Chuck Smyrl, Part 2
WIFE, WENDY, AND HOCKEY
Speaking of Wendy, she’s quite an athlete herself. Like Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin, she’s a hockey mom. However, unlike Ms. Palin, Wendy was also a hockey player. In fact, she was the first woman to coach in the Manchester Youth Regional Hockey Association!
Asked how he wished to be remembered, he answered “I hope I’ve brought a smile to a lot of people’s faces and not pissed too many off. I know I definitely have, but, hopefully, not too many!”
Considering how hard you could hit, you probably have, Chuck. Watching you play often brought a smile to my face. And as I looked at the faces of the coaches you played against, particularly when you’d knock their players out cold, they certainly looked pissed off. But no one can fault you for that. It’s the nature of the game…a part of the sport you love…the sport you were born to play…football.
And in the words of Billy Crystal, you were “marvelous, simply marvelous“!
PERSONAL COMMENT ABOUT AN UNFORTUNATE ENDING
There are five professionally framed and matted jerseys in shadow boxes placed on the walls at Memorial High School located next to the HALL of FAME – RED DIVISION – ATHLETES/COACHES.
Except for a last minute change in player personnel made by the NFL which reduced the numbers of players on a team from 47 to 42, I honestly believe there would be a sixth…the one worn by by Charles “Chuck” Smyrl.
Due to the change in the number of players a team could keep, he was one of the players released before the start of the regular season.
After further research, I found that, though he was released before the regular season, because of the contract he had signed, he would still be considered as having made it to the top…that he would still be regarded as a professional football player.
After discussing it further with Chuck, we found an important clause in the contract he signed.
An EXTREMELY important one.
Though it covered him for any injuries suffered during pre season and provided a stipend throughout that time, it would not go into complete effect until the start of the regular season.
Meaning, because he was released, the contract ended with it.
That’s when I asked Google the following question…
If an athlete signed a contract with a professional football team, participated in preseason workouts that included playing in FIVE preseason games played against professional teams, but was released before the regular season began, would he still be considered to have reached the top in that sport.
THE GOOD NEWS from Google…
The answer that came back was “YES”.
When I added that the contract he signed had a clause in it that said it would not begin until the regular season began, his contract is terminated as is his relationship with the team.
THE BAD NEWS from Google…”NO.”
All this to mean that because he did not participate in at least one regular season game, he was not yet considered a professional who had reached the top.
After what happened in 1974 and the NFL returned to 47 players on a roster the following year, and knowing that he would most likely be asked if he tried again the following year, I asked him just that… Did you try to return to pro football?
His answer…
“I had every intent to do that…even moved to Boston.
A couple friends of mine who were playing for Boston College got permission for me to join them in their workouts using a brand new type of equipment called Nautilus. I ended up staying in a closet…yes, closet…and it was big enough to put bunk beds in it and that’s exactley what Tony Melchiorre and I did.
I even got an agent. As the ’75 season was approaching, he wanted more money from any team that was interested in signing me, but I just wanted to play. He kept “dragging his feet” and I needed a job.
I got one working construction…even did some substitute teaching because I needed money.
It got to a point where I couldn’t wait any longer and, as a result, had to give up my dream of playing pro football when I landed the construction job.”
So…the three things, each of greater significance, that took place…
First, the contract he signed with the Browns, with the clause that said it didn’t go into effect until the season started.
Second, the NFL changed the number of players able to be on a team from 47 to 42.
Third, the drop in the number of players allowed on a team cost him a position on the Browns and the paycheck that would go with it.
…all combined to deny him being able to say that he had made it to the top…that he was a professional football player.
Add to that, the fact that he did try again the following season, only to be shut out by another combination,,,an agent only interested in getting more money than in getting his client a contract and the construction job he had to take. While it did allow him to financially survive, it DID NOT allow him the time to continue the demanding workouts that would permit him to be able to compete with other players who experienced the same situation.
That last combination ended his goal to become a contracted player with a professional football team.
Ai the beginning of Chuck’s story, I mentioned that as chairperson of the MMHS Hall of Fame, once an athlete reaches the top in his/her sport, one of my “jobs” is to:
- obtain a game worn jersey from the athlete
- have it matted and framed with his/her team’s colors in the background
- procure 2 sports cards, one depicting his/her rookie year and the other depicting his/her last
- obtain a picture of the player in action while playing the sport
After everything that happened to him, everything he had gone through, I had to add one more that I didn’t just dislike..I HATED!
Because he had no game-worn jersey, no action photo, no football cards to place in it, there would be no shadow box for me to have installed on the wall signifying that he had made it to the top.
Before you end reading his story, please continue because this final part is extremely important to me!
It contains an apology from me…to him.
Chuck,
When I interviewed you for the original story, because you had signed a contract, I believed that you had been a member of the Cleveland Browns, the first athlete from Memorial to make it to the top in professional football…and, in my mind, for those seven months you were.
But, the contract itself became an issue, especially following the change made by the NFL
Your time as a professional came to an end before you even got to play in a regular season game.
What I had originally thought would be a “sure thing,” sadly, was not. And that is why I want to apologize.
My wishful thinking failed because I hadn’t done my job carefully enough, completely enough, and, as a result, I led you to believe that you would be the sixth athlete whose jersey would be on the wall.
That was my fault…and no one else’s,,,and for that I’m sorry, TRULY sorry, Chuck.
Every time I hear your name, three things will forever haunt me…
First, Your statement as you took the field for the first time in a pre-season game…
“I remember my first game. I started against the 49’ers. As they announced my name and the college that I graduated from I started to run out onto the field. I couldn’t even feel my legs. 22 years old having always dreamed of playing in the pros and there I was. I had made it!
Second, the words repeated by you that came from Cleveland Brown’s head coach as he gave you the bad news
“I signed in March and was released in September. Head coach Nick Skorich said that while I was good enough to play in the NFL, there wasn’t going to be enough room…”
Third, Your matter-of-fact comment as your career came to a very quick end…
“They went back to 47 players the following year because the move to a lower number didn’t work. Unfortunately, I guess I picked the wrong year to go pro.”
As chairperson of the MMHS Hall of Fame, I want to go on record stating that I believe that Cleveland Brown’s jersey #90, with the name SMYRL on the back and matted on an orange and brown background should be up there, but the NFL’s numbers game took that from you.
Had that not happened, I believe that you would have been on their roster of players and played in many games during the regular season. If anyone still doubts that, all they need to remember is that you were signed without participating in a workout and they need to read this once more…
“I got a call from the Cleveland Browns and they wanted to know if I would sign a free agent contract with them…as a tight end (a position that I never had played) with no try-out session necessary. I thought it was a joke and asked if they had the right guy. They answered ’We’ve seen you at QB, so we know you’re agile. We’ve seen you at defensive end, so we know that you’re tough. We’ve seen you at outside linebacker, so we know that you’re quick. We think you‘d be perfect as a tight end.’”
Though the greater part of my sports life has been in baseball, I DO know an extremely talented athlete when I see one.
Bluntly put, you were as talented as the five athletes whose jerseys are on those walls (I coached two of them and watched all five play game after game and year after year).
The fact that there’s no shadow box with your Cleveland Browns jersey in it doesn’t just upset me, even after all these years, it still, pardon my English, really pisses me off!
Sincerely,
Ted Menswar Jr.
Manchester Memorial High School HALL of FAME
Chairperson
Ted Menswar Jr. is a life-long resident of the Queen City and a retired member of the English Department of Memorial High School who has been involved in local sports for 70 years as a player, a coach, a mentor and a fan. He can be reached at tedmenswar@outlook.com