DB Doug Plank (official thread)

[Buckskin86]

And one final question that touches on both his Ohio State playing days and his Chicago Bears career.

WCG - Bears fans love talking about coaches with "fire", and you played for Woody Hayes at Ohio State, and Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan in Chicago, of the three, who was the most fiery?

DP - Without a doubt, the most fiery coach was Woody Hayes. His speeches would start slow and keep building. He would become engrossed in the speech and eventually hit something or break something. He definitely believed in his topics. He loved the United States of America and the people that defended our country. Mike Ditka was a great communicator and was responsible for keeping the players and coaches focused on winning games and becoming champions. Buddy Ryan was innovative and had the ability to make his players play beyond their physical ability. He was a master sergeant in the Army and he was a master sergeant in planning the attack on opposing defenses.

Cont...

http://www.windycitygridiron.com/20...ive-interview-with-bears-legend-46-doug-plank
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shcFxlgS_S4"]YouTube - ‪Former Chicago Bear and Ohio State Buckeye Doug Plank on the Recruiting Process‬‏[/ame]

 

[DubCoffman62]

Looks like his nephew went to Michigan

https://www.facebook.com/j.s.plank

 

[Buckskin86]

Doug Plank radio interview

 

[Buckskin86]

Soul hires Plank as new head coach
POSTED: August 31, 2011
BY ED BARKOWITZ

THE SOUL'S new coach has a name and number that are pure football history.

Doug Plank, whose modest career as a safety is sometimes lost amid the lore of his famous legacy, has been tabbed to replace Mike Hohensee as head coach.

Plank, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., will be formally introduced next week. He explained his decision to get back into the Arena League, where he was a successful head coach from 2005-08.

"Philadelphia has such incredible fan support no matter what sport it is," said Plank, who had floated around as an NFL and college assistant in the three seasons following the AFL's yearlong shutdown after the 2008 season. "They support it with an intensity that is unlike anywhere else. Having competed in Philadelphia as a player with the Bears and a few years ago when I was the head coach of Georgia in the AFL, I was certainly aware of the intensity of the fans and the impact they had on a game."

Plank, 58, played eight seasons for the Bears from 1975-82 and was a key member of some of Buddy Ryan's early defenses in Chicago. Ryan's "46" defense, which revolutionized football and made Chicago's 1985 team one of the most fearsome of all time, was named after Plank, a free safety who wore No. 46.

There will be no "46" defense with the Soul as AFL rules are extremely stringent about defensive alignments. What the Soul does hope to get, however, is similar success to what Plank had in Atlanta.

Plank's teams made the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the Force, including his first season in 2005 when they won the championship and Plank won the first of his two AFL coach of the year awards. His 47 wins are the most by an AFL coach in his first four seasons.

"Doug is a tough-nosed, blue-collar Pennsylvania guy that is a perfect fit for the Soul and the city of Philadelphia," said Ron Jaworski, a Soul co-owner who played against Plank in the NFL. "He has a proven track record and is well respected on all levels of football."

Plank grew up outside of Pittsburgh and was denied a chance to play at Penn State when a recruiter deemed him too small. Then-assistant Earle Bruce persuaded Plank to attend Ohio State, where he played alongside Archie Griffin for the first (1974) of Griffin's two Heisman Trophy seasons.

Cont...

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/other_sports/128727208.html#ixzz1WbZKrPdV
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pGlPedni8Q"]Doug Plank Chicago Bears Hits - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Jaworski has faith in Plank
POSTED: September 9, 2011
BY JEFF JANICZEK
[email protected]

THE FIRST TIME Ron Jaworski met Doug Plank, he woke up the next morning in the hospital.

That was back in 1980 when Jaworski was still playing quarterback for the Eagles, and although he may not remember the hit, he never forgot Plank.

"At the time, he was playing safety for the Chicago Bears," Jaworski said. "So my lineage with Doug Plank goes way back."

Jaworski, a co-majority owner of the Philadelphia Soul, is now entrusting Plank to be the new head coach of his Arena Football franchise.

