John Arlen Patera was an American football player and coach in the National Football League.
18 Facts About Jack Patera
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In 1982, Jack Patera was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.
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Jack Patera was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the fourth round of the 1955 NFL Draft.
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Jack Patera played linebacker for three seasons under head coach Weeb Ewbank.
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On September 17,1958, Jack Patera was signed by the Chicago Cardinals and played for two seasons under head coach Frank Ivy.
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In 1960, Jack Patera was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the expansion draft.
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Jack Patera's playing career ended early when he re-injured his knee in the fourth game of the season against the Cleveland Browns.
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Jack Patera returned in 1961, but played in only two games and retired at the end of the season after not being fully recovered from his previous injury.
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Jack Patera's playing days over, Patera turned his attention to coaching and joined the Los Angeles Rams in 1963 as a defensive line coach.
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In 1968, Jack Patera became an assistant coach for the New York Giants, but left after one year to take an assistant coaching position with the Minnesota Vikings under head coach Bud Grant.
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In January 1976, Jack Patera was hired as the head coach for the expansion Shortly after arriving, he began the difficult task of building a competitive team from the ground up.
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Since he would not have the player talent to compete with other NFL teams possessing superior power, speed and finesse, Jack Patera resorted to a wide-open gambling style offense that was centered around a passing game using many creative gadget plays.
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Seahawks improved in their third season, Jack Patera was voted the NFL Coach of the Year in 1978 by the Associated Press and The Sporting News.
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Jack Patera's players were required to wear coats and ties when traveling on the road.
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Jack Patera did not enjoy the constant questions about his coaching decisions and the dissection of his team's performance by the sports reporters.
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Jack Patera once held a seven-second press conference after a particularly difficult loss in Seattle.
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Jack Patera resided east of Seattle in Cle Elum with his three dogs.
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Jack Patera died at the age of 85 from pancreatic cancer on October 31,2018.