Floyd Peters
{{Short description|American football player and coach (1936–2008)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Floyd Peters
| image = Peters-Floyd-1959.jpg
| caption = Peters in 1959
| position = Defensive tackle
| number = 73, 72, 78
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|5|21}}
| birth_place = Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|8|19|1936|5|21}}
| death_place = Reno, Nevada, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lbs = 254
| college = San Francisco State
| draftyear = 1958
| draftround = 8
| draftpick = 93
| pastteams =
- Baltimore Colts ({{NFL Year|1958}})*
- Salinas Packers (1958)
- Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1959}}−{{NFL Year|1962}})
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|1963}})
- Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1964}}−{{NFL Year|1969}})
- Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1970}})
| pastcoaching =
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1974}}–{{NFL Year|1975}})
Defensive line - San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|1976}}−{{NFL Year|1977}})
Defensive line - Detroit Lions ({{NFL Year|1978}}−{{NFL Year|1981}})
Defensive line - St. Louis Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1982}}−{{NFL Year|1985}})
Assistant head coach/defensive line - Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|1986}}−{{NFL Year|1990}})
Defensive coordinator - Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1991}})
Defensive coordinator & defensive line coach - Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1992}}−{{NFL Year|1994}})
Defensive coordinator - Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|1995}}−{{NFL Year|1996}})
Defensive line coach
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 145
| statlabel2 = Starts
| statvalue2 = 123
| statlabel3 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue3 = 8
| statlabel4 = Interceptions
| statvalue4 = 3
| pfr = PeteFl00
| pfrcoach = PeteFl0
}}
Floyd Charles Peters (May 21, 1936 – August 18, 2008) was an American professional football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and went to three Pro Bowls during his 13-year career. He played college football at San Francisco State University and was selected in the eighth round of the 1958 NFL draft. He was a defensive coach for over 20 years in the NFL.
Early life
Peters was born on May 21, 1936, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.{{Cite web |title=Floyd Peters {{!}} Pro Football History.com |url=https://pro-football-history.com/coach/1758/floyd-peters-bio |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=pro-football-history.com}} He was raised in Martinez, California, and attended John Swett High School in Crockett, California, graduating in 1954.{{Cite web |last=Curtis |first=Jake |date=August 23, 2008 |title=Ex-Gator starred for Eagles |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Ex-Gator-starred-for-Eagles-3198309.php |website=sfgate.com}}{{Cite web |title=Floyd Peters Obituary (2008) - Reno, NV - The Reno Gazette Journal and Lyon County News Leader |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/rgj/name/floyd-peters-obituary?id=26897880 |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Legacy.com}}{{Cite news |date=January 13, 1958 |title=Floyd Peters To Be Feted |work=The Times-Herald (Vallejo, California) |pages=12}} He played both offense and defensive lines on the school's football team, playing nearly the full sixty minutes per game.{{Cite news |date=September 22, 1953 |title=Indians Thin But Can Throw Big Strong Line At CCCAL Teams |work=Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) |pages=6}} He was an all-county tackle and selected as the school's top football player as a senior.{{Cite news |date=December 21, 1953 |title=Grid Awards Presented At John Swett |work=Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) |pages=10}}
College
He attended San Francisco State University in San Francisco, playing defensive tackle under coach Vic Rowan. As a freshman, he was 6 ft (1.83 m) and 190 pounds (86.2 kg). Peters averaged 58 minutes a game during his career there. In 1955, his sophomore year, Peters was selected first team All-Far Western Conference, and United Press International (UPI) named him first team Little All Coast; honors he would win again over the next two years. He was a first team Little All American at guard, and led the team to a Far Western Conference title. It has also been reported he was a third team Little All American at tackle (1957). Peters was the first person drafted into the NFL from San Francisco State. As a senior, he starred in the East West Shrine game. He is a member of the San Francisco State Gators Hall of Fame.{{Cite news |date=December 3, 1955 |title=Rodrigo, Peters Named All-League |work=The Times Herald (Vallejo, California) |pages=11}}{{Cite news |date=December 5, 1957 |title=Little All-America Team |work=Chatanooga Daily Times |pages=25}}
NFL playing career
