Just to retreat into the twilight zone of ancient history to dredge up a memory: When Nick Buoniconti was deservedly making All-American teams for his offensive guard and middle linebacker play, he had a "buddy" who played the "other" guard as well as nose tackle [called "middle guard" back in those days.] This was Norb Roy.
Norb Roy was one of the toughest, meanest-looking SOBs I'd seen in my life --- I have no idea whether he was a "nice guy" off the field, but I'd believe anything. Roy invented a type of weight-training [emphasizing working against basically immovable countertension utilizing greater and greater "pulsed" strength exertion with your muscles]. At the time this was revolutionary as everything was moving movables with no change of exertion within any given lift or action. Roy published a short monograph on this which made many weightlifting scenes. In this he almost got it right, as later exercise equipment, which itself dynamically changed the amount of back-reaction it gave you, completed the idea.
Roy was a ferocious warrior, laboring in the shadow of Nick. But, with Nick he was team co-captain. While Nick was going sideline-to-sideline destroying opponent ball-carriers, Norb was root-hogging it every play down in the meathouse. I can never remember him leaving the field.
Pep rallies used to be a bizarre experience with the students yelling so loud at every four words that nobody could get a sentence out in their "speeches". But Norb did. He'd walk up to the railing in that old barn within which the rallies were held, and the mightiest, hairiest, nastiest arm you'd ever seen would come out over the railing, point at us, and a huge gravelly voice would say: EVERYBODY SHUT UP UNTIL I'M THROUGH TELLING YOU WHAT I WANT TO SAY!!.
Silence reigned.
Norb played several years in the Canadian Football League, once again not get the glory of his Hall-of-Fame buddy Buoniconti. .... but what a stud.
