Ron Acks
| File:Acks-Ron-1972.jpg Acks in 1972 | |||||||||||||
| No. 52, 51, 57 | |||||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | October 3, 1944 Herrin, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | November 21, 2023 (aged 79) Cornelius, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 214 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Carbondale Community | ||||||||||||
| College | Illinois (1964–1966) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1966: 4th round, 57th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| AFL draft | 1966: 16th round, 141st overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Coaching profile at Pro Football ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |||||||||||||
Ronald William Acks (October 3, 1944 – November 21, 2023) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for nine seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers.
Early life
[edit | edit source]Ron Acks was born October 3, 1944 in Herrin, Illinois. He grew up in neighboring Carbondale, where he attended Carbondale Community High School, where his football coach was Frank Bleyer.
College career
[edit | edit source]In college, under head coach Pete Elliott he played running back on the 1963 and 1964 University of Illinois Fighting Illini, and switched to safety his senior year in 1965. He was a part of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini football team that beat the Washington Huskies at the January 1st 1964 Rose Bowl.[1]
Professional career
[edit | edit source]Acks was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the 4th round of the 1966 NFL draft (57th pick overall). He was unable to land a position on the roster, however, and spent the 1966 and part of the 1967 season playing for the Des Moines franchise of the Professional Football League of America (PFLA).[2]
Acks played linebacker for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers.[3]
Life after football, death, and legacy
[edit | edit source]Acks died at his home in Cornelius, North Carolina, on November 21, 2023, at the age of 79.[4]
Acks was "inducted into the Carbondale Sports Hall of Fame" in 2012.[5][6]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ John Duxbury and Larry Shainman (eds.), Football Register, 1968. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1968; p. 4.
- ^ "Ron Acks," pro-football-reference.com
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- 1944 births
- 2023 deaths
- Atlanta Falcons players
- New England Patriots players
- Green Bay Packers players
- Illinois Fighting Illini football players
- People from Herrin, Illinois
- Sportspeople from Carbondale, Illinois
- Players of American football from Williamson County, Illinois
- Professional Football League of America players