| Date of birth: | July 29, 1942 |
| Place of birth: | Minneota, Minnesota |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | Running back |
| College: | Augustana, South Dakota |
| NFL Draft: | 1964 / Round: |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1964-1974 | Los Angeles Rams |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls: | 1 |
| Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com | |
Les Josephson (born July 29, 1942) is a former National Football League running back who played eleven seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
His professional career had its genesis in his high school days in Minneota, Minnesota, where he played 8-man football. He had not played 11-man ball until he began college at Augustana in Sioux Falls, SD.
His early college years were outstanding, playing on a college team that showed unusual success and talent. The team during his final two years, however, had only mediocre success, and his hope to be claimed in the college draft faded. He was offered free agent status with the Dallas Cowboys, and at the conclusion of rookie training camp he was released and immediately picked up by the Los Angeles Rams. Six weeks later he joined the backfield of Roman Gabriel as blocking/running back, and was a team leader for the next decade.
He was selected for the pro bowl in 1968. This 'all-pro' award, among many he received is particularly fascinating, for in fact he never was 'all-anything' in either high school or college! (Several 'honorable mentions' excepted.)
Injuries slowed Les down (broken jaw, ruptured achilles tendon) but he survived and contributed to the team for many years after his worst injuries, retiring in 1975.
After his career, he acted in a number of films and also served as a football consultant.
Films and television[]
- Technical consultant for Gus (1976)
- Nickelodeon as a bouncer
- Police Woman episode "Death Game" (1977)
- Superdome (1978TV) as Caretta
- Heaven Can Wait (1978) as Owens. Josephson also served as a technical consultant for the film.
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