Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 1968–2022
Recreation and Sports
501-918-3025
calsfoundation@cals.org
calsfoundation@cals.org
Eddie Doyle Meador (1937–2023)
Eddie Doyle Meador was a star defensive back for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) throughout the 1960s. A graduate of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville (Pope County), Meador was the recipient of numerous honors and recognitions over the course of a twelve-year career in the NFL.
Eddie Doyle Meador was born on August 10, 1937, in Dallas, Texas, to Euell Meador, who was a mechanic, and Easter Meador. The family moved to Arkansas before his junior year, but a pre-season injury prevented him from playing for the school team that year. However, in 1954, as a senior, in his sole high school season, he led Russellville High School to the Region 3AA championship. A superb all-around athlete, he also lettered in basketball and track. Following his 1955 graduation, Meador wanted to play college football, but legendary Texas A&M coach Paul “Bear” Bryant deemed Meador—at less than 200 pounds and 5’11″—too small, as did the University of Tulsa. Instead, Meador attended Arkansas Tech University on a partial Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, intending to serve in the U.S. Army following graduation.
While at Arkansas Tech, Meador played both offense and defense, and he was a kick return specialist. He also played basketball and ran track. During his college football career he rushed for over 3,400 yards, an achievement that leaves him second on the school’s all-time list. He also ranked second for scoring, with 259 points. These achievements earned him three-time All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) recognition, and his senior year, after leading the Arkansas Tech “Wonder Boys” to the AIC championship, he was named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American. He capped his collegiate career with an appearance in the Optimist Bowl in Tucson, Arizona, a post-season contest in which players from smaller schools like Arkansas Tech had a chance to compete against Division I players. Following his 1959 graduation from Arkansas Tech, where he had earned a teaching degree, he turned his sights on playing in the NFL.
Meador was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round, the eightieth overall choice in the 1959 NFL draft. He immediately earned a place in the Rams’ starting line-up, playing cornerback, and he was named the team’s defensive rookie of the year. From there, he only got better, earning a Pro Bowl spot and second team All-Pro status his second year. For the rest of his professional career, the fierce tackler remained one of the finest defensive backs in the game. He earned a spot in the Pro Bowl six times, and he was twice named an All-Pro. He was a critical cog in the defense, led by the renowned Fearsome Foursome that took the Rams to the play-offs in both 1967 and 1969. Meador was named NFL Players Association president in 1969. After the 1970 season, Meador retired. Over the course of his time with the Rams, he intercepted forty-six passes, recovered eighteen opponent fumbles, and blocked ten punts, setting Rams team records.
Following his retirement, Meador moved from Los Angeles to Dallas. There, he went into the real estate business; at one point, he owned and operated four Century 21 offices. But the stress of the job eventually impacted his health, and he sold his offices. His second wife, Annette, had been a jewelry buyer for a Dallas jewelry store, and the two of them began to make their own jewelry and sell their work at various shows. Discovering that their equestrian jewelry was particularly popular, they started selling it at horse shows all over the country. The business, which lasted for over thirty years, became a family enterprise, with their grandchildren also involved.
Over the years, Meador’s football accomplishments were recognized in many ways. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1960s and was inducted into the NAIA Collegiate, Helms Athletic Foundation, and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. Meador also did a great deal of work for the Special Olympics.
Meador, who had four children, lived in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia just north of Roanoke. He died on September 4, 2023.
For additional information:
“Crazy Canton Cuts: Ed Meador.” Bleacher Report. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/286573-crazy-canton-cuts-ed-meador (accessed September 6, 2023).
Crippen, Ken. “Where Are They Now: Eddie Meador.” NFLPost.com, September 10, 2013. http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/where-are-they-now-eddie-meador/ (accessed September 6, 2023).
Crowe, Jerry. “The Hall Truth about Ex-Ram Eddie Meador.” Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2009. http://articles.latimes.com/print/2009/jun/15/sports/sp-crowe-nest15 (accessed September 6, 2023).
Troup, T. J. “Eddie Meador & the 1966 Los Angeles Rams.” Pro Football Journal, August 10, 2017. http://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com/2017/08/eddie-meador-66-rams.html (accessed September 6, 2023).
William H. Pruden III
Ravenscroft School
I am seventy-one years old and had heroes on TV. Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, the Lone Ranger, and others. All made-up characters. But there was one who was bigger than life to me. And he was real as real can be. I was hooked on listening to football on the radio. I got a transistor radio for Christmas and the only disappointment was that I had to wait months for the season to start. One player caught all of my attention, Eddie Meador.
As I listened to the play-by-play announcer, I was always wondering what was Eddie going to do next. I could hear the excitement in the announcer’s voice. Often, I would hear that Eddie was considered too small to play college or even pro football, but evidently nobody told Eddie. To me, he was a giant…my true real-life hero. It was just a few years ago that I got to meet Eddie in person. I admit, I looked up and saw him walk through the door at the Grid Iron Greats gathering in Las Vegas. No one had to tell me who he was. I gasped. Right in front of me stood my hero. I cannot explain properly how this man inspired me. He never quit. He played for the love of the game…not the money. He played with a broken back and took on opponents that were monsters in size. His twelve years at the Rams produced accomplishments making him more than qualified to be in the Hall of Fame, but the fanatics called the HOF Selection Committee turned a blind eye to him, selecting others with overall records that paled to Eddie Meador. I believe that idiocracy runs amuck in the NFL Hall of Fame corridors. Eddie should have been named and selected in 1971, the year after his retirement.
But now, we wake up to a very sad day finding he has passed. An era has died. Players who play for the love of the game and who are gracious and still hold the game in high esteem are fading away. Now the NFL competition is about what player is paid more than another. The true character of the game is lost. Eddie took it with him. Some of his team records still are unbroken.
Goodbye, Eddie. Thank you for all you have done for Special Olympics and those of us you personally inspired.