I always liked this card. I had no clue about John, though. Zilch, nada, negatory. He was a “card”, that’s all.
He looked like one of those obscure, rough and tumble players that made a brief career in the NFL before moving on with life… and I was quite wrong. And happy about it.
The son of a Dixieland musician, Gordy was a star at Tennessee when he was drafted by the Lions. He had an excellent rookie season, becoming a starter for the ‘57 NFL champions… then quit to become an assistant coach at Nebraska.
You don’t see that career choice very often. Or at all.
He must have not been happy at Nebraska (remember that our state “motto” was briefly, “It’s not for everyone” and I wish to God I was kidding), because within a year he was back with the Lions, and continued to have a strong career with Detroit. He would make three Pro Bowl appearances before a knee injury during the ‘68 training camp ended his career.
NFL historians look at Gordy as one of the pivotal founders of the NFLPA. He was the president when the union went on strike for the very first time in 1968. It was over quickly–eleven days in July– but that strike led to higher minimum salaries for veterans and rookies, bigger paychecks for exhibition games, independent arbitration and a greater contribution to the pension fund. And it showed owners that the NFLPA wasn’t afraid to go that route if necessary.
He also dabbled in movies, playing himself in Paper Lion. Off the field, he was married three times, but the last one “took” as it lasted twenty-six years until his death from pancreatic cancer. He also had six kids and fourteen grandchildren.
So, that is your tutorial on John Gordy. He’s not just another card anymore.
