By the late JERRY BYRD, written for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, 1992
In 1943, when he was a sophomore at Shreveport’s Fair Park High, Leo Sanford was one of only four players on the football squad who didn’t get game uniforms.
Fifteen years later, he wrapped up an eight-year NFL career in a game that is still considered “the greatest game ever played.”
Between those milestones, Sanford helped Fair Park reach the 1945 state finals and helped Louisiana Tech win two Gulf States Conference championships.
In 1969, the 100th anniversary of college football, the Louisiana Sports Writers Associatioin selected an all-time Louisiana collegiate team. The centers were Max Fugler, from LSU’s 1958 national championship team, and Sanford.
Offensive linemen rarely receive individual recognition, but Sanford played on both offense and defense in high school, college and in the NFL. He was a starting linebacker in the 1957 and 1958 Pro Bowls, but throughout his career was equally effective at center.
Until his senior year at Fair Park, Sanford’s chief claim to fame was winning All-City distinction in the trombone three times in elementary school and twice at Fair Park. As a senior, he was a backup linebacker on a team that reached the Class AA state finals before bowing to Holy Cross of New Orleans.
Returning the following season for an extra year of eligibility, as many prep players did at that time, Sanford stood out on a Fair Park team that lost the district championship to Haynesville. After the 1946 Indians completed their season, with a 12-7 Thanksgiving Day victory over Byrd, Sanford had scholarship offers from LSU, Florida and Louisiana Tech.
He chose Tech because of two people: Joe Aillet and Myrna Mims. Aillet was Tech’s head coach, while Mims was the future Mrs. Leo Sanford. She was working in Shreveport, and Sanford didn’t want to attend a school so far away that he couldn’t visit her frequently.
In his sophomore year at Tech Sanford played a key role in the Bulldogs’ 13-13 tie with Auburn. His 50-yard interception return for a touchdown was erased by a penalty on the runback, but the turnover set up a Tech TD.
The highlight of his four years at Tech was a 33-13 victory over Mississippi Southern, which was considered the No. 1 small-college team in the nation that year. Jimmy Harrison and Gene Knecht were Tech’s offensive stars in that win, while Sanford led a charge that held Mississippi Southern to minus 12 yards rushing.
Sanford was a three-year starter, All-GSC two years in a row, and was captain of the 1950 Bulldogs.
He was a sixth-round selection of the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL Draft. Several weeks later, Sanford received a standard player contract in the mail. If he made the team, he would be paid $5,000 for the 1951 season. Sanford, who was making $275 a month with Pan Am Southern Oil in New Orleans, decided it would behoove him to make the team.
At 6-1, 220, he was a bit small to play center and linebacker in the NFL. But he made up for it with great quickness and versatility. In high school and college, he had played for teams using the direct center snap (before the T-formation took over). His deep snapping ability was a plus for his NFL aspirations.
He had plenty of competition. Another rookie candidate for the Cardinals’ center position was Notre Dame All-American Jerry Groom, a first-round draft choice. Still another was Knox Ramsey, younger brother of Cardinals’ linebacker coach Buster Ramsey. When the coach moved his brother to a guard position, Sanford felt he had an excellent chance to make the team.
He called defensive signals for the Cardinals in 1956 and had two interceptions and a fumble recovery in a victory over the Eagles. One of his career highlights was a club-record 92-yard touchdown on an interception return against the Steelers.
“Leo is one of the league’s finest linebackers because of his speed,” said Cardinals’ coach Ray Richards.
After seven seasons in Chicago, he was traded to the Baltimore Colts just in time for their championship season in 1958 – capped by a come-from-behind 23-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants that would be called “the greatest game ever played.”
It was the last game Sanford ever played. He tore up his right knee in the first half, but still managed to limp back out for deep snaps – including the one for Steve Myhra’s 20-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
That snap was the final play of Sanford’s career. He attempted a comeback in 1959, but his knee gave out in the second week of training camp. Sanford spend the season in the press box, scouting opponents.
He gave pro football one more shot in 1960, trying out for the expansion Dallas Cowboys. Once again, the knee didn’t cooperate. After a couple of weeks, Sanford told coach Tom Landry he was calling it a career.
By that time, he was already a sporting goods salesman in the offseason. He later switched to the senior ring business, traveling the Ark-La-Tex for many years..
- This profile was written for the 1992 book “Louisiana Sports Legends” book comprised of Jerry Byrd’s profiles of every inductee of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Sanford was enshrined in 1990. He died last week at age 94 and will be laid to rest today in his hometown after a family funeral service.