The 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Peters was drafted in the eighth round of the 1958 draft by the Baltimore Colts, but was cut before the season started where he was considered too small to play tackle at 225 pounds (102.1 kg).{{Cite web |title=1958 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1958/draft.htm |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Gandy |first=Jerry |date=August 24, 1961 |title=A Gander At Sports |work=Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) |pages=4}} He then played semi-pro football for the Salinas Packers, until an NFL scout recommended him to Cleveland Browns' coach Paul Brown. Peters signed with the Browns in 1959 and played there four years; winning a starting job in 1960, playing at 250 pounds (113.4 kg). In his final year with the Browns (1962), he started all 14 games, had an interception, a fumble recovery and three quarterback sacks.{{Cite web |title=Floyd Peters Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PeteFl00.htm |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
He was traded to the Detroit Lions for the 1963 season, where he replaced Alex Karras during the future Pro Football Hall of Famer's year-long gambling suspension by Commissioner Pete Rozelle.{{Cite news |date=April 11, 1964 |title=Eagles And Lions In 3-Player Deal; J.D. Smith Goes to Detroit for Matson and Peters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/11/archives/eagles-ad-lions-in-3player-deal-j-d-smith-goes-to-detroit-for.html |work=New York Times}} He started all 14 games and had 4.5 sacks, but Peters was expendable after Karras' return, and was traded the following year to the Philadelphia Eagles along with future Pro Football Hall of Fame player Ollie Matson, for offensive tackle J.D. Smith.{{Cite news |last=Forbes |first=Gordon |date=April 24, 1970 |title=Eagles' Peters Asks Retzlaff To Trade Him |work=Philadelphia Inquirer}}
Peters played with the Eagles for six years, being named to the Pro Bowl in three of those years (1964, 1966-67) as a defensive lineman.{{Cite news |date=October 26, 1986 |title=Defensive Coordinator Floyd Peters Real Star of Surprising Vikings |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-26-sp-7874-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times}} He was named outstanding lineman in the 1966 Pro Bowl. In 1964, 1966 and 1967, The Sporting News named him first team All-Conference.{{Cite web |title=1964 NFL Pro Bowlers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1964/probowl.htm |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1966 NFL Pro Bowlers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1966/probowl.htm |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1967 NFL Pro Bowlers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1967/probowl.htm |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
In the Eagles 1968 training camp, Peters had Eagles teammate Mark Nordquist (an offensive guard) work on pass rushing with Peters before morning practice and following afternoon practice, educating Nordquist on offensive technique in the process.{{Cite web |title=Where are they now? G Mark Nordquist |url=https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/where-are-they-now-mark-nordquist#:~:text=After%20selling%20DonJoy,%20Nordquist%20went%20into%20real%20estate,He's%20now%20a%20sculptor,%20specializing%20in%20bronze%20artwork. |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=www.philadelphiaeagles.com |language=en-US}} Peters asked to be traded in 1970 when the Eagles were focusing on younger players.
He played his final year in Washington in 1970 as a player-coach. Peters played the left defensive tackle position during his career. He defended well against the pass and the run.{{Cite journal |title=PHILADELPHIA EAGLES |journal=Sports Illustrated |volume=25 |issue=11}} Over a 12-year career, he had three interceptions, eight fumble recoveries and 33 sacks.
NFL coaching career
After retiring, Peters was a scout for the Miami Dolphins from 1971 to 1973, working in San Francisco. He had also worked as a stockbroker between his playing and coaching days.{{Cite web |last=PFWA |date=2023-04-21 |title=2023 PFWA Off-Field Award finalists announced |url=https://www.profootballwriters.org/2023/04/21/2023-pfwa-off-field-award-finalists-announced/ |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Pro Football Writers of America |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=January 23, 1974 |title=Giants Add Peters and Baughan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/01/23/archives/giant-add-peters-and-baughan.html |work=New York Times}}
Peters became a full-time coach for the first time in 1974. He was hired by Bill Arnsparger as a defensive line coach for the New York Giants (1974–1975). He later held the same role with the San Francisco 49ers (1976–1977), Detroit Lions (1978–1981), and Oakland Raiders (1995–1996). He was an assistant head coach/defense for the St. Louis Cardinals (1982–1985), and a defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings (1986–1990) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1991–1994) where he also took on defensive line coach duties in 1991.
