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Jack Patera was the first head coach in Seahawk history, making him an important figure in Seattle's sporting history. Howard Mudd will remember the laughter and paternal advice more than anything that happened on a football field or in a locker room. Despite a sometimes rough appearance, those who knew Patera remember his great heart and his sense of humor as much as any discipline or harsh words that he had ever addressed to players or coaches assistants.
Patera, the first head coach of the Seahawks' history and the man who led the team to his first winning seasons, died Wednesday at the age of 85 as a result of a battle against pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his family at his home in Cle Elum.
"He was a great coach, he was a good guy," said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. "I know that the guys who played for him really loved playing for him, they think about him, we meet them on the day of their arrival – at the time of the alumni – and he was very important for all those guy, important to a lot of people, so we will miss him. "
"A great guy", that's how Mudd described Patera. Mudd worked under Patera from 1978 to 1982 and the two men remained in friendship until Patera's death. Mudd has fond memories of Patera on the ground, but some of the first stories that came to mind when talking about his old friend were the laughs they shared during a class visit. of summer, highlighting the humorous and optimistic spirit of Patera despite the loss of about 100 people. books because of his fight against cancer. Then there was the moment when Mudd needed advice on an issue concerning his young son so many years ago, and Patera uttered words of wisdom that he still cherishes to this day.
"You would not think of him as someone who would share his heart with another man, but he really had such a big heart," said Mudd.
Of course, Patera was not always one to let his players see that big heart when he was the first Seahawks head coach.
"It was us against Patera," said former receiver Steve Raible in 2016, when the Seahawks were preparing to honor the teams of "Patera Era". "We learned much later in life that he was a very good coach and a very good guy, he was just hard on his players. It was the nature of things at that time. "
A former NFL linebacker, Patera has been an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. With the Rams and Vikings, Patera oversaw two of the best-known D-lines in league history, the Fearsome Foursome and the Purple People Eaters of Minnesota.
Then, in 1976, the Seahawks hired Patera as head coach, thanks in part to the strong support of NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. As is almost always the case with the expansion teams, the Seahawks had difficulties at first, but found their place under Patera, scoring a 9-7 record in 1978 and 1979. And well that they did not like that at the time, Patera players now realize that his no. The absurd approach was the right one for an expansion team that was trying to find its way.
"We sort of laughed when we got there, because Jack Patera was really old school," said former Seahawks offensive lineman Steve August. "We were probably the last team to have a strength and fitness coach, so we were probably the last to allow water to practice. He was old school, but he was an excellent coach. Jack was good for Seattle for those early years. It was fun to be part of this inaugural era of the Seahawks.
Former offensive lineman Nick Bebout arrived in Seattle after starting his career in Atlanta. He described the process as "starting from scratch," noting that Patera helped legitimize the team in his early years.
"It was fun," said Bebout in 2016. "The first year, there were tense situations, it was a little hectic. Nobody really expected us to do much, and we did not do it. It took a lot of work to try to build something out of nothing. But we were the base of what you have there today. I had good times and good memories during my four years in Seattle. It was great fun.
"We started to gain some respectability, the league people started to take us a little bit more seriously. We have prepared a good foundation for the teams that have followed and the Seahawks have had good years since. "
According to Mudd, Patera's consistency was essential to the team's development during these early years.
"The words that come to mind are authentic and reliable," said Mudd. "It does not necessarily mean that players like everything he said or did, but you can always count on him to say exactly what he thinks, and you can count on that. These are very important things when you are a mentor or a management position such as head coach. There was no contradiction in what he said or did or in his rules, it was the same all the time. And although some rules have been perceived by some people as harsh, he has never applied them harshly. "
Patera not only gave the team his first taste of success – he was named NFL's 1978 NFL coach in both the Associated Press and Sporting News – he also helped the team to get closer to his fans, partly thanks to his willingness to take risks playing.
"There was not much glory at first, but I think we had a lot of fun," said former offensive goalkeeper Tom Lynch, who has played four seasons under Patera. "We did everything we could to win, we won games that we probably should not have." We have certainly entertained the offensive, defense and special teams. You look what Jack was ready to do. (Kicker Efren) Herrera scoring touchdowns, kicking the back, false goals, false goals. We would do everything to keep the teams on the alert … The most important thing is simply the city that has supported the team. The 12th man makes sense. The impact they have is truly unique. "
Patera and his coaching staff were fired in 1982, but not until he helped make his mark on a new franchise.
"Jack was a great football coach, he was under that Bud Grant tree," said former defensive player Jacob Green. "We wore suits and ties to the game, he wanted us to look like gentlemen. He was really good, Jack was good. Even after football, he participated in my golf tournaments. We always had a good time. Always."
Steve Largent, Hall of Fame receiver, added, "Jack was a tough guy, he had a plan, he had a way of thinking that you should lead a team. He wanted some type of player and he tried to do it. His hands were tied to how the league allowed teams to enter the league. It was much more difficult than today with free will. But even with that, Jack was doing pretty well for the way you had to form a team at that time.
"It was really (a fun time for the team). We did not have the kind of success we wanted to have, but we were more successful than anyone in the same circumstances. In our team, we had just the type of guys who were really quality people, who had a lot of character and who were players who knew how to win. "
And the man at the center of it all was a coach who was both an old-school disciplinarian and a big-hearted father figure.
"He had that gruff exterior, but he was a teddy bear inside. I do not think he wants people to know about it, "said Gary Wright, director of public relations for the team under Patera. "He had a big heart and was obviously a very good football coach. His record speaks for itself.
"He was really the right guy for this job and he put us on the right track … Until now, his players love him. He had this cunning exterior, but the players really liked him. "
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