Jack Patera was a former American football player and coach who had a successful career in the National Football League (NFL). He was born on August 31, 1933, in Bakersfield, California, and grew up in Oregon. Patera played college football at Oregon State University, where he was a standout defensive lineman. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the second round of the 1955 NFL Draft and played for them for two seasons before being traded to the Chicago Cardinals.
Patera played for the Cardinals for four seasons before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 1961. He played for the Cowboys for two seasons before retiring as a player in 1963. Patera then began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Vikings in 1964. He spent six seasons with the Vikings before being hired as the head coach of the expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976.
Patera was the first head coach in the history of the Seahawks and led the team for four seasons. He is credited with building the foundation of the team and helping to establish a winning culture. In his first season as head coach, the Seahawks finished with a 2-12 record, but Patera was able to turn the team around quickly. In 1978, the Seahawks finished with a 9-7 record and made their first playoff appearance in franchise history.
Patera's best season as head coach came in 1983 when the Seahawks finished with a 12-4 record and won the AFC West division title. However, the team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Los Angeles Raiders. Patera was fired by the Seahawks midway through the 1982 season after a 2-3 start.
After leaving the Seahawks, Patera worked as an assistant coach for the New York Giants and the New England Patriots before retiring from coaching in 1990. He was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor in 1999 and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the franchise.
Overall, Jack Patera had a successful career in the NFL as both a player and a coach. He helped to establish the Seattle Seahawks as a competitive team in the league and is remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of the franchise.
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