Jack Snow - L.A. Rams Standout, St. Anthony College Preparatory High School Alum, Notre Dame All American - Class of 1961
Snow's 11-year career with the Rams included a 1967 Pro Bowl season and a 1970 season in which he ranked fifth on the NFL receiving charts.
A three-sport star at Saint Anthony College Preparatory High School in Long Beach, Jack Snow (Class of 1961) totaled 10 varsity letters while competing in football, baseball and basketball. He was an all-state football lineman during his senior season and went on to post a .458 batting average as an all-city baseball performer.
Jack receved a great scholaship from Notre Dame and as a lifelong Irish fan he once remarked that it "took 20 seconds to decide whether to accept the scholarship offer," Snow brought plenty of tools to the receiver position as well; a powerful presence at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, the Long Beach, Calif., native owned many of Notre Dame's team weightlifting records while also boasting excellent speed, smooth moves, clever route-running and soft hands.
In 1964 the legendary Ara Parseghian's first season as head coach Notre Dame's aerial attack in helped produce 27 team and individual records, including five set by Snow: receptions (60), receiving yards (1,114) and touchdown catches (9) in a season; receiving yards in a game (217, vs. Wisconsin); and career receiving yards (1,242). He more than doubled the old record for receiving yards in a season and racked up 19 more receptions in one season than any previous Notre Dame player.
Snow - who also averaged nearly 37 yards per kick as the 1964 team's punter - was a central member of the '64 senior class that helped launch Notre Dame on to future greatness, including national titles for the Parseghian-led teams in 1966 and '73.
Huarte went on to earn the 1964 Heisman Trophy and Snow finished fifth in the balloting for the prestigious award, behind Huarte, Tulsa quarterback Jerry Rhome, Illinois linebacker Dick Butkus and Michigan quarterback Bob Timberlake. Both Notre Dame stars finished high in the voting, above the likes of Gale Sayers, Craig Morton, Roger Staubach and Joe Namath. The duo of Huarte and Snow helped Notre Dame more than double its total offensive yards from the 1963 (1,980) to '64 (4,014) seasons while producing more than triple the number of passing yards (654 to 2,105) and 41 total touchdowns, after the 1963 team had scored just 15.
After his All-America college career, Snow went on to graduate from Notre Dame in 1965 with a degree in sociology before embarking on his professional career. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the first round (with the eighth overall pick) of the 1964 NFL draft but Snow was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and spent an 11-year career with the franchise (1965-75). He earned a starting job as a rookie and led the team in receiving three times during its heyday under coach George Allen, catching passes from Roman Gabriel.
"Jack had the greatest hands in that time period," Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones said. "You won't talk about his speed, but his speed was deceiving. He would catch that slant pattern over the middle and I've seen him outrun some guys that we THOUGHT were fast."
"The guy ran the best patterns of any receiver during our period," Jones said. "He was one of the few guys we had that would go across the middle and catch that football. He was tough, tough as nails."
Snow - whose biggest claim to fame was that he "never got caught from behind" when he was playing for the Rams. He played in 150 games during an NFL career that included a Pro Bowl season in 1967 (28 rec. for 735 yds, 8 TDs) while his best overall season came in 1970, when he finished fifth in the NFL with 51 receptions and ninth in receiving yardage (859, plus 7 TDs).
Snow still ranks among the Ram team leaders in several receiving categories. He had 340 receptions for 6,012 yards a 17.7-yard average and 45 touchdowns in 150 career regular-season games for the Rams. In 1967, he averaged 26.3 yards on 28 receptions and scored eight TDs.
Jack became the teams receiver coach in 1982 and moved to the broadcast booth shortly thereafter, acting as the Rams analyst for 14 seasons.
In addition to Snow's broadcast duties, he helped the Rams out during practice, voluntarily.
"Jack was a true professional," said Lawrence McCutcheon, the Rams' director of player personnel, who played with Snow from 1972-75.
"When I came in he had been in the league four or five years. He was well-established, a great route runner, very dedicated to the game with outstanding hands, and he had the ability to relate to younger players and help them adapt to professional life. He was a great, great man."
McCutcheon, a five-time Pro Bowl running back himself, said he and Snow stayed in almost constant contact even after their playing days ended.
"I think Jack had a sense of humor. I've always thought of him as a no-nonsense guy who took life by the horns. He enjoyed life, enjoyed his kids and was very proud of them. It's a sad day for everybody who knew him."
Jack Thomas Snow was born Jan. 25, 1943, in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He married his St. Anthony College Prep High School sweetheart Merry Carole Shane (named for her Christmas birthday) in 1965, with Merry Carole passing away in 1998 after an extended illness.
Snow is survived by daughters Michelle and Stephanie, and a son, J.T., as well as seven grandchildren. J.T. Snow was a star baseball player at Los Alamitos High School and went on o play for the University of Arizona wildcats before embarking on his own professional career starting in 1992. The six-time Gold Glove first baseman played for the then Anaheim Angles, the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox.
