BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
OXFORD - The National Football League mourned the loss of a coaching legend Wednesday.
But to Miami University and the city of Oxford, the significance of Weeb Ewbank's death Tuesday at age 91 transcended sports.
The people in this picturesque college town in Butler County are grieving the loss of a friendly next-door neighbor, a caring friend and an unpretentious gentleman who had a smile and pleasant words for those who approached him.
Mr. Ewbank and his wife, Lucy, frequently ate lunch and dinner at Phillips 27 Restaurant, a simple family diner just north of Oxford that features hearty meals and low prices.
"He was probably the finest man I'll ever know," said Helen Pencil, the restaurant manager. "A lot of people with his stature don't have time for others. But he was never annoyed by anybody who came up to talk to him."
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TRIBUTES TO EWBANK
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What former stars, owners and officials of the National Football League said about Weeb Ewbank:
Paul Tagliabue, NFL commissioner: "Weeb combined a low-key style with a flair for the most dramatic of accomplishments. He led two of the legendary teams during the era of pro football's greatest growth. But he preferred to stay in the background and let the players take the credit."
Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts quarterback under Ewbank: "He was just a fine gentleman, to me the best coach I ever played for. I've always been indebted to him for letting me come to Baltimore to play football for him."
Joe Namath, quarterback of Ewbank-coached New York Jets: "You feel very empty, something is gone and you are afraid it is not going to be back, and it won't."
Don Shula, former Miami Dolphins coach (succeeded Mr. Ewbank as Colts coach): He "helped shape my coaching philosophy. When I replaced him as head coach of the Colts, many of the things I did in Baltimore and then in Miami I learned from him."
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A native of Richmond, Ind., Wilbur Charles Ewbank died Tuesday at his single-story, brick home in Oxford, a town where his football career blossomed 70 years ago and where he returned after retiring from the NFL in 1973.
The cause of his death was not released immediately. The Hall of Famer was hospitalized briefly last year for a heart problem. Mr. Ewbank was a sports star at Miami University in the 1920s and became an outstanding NFL coach. During 20 seasons as a pro coach, he posted a 130-129-7 record.
He coached the Colts from 1954-1962 and the Jets from 1963-1973. He was the only coach to win titles in the AFL and NFL.
In 1958, Mr. Ewbank guided quarterback Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts to a 23-17 overtime win over the New York Giants in the NFL championship game. Often called "The Greatest Game Ever Played," it catapulted pro football into much greater national prominence.
He also led the Colts over the Giants 31-16 for the title in 1959. In 1968, his Joe Namath-led New York Jets beat the heavily favored Colts in the third Super Bowl, 16-7, giving the AFL its first title over the more established NFL.
"All of us knew he didn't have much time because of his age, but it's still a shock," Mr. Namath said Wednesday. "I don't know how else to deal with it other than to say it is like you see a football and jam it with a nail and the air comes out. That is how you feel."
Mr. Ewbank, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 1978, remained an avid football fan during his retirement. He regularly watched NFL games, often visited Miami's practices and rarely missed RedHawks home games.
Miami Coach Randy Walker was choked with emotion Wednesday as he talked about the man he called a dear friend and mentor.
"I'd call him a lot after games," Mr. Walker said. "He was so insightful. He talked about technical things, like a quarterback's footwork. He picked up on so many things when he watched a game. He never stopped thinking like a coach."
Just two weeks ago, Miami athletic director Joel Maturi asked Mr. Ewbank at Miami's game against Ohio University whether he had to defend against the quarterback option play when he was an NFL coach.
"He said, "Oh, sure I did,' " Mr. Maturi said. "He took out a scratch pad and showed me how he did it. I was amazed."
Bengals President Mike Brown, son of the late Paul Brown, pointed out that neither the Colts nor Jets were good teams when Mr. Ewbank became their coach.
"He built them into the top teams in the league," he said. "He was a dyed-in-the-wool football guy. He knew his football as well as anybody."
But Mr. Ewbank's endearing personal qualities made a stronger impression on Mr. Brown than his football coaching prowess. He knew Mr. Ewbank since childhood.
Paul Brown was a classmate of Mr. Ewbank's at Miami. The elder Brown hired him as an assistant coach at Great Lakes Naval Training Station in 1943 and at Cleveland in 1949.
"Weeb never had any airs about him," Mike Brown said. "He was down to earth and fun to be around."
Mr. Ewbank enjoyed the simple pleasures of small-town life in Oxford.
"He was such a good guy," said Frank Koontz, his neighbor. "I would sometimes take my friends over to meet him. He was so approachable." June Capel, another neighbor, was still in shock Wednesday. "He was like a third grandfather to the youngest of my two daughters," said Mrs. Capel, her eyes moistening. "He is, was - it's hard to say that - a great person. He had no ego."
Mr. Ewbank is survived by his wife, Lucy Ewbank, and three daughters, LouAnn Spenceley of Oxford, Nancy Winner of Fort Myers, Fla., and Jan Hudson of Annapolis, Md.; eight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
