Jim Winkler (American football)

Jim Winkler
No. 78, 76
	Winkler, circa 1953
Born:	July 21, 1927; Moody, Texas, U.S.
Died:	February 14, 2001 (aged 73); Ventura, California, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)	Defensive tackle
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	250 lb (110 kg)
College	Texas A&M
NFL draft	1949, round: 3, pick: 27
Drafted by	Los Angeles Rams
Career history
As player
1951–1952	Los Angeles Rams
1953	Baltimore Colts
Career highlights and awards
	NFL champion (1951); 2× First-team All-SWC (1947, 1948);
Pro Bowls	1

James "the Perch" Carl Winkler (July 21, 1927 – February 14, 2001) was a defensive lineman who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

In his autobiography, NFL Hall of Famer Art Donovan described Winkler as "the craziest football player I have ever met," and he shared this anecdote, among others: "When he joined us, we immediately dubbed him "the Perch", because he had a face like a fish. Plus, he was always twitching his neck and his jaw and contorting his face. He always swore he had a broken jaw. And he was constantly socking himself in the mouth to try to straighten it out. I swear to God, he'd haul off every few hours and punch himself as hard as he could right in the face. He acted like a true psycho. And he was a big guy, about six-three and 270." Donovan went on to describe how Winkler once refused to play in a game against the Rams because they were his former teammates. Another anecdote describes a time when Winkler got a scratch on his face during a practice. When teammate Ken Jackson joked that Winkler's face needed stitches, Winkler took him seriously and went ballistic after team trainer Eddie Block told him that it was really only a scratch and did not require stitches. He started destroying the locker room and was sent home.^[1]

An article in the July 25, 1954 issue of The Baltimore Sun acknowledged that Winkler experienced personal problems in his lone season with the Colts but stated that Winkler asked Coach Weeb Ewbank for his release due to a shoulder injury. It also stated that he returned to Texas to live with his father, his wife, and his child.^[2]

References

^ Donovan, Arthur (1987). Fatso: Football When Men Were Really Men. pp. 177–179. ISBN 0-688-07340-9.
^ ""Colts Lose Jim Winkler"". The Baltimore Sun. July 25, 1954. Retrieved May 1, 2022.

External links

Jim Winkler at Find a Grave

This biographical article relating to an American football defensive lineman born in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Donovan, Arthur (1987). Fatso: Football When Men Were Really Men. pp. 177–179. ISBN 0-688-07340-9.

[2] ""Colts Lose Jim Winkler"". The Baltimore Sun. July 25, 1954. Retrieved May 1, 2022.

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