Richard James Klein (born February 11, 1934 in

Pana, Illinois Pana is a small town in Christian County, Illinois, United States. A small portion is in Shelby County. The population was 5,199 at the 2020 census. History The area around Pana was first organized as Stone Coal Precinct in 1845. The county's ...

–died December 27, 2005 in Pana, Illinois) was a National Football League and

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

in the NFL for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

and the Dallas Cowboys, and in the AFL for the

Boston Patriots Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

and the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the University of Iowa.

Early years

Klein attended Schlarman High School and accepted a scholarship from the University of Georgia. He played in the freshman team, before leaving school to join the Navy during the Korean War. After leaving his military commitment in 1956, he chose to join the University of Iowa over other schools. He was a teammate of

Alex Karras Alexander George Karras (July 15, 1935 – October 10, 2012) was an American football player, professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor. He was a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), ...

and became the starter at

right tackle Tackle is a playing position in gridiron football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, o ...

and

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

. The next year, he was named an honorable-mention All-American. Head coach Forest Evashevski allowed his release with a year of eligibility still remaining, in order for him to join the

in the National Football League.

Professional career

Chicago Bears

Klein was selected by the

in the 29th round (347th overall) of the

1955 NFL Draft The 1955 NFL season, 1955 National Football League NFL draft, draft was held January 27–28, 1955 at the Warwick New York Hotel, Warwick Hotel in New York City. This was the ninth year that the List of first overall National Football League Dra ...

, after his original class had graduated, although his college eligibility wasn't completed. He was a war veteran and didn't start his professional career until

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

. He was waived before the start of the 1960 season.

Dallas Cowboys

On September 10,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Cowboys. He only played in 7 games (4 starts) because of a broken shoulder. On December 22, he was traded to the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

along with safety Bill Butler, in exchange for safety Dick Moegle.

Pittsburgh Steelers

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

, Klein played in 2 games before being released.

Boston Patriots

On October 4,

, he was signed as a free agent by the

of the

. The next year, he was named to the AFL All Star team as a

. On August 7,

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

, his rights were sold to the

Oakland Raiders

Klein played two seasons for the

, both as a

and

offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Dick 1934 births 2005 deaths People from Pana, Illinois Players of American football from Illinois American football offensive tackles Georgia Bulldogs football players Iowa Hawkeyes football players Chicago Bears players Dallas Cowboys players Boston Patriots players Oakland Raiders players American Football League All-Star players American Football League players Pittsburgh Steelers players