US #3147-50
1997 Legendary Football Coaches (single stamps) (Red Line)
- Honors some of the greatest US football coaches of all time
- Also issued in pane of 20 with four stamp designs (no red line)
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Value: 32¢, First Class Mail Rate
First Days of Issue: August 5, 7, 8, & 16, 1997
First Day Cities: Green Bay, Wisconsin; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; & Chicago, Illinois
Quantity Issued: 20,000,000 (Lombardi & Bryant) OR 10,000,000 (Warner & Halas)
Printed by: Printed for Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. By Sterling Sommer of Tonawanda, New York
Printing Method: Offset, Microprint
Format: Panes of 20 (Horizontal 4 across, 5 down)
Perforations: 11.1
Tagging: Large tagging block over all 20 stamps, covering the stamps to the edges
Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate four of the greatest US football coaches in history: Paul “Bear” Bryant, Glenn “Pop” Warner, Vince Lombardi, and George Halas.
About the stamp design: The stamps picture designs by artist Daniel Moore. It’s said he spent around 2 months on each painting. The stamps picture each coach in a different setting based on reference photographs and other sources. Moore said, “I did comprehensive research on each of the four Legendary Football Coaches far in advance of applying oil pigments to my panels. This research included studying both written and visual documentation on the subjects. When possible, I prefer to have actual items in my studio for reference while painting.”
Special design details: The designs of these four stamps differ from the stamps that came from the pane of 20 issued in July (US #3143-46) in that there is a red line or bar above the name of each coach. They also have microprinting as follows:
US #3147 (Lombardi) – “GREEN BAY” near the lower right corner on the face mask portion of the football helmet.
US #3148 (Bryant) – “ALABAMA” on the face mask of the player standing behind Coach Bryant.
US #3149 (Warner) – “YOUTH LEAGUE” along the sideline of the football field between Warner and the young player beside him.
US #3150 (Halas) – “CHICAGO” along the bottom stripe on the right sleeve of the player holding a white towel in his left hand.
First Day Cities: The stamp for each player had a First Day of Issue Ceremony at significant locations to each coach:
US #3147 (Lombardi) – Issued August 5
th at the Green Bay Expo Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
US #3148 (Bryant) – Issued on August 7
th at the Paul W. Bryant Museum at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
US #3149 (Warner) – Issued on August 8
th on the football field of LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
US #3150 (Halas) – Issued on August 16
th at Soldier Field in Chicago just before a Bears pre-season game. However, the game and actual First Day of Issue Ceremony had to be postponed to the next day due to bad weather.
History the stamp represents:
Bear Bryant
Paul Bryant has been described as one of the top coaches in the history of American college football. Coaching at several notable universities, he achieved his greatest success a the University of Alabama where his impressive record of 323 regular season wings, 85 losses, and 17 ties broke the record at that time for the most victories.
Bryant began his football career at the University of Alabama where he played blocking end from 1932 to 1936. He then went to serve as the assistant coach at Alabama (1936-40) and Vanderbilt University (1940-41). After serving in the Navy during World War II, Bryant returned to coaching in 1945 as head coach for the University of Maryland.
A year later, he moved to the University of Kentucky where he coached for eight years. In 1954, Bryant moved to Texas A&M University, where he remained until he became head coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1958.
Nicknamed “Bear” because of his large size and gruff manner, Bryant was a demanding coach and strict disciplinarian. But his sense of fair play and his active interest in the players’ lives outside of football inspired his teams to do their best.
Pop Warner
Remembered by sportswriter Red Smith as “one of the truly original minds in football,” Pop Warner was one of the most influential coaches in the history of American college football. Coaching at such prominent universities as Georgia, Cornell, Carlisle, Pittsburgh, Stanford, and Temple, he sported an impressive 319-106-32 record during his 43-year coaching career.
Known simply as “Pop,” Warner was born Glenn Scobey Warner in Springville, NY. As captain of the 1894 football team at Cornell University, he acquired the nickname “Pop” because he was older than the average student. After briefly practicing law, he began his coaching career at the University of Georgia in 1895.
During the 43 years he spent coaching, football changed enormously, eventually becoming the game we know today. An innovative coach, Warner did much to improve the game. He originated the single- and double-wing offense formations, and is credited with developing the three-point stance, the screen pass, the spiral punt,t he unbalanced line, the shifting defense, and the rolling body block. He was also the first coach to number players’ jerseys, and to use thigh and shoulder pads.
Pop Warner died in 1954, but his memory lives on today through the youth football program that carries his name.
Vince Lombardi
One of the most successful coaches in NFL history, Vince Lombardi became a national symbol of single-minded determination to win. Believing that “winning isn’t everything… but wanting to win is,” he embodied the ideals of honest-to-goodness hard work and reward.
Born in New York City, Lombardi graduated in 1936 from Fordham University where he was one of a group of linemen known as the “Seven Blocks of Granite.” He went on to study law, briefly played minor league professional football, and coached high school football before returning in 1947 to Fordham where he served as an assistant football coach until 1948. From 1949 to 1954, Lombardi served as coach for the US Military Academy, and from 1954 to 1958, he coached offense for the New York Giants.
In 1959, he was hired as head coach for the Green Bay Packers – a team well acquainted with defeat. But his striking character aroused confidence in his players and reinforced a belief in the power to overcome obstacles. Lombardi coached the Packers from 1959 to 1968, during which time he led the team to six divisional championships, five NFL championships, and victories in the first and second Super Bowls. In 1971, he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.
George Halas
George Halas’ contributions to the game of football are truly legendary. A major force in the development of the professional football league, he helped transform the modern game. In fact, his 1942 team is considered by some to be the greatest team in the history of US professional football.
Born in Chicago, Halas began his professional football career in 1920 with the Decatur Staleys – a team he formed under the American Professional Football Association. An exceptional defensive end, he played for the team, as well as coached it. In 1921, he moved the team to Chicago, and the following year they were renamed the Chicago Bears.
During the 1930s, Halas revolutionized football strategy with his wide-open offensive style. Not only did he revive the T-formation, but he also added a man in motion which allowed for a quick-opening attack and placed a tremendous burden on the defense. He was also one of the first coaches to use film sessions and daily practices to prepare the team for games.
On several occasions, he left coaching, but later returned. When he finally retired in 1968, he had coached the Chicago Bears for 40 seasons and had led them to seven league championships.