Chuck Knox had a very simple philosophy when it came to the game of football: Pound the run. Referred to sometimes as “Ground Chuck” due to his propensity for being physical offensively, the longtime offensive line coach served the Rams as head coach twice, first from 1973-1977 and again from 1992-1994. One could say the framework of the franchises’ excellent rushing attack stemmed from the foundation laid by the late Knox.
Knox, a college football assistant with stops at Wake Forrest and Kentucky, earned his first NFL coaching job with the New York Jets. Under Jets’ head coach Weeb Ewbank, Knox served the team as offensive line coach from 1963-1966. Putting together the blueprints behind the team’s blocking schemes, Knox’s work directly contributed to Joe Nameth and the Jets’ Super Bowl III victory in 1968.
In a small world, Ewbank defeated Don Shula’s Baltimore Colts to win the game. Ewbank was the Colts head coach from 1954-1962 before he was fired by Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom. Rosenbloom would swap franchises with then-Rams owner Robert Irsay in 1972. In 1973, Rosenbloom hired Knox to lead his new franchise in Los Angeles.
Knox, at the time of the swap, was the offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions. In what seems like another series of coincidences, before Rosenbloom swapped franchises, his and Don Shula’s relationship soured in 1969 leading to Shula’s employment with the Miami Dolphins. Like Shula, Knox was hired by Rosenbloom and both Shula and Knox were assistants in Detroit, just not at the same time. They also were assistants under Blanton Collier at the University of Kentucky. Despite all these similarities between Rosenbloom, Knox, Ewbank and Shula, there was a belief that perhaps Knox could be the first coach to not have a poor relationship with Rosenbloom.
And early on, things were promising. During Knox’s inaugural year in 1973, the Rams went 12-2 with a 7-0 home record. His fingerprints were all over the offensive line, bringing in new schemes he learned and developed in Detroit. Guard Tom Mack earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors while guard Joe Scibelli received All-Pro honors as well.
Knox also brought in longtime Chargers QB John Hadl and Hadl would win NFC Player of the Year that year, along with achieving Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. Running back Lawrence McCutcheon ran for over 1,000 yards that season on his way to his own Pro Bowl selection.
All was well until the postseason. While Shula guided his Miami Dolphins to a second straight title, Knox’s squad was knocked out in the opening round by the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys and the Vikings would be a thorn in Knox’s side with the Rams facing Dallas and Minnesota three times each over five different postseasons.
In Knox’s five years with the Rams, regular-season success spelled the narrative around the team. Knox took over a team that went 6-7-1 in 1972 and proceeded to win five straight NFC West titles. Knox has five double-digit win seasons in an era where the regular season had only 14 games on his way to a 54-15 record while his players would achieve high marks under his tutelage.
Tom Mack, Merlin Olsen and Jack Youngblood would continue their Hall of Fame careers under Knox while Jackie Slater would begin his. Offensive linemen Dennis Harrah and Rich Saul would take Knox’s teachings to go to the Pro Bowl themselves. Lawrence McCutcheon served as Knox’s RB1 during the head coaches’ first tenure and ran for four 1,000-plus-yard seasons. The one season he didn’t his 1,000 yards, McCutcheon ran for 911 yards on only 13 games. In those five years, McCutcheon put up 5,523 yards, 23 touchdowns and five Pro Bowl selections.
McCutcheon’s backup, John Cappelletti averaged 643 yards per season from 1976-1977. Knox’s system had worked to dramatic success but perhaps it was Knox’s work against systemic racism through being a solid person might be the major piece to his everlasting legacy.
In 1973, John Hadl wasn’t the only quarterback to join the Rams. James “Shack” Harris came to Los Angeles after a three-year stint with Buffalo. An African American, Harris would face racism in the NFL due to the widely supported belief at the time that African Americans could not play the QB position. An unfounded and unfair belief that black QBs couldn’t excel in the mental aspect of the position, Knox was having none of it and after Hadl struggled at the beginning of the 1974 season, Harris would gain the starting role.
