04. Dick Lane

Nola McConnan + Tim Cortes

1 in stock

Watercolor Painting

Nola McConnan + Tim Cortes

In 2013 the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary by adding a new addition adjacent to the original building. The new section of the Hall of Fame was joined to the existing section by means of a passageway called the Time Tunnel. The Hall of Fame decided to decorate the...

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In 2013 the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary by adding a new addition adjacent to the original building. The new section of the Hall of Fame was joined to the existing section by means of a passageway called the Time Tunnel. The Hall of Fame decided to decorate the passageway by showing life-size portraits of The 15 Greatest NFL Players of All Time. The Hall of Fame hired Scott Sillcox of Heritage Sports Art to create the player images. This framed piece contains the two actual original pieces of art that were used to create the life-size image of Player #4 in the timeline – Dick Lane. To the viewer’s left is the actual original watercolor painting of Lane’s uniformed body, while the image in the center-top is the actual original painting of Lane’s face. The image to the viewer’s right is the final art that was electronically created using the two original pieces of art, and it is this compiled image that has been enlarged to life-size and can be found in the Time Tunnel at the Hall of Fame.

The outer dimensions of this framed piece, as measured from the outside of the frame to the outside of the frame, are 45" wide x 40" tall.

Dick Lane was an Army veteran “looking for a good job” when he stopped in the offices of the Los Angeles Rams in 1952 and asked for a tryout. All he had for credentials was a battered scrapbook, which chronicled his football experiences in high school, junior college and the Army.

The defending-champion Rams’ coach Joe Stydahar saw just enough “good press” in the scrapbook to offer Lane a trial. At first Dick was tried at end but with future Hall of Famers Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch set as starters, his chances didn't look good. Lane did, however, spend a great deal of time consulting with Fears, who was continually playing the hit record "Night Train," on his phonograph. One day, a teammate entered the room, saw Dick and blurted out, "Hey, there's Night Train," and "Night Train Lane" it was from then on.

Once Stydahar moved Lane to defense, he quickly made an impression. Blessed with outstanding speed, exceptional agility, reflex action, and a fierce determination to excel, “Night Train” set the NFL on fire as a rookie. He intercepted a record 14 passes in the 12-game season. Besides being a constant threat to steal passes, Lane also became known as a devastating tackler.

Lane also was willing to take chances on the field in spite of the risks. Most, however, would agree that percentage-wise he was well ahead of the game. Lane played two years with the Rams before being traded to the Cardinals in 1954.

Six years later, he was sent to the Detroit Lions where he enjoyed his finest years. Dick was named first- or second-team All-NFL every year from 1954 through 1963. Named to seven Pro Bowls, Night Train intercepted 68 passes for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns during his Hall of Fame career.

RICHARD LANE … SCOTTSBLUFF JUNIOR COLLEGE ... 6'1'', 194 ... JOINED RAMS AS FREE AGENT AFTER FOUR YEARS IN ARMY... SET NFL INTERCEPTION RECORD (14) AS ROOKIE, 1952 ... ALL-NFL SIX YEARS ... NAMED TO SEVEN PRO BOWLS ... SELECTED ALL-TIME NFL CORNERBACK, 1969 ... CAREER INTERCEPTION RECORD: 68 FOR 1,207 YARDS, FIVE TDS ... GAMBLER ON FIELD WHO MADE SPECTACULAR PLAYS ... DEADLY OPEN-FIELD TACKLER ... VERY FAST, AGILE, AGGRESSIVE ... BORN APRIL 16, 1928, IN AUSTIN, TEXAS … DIED JANUARY 29, 2002 AT AGE OF 73.

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