Lane, Dick

Dick Lane, in full Richard Lane, also called Night Train, (born April 16, 1928, Austin, Texas, U.S.—died Jan. 29, 2002, Austin), American gridiron football player who is widely considered one of the greatest cornerbacks in National Football League (NFL) history. Lane was named to seven Pro Bowls over the course of his career, and his 14 interceptions during the 1952 season are an NFL record.

Abandoned by his mother at three months of age, Lane was raised by the woman who found him discarded in a trash bin. He briefly played football in junior college and then served in the U.S. Army for four years. At age 24, with no recent organized football experience outside of games played with his army base team, Lane walked into the offices of the Los Angeles Rams in 1952 and asked for a tryout. Lane impressed the Rams, who had initially tried him at offensive end before switching him to the defensive backfield, and he was offered a spot on the team. He earned a starting role as a rookie and proceeded to take the league by storm, intercepting a record 14 passes in just 12 games.

Standing 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 metres) tall and weighing around 200 pounds (91 kg), Lane was larger than most of the receivers he covered, and he quickly gained a reputation as a ferocious tackler. His signature tackle, which involved wrapping his arms around an opponent’s neck and wrestling him to the ground, became known as the “Night Train Necktie” and was eventually banned by the league for being too dangerous. After two years with the Rams, Lane was traded to the Chicago Cardinals in 1954. In his first season in Chicago, he again led the NFL in interceptions (with 10) and also earned the first of seven career Pro Bowl honours. He was dealt to the Detroit Lions in 1960 and retired from the sport after the 1965 season.

After his retirement, Lane was the road manager for comedian Redd Foxx for a short time, and he had coaching stints at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. He was briefly married to renowned rhythm-and-blues singer Dinah Washington until her death in 1963. Lane was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974 and was chosen as one of four cornerbacks on the NFL’s 75th anniversary team in 1994.