Harris would lead the Rams to the NFC championship game after securing the team’s first playoff win in 23 years in a 19-10 win over Washington. He is the first black QB to win a playoff game. They would lose to the Vikings 14-10 a week later.
In 1975, Harris became the first black player to be named a team’s opening day starting QB in NFL history. The Rams excelled but Harris would suffer a career-changing shoulder injury that would negatively impact his career forever. Harris’ play would suffer as a result and Carroll Rosenbloom pulled the plug on Harris, much to the dismay of Chuck Knox.
From 1974-1976, Knox reached three NFC championship games. All three games would end in a Rams loss. The narrative that Knox couldn’t reach the big one began to pick up steam and Rosenbloom began to grow impatient. Things came to a head in 1977 when in the famous “Mud Bowl,” a playoff matchup between Los Angeles and Minnesota at the LA Coliseum, was marred by a rainstorm. In the muddy mess, a Rams team that thrashed the Vikings 35-3 in the regular season fell 14-10. Another playoff disappointment led Rosenbloom to do what he did to Ewbank and Shula: Knox would be fired by the Los Angeles Rams.
However, like Ewbank and Shula, redemption laid in the form of a second chance. Knox would coach the Buffalo Bills from 1978-1982 and the Seattle Seahawks from 1983-1991. Both teams were perennial losers and Knox would leave both locations with winning records. Knox would also win a division title with both teams and took them to a combined six playoff appearances. However, the Super Bowl would evade Knox for his career.
Before hanging up his headset, Knox would make one last stop in Los Angeles. Rosenbloom, who had passed in 1979, still maintained ownership through his wife Georgia. Georgia Rosenbloom (name at the time of her husband’s death) would hire Knox in 1992, hoping the coach could rekindle the success of the 70s after the departure of John Robinson.
Knox coached for three losing seasons before his firing in 1995. Knox would retire after that. However, his second stint did reestablish his reputation as one of the best offensive line coaches/run blocking designers of all time as Jerome Bettis would rush for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Knox would engage in a host of philanthropic work in retirement. Knox would make various donations and contributions, donating a significant part of his worth to reputable causes.
In one particular case of generosity, Knox donated $1 million to his alma mater, Juanita College. They named their football field after him. Knox also enjoyed time with his family, citing a deep relationship with his granddaughter Lee Ann Norman. Knox was married to his wife, Shirley. They would have four kids together and six grandchildren.
Knox passed away in 2018 at the age of 86.
Chuck Knox was a man who believed in his principles on the field and in the world. A steady voice in the storm, Knox won the Rams five NFC West titles with five starting QBs. John Hudl, James Harris, Ron Jawarski, Pat Haden and Vince Ferragamo would sling to rock for Knox and proved that his mindset was right for the NFL.
Who knows if Knox would’ve made the Super Bowl had he not been fired. The Rams did make the Super Bowl two years after Knox’s departure with Knox’s squad. Was that because of new head coach Ray Malavasi or having a championship squad hit their peak?
What could’ve happened if he had a consistent QB? What if he had one and couldn’t groom him? Considering Ron Jaworski left LA and then proceeded to spend the next 10 years as Philadelphia’s starting quarterback, leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl XV appearance, the questions about QB development remain unanswered. Questions like this will forever complicate Knox’s football legacy but his legacy to life to secured in greatness in the same greatness that his schemes are revered in.
Knox’s legacy of kindness, generosity and love is sealed in the voices of those he impacted. Knox’s decision to start James Harris gave Harris the opportunity to shine. Harris, a Grambling State alumnus and pupil of Eddie Robinson would be the first black QB to win a playoff game in 1974. In 1978, another Grambling State alumnus would become the first black QB to be a first-round pick. His name is Doug Williams and Williams would also become the first black QB to win a Super Bowl.
Many of his players have gone on to live full lives with huge families. Players such as Jackie Slater would see their children play in the NFL. Knox believed in the goodness of man and the greatness of the gridiron and that both those worlds could collide in a positive manner. He was right and we are better because he was.
“Ground Chuck.” Great coach, better man.
