A Team Game - The Civil Rights Era and a Championship NFL team.

Good NFL defense is the essence of a team game. A team game? What the hell is that anyway? From personal experience I know that it is a group of people operating together for the common good. The common good, success is based on everyone carrying out the detail of his assignment on every play. To carry out the detail you have to know the detail of your assignment. That takes dedecated preparation. Everyone in the group has to trust the people on either side of him to be confident that they are carrying out the detail of their assignment. Once the plan is set and you enter the battle there is no time or room for argument no room for friction among teammates. Black Walter Beach playing right corner back covering Hall Of Fame Colt Ray Berry must have a close trusting relationship with right linebacker Johnny Brewer from Ole Miss, covering Hall Of Fame Colt Lenny Moore out of the backfield so when a call is made in the huddle then switched off during the play they both know the subtlties of their changed assignments and the modifications will be carried out in an instant. There was no room for Old Racial mores on our team even in the 1960's when the civil rights movement was an explosive new issue. Life during an NFL play occurs in a blurr. Close trusting relationships are built on carrying out the details of assignments again and again in practice then under the pressure of exhibition game then stepped up to the pressure of a regular season game then carried out during the pressure of the late season run for the play-offs and and then under the play-off presssure then under the pressure of the Championship game. I can guarantee you that Walter Beach and Johnny Brewer have worked through all racial barriers and have a mutual respect for each other that can never be shaken. Our entire 1964 Championship team feels the same way about each other. I am so proud of being a part of this group of wonderful men, gentelmen, tough strong willed warriors. I played next to linebackers Jim Houston, and Galen Fiss, and Sidney Williams, behind End Paul Wiggin and Tackle Dick Modsewlski beside safeties Ross Fitchner, Larry Benz, Don Fleming and I trusted them all to do their job and they trusted me to do mine.
As I wrote in my book They Call It A Game " page 24, "Even our rookies were treated with nornal repect by our veterans, for if they were talented and tough enough to make our team, that was what they deserved. Hazing was never a part of our football. That season was the first year for Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield, Clifton McNeil, Walter Roberts, and Sid Williams. We were lucky to have them with us." That is an understatement. They are respected gentlemen, they are also warriors, and I don't use the word warrior lightly, Leroy and Paul are Hall of Fame players, Clifton lead the league in receiving in 1966, Sid was the Ambassador to the Bahamas and he and Leroy were the best special teams players in the league and Walt was the best kick returner in the league. All are also black players who were one of the guys who earned trust and respect like everybody else on that team. Forty years later, after a wonderful reunion I realize even more fully what a remarkable group (team) of dedicated men I was privledged to be a part of. We decided we were the best then we proved we were. No lucky bounces just everyone relentlessly carrying out the detail of our assignments. I have neglected my good friends Ernie Green, John Wooten, Jim Brown, and a few others but I'll get to them shortly in another Parrish Thought.
The Patriots seem to have the same selfless team first attitude whereas the Eagles have the Terrill Owens-Freddie Mitchell selfish infection. I believe the Patriots total team first attitude will win the Superbowl.