Former Steelers kicker, DE Lou Michaels dies

thekeyman · Jan 19, 2016

<header style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.6px;">Former Steelers kicker, DE Lou Michaels dies

January 19, 2016 5:08 PM

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By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lou Michaels, a former Steelers kicker and defensive end from 1961-63, died today, according to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. He was 80.
Michaels, the No. 4 overall pick in the 1960 draft, played his first three seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams before being traded to the Steelers. While with the Steelers, Michaels made 57 percent of his field goal attempts. In 1962, he made a career-best 26 field goals.
Michaels went on to play for the Baltimore Colts and Green Bay Packers before he retired following the 1971 season. He was the Colts place kicker in Super Bowl III against the New York Jets in January of 1969. He was 0 for 2 on field goal attempts in the game.

its a sad day around here in wilkes barre pa as LOU "THE SHOE" MICHAELS has passed away ending his fight with cancer.Lou was a personal friend of mine and he was an outstanding human being.He was a great charitable man who did everything he could for kids and also was always there for his friends and most of all his family.He was famous for wanting to grab a hold of JOE NAMATH after super bowl 3 for the way he was running his mouth,..lol...the story was a really funny one.Most on here probably never heard of lou but he was really close to ART ROONEY of the STEELERS and actually married ARTS secretary.There's a lot to say about LOU but it would take too much time,but if you can please say a prayer and give a blessing to who was a great man,.....RIP LOU,YOU WILL BE SADLEY MISSED

REDEYE · Jan 19, 2016

sorry to hear about this loss Key , I could see this being a sad day in the community..

thekeyman · Jan 19, 2016

RED EYE said:
sorry to hear about this loss Key , I could see this being a sad day in the community..

thanks buddy,i appreciate it,.....i forgot to mention he was also the AD at the prison we worked at until he retired

REDEYE · Jan 19, 2016

tough to see friends go.. Had a friend pass away a couple of years ago.. still having a hard time believing he is gone.. no what your going thru

JohnnyMac · Jan 19, 2016

0-2 on FGs in Super Bowl III? Yikes. Thank god for Lou he played before cable TV and 24 hour sports radio.

RIP to Lou.

arniesarmy · Jan 20, 2016

Remember him more with the Colts than Steelers. Never will see a kicker wear No. 79 or 76 (Groza) again. RIP Lou.

VIEJODINOSAUR · Jan 20, 2016

My condolences.....like Red Eye said, tough to see friends pass..

FairWarning · Jan 21, 2016

Didn't realize his brother was ex-HC Walt Michaels.

thekeyman · Jan 22, 2016

thanks everybody,appreciate the kind comments

thekeyman · Jan 22, 2016

[h=1]Local football legend Lou Michaels dies[/h]
BY STEVE BENNETT
Published: January 20, 2016

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Swoyersville's Lou Michaels (79) kicks a field goal while playing with the Baltimore Colts.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Swoyersville native Lou Michaels was a two-time All-American at the University of Kentucky.

Lou Michaels loved talking football.
Whether it was over the phone, in his living room or in the stands at a local high school game, he always had a story to tell.
Those conversations came with one stipulation — you were never allowed to ask any questions about the Super Bowl.
However, as the stories flowed and became more interesting, Michaels would end up talking about the Super Bowl.
“You know, I usually don’t talk about this, but when I played in the Super Bowl...,” he would say.
That’s just the how the former University of Kentucky star and NFL player was.
On Tuesday, the Swoyersville native died after a four-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80.
“Lou Michaels was one of the top athletes to come out of Luzerne County in the last 100 years,” said Judge Andrew Barilla, who like Michaels attended Swoyersville High School. “When he played for Kentucky he kicked off, he punted, kicked extra point, field goals, played offense and defense. At that time, Kentucky had two things — the Kentucky Derby and Lou Michaels.”
Michaels began his high school career at Swoyersville and was a member of the 1951 Eastern Conference championship team that went 10-0.
He then attended Stauton Military Academy in Virginia.
He enrolled at Kentucky where he was a first-team All-American in his junior and senior years (1956, 1957). He was selected SEC Player of the Year in 1957 and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
“UK Athletics has lost one of our all-time greats in the passing of Lou Michaels,” Kentucky director of athletics Mitch Barnhart said in a news release. “He was an incredible competitor during a time when players played both offense and defense.
“Lou was one of the most honored Wildcats in the history of UK football. Our condolences go to his wife, Judy, and their children and family.”
Michaels was so popular in Kentucky that when he attended the Derby, he would have a seat in the governor’s box.
Barilla was two years behind Michaels at Swoyersville and always used to thank Michaels for going to Stauton Military Academy. “I would always tease him and tell him thanks,” Barilla said. “If he didn’t leave I never would have had the chance to play. Nobody could replace Lou Michaels.”
“Lou Michaels was a wonderful guy,” said local attorney Bruce Phillips. “If it wasn’t for Lou Michaels I would not know what the Kentucky Derby is. He took me to my first Derby. The one year we were down there, we were standing in line and I could hear somebody yelling his name. It turned out it was the governor of Kentucky, and he wanted Lou’s autograph.”

In 1958 Michaels was a first-round draft pick, the fourth overall selection by the Los Angeles Rams.
He played with the Rams for three seasons before spending the next three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 1964 season, Michaels played his first of six seasons with the Baltimore Colts. Michaels played his final NFL season with the Green Bay Packers in 1971.
“Football was good to Lou Michaels and Lou Michaels was good to football,” Barilla said. “He met his wife, Judy, when he played for the Steelers. Judy was Art Rooney’s personal secretary. He raised a nice, beautiful family.”
The Super Bowl that Michaels didn’t like talking about was Super Bowl III.
That was when the New York Jets of the American Football League took on the Baltimore Colts of the National Football league.
The game would decide which team was the best football team that season.
On one side there was Michaels, the kicker/defensive end of the Colts.
On the other, there was his brother, Walt, the defensive backs coach for the Jets.
The Colts were the heavy favorite, but that didn’t stop Jets quarterback Joe Namath from predicting a victory, something that at the time gnawed at Michaels.
The Jets came into the game as an 18-point underdog and won 16-7.
Michaels was also active in the local community raising thousands of dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation when he would hold a golf tournament and acution off sports memorabilia.
Phillips recalled participating in one golf tournament where he was parterned with Johnny Unitas.
“I’m standing there and all of a sudden Lou tells me that my partner is Johnny Unitas,” Phillips said. “My dad, myself and Lou we would meet up weekly. We were together for his 80th birthday in September. Lou was telling stories and telling jokes. He was doing great. We were busting him, he was busting us, we were having a great time. You wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with him.”
Following his retirement from the NFL, Michaels worked 20 years for the Luzerne County Department of Corrections as the prison’s athletic director.

bounceback · Jan 23, 2016

sorry key, RIP

thekeyman · Feb 4, 2016

Lou Michaels - NFL Great

2 hrs ·

January 11, 1958: Players hold their trophies prior to the Touchdown Club of Washington annual awards banquet in Washington. From left are Lou Michaels, University of Kentucky tackle with Knute Rookne Memorial Trophy as outstanding college lineman; Lt. Huston Patton, USAF, Eglin AFB, quarterback, named outstanding armed forces player; and John Crow, Texas A&M, with the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy for outstanding college back.

Former Steelers kicker, DE Lou Michaels dies

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