Jack Pardee
A hard-nosed linebacker turned innovative coach, he left his mark on virtually every major professional football league in North America.
1936–2013 (age 77)·American football player and coach·Birthday: April 19·The Silent Generation
Biography
Jack Pardee's football life was defined by toughness and adaptability. As a player, he was a cornerstone of the ferocious defenses of the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s, known for his intelligence and relentless play. He famously played through a diagnosis of melanoma, refusing to let it end his career. That resilience carried into coaching, where he became a unique nomad of the gridiron. Pardee is the only man to have been a head coach in college football, the NFL, the USFL, the WFL, and the CFL. He wasn't just a journeyman; he was an innovator, implementing the explosive 'Run and Shoot' offense with the Houston Oilers, revolutionizing passing attacks with a scheme that relied on receiver reads rather than a set playbook.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Jack was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jack Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Jack's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2013Died at 77
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 for his All-American career at Texas A&M.
- The only head coach to lead teams in five different major North American football leagues (NFL, USFL, WFL, CFL, NCAA).
- As head coach of the Houston Oilers, he implemented the innovative 'Run and Shoot' offense, leading the team to multiple playoff appearances.
Did You Know?
He was part of the University of Texas's 'Bull Elephant' backfield in college, playing fullback at over 225 pounds, which was enormous for the era.
Pardee played his entire 15-year NFL career without ever wearing a facemask.
He was the head coach of the Chicago Bears when they drafted Walter Payton.
“Football is a tough game for tough people; you don't win with excuses.”
