JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Just got back from being part of an event where Ed Podolak was the honored guest...it was a Van Meter fundraiser...fun to be there.
Ed and I were up on stage together for a half hour or so...he had some great, great stories to tell, most all of them I had never heard before.
One of the cooler things I have seen in my time working in this genre was tonight when they showed highlights of the December 25th, 1971 game between the Chiefs and Dolphins, the longest game in NFL history..it was the game where Podolak went for 350 all purpose yards, still an NFL playoff record.
I intentionally stood behind Ed so I could watch his reactions...it was neat seeing him bobbing and weaving watching those old highlights on the big screen and seeing his reactions to his old coach Hank Stram talking about him, Garo Yepremian's attempt to tackle him on a KOR and the comments his former peers had about his day. Somewhat surreal actually.
I have always known that Podolak was involved in that game and that Podolak swims in deep waters with regards to the friends he has had in life (golfing buddies with Jack Nicholson, former neighbor of Hunter S. Thompson, buddies with Jimmy Buffet who wrote a song about Ed, etc)
But I had never wondered exactly how he came to know so many people...what I have learned over the last week preparing for this night and the 30 minute interview I basically did with him on stage was the effect that performance against the Dolphins had on the rest of his life.
That was the first time in NFL history where football games were played on Christmas Day...the Cowboys and Vikings were the early game with KC-Miami the late game...and then to have that game be one of the most memorable games in NFL history (still to this day) and the entire nation was watching it because that was the only thing on TV other than Hee Haw reruns (which is what the KC tv market saw, because the games used to be blacked out in the home market whether or not they were sold out)....
After that game, Ed said he flew to his home in Aspen and forgot about everything...but the biggest names in sports and entertainment had not forgotten about him, and he became admired by folks in those worlds..people wanted to meet him...the likes of Mickey Mantle, who was one of Ed's boyhood idols..that game really created a legend for him and probably was the key springboard moment for the rest of his life.
It was so much fun hearing him tell those stories. Some other nuggets re: Podolak from my prep work:
He is 16th all time at Iowa in career rushing yards and 16th in career passing yards. He has more passing yards than Nathan Chandler and Marc Vlasic.
Podolak was the top pick in the Canadian draft coming out of Iowa, and a second round NFL pick by KC. The folks in Regina (Canada) told him that he should play up there because it was a more open game and the Chiefs had a recent Heisman trophy winner at running back (Mike Garrett). Podolak felt he could beat Garrett out and opted to go to KC. After Ed's rookie season, the Chiefs traded Garrett.
He is still the 4th leading rusher in Chiefs history. He led KC in rushing four separate seasons and led them in receiving three times.
Ed and I were up on stage together for a half hour or so...he had some great, great stories to tell, most all of them I had never heard before.
One of the cooler things I have seen in my time working in this genre was tonight when they showed highlights of the December 25th, 1971 game between the Chiefs and Dolphins, the longest game in NFL history..it was the game where Podolak went for 350 all purpose yards, still an NFL playoff record.
I intentionally stood behind Ed so I could watch his reactions...it was neat seeing him bobbing and weaving watching those old highlights on the big screen and seeing his reactions to his old coach Hank Stram talking about him, Garo Yepremian's attempt to tackle him on a KOR and the comments his former peers had about his day. Somewhat surreal actually.
I have always known that Podolak was involved in that game and that Podolak swims in deep waters with regards to the friends he has had in life (golfing buddies with Jack Nicholson, former neighbor of Hunter S. Thompson, buddies with Jimmy Buffet who wrote a song about Ed, etc)
But I had never wondered exactly how he came to know so many people...what I have learned over the last week preparing for this night and the 30 minute interview I basically did with him on stage was the effect that performance against the Dolphins had on the rest of his life.
That was the first time in NFL history where football games were played on Christmas Day...the Cowboys and Vikings were the early game with KC-Miami the late game...and then to have that game be one of the most memorable games in NFL history (still to this day) and the entire nation was watching it because that was the only thing on TV other than Hee Haw reruns (which is what the KC tv market saw, because the games used to be blacked out in the home market whether or not they were sold out)....
After that game, Ed said he flew to his home in Aspen and forgot about everything...but the biggest names in sports and entertainment had not forgotten about him, and he became admired by folks in those worlds..people wanted to meet him...the likes of Mickey Mantle, who was one of Ed's boyhood idols..that game really created a legend for him and probably was the key springboard moment for the rest of his life.
It was so much fun hearing him tell those stories. Some other nuggets re: Podolak from my prep work:
He is 16th all time at Iowa in career rushing yards and 16th in career passing yards. He has more passing yards than Nathan Chandler and Marc Vlasic.
Podolak was the top pick in the Canadian draft coming out of Iowa, and a second round NFL pick by KC. The folks in Regina (Canada) told him that he should play up there because it was a more open game and the Chiefs had a recent Heisman trophy winner at running back (Mike Garrett). Podolak felt he could beat Garrett out and opted to go to KC. After Ed's rookie season, the Chiefs traded Garrett.
He is still the 4th leading rusher in Chiefs history. He led KC in rushing four separate seasons and led them in receiving three times.
