John McDowell holds the distinction of having played for not one, but two legendary head football coaches.
At Saint John's University, the 1964 graduate was a two-time All-American and two-time All-MIAC selection under the tutelage of John Gagliardi, who would go on to become college football's all-time wins leader.
McDowell was a key member of the 1963 Johnnie team that won the first of Gagliardi's four national championships in Collegeville, playing on both the offensive and defensive line.
Then, after graduating, he went on to a six-season professional career in the NFL and Canadian Football League, the first season of which was spent with the Green Bay Packers – then led by legendary coaching icon Vince Lombardi.
"In different ways, they were exactly the same," McDowell said. "They both knew how to get the most out of their players. They both were so good at figuring out situations and how to solve them. They were both wonderful teachers.
"John never raised his voice and Lombardi didn't really either. But Lombardi, even without yelling, could make you think God hated you and your family wanted to kill you.
"It wasn't that way at all with John."
And it is Gagliardi for whom McDowell still holds the warmest memories.
"When I was a freshman in high school, I was the exact same size I was when I played pro ball," he said. "I was All-State in basketball, I was a star in track. But I didn't start a single football game. I just never had anyone who told me what to do.
"It was John who showed me how to use my size and be successful."
There were many exceptionally gifted players on the 1963 roster, a number of whom had been playing key roles since first arriving in Collegeville as freshmen.
And McDowell said it was an extremely close-knit group.
"Any one of those guys would have done anything for one another," he said. "And that wasn't the case on any other team I'd been on."
But even among such talented company, his teammates say McDowell (
far left, in track) stood out.
"He was such a great athlete and he was a giant with a great sense of humor," said Ken Roering, who earned All-American honors as a receiver that season.
"He was a really charming guy. And he was super-smart. He pretended he wasn't. But he knew everything that was going on out there on the field."
And it wasn't just football where McDowell excelled. He was also a member of the Johnnies' basketball team and a standout in track and field, winning four MIAC titles in the discus and two in the shot put.
But football was his claim to fame.
"He was such a great blocker," said Craig Muyres, the starting quarterback on the 1963 team. "And I was always so proud of what he went on to accomplish.
"He was the guy who went on to play pro football from that group."
And McDowell said the credit for that goes to Gagliardi.
"He was a wonderful coach," McDowell said. "My goal when I first met him was to figure out a way to be just like him. That's how amazing he was to be around.
"I can remember talking to him when I was a freshman. A lot of people in the league at that time wanted (Minnesota-Duluth) out. They just felt like they were too good and they were getting all of the University of Minnesota's rejects.
"I asked him were we (at Saint John's) in favor of getting rid of them too? And he said 'Noooooooo! We're just going to get better.' And we beat them (8-7) that year, lost to them (12-6) in 1961. We beat them (6-0) at home in 1962. And my senior year (in 1963) we won huge against them up there (60-6).
"That was just the approach he took and it rubbed off on everyone he coached."
