Ronnie Knox
3 / Pick: 37 | |
Drafted by | Chicago Bears |
---|---|
Career history | |
As player | |
1956 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
1956 | Calgary Stampeders |
1957 | Chicago Bears |
1958–1959 | Toronto Argonauts |
Ronald Knox (February 14, 1935 – May 4, 1992) was a National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL) quarterback. He played college football at UC Berkeley and UCLA.
High school and college
The son of Dr. Raoul Landry, who was a professor of nuclear physics, Ronnie's parents divorced when he was young. He had a sister, Patricia.[citation needed]
An All-American at Santa Monica High School, and known by his step-father's surname, Ronnie Knox played under the tutelage of coach Jim Sutherland.[1] He played his freshman season for Pappy Waldorf's California Golden Bears before abruptly transferring to UCLA in the fall of 1954. Knox's stepfather, Harvey Knox, was accused of interfering with the Bears' coaching staff and of making extreme monetary demands on the university.[citation needed]
Harvey Knox interfered with his son's high school coaches and Ronnie played for three different high school teams (Beverly Hills, Inglewood, Santa Monica) in three years.[2] Harvey Knox was also accused of interfering in the business of his stepdaughter, actress Patricia Knox.[2]
Ronnie Knox played for one season at UCLA in 1955 before being declared ineligible due to accepting "under-the-table" financing.[3]
Professional football
After leaving UCLA, Knox signed a movie contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but he would never appear in any pictures for the studio.[4] Knox signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats,[5] but would leave the team after one month to once again pursue a film career. Knox signed with the Calgary Stampeders on October 3, 1956, six days after quitting the Tiger-Cats.[6]
Selected in the third round of the
Due to a bitter dispute with the Bears, Knox was not allowed by Halas to play for the Bears or play for any other NFL team.[8] Instead, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts midway through 1958 CFL season with a promise by Harvey Knox to the team that he would not interfere. His most notable performance came on October 25, 1958 when, playing the Ottawa Rough Riders, he passed for 522 yards, then a team record and still second most in Argonaut history. After splitting up with his stepfather,[9] Knox would play only one more season of football before retiring, saying that football was a "game for animals."[10]
Post-sports
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2022) |
After leaving Toronto, Knox appeared in a few movies and television shows,[11] but did not return to football, despite offers from the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers of the newly formed American Football League.
In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s Knox drifted around
Having been single since a divorce from painter Renate Druks[12] in 1964, his philosophy was to stay free. Knox compared his lifestyle to the noble savage written about by James Fenimore Cooper. He read English literature by the hour, stretched out on a cot or in his worn out twelve-year-old car. He yearned for a life at sea.[13]
References
- ^ "Fan Has Fond Memories of Knox", Los Angeles Times, July 30, 1988, pg. 3.
- ^ a b Knox, Harvey (September 6, 1954). "Why Ronnie Knox Quit California". Sports Illustrated. p. 32.
- ^ "Ronnie Knox Plans Stiff Fight To Retain Football Eligibility". United Press Associations. May 23, 1956. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
- ^ Eller, Claudia (May 4, 1999). "MGM Continues to Struggle to Reinvent Itself". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Ronnie Knox Ends College Career; Signs With Hamilton Pro Eleven". Associated Press. August 19, 1956. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
- ^ "Harvey and Ronnie Agree to Terms With Calgary". Los Angeles Times. October 3, 1956. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
- ^ "Ronnie Knox suspended". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. October 4, 1957. p. 20.
- ^ "Ronnie Knox going back to Toronto". Prescott Evening Courier. (Arizona). Associated Press. February 19, 1959. p. 11.
- ^ "Ronnie Knox Splits Up With Stepfather". Los Angeles Times. June 14, 1958. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
- ^ "'It's game for animals,' says poet Ronnie Knox as he quits football". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. September 16, 1959. p. 2C.
- ^ "Ronnie Knox Quits Football For Acting". The Miami News. United Press International. July 26, 1958.
- ^ Archived 2020-08-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Poetry in Motion, Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1988, Internet article.
External links
- Ronnie Knox at IMDb