Abe Gibron

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abe Gibron (September 22, 1925- September 23, 1997) was a former American football offensive lineman and coach whose ample girth was arguably his most recognizable feature. During his playing career, he weighed 250 pounds (on a 5-11 frame), but as a coach, ballooned to over 300 pounds. Former teammate Lou Groza said about Gibron's enormous appetite, "Every time you went to dinner, it was a banquet."

Gibron played college football at Purdue University, then played in 1949 with the All-America Football Conference's Buffalo Bills. After the league's merger with the National Football League, Gibron was selected by the Cleveland Browns, where he played for seven seasons. In six of those campaigns, the Browns played in the NFL Championship game, winning three times. Individually, he was selected to five Pro Bowls.

In 1957, Gibron was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, then moved on the following year to play two seasons with the Chicago Bears.

From 1961-1964, he served as an assistant coach with the Washington Redskins, then went back to Chicago in a similar capacity for the Bears from 1965-1971. When head coach Jim Dooley was dismissed, Gibron was elevated to the top slot on January 27, 1972. In his three seasons, the Bears compiled an 11-30-1 record, resulting in Gibron's dismissal two days after the team's final game of the 1974 NFL season.

Gibron stayed in the Windy City in 1975, serving as head coach of the World Football League's Chicago Winds. After the league folded in October of that year, Gibron resurfaced the following year as an assistant with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he served for nine seasons under head coach John McKay.

In December 1996 and February 1997, Gibron suffered strokes that confined him to his home for the remainder of his life.