Here is a sweet piece of NFL ephemera from the league’s early days. It’s a letter dated June 9, 1949 and sent from Los Angeles Rams head coach Clark Shaughnessy to new arrival George Buksar regarding the team’s summer training camp.
In a sign of how different things were back in the ’40s, Buksar — a 10th-round draft pick by the Rams out of San Francisco — was expected to bring his own equipment and pads. He was also advised to get a sunburn ahead of time, which I’m sure my dermatologist readers will appreciate.
Buksar signed with L.A. in late June but was released in late September. He soon signed with the Chicago Hornets of the rival AAFC. He finished his pro career in 1952 after two years with the Washington Redskins.
Shaughnessy, meanwhile, coached the Rams in 1948-49 but was more notably the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator from 1951 through ’62.
