defense. and he helped the Rams to win the NFL championship in his first year as a professional player.

In 1946, the Rams moved to Los Angeles, giving California and the Pacific Coast its first major league sports team. Lazetich played for the Rams in their first five seasons in Los Angeles.

In the late 1940s, he was regarded as "one of the finest defensive right guards in pro football," He was selected as a first-team NFL All-Pro by the Chicago-Herald American in 1948 and as a second-team NFL All-Pro by Pro Football Illustrated. In 1949, he was selected as a first-team All-NFL/AAFC player by the International News Service, the Hearst newspapers wire service. Lazeitch also recovered the fumble and appeared to have sealed a victory for the Rams. However, the Rams were unable to run out the clock, and the Browns kicked a field goal in the game's last minute to win, 30–28.

In addition to his ability as a player, Lazetich developed a reputation as "a wild character if there ever was one." Decades later, Los Angeles Times sportswriter Frank Finch wrote that, although modern players were bigger and faster, he preferred the characters of the early NFL over the "faceless robots" of the modern game. He focused in particular on Lazetich: "A character's character was Ram middle guard Milan (Sheriff) Lazetich. He was a blithe spirit from Montana who'd played college football at Michigan before joining the Rams in '46 for a five-year stint. That he lasted that long with the club is remarkable in light of what he pulled at Dan Reeves' Christmas party for the team at the end of the '46 season." Reeves, the Rams' owner, invited the team to a party at his home; the centerpiece was a large cake in the design of a football field topped with a full-size football covered in chocolate. Teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Fears later recalled the incident this way:"During the course of predinner libations, someone asked Lazetich to demonstrate his punting prowess. I don't think he'd ever kicked a football before in his life. They dared him to boot the chocolate football, which was a big mistake because Laz wasn't the kind of guy to take a dare lightly. He ambled out to the kitchen, plucked the football off the top of the fancy cake, brought it out in the front room and drove his toe into it with beautiful form and a perfect follow through. Cake, frosting and everything else that was loose was well distributed over the ceiling, walls, windows and drapes. ... It also was the last party Reeves ever held in his house for the Rams." In November 1949, Lazetich was hospitalized in Pennsylvania during the football season for treatment of a stomach ulcer. He was given several blood transfusions, his condition was reported to be serious,

In July 1951, Lazetich announced his retirement from football. At the time, the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Sorry to see the gruff rough Sheriff on the shelf. His departure leaves the Rams with only two members of the original cast of the 1945 world's championship team."

Later life After retiring from football, Lazetich returned to Montana, where he worked for the Deer Lodge County, Montana road department, as a court bailiff and as a surveyor with the Montana Highway Department. He was buried with military honors at the Mount Olivet Cemetery after a funeral in Butte's Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church. Lazetich was survived by his wife, the former Mary Laughlin, and his daughter Milana.