Roman Gabriel Condolences

[Gandalf]

"HEY!" ~ Iggles

It sucks he got traded to the Eagles and started the fire high gang.
Carmichael was 6-8, Young was 6-5, Zimmerman was 6-4 and Roman was
6-4 himself making for the tallest group in the league.

 

[Conciliator]

He was the future… a quarterback who stood strong in the pocket, yet delivered with unusual accuracy which would later become a league standard.

Should be in the Hall of Fame.

As a receiver growing up, I would imagine catching sideline passes from him all the time.

I named my second son after him.

Goodbye Gabe…I have been a lifetime Rams fan because of you. There was a special magic in your presence on a football field.

Rest in peace my friend.

 

[Loyal]

RIP
I was too young to remember but my dad always told me the first Rams game he ever took me to at the colosseum was against the Packers. Roman Gabriel vs Bart Starr.
A few years later my friends and I would always fight over who got to be Roman Gabriel when we played football In the yard.

The sad part for me in the early 70's (Whittier, CA), I was the only kid that I knew who was a Rams fan. There was a tomboy on my block who was a Dolphins fan and who was tougher than me when playing tackle football. I always played as a Ram in our contests and she assumed a Dolphins persona and she always won! We were doing this at 7-9 years old.

We're 60 yrs old now grandma! Come at me! @CGI_Ram can referee!

 

[GoodBadUgly]

As a young lad, I named my first kitten Roman Gabriel due to having gray horns around the white ears (looked very much like the Ram helmet).

Sad day. RIP brother.

 

[Ramstien]

I will never forget the day I became a Rams Fan. I was 9 years old living in North Carolina, my Dad took me to get my hair cut one Sunday afternoon. In the Barber shop there was a black and white TV and they had the Rams game on. I really liked their helmets and began to have in interest in them and follow them. Some of my best memories of the Rams were the passes from Roman Gabriel to Jack Snow.

 

[snackdaddy]

My first childhood hero. RIP Roman Gabriel. You will always be fondly remembered as the guy who kick started my Rams fandom.

 

[NCRamGuy]

View: https://youtu.be/mHovLhwGSQw?si=RAHxEKcroekIm27e

 

[JimY53]

View: https://x.com/NFL_Journal/status/1781814742190833888

 

[JimY53]

View: https://x.com/TomMackHoF/status/1782042284529520689

 

[JimY53]

Didinger: Roman Gabriel re-energizes his career with the Fire High Gang

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Didinger: Roman Gabriel re-energizes his career with the Fire High Gang​

Oct 08, 2019 at 07:26 AM

Ray Didinger


They were known as the Fire High Gang, the Eagles' receiving corps of 1973: wideouts Harold Carmichael and Don Zimmerman and tight end Charle Young.

Carmichael was 6-8, Young was 6-5, and Zimmerman was 6-4, so they were inviting targets for quarterback Roman Gabriel.

"All I have to do," Gabriel said, "is fire high."

The name stuck.

They had their coming out party on October 14, 1973. The Eagles were winless 0-3-1 but they were making progress in their first season under head coach Mike McCormack. They tied the Giants, 23-23, in New York's final game at Yankee Stadium and they lost a 27-26 heartbreaker to Buffalo when kicker Tom Dempsey missed a short field goal in the final seconds.

"We're really close," Gabriel said. "I know people don't want to hear it but it's the truth."

The Eagles finally had their breakthrough in Week 5 at St. Louis and it was the Fire High Gang that led the way. Carmichael set a career high with 12 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Young had two catches for 44 yards. Zimmerman had five receptions for 58 yards, including the game-winner in the Eagles' 24-23 victory.

"It was a long time coming," McCormack said, "but I'm really proud of the team. We've had some tough losses, they don't come much tougher than the last one (the loss in Buffalo), but the guys never quit. We were down in the fourth quarter today but they kept fighting. Hopefully, this is the start of something."

