By Cody Dalton
Asst. Sports Editor
While two teams will fight for the chance to be called Super Bowl champions in Tempe, Arizona on Feb. 3, UVa-Wise has its own piece of NFL history.
Carroll Dale, the current Asst. Vice Chancellor for Athletic Development, is a former NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver. Dale played in the first two AFL-NFL Championships, which later became the Super Bowl, in 1966 and 1967
Dale began playing in the NFL after attending Virginia Tech in 1960. He would be drafted by the Los Angeles Rams with the 86th pick in the 1960 NFL Draft.
During the five years that Dale spent with the Rams, he would endure no winning season. It was after his fifth season that things started to turn around.
“The five years I had with Los Angles were five years with five losing seasons,” Dale said. “I was rather upset with that. I was lucky and got traded to the Packers in 1965.”
The move from Los Angeles to Green Bay proved to be an advantageous one, as Dale would see immediate success with his new team.
“To come from a losing team and be part of a winning team was exhilarating,” Dale said. “I was very fortunate to be in Green Bay at the right time. To play for Coach Lombardi was a thrill as far as athletically and professionally speaking.”
Dale would immediately be coached by the future Hall of Famer Lombardi after being traded to Green Bay. Under Lombardi, Dale would learn humility and respect for his opponents.
“He taught us that we needed to respect our opponents and that they had some really good athletes,” Dale said. “He told us that we needed to be ready to play because we had this extra responsibility of representing the NFL against the AFL.”
This new found humility and preparation was certainly a key, as Dale and the Packers won the NFL World Championship in the 1965 season.
Following that season, the Packers would reach the first two AFL-NFL World Championships, now known as the Super Bowl. Dale would be a starter in both games, as an end and a flanker.
With guidance of two-time Super Bowl MVP Bart Starr, Dale and the Packers were able to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. The Packers made a return trip to the Super Bowl in 1967, defeating the Oakland Raiders 33-14.
Dale would play with the Packers until 1971, then with the Minnesota Vikings in 1972 before finally retiring from the game of football.
Ra’Shad Morgan, who is preparing for workouts and a potential trip to the NFL combine, shared his thoughts on having a Super Bowl winner on campus.
“It’s pretty cool to know that someone that’s involved in our program has achieved that amount of success,” Morgan said.
Another Cavs football player, Reggie Dorsainvil, offered his thoughts on having Dale here at UVa-Wise.
“He’s real special,” Dorsainvil said. “He knows what it takes to become successful so when he speaks to us during summer camp he lets us know
Today, the Super Bowl is viewed by 130 to 140 million people in the world every year and average ticket costs $4,451 dollars according to Stubhub.com. With the added media attention and marketing, Dale has seen a drastic change in the game from the first game in 1967 until now.
“We had to go back and re-kick so both networks (CBS and NBC) could have the kickoff,” Dale said. “The ticket prices were also 12-15 dollars a piece. So, the media coverage and ticket prices have changed a great deal. It is a different “animal” 42 years later than it was 42 years ago.”
The New York Giants will play against the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3 on the Fox Network. Dale offers his prediction for the game.
“I think the Giants are a team that has a chance, but my opinion is that Belichick knows how to handle people and keep everything on an even perspective,” Dale said. “It should be a really good game, but my pick would be New England.”
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