Tom Catlin

Tom Catlin was born on September 8, 1931, in Ponca City, Oklahoma. He lettered in four sports at Ponca City High School and was All-State in football in 1949. At Oklahoma (1950–1952) he played center and linebacker on the 1950 national title team, was first-team all-conference in 1951 and 1952, and was UPI Lineman of the Year in 1952. Baltimore drafted him in the fourth round, 38th overall, in 1953, but he was soon traded to Cleveland. He played for the Browns in 1953–1954 (including the 1954 NFL champions) and 1957–1958, and for Philadelphia in 1959. In between he was an Air Force pilot (1955–1957). He coached for the Texans/Chiefs, Rams and Bills, then spent 13 seasons with Seattle (1983–1995), mostly as defensive coordinator under Chuck Knox. He retired after a Parkinson's diagnosis and died in Seattle on June 7, 2008. Slot note: Pro Football Reference's OU draft table and Grokipedia give pick 39, while OU and Wikipedia give 38. Two sources each, so this bio keeps 38 and flags it as unconfirmed.