Dan Towler

Daniel Lee "Deacon" Towler (March 6, 1928 – August 1, 2001) was an American football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) as a fullback for the Los Angeles Rams from 1950 through 1955. He was the NFL leading rusher in 1952 and ranked among the top four rushers each year from 1951 to 1954. He graduated from Washington & Jefferson College.^[1][2][3]

Dan Towler

Towler, circa 1953
No. 32
Position:	Halfback
Personal information
Born:	(1928-03-06)March 6, 1928 Donora, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died:	August 1, 2001(2001-08-01) (aged 73) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College:	Washington & Jefferson
NFL draft:	1950: 25th round, 324th pick
Career history
Los Angeles Rams (1950–1955)
Career highlights and awards
NFL champion (1951) First-team All-Pro (1952) 3× Second-team All-Pro (1951, 1953, 1954) 4× Pro Bowl (1951–1954) NFL rushing yards leader (1952) 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (1952, 1954)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 3,493 Rushing average: 5.2 Receptions: 62 Receiving yards: 665 Total touchdowns: 44 Stats at Pro Football Reference

The football statistics website Football Nation calls Towler "the greatest running back you don't know," and "a bright, shining star who lit up the NFL for an oh-so-brief but spectacular three-year period unlike any before or since."^[4] "[F]or a three-year period in the early 1950s," says Football Nation, "Towler was the closest thing the NFL has ever produced to an unstoppable ball carrier."^[4]

The Professional Football Researchers Association named Towler to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2006.^[5]

After retiring from football, Towler was named pastor of the Lincoln Avenue Methodist Church in Pasadena, California.^[6] He was also a chaplain at California State University, Los Angeles and president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education.

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Won the NFL championship
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving
		GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1950	RAM	12	1	46	130	2.8	34	6	8	63	7.9	17	0
1951	RAM	12	5	126	854	6.8	79	6	16	257	16.1	46	0
1952	RAM	12	11	156	894	5.7	44	10	11	68	6.2	13	0
1953	RAM	12	9	152	879	5.8	73	7	11	125	11.4	49	1
1954	RAM	12	7	149	599	4.0	24	11	10	127	12.7	36	0
1955	RAM	7	3	43	137	3.2	14	3	6	25	4.2	11	0
		67	36	672	3,493	5.2	79	43	62	665	10.7	49	1

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving
		GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1950	RAM	2	0	2	2	1.0	2	0	1	7	7.0	7	0
1951	RAM	1	1	16	36	2.3	9	1	0	0	0.0	0	0
1952	RAM	1	1	13	54	4.2	17	1	1	21	21.0	21	0
1955	RAM	1	1	14	64	4.6	15	0	1	7	7.0	7	0
		5	3	45	156	3.5	17	2	3	35	11.7	21	0