It was the start of a slight uptick in the Eagles' fortunes. They would win two of the next three games, including a 30-16 win over Dallas ending an 11-game losing streak to their division rival. They split their final 10 games to finish with a 5-8-1 mark, which might not sound like much but represented a big improvement over the 2-11-1 record of the previous year.

The story of the season was the arrival of Gabriel, who was acquired in a huge trade with the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles dealt star receiver Harold Jackson and two first-round draft picks to the Rams for the 33-year-old Gabriel, who played 11 seasons in Los Angeles and was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1969.

Gabriel developed a sore arm in his final season with the Rams, which is why the team was willing to trade him, but a grueling conditioning program with martial artist Gus Hoefling put the zip back on Gabriel's fastball and he found new life throwing passes to the Fire High Gang.

The day in St. Louis, Gabriel completed 29 of 45 pass attempts for 379 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating was 113.1. In the fourth quarter, he brought the Eagles from behind, throwing a 27-yard touchdown pass to Carmichael then driving the team the length of the field to hit Zimmerman with a 24-yard scoring pass in the final seconds.

The Cardinals put two defenders on Carmichael and jammed Young with a linebacker, but they left Zimmerman one-on-one and Gabriel took advantage. Zimmerman was a rail-thin 195 pounds, a 12th-round draft pick (No. 300 overall) from tiny Northeast Louisiana University (the same school that produced current head coach Doug Pederson), but he made the catch and broke a tackle to get across the goal line.

"The trade for Gabe made us a football team," McCormack said. "We thought we were trading for a leader, but we got a super leader instead."

Gabriel was re-energized by the move to Philadelphia. He established career highs in pass completions (270), completion percentage (58.7), and yards passing (3,219) that year. His yardage and his 23 touchdown passes led the league and earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors.

The Fire High Gang put up big numbers, too. Carmichael led the league in receptions (67) and yardage (1,116), while averaging 16.7 yards per catch. Young had 55 catches for 854 yards (15.5-yard average) and was NFC Rookie of the Year. Zimmerman had 22 receptions for 220 yards. They accounted for 18 of Gabriel's 23 touchdown passes.

"That was a fun year," Gabriel said, years later looking back over his NFL career, which ended after the 1977 season in Philadelphia. "I was pretty much written off after my last year with the Rams. But the Eagles took a chance on me and I was so grateful. It was a young team that was trying to build something and they wanted me to be a part of it. I loved Philadelphia. It's a great city with great fans. It's still a great memory.".

"It was a different feeling, throwing to receivers who were taller than I was," the 6-5 Gabriel said, "but I enjoyed it."

An award-winning writer and producer, Ray Didinger was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He has also won six Emmy Awards for his work as a writer and producer at NFL Films. The five-time Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year is a writer and analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia. Didinger will provide Eagles fans a unique historical perspective on the team throughout the year for PhiladelphiaEagles.com. You can read all of his Eagles History columns here. He is also the author of The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions Edition which is in bookstores now.

 

[Ramon Ram]

So sad, Roman is the reason I became a Ram fan watching the great comeback against the Packers when we blocked Donnie Andersons punt. That's the game that I became a Ram fan. Had his poster with Blue jersey on my wall growing up.
RIP Roman you will always be remembered and my favorite Ram forever.

 

[tempests]

https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2024-04-20/roman-gabriel-rams-quarterback-dies-at-83

Loving this from the LA Times.....

Coming out of North Carolina State, where he had been a two-sport star and could well have lettered in a third, Gabriel was as hot a prospect as ever came down the pike. The Oakland Raiders of the fledgling American Football League, still trying to make a name for itself, had first choice in the AFL draft and chose Gabriel. The Rams, with the second pick in the far more established NFL, chose him, too.

The Rams were offering $15,000 a year and a $5,000 signing bonus; the Raiders $12,500 with a $2,500 bonus. When it appeared that Gabriel would sign with the Rams, the Raiders turned his AFL rights over to the Dallas Texans, then owned by oil billionaire and league co-founder Lamar Hunt.

