dan football’s man of prayer
By Jeane Hoffman D eacon Dan, one of professional football’s all-time greats, occupies a unique position in pro football. His is the only delivery that can fol low the traditional pep talk and not be anticlimatical; he calls the only huddle that is not concerned with winning. Since 1950, Dan Towler has led the Los Angeles Ram players in pray er before the start of every game. In the beginning, it was Divinity Stu dent Towler’s idea. Now the Ram players ask for it. “But if anyone has the idea I’m praying for a victory, they’re mis taken,” said sincere Dan, who is working for his master’s in theology at SC. “ I don’t feel we deserve any special privileges. “ Instead, I pray that the Rams be given courage and strength to do their best. I think prayer helps to get our players in the right frame of mind, that our team spirit is better because of it. You might say I pray like everything depends on God— then go out and play like everything depends on me.” Dan, who hopes to be ordained a
Los Angeles Tjrnfes Photo For past two years big Dan Towler has been number one and two in ball carrying in professional football for the nation. Before each game Towler leads team in prayer.
minister in the Congregational faith eventually, is now assistant, pastor at the Congregational Church of Chris tian Fellowship on West Adams. His brief “pigskin pulpit” worship on the field is delivered before members of the Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths, with Head Coach Hamp Pool kneeling beside him. That big Dan is capable of utter ing devout words one minute and than banging into a rival player the next — with enough force to decapi tate the gent 4 - has never ceased to astound some gentry, especially his prone opposition. “ I feel that all things are equal,” solemn, 215-pound Dan explains it. “We meet on equal ground. I would n’t. for instance,' hit an adversary with a hammer or attack an oppo nent who wasn’t wearing shoulder pads and equipment like myself. Our
only difference is in ability — and in that respect, ‘the Lord helps him who helps himself.’ A person who beats me in a game teaches me some thing. He saves me from being a bad player in my next game.” Dan, who hails from Donora, Pa., and has attended Washington and Jefferson, Howard University and SC, has been interested in Christianity all his life and “ praised the Lord'and7 passed the football” on whatever team he happened to be connected with. His first prayer meeting with the Rams was purely spontaneous. “When the Rams played Chicago for the National League champion ship in 1950, the players were mighty keyed up. So I asked Joe Styda- har, then coach, if I might say a few words before the game. ‘I always pray throughout a game,’ I told Joe. ‘Prayin’s a mutual benefit we should share.’ Joe agreed and called the boys together. Now the fellows feel it’s traditional, like the pep talk. We kneel together, take off our headgear, and I say whatever comes into my mind. It’s never the same.” Dan was “ kinda hoping” that Donn Moomaw, UCLA’s great center who is studying for the ministry, would decide to play pro football and share the pigskin prayer. But it looks like the Deacon will have to continue calling celestial signals alone. END. 13
Y o u r P ra y e r R eque s t A ll of us have needs. And there is no need, no situation, no prob lem that God cannot deal with. He is able and He is willing. This we know on the absolute authority of His Word. Each morn ing the editorial staff of the King’s Business magazine gathers for prayer. Over the years God has answered the heart-cry of thou sands. Should you have: a request we would count it a privilege to take it to the throne of grace. Your request will be held in the strictest confidence. Address: The Editors, King’s Business maga zine, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Calif. Used by courtesy of The Los Angeles Times . J A N U A R Y 1 9 5 4
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