Dan Towler

{{Short description|American football player (1928–2001)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Dan Towler

| image = Dan Towler 1953.jpg

| caption = Towler, circa 1953

| number = 32

| position = Halfback

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|3|6}}

| birth_place = Donora, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2001|8|1|1928|3|6}}

| death_place = Pasadena, California, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 225

| college = Washington & Jefferson

| draftyear = 1950

| draftround = 25

| draftpick = 324

| pastteams =

• Los Angeles Rams ({{NFL Year|1950|1955}})

| highlights =

• 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)

| statlabel1 = Rushing yards

| statvalue1 = 3,493

| statlabel2 = Rushing average

| statvalue2 = 5.2

| statlabel3 = Receptions

| statvalue3 = 62

| statlabel4 = Receiving yards

| statvalue4 = 665

| statlabel5 = Total touchdowns

| statvalue5 = 44

| pfr = TowlDa00

}}

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.{{cite web| title =Dan Towler| work = Pro-Football-Reference.com| publisher = Sports Reference LLC.| url =https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TowlDa00.htm}}{{cite web|title=Dan Towler |work=databaseFootball.com |publisher=databaseSports.com |url=http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=TOWLEDAN01 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912190644/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=TOWLEDAN01 |archive-date=September 12, 2009 }}{{cite web| title = Dan Towler | work = NFL All-Time Players| publisher = NFL Enterprises LLC| url =http://www.nfl.com/players/dantowler/profile?id=TOW255564}}

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."[http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_5416_Terrible_Towler%3A_the_greatest_RB_you_don%27t_know.html Terrible Towler: the greatest RB you don't know] "[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."

The Professional Football Researchers Association named Towler to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.com/hall-of-very-good-2006.htm |title=Hall of Very Good Class of 2006 |access-date=November 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118214852/http://www.profootballresearchers.com/hall-of-very-good-2006.htm |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }}

After retiring from football, Towler was named pastor of the Lincoln Avenue Methodist Church in Pasadena, California.{{cite news|title=Highclimber|author=Dick Strite|newspaper=Eugene Guard|date=August 7, 1957|page=D1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4362246/highclimber/}} He was also a chaplain at California State University, Los Angeles and president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education.