Roman Gabriel as an N.C. State quarterback in 1959.
(Associated Press)
Hunt, desperately wanting Gabriel for his league, was prepared to offer him $100,000, far more than any football player was making at the time. The Rams, though, with general manager Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch handling negotiations, had spirited Gabriel off to a hotel suite in Raleigh, N.C. Somehow, Hunt learned of the subterfuge and called Gabriel at the hotel to make the offer. Gabriel was in another room when the phone rang. Hirsch picked it up and — pretending to be Gabriel — turned Hunt down, saying he was going to play for the Rams.

Gabriel, knowing nothing of the fabulous offer and Hirsch’s chicanery, signed with Los Angeles....

 

[Ramon Ram]

I will never forget the day I became a Rams Fan. I was 9 years old living in North Carolina, my Dad took me to get my hair cut one Sunday afternoon. In the Barber shop there was a black and white TV and they had the Rams game on. I really liked their helmets and began to have in interest in them and follow them. Some of my best memories of the Rams were the passes from Roman Gabriel to Jack Snow.

This is Snow. Can still hear Ray Scott's call

 

[JimY53]

Rams, Roman and Robin Gabriel

Robin is Roman Gabriel the III, was Robin as a kid though college



View: https://x.com/RomanGabriel3rd/status/1782133734965125239

 

[RamFan503]

View: https://youtu.be/ZRjXBid7ldA?si=zlZ58ZNYVqJfH-AD


Snow was also one of my childhood favorites as well. I got his autograph as well as Roman's along with a bunch of other Rams players back in the late 60s on a team panorama photo when they came out for an alumni basketball game at Cleveland HS where my sister went to school.

They all came out and sat at a big table along with Merlin, who I believe was retired at the time, and signed copies of the photo.

Sadly, I don't know whatever happened to that photo. I had put it between the pages of a book, to keep it flat, I think my parents sold or donated the book.

Oh to have that photo back. If any of yawlz see that photo, I would sure love to have it back. It should have to Stu or Stuart on there. Chances are slim to none - I understand.

Can you imagine NFL players doing that now? I took the opportunity to shake each of their hands. What a great thing as a fledgling Rams fan kid.

Rams, Roman and Robin Gabriel

Robin is Roman Gabriel the III, was Robin as a kid though college



View: https://x.com/RomanGabriel3rd/status/1782133734965125239

I can't believe I never noticed we don't have a option for a response. This certainly deserves one.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Now put the man in the friggin HOF already!

It’s a damn shame he passed without ever being awarded this honor, despite many members having far less value to their teams. What a colossal snub and what a frankly shit organization.

 

[den-the-coach]

It’s a damn shame he passed without ever being awarded this honor, despite many members having far less value to their teams. What a colossal snub and what a frankly shit organization.

Gabe never won a playoff game and even though back then there were limited post season games, the fact he never won a playoff games, held him back IMHO. It was a shame in 1969 the Rams could not beat the Vikings as they had two chances, first at home being 11-0, they lost to the Vikings and that Ham & Egger Joe Kapp 20-13.

Then in post season in Minnesota leading at halftime, they Rams came up short again against a team that really had nothing offensively in Minnesota, losing a heartbreaker 23-20. The Vikings proved they were no match for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl in 1970.

In 1968 The Rams did not make post season even though they started the season 6-0 and in 1967 after a landmark win against Green Bay at home coming back in the last seconds with a block punt and an epic TD Pass to beat Lombardi & Green Bay 27-24, propelling them into post season, the Rams scored on their opening drive in Green Bay and then the Packers put up 28 unanswered points dominating the Rams & Gabriel 28-7.

 

[LARams_1963]

When I started watching the Rams, Roman was our QB. He was my first sports hero/rolemodel. So sad to hear of his passing, RIP QB1!!

 

[JimY53]

View: https://x.com/RomanGabriel3rd/status/1782814828022636668

 

[henry dyer]

love the music of the old nfl highlights