Don Klosterman (American football)

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Don Klosterman
No. 10
WIFU
)

Donald Clement Klosterman (January 18, 1930 – June 7, 2000) was a

Steve Young to a record contract for the Los Angeles Express in the United States Football League
(USFL).

Early life and playing career

Klosterman was born of German American heritage in Le Mars, Iowa, the 12th of 15 children. As a youth, he moved to Compton, California with his family. He was collegiate football's leading passer in 1951, for Loyola University of Los Angeles, now Loyola Marymount University. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns, Klosterman found himself behind future Hall of Famer Otto Graham and was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, only to back up two more future Hall of Famers Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield. He turned to Canadian football, playing quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders until he had a skiing accident.

Klosterman almost lost his life on a ski slope at Banff, Alberta on Saint Patrick's Day in 1957. He tried to avoid another skier, and damaged his spinal cord when he hit a tree. He had eight surgeries and was told he would never walk again, but he regained partial feeling and with the aid of a cane and walked again within a year.

Football executive career

In

1969). While in his office on November 26, 1968, he was confronted by pistol-wielding recently released wide receiver Charles Lockhart, who felt he was owed $13,000 by the Oilers. Scout Tom Williams succeeded in wrestling the gun away. Three months later Lockhart was sentenced to 90 days in jail for carrying a pistol. Klosterman declined to charge Lockhart with threatening his life.[1]

After his four‐year contract with the Oilers expired, Klosterman was hired on January 6, 1970, as general manager of the NFL Baltimore Colts, succeeding Harry Hulmes, who was demoted to an assistant position. The primary reason for the appointment was Klosterman's familiarity with the American Football League, the nucleus of the American Football Conference which the Colts were entering beginning with the 1970 NFL season.[2] The Colts won Super Bowl V after his first season as GM.

Klosterman was part of the transition to the Los Angeles Rams after

draft choices that gave Los Angeles excellent trading leverage, according to Paul Attner of The Washington Post.[5] Four months after Georgia Rosenbloom
inherited a 70-percent share in the ballclub upon the April 2, 1979 death of her husband, he replaced the new majority owner's
waivers by head coach Ray Malavasi prior to the 1981 season despite the team having picked up the $250,000 option on his contract.[4][9]

Following the end of the Rams’ 1983 season Klosterman was named general manager of the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League (USFL) that December. His most notable transaction with the Express was signing Steve Young to a record-setting four-year contract worth in excess of $40 million on March 5, 1984.[4] He was dismissed on July 4, 1985, in a cost-cutting measure by the USFL, which had been operating the franchise after previous owner J. William Oldenburg was forced to relinquish the team because of financial and legal issues in February of that year.[10] He filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the Express and the USFL in California Superior Court three months later on October 8, seeking $5 million in punitive damages and $737,500 in unpaid salary and severance pay.[11]

In 1995, after the Los Angeles Rams went to St. Louis and the Los Angeles Raiders returned to Oakland, Klosterman joined with former San Francisco 49ers coach, Bill Walsh, in an unsuccessful effort to obtain a new NFL franchise for Los Angeles.

Klosterman died in Los Angeles of a heart attack on June 7, 2000.

See also

References

  1. ^ Bristol, Jason. "Ex-Oiler pulls gun on general manager: Strange but true," KHOU-TV 11 (Houston, TX), Friday, July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  2. ^ "Ex-Oiler Official Is Hired by Colts," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, January 6, 1970. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. ^ Wallace, William N. "Colts' Franchise Traded for Rams; Players Remain," The New York Times, Friday, July 14, 1972. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Shah, Diane K. "Football's Persuader Is Back," The New York Times, Wednesday, March 7, 1984. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  5. ^ Attner, Paul. "Rams Recover With New Coach, New Frontiere," The Washington Post, Sunday, August 21, 1983. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. ^ "Owner of Rams Dismisses Her Stepson as Top Officer," The Associated Press (AP), Thursday, August 16, 1979. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  7. ^ "Shake‐Up at Rams Strengthens the Hand of Georgia Rosenbloom," The New York Times, Saturday, August 18, 1979. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  8. ^ Janofsky, Michael. "Changes Are Bringing Order From Rams' Chaos," The New York Times, Sunday, August 7, 1983. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  9. ^ Dryer v. Los Angeles Rams (1985) – Justia.com. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  10. ^ "Sports People: Klosterman Out," The New York Times, Friday, July 5, 1985. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  11. ^ "Klosterman Sues Express, U.S.F.L.," The Associated Press (AP), Thursday, October 10, 1985. Retrieved July 17, 2023.

External links

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