Peters emphasized the importance of quarterback sacks as the defense's central focus in establishing dominance. Beginning in 1976, he used the "54" defense scheme, a four-man front where the defensive linemen shift slightly to the weak side, and the linebackers overshift to the tight end's side.{{Cite news |last=Janofsky |first=Michael |date=September 26, 1986 |title=N.F.L. Matchups; Vikings' Defense Mixes Old And New |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/26/sports/nfl-matchups-vikings-defense-mixes-old-and-new.html |work=New York Times}}
In San Francisco, his defensive squad was known as the "Gold Rush" and in Detroit, the "Silver Rush". In 1976, the 49ers led the league with 61 sacks.{{Cite web |title=Which NFL Team Has Most Sacks In 1976 |url=https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/which-nfl-team-has-most-sacks-in-1976 |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=StatMuse |language=en}} In 1978, the Lions set a club record with 55 sacks, ranking second in the NFL behind the Dallas Cowboys' 58 sacks.{{Cite news |last=Litsky |first=Frank |date=December 26, 1982 |title=A Stong Front Four Revives Cardinals |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/26/sports/a-strong-front-four-revives-cardinals.html |work=New York Times}}{{Cite web |title=Most Sacks By Team 1978 |url=https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-sacks-by-team-1978 |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=StatMuse |language=en}} In 1983, the Cardinals led the NFL in sacks with 59.{{Cite web |title=Most Sacks 1983 By Team |url=https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-sacks-1983-by-team |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=StatMuse |language=en}} The Vikings defense was ranked first in the NFL in 1988 and 1989.{{Cite web |title=Numbers reflect Peters' presence |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1991/11/03/numbers-reflect-peters-presence/?outputType=amp |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}} The team had 71 sacks in 1989, one short of the NFL record. Defensive tackle Keith Millard, the AP NFL defensive player of the year, had 18 sacks (even though missing games with an injury), and Chris Doleman had 21.{{Cite web |last=Ludford |first=Warren |date=2020-04-09 |title=Vikings Going Back to the Future on Defense? |url=https://www.dailynorseman.com/2020/4/9/21198301/vikings-going-back-to-the-future-on-defense |access-date=2024-10-27 |website=Daily Norseman |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=December 29, 1989 |title=Vikings’ Millard is Honored |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1989/12/30/vikings-millard-is-honored/9e636135-d3a5-4eca-9f7a-8b109a4617a3/ |work=Washington Post}}
Peters nickname in Tampa was Sgt. Rock. He was also well known in Tampa Bay for wearing bright orange pants to practice.
Death
Peters died in Reno, Nevada, on August 8, 2008, of complications from Alzheimer's Disease. Peters was survived by four sons (Craig, Allen, Dean and Kelly) and his wife of 51 years, Nancy. In 2014, Peters' estate joined a lawsuit filed by Dan Marino and other former players against the NFL for concussion related injuries.{{Cite news |last=Roebuck |first=Jeremy |date=June 3, 2014 |title=Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino joins other players in concussion lawsuit against NFL |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/more-sports/hall-of-fame-quarterback-dan-marino-joins-other-players-in-concussion-lawsuit-against-nfl/news-story/740f08a64f2e74fb0dacc892cfbfcddc |work=The Courier Mail}}
References
{{Reflist|35em}}
External links
- {{cite news |author=Curtis, Jake |title=Ex-Gator starred for Eagles |url=http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Ex-Gator-starred-for-Eagles-3198309.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=August 23, 2008 |accessdate=January 27, 2014}}
{{Baltimore Colts 1958 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Floyd}}
Category:Sportspeople from Council Bluffs, Iowa
Category:Players of American football from Iowa
Category:American football defensive tackles
Category:San Francisco State Gators football players
Category:Baltimore Colts players
Category:Cleveland Browns players
Category:Detroit Lions players
Category:Philadelphia Eagles players
Category:Washington Redskins players
Category:Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:Coaches of American football from Iowa
Category:New York Giants coaches
Category:NFL defensive coordinators
Category:San Francisco 49ers coaches
Category:Detroit Lions coaches
Category:St. Louis Cardinals (football) coaches
Category:Minnesota Vikings coaches