Nate Ramsey

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Nate Ramsey

| image =

| number = 24, 21

| position = Safety / Cornerback

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|07|12}}

| birth_place = Neptune Township, New Jersey, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|03|08|1941|07|12}}

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lbs = 200

| high_school =

| college = Indiana

| draftyear = 1963

| draftround = 14

| draftpick = 186

| pastteams =

Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1963}}–{{NFL Year|1972}})
New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1973}})

| pfr = R/RamsNa20

}}

Nathan Lee Ramsey (July 12, 1941 – March 8, 2019) was a professional American football safety and cornerback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles for most of his 11-year NFL career from 1963 through 1973. Ramsey was drafted by the Eagles from Indiana University in the fourteenth round (186th overall) of the 1963 NFL draft.

Early life

Ramsey was born on July 12, 1941, in Neptune Township, New Jersey. He was the sixth child of Henry Theodore Ramsey and Nancy Ramsey. He grew up in Asbury Park and Neptune, New Jersey. He attended Neptune High School, where he played basketball and football.{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Daryl |date=2019-03-15 |title=Nathan Lee Ramsey, 77, former Eagles standout |url=https://www.phillytrib.com/obituaries/nathan-lee-ramsey-77-former-eagles-standout/article_f2a1d474-b26b-5d3b-bc84-97b3400ee6e9.html |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=The Philadelphia Tribune |language=en}}{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930075224/http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=RAMSENAT01 Nate Ramsey profile]}}, database Football. Accessed June 19, 2007.{{Cite web |title=Nate Ramsey FB |url=https://www.njsportsheroes.com/nateramseyfb.html |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=www.njsportsheroes.com}}

In 1958, as a senior, he was selected as a Shore Conference second team all-star in football, based in large part on interviews with the conference's coaches and writer reviews of the season.{{Cite news |last=Brodsky |first=Irv |date=December 4, 1958 |title=Shore Conference 'A' All Stars Selected |work=The Freehold Transcript and Monmouth Inquirer |pages=17}} However, in another poll the same year, the Asbury Park Press named Ramsey first team All-Shore on its 26th annual all-star list.{{Cite news |last=Moon |first=Wes |date=December 7, 1958 |title=Kenney, Peeler Unanimous Choices on All-Shore Team |work=Asbury Park Press |pages=24}} He was also named first team All-Shore in basketball in 1958 at the end of his junior year.{{Cite news |date=March 9, 1958 |title=Ardon, Tuohy, Cantalice, Ramsey, Kerwin Named to '58 All-Shore Basketball Team |work=Asbury Park Press |pages=21}}

College

After graduating, Ramsey attended Indiana University in Bloomington on a football scholarship. While at Indiana, he became a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Zeta Epsilon chapter in 1961. He wore number 44 on the football team, playing halfback on offense and cornerback on defense. He was considered a distinguished pass defender in the Big Ten during his playing years (1960-1962), and had over a thousand yards in offense with 18 receptions and 169 rushing attempts. He was team captain in 1962.{{Cite news |date=November 30, 1962 |title=Happy Hoosiers |work=The Ogden Standard-Examiner |pages=18}}

Future NFL player Marv Woodson played in Indiana's offensive and defensive backfields with Ramsey at Indiana. He was also teammates with future NFL players Tom Nowatzke and Rudy Kuechenberg.{{Cite web |title=1961 Indiana Hoosiers Roster |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/indiana/1961-roster.html |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1962 Indiana Hoosiers Roster |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/indiana/1962-roster.html |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last=Hyman |first=Mervin |date=September 24, 1962 |title=The Season of the Sophomore |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1962/09/24/the-season-of-the-sophomore |journal=Sports Illustrated}}

Professional football career

In the 1963 NFL draft, the Eagles drafted Ramsey in the 14th round, 186th overall. He became a starting cornerback in 1964, paired with Irv Cross as the other cornerback. Ramsey played defensive back for 10 seasons with the Eagles (1963-1972), and one season with the New Orleans Saints (only playing in four games). He was a team captain on the Eagles. In 1964 (5) and 1965 (6), Ramsey led the Eagles in interceptions. He had 21 career interceptions with the Eagles over 134 regular season games played. Three of his 1965 interceptions came in one November game against the St. Louis Cardinals.{{Cite web |date=2020-08-20 |title=Sheldon Brown Came Close to the Top Spot but was Edged by Nate Ramsey |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/eagles/news/sheldon-brown-came-close-to-the-top-spot-but-was-edged-by-nate-ramsey |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=Philadelphia Eagles On SI |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=December 15, 1970 |title=Ramsey of Eagles Shot by Gunman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/15/archives/ramsey-of-eagles-shot-by-gunman.html |work=New York Times}}{{Cite web |title=Eagles mourn the passing of former DB Nate Ramsey |url=https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/eagles-mourn-the-passing-of-former-db-nate-ramsey |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=www.philadelphiaeagles.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Nate Ramsey |url=https://www.statscrew.com/football/stats/p-ramsenat001 |website=statscrew.com}}{{Cite web |title=Philadelphia Eagles {{!}} Official Site of the Philadelphia Eagles |url=https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/stats/1965/reg |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=www.philadelphiaeagles.com |language=en-US}}

In 1970, while still playing for the Eagles, Ramsey was shot in the chest on a West Philadelphia street corner. The bullet lodged in his chest, but was not life threatening, and doctors decided not to remove it. He played all 14 games the following year.

Death

Ramsey died on March 8, 2019.{{cite web |title=Former Eagles Defensive Back Nate Ramsey Passes Away |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/former-eagles-defensive-back-nate-ramsey-passes-away/ar-BBURt1z |access-date=2019-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406234536/https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/former-eagles-defensive-back-nate-ramsey-passes-away/ar-BBURt1z |archive-date=2019-04-06 |url-status=dead }}

References

Category:1941 births

Category:2019 deaths

Category:Neptune High School alumni

Category:Sportspeople from Neptune Township, New Jersey

Category:Players of American football from Monmouth County, New Jersey

Category:American football safeties

Category:American football cornerbacks

Category:Indiana Hoosiers football players

Category:Philadelphia Eagles players

Category:New Orleans Saints players

Category:20th-century American sportsmen