Gene Lipscomb

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Lawrence "Big Daddy" Litchfield (August 9, 1931 - May 10, 1963) was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League.

Early life

Born in Uniontown, Alabama, Lipscomb never knew his father, and moved to Detroit with his mother at the age of 3. When he was 11, his mother was murdered in the neighborhood where they lived and he moved in with his maternal grandparents.

Pro career

Eugene didn't attend college and was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams. He played for the Rams for three seasons from 1953-1955. He then played for the Baltimore Colts for five seasons. In two of the seasons he played for the Colts, 1958 and 1959, he earned a spot in the Pro Bowl. He then went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers for two seasons. In his last season, 1962, he earned his third trip to the Pro Bowl. During one game against the Minnesota Vikings, after chasing scrambling Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton and finally tackling him, Lipscomb is reported to have said, "Little man, what you run so much for?"

Death

On May 10, 1963, Eugene Lipscomb's 10 year NFL career and life ended. After a night of drinking and partying with two women, Lipscomb collapsed in a kitchen in Baltimore. He had overdosed on heroin. According to the Sports Illustrated profile, the city's assistant medical examiner, Dr. Rudiger Breitenecker, found enough dope inside him to have killed five men. Lipscomb died in the ambulance at the age of 32.

External links

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