The Pittsburgh Steelers did not make the playoffs in 1958, but they certainly had an impact on them. The "Greatest Game" ever played in the NFL according to the lore was the 1958 NFL Championship game between the New York Football Giants and the Baltimore Colts. This game put the NFL into the national conversation and was the catalyst for it eventually surpassing Major League Baseball as the national pastime. Nobody was playing fantasy football in the 1950’s, it was old fashioned smash mouth football, but it featured a few former and future Steelers. The quarterback for the winning Colts that day was the man I contend was the biggest mistake the Steelers ever made, Johnny Unitas. He led the Colts to an amazing sudden death win in overtime, but a future Steeler also made a profound impact on the game. A fearsome defensive tackle who was the first legitimate physical freak that was almost unblockable by a lone offensive lineman. Eugene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb was the key to slowing down the New York Giants running game that day.
He arrived in Pittsburgh after his eighth year in the NFL. After spending three years with the Los Angeles Rams, he was waived and claimed by Baltimore where he began a five-year run of dominance that helped the Colts win two championships. The Colts traded Lipscomb somewhat unexpectedly to the Steelers in 1961. This was of course when sportswriters overlooked off-the-field issues and just reported on the heroes on the field, but it is worth wondering if reporters of the era had a more critical approach, would Lipscomb have lived to see his 32nd birthday.
The Early Days
"He had no control over himself," Rams fullback Deacon Dan Towler says. "He was a paradox. The way he acted in my house and out of my house, it was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His animal nature often was unchecked."
Phil Bath/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Lipscomb was signed out of the Marine Corps by the Rams in 1953. He never played one down of college football and while his size, speed and talent were undeniable attributes, his off-the-field behavior troubled the Rams so much, they waived him after just three years. Rumors of trysts with hotel maids and charges of bigamy, along with his association with unsavory characters was just too much. By the end of the 1955 season, they put him on waivers and the Colts bought him for $10.
"It was like an on-field seminar," Marchetti says. "What 'Big Daddy' learned, he learned through watching us."
(William A. Smith/AP)
In 1956 after his unceremonious release by the Rams, Lipscomb arrived in Baltimore and for the first time since the Marines, was confronted with a structured environment and he thrived. Hall of Famers Art Donovan and Gino Marchetti worked with Lipscomb and taught him the tricks of the trade to go with his immense physical talent. The pairing of technique with his athletic ability led to two All-Pro selections in 1958-59 which coincided with a pair of championships for Baltimore. Lipscomb thrived in Baltimore. The city fell in love with him and the rest of the team in a way that few cities ever have loved a team.
Fleer Football Cards
Pro Wrestling
Money troubles and off-the-field issues mounted to the point where Lipscomb had to spend the 1960 off-season in professional wrestling to pay his mounting debts. He was a popular wrestler and contrary to his fearsome on the field persona, he was a face in pro wrestling.
“Nobody,” he explained, “is going to say that 'Big Daddy' is a mean man.”He went out of his way in the ring to ensure no matter how dirty an opponent’s attack, he responded with “clean” moves and crowd-pleasing antics. Lipscomb’s wrestling career served two purposes: it helped supplement his income by appearing 3-4 times per week, but he also admired pro wrestler’s conditioning and thought it kept him in great shape during the off-season. Lipscomb was dedicated to his craft and while he never held a title, was an extremely popular wrestler who was featured in several promotions. He seemed to be securing a place for his post-football career in the "sport."
Pittsburgh Embraces Lipscomb
The Colts traded their star to Pittsburgh in a five-player deal with the feature players being Lipscomb and flanker, Jimmy Orr. Lipscomb’s arrival in 1961 signaled to the fanbase that they were finally going to be contenders. Bobby Layne unfortunately got hurt during the 1961 season and Rudy Bulkich managed to go 4-4 in his absence.
Lipscomb was dominant. Sacks were not an official stat then, but Pro Football Reference credits him with leading the league in 1961 with 17.5 sacks in 14 games. The Steelers ended up 6-8, but it seemed they were on the precipice of the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history heading into 1962.
1962 training camp opened with unbridled optimism for the Steelers. Layne was healthy, and Lipscomb had solidified the defense. The Steelers were going to be a physical bunch and a team to be feared. On November 4th, 1962, the Steelers fell to 4-4 and it seemed like fans would be bitterly disappointed again. But then they won 4 out 5 games to finish 9-5. Unfortunately, the Giants were in the process of going 12-2 and in 1962, the East Champion played the West Champion, so they met the Green Bay Packers and lost to some guy named Vince Lombardi. He made the Pro Bowl after the 1962 season and was selected as the Most Valuable Lineman in what would be his last game.
Untimely End
His appetites were legendary for women, alcohol, and food. His breakfast for example was legendarily 12 eggs, 1 pound of bacon and a bottle of whiskey. After a wrestling appearance, it was standard for him to drink 24 bottles of soda. He was a two-fisted drinker and legendary carouser, but his friends and ex-wives have insisted for years he was deathly afraid of needles and did not partake in drugs. On May 10th, 1963, Lipscomb was in Baltimore with his friend Tim Black. They visited several nightspots in Baltimore, picked up some women and allegedly were together into the early morning hours. According to Black, when they eventually parted ways with their lady friends, they looked to score some heroin. Black and Lipscomb, according to the account, both took a needle full of heroin, but Lipscomb did not survive his shot. He died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
The autopsy confirmed the overdose, and the tragic story as far as the authorities were concerned was over.
For years, his supporters have pointed out inconsistencies in the circumstances around his death, that the right-handed Lipscomb could not have injected himself in his right arm. That while he was known for abusing alcohol, no one had seen him use drugs, and finally his fear of needles.
20,000 Baltimore fans visited his viewing at Charlie Law’s. Geraldine Young, who was the wife of the former Colt running back, had made all the funeral arrangements for him, and when the funeral home was due to close at 10pm, the line still stretched for two city blocks of those wishing to pay their respects. Young encouraged Law to let all the fans visit and say goodbye. His remains were then shipped to Detroit for his formal funeral and burial.
Despite the circumstances and only two years as a Steeler, Lipscomb is still fondly recalled as a character and a precursor to the modern-day defensive tackles who were agile, fast, 300-pound monsters. He got his nickname in Baltimore because he called everyone “little daddy.” He was a sensitive man who cared deeply what people thought of him and seemingly enjoyed his "Big Daddy" persona.
You can watch highlights on YouTube here of just how dominant he was in his career.
How the 1963 Steelers Nearly Changed NFL History
It is nearly 50 years later and it is unlikely any truth but the official version will ever be told. The Steelers in 1963 came within one game of making the NFL Championship Game, a 33-17 loss to the New York Giants without Lipscomb, and based on his history of frustrating the Giants, it is a question that plagues Steeler Nation. If he had been on the field, do they play for an NFL Championship? If they win that championship, how would it have changed the franchise? More importantly, if Lipscomb had come along in the age of drug testing, social media and modern-day football, does he become a Hall of Famer? Maybe not, but it is likely he would live to become a "Big Granddaddy."
Rest in Peace, we still remember you Mr. Lipscomb.
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