"He's a winner, just a flat-out winner," Jaworski said. "And he's going to be symptomatic of what we believe in here, not only with the Soul, but also with the city of Philadelphia: tough, hardnosed football. Tough people."

Plank was a two-time Arena Football League Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007 with the Georgia Force. The western Pennsylvania native also won more games in his first 4 years as an AFL head coach than any other coach in league history, posting a 47-25 record over that period.

"There are a lot of great ownership groups in the Arena Football League, but I truly felt that the No. 1 place for me was right here with the Philadelphia Soul," Plank said. "Having grown up near Pittsburgh myself, I understand what it means to play football in Pennsylvania."

Drafted by the Bears out of Ohio State in 1975, Plank played all eight of his NFL seasons in Chicago, quickly becoming infamous for his aggressive, hard-hitting style. His jersey number, 46, became the inspiration for the title of defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan's legendary "46 Defense."

After retiring in 1983, Plank became a Burger King franchisee, owning and operating multiple fast-food restaurants, which is something he credits for preparing him to run a football team.

Cont...

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/other_sports/129512723.html#ixzz1XSMK6Uyg

 

[Buckskin86]

Plank looks to Indianise American football
Dec 25, 2011
Age Correspondent

The Elite Football League of India ? the country?s first professional American-style football league ? is training coaches and players with help from experienced football experts from the United States.

Pune recently welcomed Doug Plank, a former top player from the National Football League?s Chicago Bears, and six other American coaches to train coaches and players from the eight EFLI teams.
After a five-week session at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune, Plank described the experience as being enlightening and ?very rewarding?.
Said Plank, ?Since there are very few Indian athletes playing football in America, I was pleasantly surprised at the size and stature of the players currently on EFLI team rosters. There is an interesting mix from urban and rural areas, and their physique suits the very nature of American football.
?Our priorities now are to secure the biggest and strongest players and to continue to improve their strength and agility through training and nutrition. They are quick learners and I?ve seen an impressive development during my stay,? he added.
On the possibility of EFLI?s success in India, Plank said, ?If the Indian populace can understand rugby and soccer, they can definitely understand (American) football.
?If I were an Indian, I?d love to watch a foreign game that is coached by Indians and played by Indians.
?I am certain that Indian sports lovers will enjoy such a fast-moving game like other popular sports here.?
Plank is known in the US for his celebrated collegiate and professional football career. His rugged playing style revolutionised modern NFL defenses, and is now referred to as a ?46-Defense?, named after his player number.
On the format and exposure to the game, he said, ?We plan to organise exhibition matches before we start the official season so that Indian people become more familiar with the format of the game.?

http://www.asianage.com/life-and-style/plank-looks-indianise-american-football-522

 

[Buckskin86]

Bears' tough guy Doug Plank wasn't about the jewelry
By Al Hamnik
Posted: Wednesday, January 11, 2012

HOBART | Don't feel sorry for Doug Plank because he just missed earning a Super Bowl XX championship ring with the Bears.

Hear him complaining? Of course not.

The former eight-year free safety was featured at Wednesday night's sold-out Gary Old-Timers Banquet, joining such past celebrity speakers as Hank Stram, Charles Finley, Jimmy Piersall, Woody Hayes, Gary Fencik, Tom Heinsohn, Bob Feller, Ray Nitschke, Tommy Lasorda, Ron Santo, Dan Hampton and Dick Butkus.

Plank did not disappoint the turnout of nearly 900.

"Whether I deserved it or not, here's something nobody else on that '85 team can say: I had the '46 defense' named after my jersey number," he said.

"I initially played middle linebacker in that defense that Mike Singletary eventually ended up playing. That is more valuable to me than having played on a Super Bowl team."

Plank started 83 of 101 games with the Bears, the only NFL team he ever played for, and the most he made in a season was $100,000.

"So what if I don't have a Super Bowl memory or a Super Bowl ring? I got plenty of athletic rings," Plank said. "I got three Rose Bowl rings. I coached at Ohio State. I got a Sugar Bowl ring. I got enough rings."

The Bears' universally known 46 defense was his payoff.

"I have left something behind that people will remember long before Doug Plank is thought of again," he said.

