Michael Joseph McCormack (1930 - 2013)

Born 21 Jun 1930 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Died 15 Nov 2013 at age 83 in Palm Desert, Riverside, California, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Alicia McCormack [send private message]

Biography

Michael McCormack is Notable.

Michael "Mike" McCormack was a famous American National Football League player and coach.

Early Life

Michael Joseph McCormack was born on 21 June 1930 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to Michael McCormack (26) and Georgia Everson (22). His father was a Scottish immigrant and his mother was from Missouri^[1]. He was known as Mike.

When he was small, his parents moved back to his mother's homeplace of Kansas City, Missouri. In 1940, Mike (9) lived at 3934 Indiana, Kaw, Kansas City. He lived with his father Michael (36), his mother Georgia (32), his sister Jo Ann (7) and his brother James (5). His father worked with heat insulators while his mother was a nurse^[2]. He attended high school at De La Salle.

Football Career

He attended the University of Kansas and played college football. At this time of his life, he expected to become a high school coach. He went to the 1951 NFL Draft at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago but had to wait until the third round to be selected by the New York Yanks. By the end of the 1951 football season, Mike was conscripted by the US Army to serve in the Korean War.

He returned from the war in 1954 and found that his team no longer existed. During the war years, the Yanks had moved to Dallas, became the Texans and folded after just one season. Mike became a free agent and was signed immediately by the Baltimore Colts.

Paul Brown, famous founder, owner and coach of the Cleveland Browns, had seen Mike play football three years earlier and added him to the roster in a trade exchange with the Baltimore Colts. He played on the defensive line for his first season with the team. A famous moment of his was when he grabbed the ball from the hands of Detroit Lions Quarter Back Bobby Layne and helped set up an early touchdown.

The next season, Mike was moved to offensive tackle. He was instrumental in the Cleveland Browns again winning the NFL title. Paul Brown considered him the best offensive lineman he ever coached.

His career highlights and awards included the 6x Pro Bowl, the 9x All-Pro, 2x NFL Champion, Cleveland Browns Ring of Honour, Carolina Panthers Hall of Honour and the Hall of Fame (Class of 1984).

Coaching Career

Mike retired from professional football in 1962 and became an assistant coach for the annual College All-Star Game. In 1965, he became the assistant coach for the Washington Redskins, a position he held for the next eight seasons.

In 1973, he replaced Ed Khayat as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He was dismissed in 1975 following the team's poor performance. He then spent four years as the offensive line coach for Cincinnati Bengals. He was head coach for the Baltimore Colts from January 1980 to December 1981 but as the team had fallen to 2-14. He was replaced the next day by Frank Kush, who was also considered for the position originally.

Administration

Mike joined the Seattle Seahawks in 1982 and became president and general manager. The same year, the Seahawks lost their first two games and a 57 day players strike begun. The head coach Jack Patera was fired and Mike replaced him. He led the team to a 4-3 record (the only winning record he achieved as an NFL head coach).

Seattle did not qualify for the 16-team post season and Chuck Knox was hired to be the new head coach in 1983. Mike returned to the management position and declined all future offers to be a head coach. He was fired from his job in 1989 by new owner Ken Behring.

In late 1989, Mike became a consultant for Jerry Richardson, whose ownership group wanted to land an NFL expansion team in Charlotte, North Carolina called the Carolina Panthers. He was hired as their team president and general manager in 1993. He retired in 1997 and a monument was erected at their stadium to honour him.

Personal Life

Mike married <private wife> on 21 Jan 1956 in Jackson, Missouri^{[3] [4]}. He was twenty six years old. They had two sons and two daughters.

Later Life and Death

Mike died in Palm Desert, California aged 83

Sources

1. ↑ Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2S8-WSJC : 18 May 2016), Michael Mc Cormack, 21 Jun 1930; Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference/certificate 27365, Cook County Clerk, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K74X-MR8 : 7 December 2019), Michael Mccormack in household of Michael J Mccormack, Ward 16, Kansas City, Kaw Township, Jackson, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 116-346, sheet 2A, line 4, family 19, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2180.
3. ↑ "Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WP7Z-466Z : 1 October 2019), Michael Mc Cormack, 3 Jan 1956; citing Marriage, Jackson, Missouri, United States, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; FHL microfilm 007138064.
4. ↑ "Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WP7H-S16Z : 1 October 2019), Michael Mc Cormack, 21 Jan 1956; citing Marriage, Jackson, Missouri, United States, Missouri State Archives, Jefferson City; FHL microfilm 007138064.

See also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_McCormack_(American_football)

• https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1821729/bio?ref_=nmmi_bio_sm