Early years Milan Lazetich

1 years

1.1 university of michigan
1.2 cleveland , los angeles rams
1.3 later years

early years

lazetich born in 1921 in anaconda, montana. son of peter lazetich, pioneer serbian rancher. grew on father s cattle ranch few miles anaconda. lazetich attended anaconda high school played football , selected all-state tackle 3 straight years in 1938, 1939 , 1940. played basketball , member of track team. 2 of brothers all-state football players @ anaconda high school.

lazetich played 1 year of college football @ university of montana. in spring game in april 1942, lazetich returned kickoff 90 yards. joined u.s. navy during world war ii received medical discharge. after being discharged navy, lazetich served deputy sheriff in deer lodge county, montana. worked cowpuncher , rodeo rider.

university of michigan

he enrolled @ university of michigan played fritz crisler s wolverines football team in 1944. because of prior work in law enforcement, lazetich given nickname sheriff michigan teammates, nickname stuck throughout football career. lazetich star of 1944 wolverines team went 8–2 , finished season ranked #8 in ap poll. after being introduced big ten football in 1944, lazetich told reporters no end or ever threw block pony has been running wild couple of years, when feels first touch of saddle. nea wire service story reported: him big 9 schedule can t tough battering bucking broncs handed out.

in pre-game story 1944 michigan – ohio state game, associated press focused on lazetich:

michigan line built around milan lazetich, big tackle anaconda, mont., once sheriff in home community. s no. 1 all-america candidate wolverine camp, reports say, s 1 of stalwart line held illinois speedsters without score.

at end of 1944 season, lazetich, in sophomore season, selected associated press big ten team first-team tackle. picked second-team all-american associated press, football writers association of america, international news service, , central press association.

cleveland , los angeles rams

in august 1945, 23-year-old michigan sophomore signed play professional football cleveland rams. rams, lazetich converted tackle guard on offense , linebacker on defense. lazetich played in ten games @ right guard rams in 1945, , helped rams win nfl championship in first year professional player.

in 1946, rams moved los angeles, giving california , pacific coast first major league sports team. lazetich played rams in first 5 seasons in los angeles. when rams moved west, los angeles times ran article introducing city team s top players. in feature on lazetich, times noted that, in sheriff lazetich, rams had 1 of country s greatest law enforcement officers in line.

lazetich copper anaconda ... lazetich deputy sheriff of deer lodge county has made of arrests on football field ... lazetich played freshman football @ university of montana after moved big ten football ... while lazetich all-big ten tackle wolverines, regular right guard of rams.

in late 1940s, regarded 1 of finest defensive right guards in pro football, , 50% of 1 of best guard combinations in national football league. los angeles times gave lazetich substantial credit success of 1949 rams. selected first-team nfl all-pro chicago-herald american in 1948 , second-team nfl all-pro pro football illustrated. in 1949, selected first-team all-nfl/aafc player international news service, hearst newspapers wire service.

lazetich made key play in 1950 nfl championship game. rams ahead, 28–27, , 5 minutes left play in game, cleveland browns driving toward score. after browns quarterback otto graham carried ball on quarterback draw, linebacker milan lazetich hit him behind, forcing fumble recovered rams @ own 22-yard line 3:16 play. lazeitch recovered fumble , appeared have sealed victory rams. however, rams unable run out clock, , browns kicked field goal in game s last minute win, 30–28.

in addition ability player, lazetich developed reputation wild character if there ever one. decades later, los angeles times columnist frank finch wrote that, although modern players bigger , faster, preferred characters of nfl on faceless robots of modern game. focused in particular on lazetich: character s character ram middle guard milan (sheriff) lazetich. blithe spirit montana d played college football @ michigan before joining rams in 46 five-year stint. lasted long club remarkable in light of pulled @ dan reeves christmas party team @ end of 46 season. reeves, rams owner, invited team party @ home; centerpiece large cake in design of football field topped full-size football covered in chocolate. teammate , pro football hall of famer tom fears later recalled incident way:

during course of predinner libations, asked lazetich demonstrate punting prowess. don t think d ever kicked football before in life. dared him boot chocolate football, big mistake because laz wasn t kind of guy take dare lightly. ambled out kitchen, plucked football off top of fancy cake, brought out in front room , drove toe beautiful form , perfect follow through. cake, frosting , else loose distributed on ceiling, walls, windows , drapes. ... last party reeves ever held in house rams.

by 1948, health problems began affect lazetich. prior 1948 season, los angeles times reported on unspecified medical condition may prevent him playing team. in november 1949, lazetich hospitalized in pennsylvania during football season treatment of stomach ulcer. given several blood transfusions, condition reported serious, , unable play rest of month.

in july 1951, lazetich announced retirement football. @ time, los angeles times wrote: sorry see gruff rough sheriff on shelf. departure leaves rams 2 members of original cast of 1945 world s championship team.

later years

after retiring football, lazetich returned montana, worked deer lodge county, montana road department, court bailiff , surveyor montana highway department. member of serbian orthodox church in butte, montana, bokelian brotherhood lodge in butte, , serbian fraternity of anaconda.

lazetich died in hospital in butte, montana @ age 47 in july 1969. buried military honors @ mount olivet cemetery after funeral in butte s holy trinity serbian orthodox church. lazetich survived wife, former mary laughlin, , daughter milana.

lazetich s nephew, pete lazetich, helped stanford football team victory on uncle s alma mater, michigan, in 1972 rose bowl. pete lazetich part of stanford s front 4 known thunder chickens. younger lazetich made 11 tackles in 1972 rose bowl.