After Plank's career ended, he operated 20 Burger King franchises, then coached in the Arena Football League and spent the 2009 season as the New York Jets' assistant defensive backfield coach. It was there he met NFL commissioner Roger Goodell one day while in the team's weight room and introduced himself.

"Bears' 46 defense," Goodell said, offering a firm handshake.

cont...

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/sports/foot...672-5327-9baf-72bb2ddcee50.html#ixzz1jFUIOry1

 

[Buckskin86]

Plank experienced violent nature of football firsthand
But hard-hitting former Bears safety said there was no bounty system during his career
Fred Mitchell
April 6, 2012

Former Bears safety Doug Plank called himself "a pat-down candidate" as he answered my phone call while going through an airport security line Friday in Philadelphia.

Plank's three artificial joints send off alarms whenever he travels and remind him of the physical price he paid as a player. He also inflicted pain.

Pound-for-pound, the 6-foot, 200-pound Plank hit as hard as any player in the NFL. Of course, Plank is known for leading with his helmet, as was permitted when he played (1975-1982), because that was the way he was taught since he was 8. Plank and fellow safety Gary Fencik were dubbed "The Hit Men."

Former Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan dubbed his dominating unit the "46 Defense" in honor of Plank, who wore that uniform number.

I asked Plank about the current controversy involving the Saints' bounty system.

"I know that in Chicago when (Buddy Ryan) was the defensive coordinator and Mike Ditka was the head coach, there certainly was no bounty system," said Plank, coach of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. "There might have been two players among themselves who made some sort of a wager. But in terms of the entire team or the entire defense, I never experienced anything like that in Chicago.

cont...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...407-mitchell-plank--20120407,0,2364887.column

 

[Buckskin86]

What's up with former Arizona Rattlers defensive coordinator Doug Plank
by Richard Obert - Apr. 24, 2012
The Republic | azcentral.com

Age: 59.

Residence: Scottsdale.

Then: Played for legendary coach Woody Hayes at Ohio State, before embarking on an NFL career as a safety, where he was most known for his aggressive style that caused Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan to come up with the "46 defense," named after Plank's jersey number. After doing some color commentary on Arizona Rattlers' arena football games, Plank became then-Rattlers coach Danny White's defensive coordinator in 2001 and the team played in three consecutive ArenaBowls, while he handled the defense. He went on to become head coach of the Georgia Force, where he led the team to the ArenaBowl in his first season in 2005. He helped out in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and in 2009 he was an assistant defensive backfield coach for the New York Jets.

Now: He is in his first season as head coach of the AFL's Philadelphia Soul, which started the season 5-1 and scored a record-92 points in one game. He spent his off-season commuting back and forth to India to help teach football and get a pro league off the ground to begin play in November, using all locals who had never played the game before.

cont...

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/rat...ive-coordinator-doug-plank.html#ixzz1t3KxfMqA

 

[Buckskin86]

Spirited coach for Soul
Jun. 2, 2012
Written by
RANDY MILLER
Courier-Post Staff

Doug Plank is coach of the Philadelphia Soul. / Darryl Rule/J&D Photography

Nobody liked the new guy running the Chicago Bears defense. The husky bugger came off as mean and did a lot of screaming. Buddy Ryan, future beloved coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, acted like he was still in the Army when he joined the Bears as an assistant in 1978.

Doug Plank, then Ryan?s ferocious-hitting strong safety and now coach of the Arena Football League?s Philadelphia Soul, remembers being worked so hard that he felt like he was in boot camp every day.

?Buddy wasn?t very friendly, was very ornery and acted like a former master sergeant during the Korean War,? Plank said.

The daily mental and physical poundings were so grueling that Plank sometimes wondered if Ryan had their backs. Bears players found out after a tough loss when Ryan addressed his unit with a tear rolling down his cheek.

"I don't want to say after that everybody drank the Kool-Aid, but it gets to a point in a person's career that guys are for you or against you," Plank said. "There was total buy-in at that time. We realized and understood that not only did this mean something to Buddy, but obviously he cared about us."

