Ed Meador obit

 

Wonder Boys Legend Eddie Meador Dies at 86

He was not on the list.

The most successful professional athlete to ever emerge from the halls of Arkansas Tech University has passed away.

ATU alumnus and former Los Angeles Ram Eddie Meador died on Monday, Sept. 4. He was 86.

“Most of the pro players with the Rams asked where Arkansas Tech is and what that Wonder Boy thing is,” said Meador in a 2021 interview. “I said I was going to show them what a Wonder Boy really is. As I look back over it, the players at Tech when I was there were outstanding. We gave our all in every sport there was. We really are Wonder Boys. I was fortunate to get a good education (at Arkansas Tech). That was my No. 1 thing.”

Meador earned four football letters at Arkansas Tech from 1955-58.

His 95-yard touchdown run against the University of the Ozarks on Sept. 27, 1958, remains the longest run from scrimmage in Arkansas Tech history. Three weeks later Meador rushed for 239 yards against Hendrix College. It was, at the time, the most rushing yards ever recorded by a Wonder Boy in a single game and it remains top four in that category all-time.

Meador is one of just three Wonder Boys to record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He was the first to achieve that feat. In all, Meador rushed for 3,410 career yards, which stood for more than a decade as the school record and remains one of the three highest career rushing totals in Tech history.

Meador scored 43 rushing touchdowns as a Wonder Boy. Only John Tucker, the Original Wonder Boy, has more. Meador scored 260 career points. Again, only John Tucker has more.

Meador’s play helped the Wonder Boys earn their first two postseason football berths with appearances in the Rice Bowl at Stuttgart in 1957 and 1958. Arkansas Tech clinched a share of the AIC championship in 1958 by defeating Ouachita Baptist 52-10 on Nov. 15 in Meador’s final conference game.

Following his senior season, Meador became the first Arkansas Tech player voted to the Associated Press Little All-America team. Only two more Wonder Boys achieved that distinction in the 40 years that followed.

It was all enough to capture the attention of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. They drafted Meador with the 80th pick in the 1959 NFL Draft. He immediately earned a spot as a starting defensive back. Over the next 12 years, Meador appeared in 163 games, made 160 starts, was selected to the Pro Bowl six times and was voted first team all-pro on two occasions.

Meador completed his career with 46 interceptions, most in Rams’ franchise history, and five career interception returns for a touchdown, tied for most in Rams’ franchise history.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame recognized Meador’s achievements by selecting him as a member in 1978. He was inducted into the ATU Hall of Distinction in 1969 and was a member of the inaugural class of the ATU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

A celebration of Meador’s life is planned for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at First Baptist Church of Russellville in the old sanctuary. The Meador family reports it will be casual with a visitation immediately following in the same venue. A live stream will be available through First Baptist Church of Russellville.

Meador was drafted in the 7th Round of the 1959 NFL Draft, as the 80th pick overall. He was a starter as a rookie at cornerback and was voted the Rams' Defensive Rookie of the Year.[2] Meador was voted to the Pro Bowl the following season, as well as being named second-team All-Pro. In 1961 Meador tied for the NFL lead in fumbles recovered with 5 and was named All-Conference by The Sporting News. The following season, 1962, Meador was honorable mention All-Pro and set a Ram record by blocking 4 kicks.

In 1963, Meador was second-team All-Pro and intercepted six passes. In 1964 Meador was moved from cornerback to free safety. He recorded 95 tackles and was named All-Conference by The Sporting News (an honor he would receive every year from 1964 through 1969). In 1965, he led the Rams with 126 tackles and was named second-team All-Pro for the third time. He was the holder for the Rams placekicks and on a fake field goal attempt he ran 17 yards for a touchdown.

In 1966, Meador picked off 5 passes, recovered 3 fumbles logged 97 tackles on an improving 8–6 Rams team, that was headed by George Allen. The following season Meador had 100 tackles, intercepted 8 passes (returning 2 for touchdowns) and was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. It was an honor he would also receive in both 1968 and 1969. In 1969 Meador logged 102 tackles and picked off 5 passes while making first-team All-Pro for the third time in as many seasons.

 

Meador retired after the 1970 season. He is still the Rams all-time interception leader (with 46) and holds the team record for most opponents fumbles recovered (18) and blocked the most kicks in team history with 10. Along the way Meador was voted the Rams "defensive back of the year" seven times and was named to the Los Angeles Rams All-Time team in both 1970 and 1985 and voted to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1960s.

 

Meador was a three-time First-team All-Pro and a three-time Second-team All-Pro. In addition he was a seven-time All-Western conference selection by The Sporting News to match his six Pro Bowl Selections.

 

Named as the NFL Players Association President (1969–1970)

Inducted into the Arkansas Tech University Hall of Distinction (1969)

Awarded the NFL Father of the Year (1969)

Awarded the NFLPA Byron 'Whizzer' White Award (1969)

Elected to the Helms Athletic Foundation Sports Hall of Fame (1972)

Elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (1978)

NAIA Collegiate Hall of Fame member

In 2012, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Meador to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2012.

 

Merlin Olsen once said “Eddie Meador was one of the finest defensive backs l have ever seen. Outstanding in coverage and a fierce tackler, he had a remarkable nose for the football that allowed him to come up with big plays again and again during his career with the Rams. He was also a fine leader and one of my favorite teammates.”

 

Career history

Los Angeles Rams (1959–1970)

Career highlights and awards

2× First-team All-Pro (1968, 1969)

3× Second-team All-Pro (1960, 1963, 1967)

6× Pro Bowl (1960, 1964–1968)

NFL 1960s All-Decade Team

First-team Little All-American (1958)

Career NFL statistics

Interceptions:            46

Interception yards:   547

Touchdowns:            5

Fumble recoveries:            22