Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Ron McDole, DT-DE, 6' 4", 265 lbs.
1961 St. Louis Cardinals, 1962 Houston Oilers (and Minnesota Vikings), 1963-70 Buffalo Bills, 1971-78 Washington Redskins; 240 regular season games (plus 11 playoffs), 2 AFL Championships, 1 NFC Championship, 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All Pro, All-Time AFL Team (2nd Team).

Ron McDole, nicknamed by Sonny Jurgensen "The Dancing Bear" during a table-top dance-off that involved more than a few beers, played 18 seasons (mostly) for the AFL's Buffalo Bills and the NFL's Washington Redskins.

Ron was one of the anchors of perhaps the best defense in the early American Football League. His Bills had a streak of 17 games in which they didn't allow a rushing touchdown and won AFL Championships in 1964 & 1965.

McDole's biggest claim to fame might be that he holds the NFL's record for interceptions by a defensive lineman with 12. But he also has the second highest career total in safeties with three (3 players have 4). Per John Turney, Ron also totaled 82 Sacks and 21 blocked kicks in his career (thank you, John for sharing that info) as well as 929 tackles, 548 of which were solo.

Ron played the second half of his career as a part of George Allen's "Over-the Hill-Gang", winning the 1972 NFC Championship and making it to Super Bowl VII before their loss to the Dolphins. He scored two touchdowns while in D.C., one in 1971 on an interception return and the other in 1975 on a fumble recovery.

Known for his speed, pursuit, determination and football smarts, Ron has been promoted for the Hall of Fame by contemporaries such as Tom Sestak and Billy Shaw.

I ask that you consider voting for him on this year's Hall of Very Good ballot.

JuggernautJ wrote: McDole's biggest claim to fame might be that he holds the NFL's record for interceptions by a defensive lineman with 12.

Didn't Lavvie Dilweg have 27? He played DE when on defense.

Ken Crippen wrote:

JuggernautJ wrote: McDole's biggest claim to fame might be that he holds the NFL's record for interceptions by a defensive lineman with 12.

Didn't Lavvie Dilweg have 27? He played DE when on defense.

Well, you would know that far better than I!
If you say so, I would certainly defer to your superior knowledge...

However, in his book The Dancing Bear, McDole states that he holds the NFL record for career interceptions by a DL (as does his Wikipedia page). And SI also lists his 12 interceptions as the record:

By the end of his career, McDole had 12 pass interceptions, a record for a defensive lineman that still stands.
https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/h ... VdlTgfxvqg

So, I am guessing, for some reason, Lavvie's total is somehow unverified or otherwise considered not official by the NFL?

Still, thank you very much, Ken, for the correction! I am always happy to learn more about my favorite sport!!
And thank you also for the reply. I am glad to see at least a little conversation generated regarding "The Dancing Bear!"

Yeah, the 1920-1932 statistics are unofficial. David Neft (his encyclopedia also had co-authors, but I'm not sure if the co-authors worked on the pre-1932 part or whether that was just him) compiled them from newspaper accounts. We also had Bob Gill do some pre-1920 work for a Jim Thorpe article. It is not easy work. I tried to do it for the 1914 game between Akron and Canton. At my pace, it may have taken 20 years to get through one season.

JuggernautJ wrote:

Ken Crippen wrote:

JuggernautJ wrote: McDole's biggest claim to fame might be that he holds the NFL's record for interceptions by a defensive lineman with 12.

Didn't Lavvie Dilweg have 27? He played DE when on defense.

Well, you would know that far better than I!
If you say so, I would certainly defer to your superior knowledge...

However, in his book The Dancing Bear, McDole states that he holds the NFL record for career interceptions by a DL (as does his Wikipedia page). And SI also lists his 12 interceptions as the record:

By the end of his career, McDole had 12 pass interceptions, a record for a defensive lineman that still stands.
https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/h ... VdlTgfxvqg

So, I am guessing, for some reason, Lavvie's total is somehow unverified or otherwise considered not official by the NFL?

Still, thank you very much, Ken, for the correction! I am always happy to learn more about my favorite sport!!
And thank you also for the reply. I am glad to see at least a little conversation generated regarding "The Dancing Bear!"

No worries. People usually do not recognize anything that happened prior to Super Bowl I. Deep dives go back to 1960. While the stats are not complete, Neft et. al. did an incredible job with gathering together stats that they were able to get from newspaper accounts. Not official, which is why McDole can say he holds the record.

I always found it interesting that Browns DE Len Ford had a total of 3 interceptions in back-to-back NFL title games: 2 vs. the Lions in '54 and 1 vs. LA in '55. In fact, his postseason totals of 3 picks for 45 yards exactly matched his regular season career totals.

That and a nickel will get you...well, nothing nowadays.

I have nominated and voted in the past for McDole, he was one of the first players that I knew because he was the last defensive lineman to use a two-bar facemask.

He should also be recognized as one of the all time great kick blockers not quite in the Hendricks, Page, Whitwell tier but right behind. I have him with 19, right behind Matt Blair but given his mix of FG's vs PAT's I'd rank him above Blair.

Great posts guys ...

McDoles career reminds me of Ed Too Tall Jones.