Plank might evoke a little Buddy tonight before the opening kickoff to the Soul?s game against the Orlando Predators at Wells Fargo Center. If not Ryan, then maybe Mike Ditka, his head coach for a season in Chicago ... or Woody Hayes, his late legendary college coach at Ohio State ... or perhaps Marv Levy, a four-time Super Bowl coach with the Buffalo Bills who coached Plank for a season in the United States Football League. Sometimes Plank?s words in speeches became pieces of all the great coaches he's had, other times it?s all him and always it's 100 percent from the heart.

?I?ve tried to adopt a little of each one,? said Plank, a 59-year-old bottle of energy who grew up near Pittsburgh in Irwin, Pa. ?I can hear Buddy right now punching lockers. Mike Ditka did that some, too. I?ll take some of their stuff, some of their material, and blend it, but I know some players put very little value in communication and pregame talks. And here?s why: some coaches are good at it and sometimes coaches aren?t good at it.?

cont...

http://www.courierpostonline.com/ar...06020027/Spirited-coach-Soul?odyssey=nav|head

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA_EXRIFoUs"]Doug Plank interview, talks about Philadelphia Soul lose - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Soul Chat with Doug Plank

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDEJfcE0lqM"]Doug Plank Chicago Bears Hits - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted: Fri, Aug. 17, 2012
Plank resigns as Soul coach

DOUG PLANK has resigned after one very successful season as the Soul's head coach.

"I would like to thank the entire organization and the city of Philadelphia for how they embraced me and this team. It was an incredible run," Plank said in a statement. "I was blessed to have so many players, coaches, individuals within the organization, and most importantly - the fans - that made my job easy.

"In the last few days, my job description has changed. Coach Plank has now become Doug, Dad and Grandpa."

Plank, 59, ominously said following the team's loss in the ArenaBowl championship game on Aug. 10 that he needed to evaluate his future. Coaching in Philadelphia for 7 months, he said, created a hardship on his family, which lives in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"We certainly understand Doug's view and respect his decision," Soul general manager Tom Goodhines said. "We appreciate all that he has done for this organization.

"Doug's character and integrity speaks for itself, and we thank him for helping get us back to championship-caliber football."

Offensive coordinator Clint Dolezel is the logical choice to replace Plank. Dolezel was the wizard behind the Soul's prolific offense and his bond with Dan Raudabaugh will be a key factor to getting the free-agent quarterback to return to Philadelphia.

The Soul brought in Plank, Dolezel and other coaches and had numerous roster changes after going 6-12 in 2011. Philadelphia responded by going 15-3, before getting thumped by the Arizona Rattlers in the ArenaBowl.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/soul/20120817_Plank_resigns_as_Soul_coach.html#ixzz23nzGHx1M

 

[Buckskin86]

Predators hire Doug Plank as head coach
By Brendan Sonnone, Orlando Sentinel
September 5, 2012

The Orlando Predators hired former Chicago Bears defensive back Doug Plank as their head coach and president of football operations Wednesday.

Plank, a former safety for the Bears through 1975-1982, has accumulated a 58-24 record in five years as an Arena Football League head coach and has been chosen the AFL's coach of the year two times.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...coach-20120905_1_bret-munsey-head-coach-preds

 

[Buckskin86]

New Predators coach Doug Plank feeds off competitive streak
September 10, 2012|By Brendan Sonnone, Orlando Sentinel

Doug Plank's need to be the best has been woven into his personality, derived from being a middle child among three boys growing up in a blue-collar community in Western Pennsylvania.

"I was always fighting for attention, always trying to do something special, always trying to get my mom and dad's attention," Plank said.

Competing drove Plank, 59, to become one of the most feared safeties for the Chicago Bears in the 1970s and '80s. It pushed him to become a successful franchisee of 13 Burger Kings. It convinced him to engage in a snowball fight in college in which he accidentally broke the dorm-room window of a coed who later became his wife.

And it is what influenced him to become the Orlando Predators' head coach and president of football operations last week.

cont...

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...0120910_1_head-coach-doug-plank-chicago-bears

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9uM3Zl0VjI"]NFL Films Doug Plank - YouTube[/ame]