Augustana Athletics Mourns the Passing of Les Josephson
Former Viking great made the NFL Pro Bowl in 1967
He was not on the list.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Augustana Athletics lost an all-time great on Jan. 1, 2020. Les Josephson, the former Augustana Viking student-athlete, as well as a long-time pro in the NFL passed away at the age of 77.
Les, who started as the Augustana running back from 1961-1964, rushed for 1,422 yards and set a school record with 5.2 yards per carry for a three-year career. Josephson was also a dual-sport athlete, setting a then-South Dakota collegiate record of 6 feet, 5 inches in the high jump. The same year, he also claimed high jump title at the North Central Conference meet and Howard Wood Dakota Relays.
Josephson was inducted into the Augustana Hall of Fame in 1980.
Though he wasn't drafted by any NFL team, the 6-foot-1, Josephson had a solid career as a professional. His best season was in 1967, when he rushed for 800 yards and caught passes for another 400. Josephson helped the LA Rams to an 11-1-2 record that season while earning his first and only trip to the NFL Pro Bowl. In nine NFL seasons, Josephson gained 3,407 yards rushing (4.3 yards a carry) and had 194 receptions for 1,970 yards. Injuries ended his NFL Career in his early 30s.
Josephson was born on July 29, 1942 in Minneota, Minnesota. The youngest of four siblings, Josephson grew up on a 1,000-acre farm and played eight-man football.
Josephson, who stayed close to football as an University of Arizona football broadcaster, had been living in Tucson, Arizona, for the past 45 years.
After his football career, he acted in several films and
served as a football film consultant. He also was a radio color commentator for
the University of Arizona football games.
Films and television
Technical consultant for Gus (1976)
Nickelodeon as a bouncer
Police Woman episode "Death Game" (1977)
Superdome (1978TV) as Caretta
Heaven Can Wait (1978) as Owens. Josephson also served as a
technical consultant for the film.
No comments:
Post a Comment