Ray Prochaska

Ray Prochaska
	Prochaska, circa 1946
No. 8
Position:	End
Personal information
Born:	September 8, 1919; Ulysses, Nebraska, U.S.
Died:	March 9, 1997 (aged 77); Orange County, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:	Ulysses (NE)
College:	Nebraska
NFL draft:	1941 / round: 7 / pick: 54
Career history
As a player:
	Cleveland Rams (1941);
As a coach:
	Nebraska (1947–1948, 1950–1954); (Assistant); Edmonton Eskimos (1955–1957); (Assistant); St. Louis Cardinals (1958–1961) (OL); St. Louis Cardinals (1961); (Interim HC); St. Louis Cardinals (1962–1965) (OL); Los Angeles Rams (1966–1970) (OL); Cleveland Browns (1971–1972) (OL); Los Angeles Rams (1973–1976) (OL); Los Angeles Rams (1977) (OC); Buffalo Bills (1978–1982) (OC); Seattle Seahawks (1983–1985) (OC/OL);
Career highlights and awards
	First-team All-Big Six (1940);
	Record at Pro Football Reference
	Stats at Pro Football Reference

Raymond Edward Prochaska (August 9, 1919 – March 9, 1997) was an American gridiron football player and coach. He attended the University of Nebraska and played one season in the National Football League (NFL).

Biography

Ray Prochaska was born in Ulysses, Nebraska, to Emil Prochaska and Marie Fredlick, having Czech and Moravian ancestry.^[1]^[2]^[3] He attended high school in Ulysses before enrolling at the University of Nebraska, where he played college football. Prochaska helped take the Cornhuskers to the 1941 Rose Bowl, where they were defeated by the Stanford Indians, 21 to 13.

Prochaska was drafted by and made his professional debut in the National Football League in 1941 with the Cleveland Rams before leaving football for military service during World War II.^[4] He served from 1942 to 1946 in the US Army and held the rank of captain when discharged.^[5]

After leaving the military he joined the coaching staff at his alma mater, where he was assistant coach in charge of ends.^[5] In May 1955 he moved to the professional ranks, joining the staff of head coach Pop Ivy of the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).^[5] When Ivy was named head coach of the Chicago Cardinals in 1958, Prochaska turned down an offer to take over as head coach of the Eskimos and followed his mentor to the NFL, joining him as an assistant coach on his staff.^[5]

After Ivy resigned as coach of the Cards late in the 1961 season, Prochaska joined fellow assistant coaches Chuck Drulis and Ray Willsey in sharing head coaching duties on an interim basis. The trio finished the year with a 2–0 record.

Prochaska went on to be an NFL assistant coach for a number of NFL teams, often serving under Chuck Knox, including the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Seattle Seahawks.

Ray Prochaska died March 9, 1997, in Orange County, California. He was 77 years old at the time of his death.

References

^ Prochaska (1997). "California Death Index, 1940-1997". FamilySearch.
^ Prochaska (1920). "United States Census, 1920". FamilySearch.
^ Prochaska (1920). "United States Census, 1920". FamilySearch.
^ "1941 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Eddie McGuire (ed.), Chicago Cardinals: 1951 Press, Radio and Television Guide. Chicago: Chicago Cardinals Football Club, 1951; p. 11.

External links

Career statistics from Pro Football Reference ·

[1] Prochaska (1997). "California Death Index, 1940-1997". FamilySearch.

[2] Prochaska (1920). "United States Census, 1920". FamilySearch.

[3] Prochaska (1920). "United States Census, 1920". FamilySearch.

[4] "1941 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.

[MG51-5] Eddie McGuire (ed.), Chicago Cardinals: 1951 Press, Radio and Television Guide. Chicago: Chicago Cardinals Football Club, 1951; p. 11.

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