Charles "Chuck''" Mercein (born April 9, 1943) is a former professional

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) who played for seven seasons for the New York Giants,

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

, and

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

Career

He was drafted in the third round, the second player drafted by the New York Giants, the 31st player taken overall in the draft. He led the Giants in rushing in his second season and after an injury was claimed on waivers and joined the Green Bay Packers midway through the season. As a professional, Mercein is best remembered for his performance in the Packers' game-winning drive in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, known popularly as the "Ice Bowl". Mercein rushed six times for 20 yards, and had two receptions for 22 yards in the "Ice Bowl"; 34 of his total yards were achieved on that game's final and famous 68 yard drive. He most notably raised both of his arms behind Bart Starr, who had executed a quarterback sneak to score the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds remaining in regulation time. Because physically aiding a teammate into the end zone is a penalty, he was indicating to the on-field officials that Starr was not pushed forward. He played for the Packers through 1969, and then with the Jets, before retiring in 1971. Prior to being with the Jets, he was in

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...

, but was released on September 1, 1970.

Early years

Mercein is the son of Tom Mercein, a radio and television personality who worked in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

during the 1950s and 1960s. Chuck Mercein graduated first from Sacred Heart School and then New Trier High School, in 1961. He was an all-state fullback who also was the first Illinois high-school athlete to ever exceed 60 feet in the

shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...

. His feats of 61 feet, 1¾ inches at

Waukegan Waukegan ( ) is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located north of Chicago, Waukegan is a satellite city within the greater Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its popu ...

on April 29, 1961, and 60 feet, 5½ inches at Maine East six days later on May 5 both exceeded the then-state record of 58 feet, 5½ inches. Neither were recognized as an Illinois high school record, which had to be established only at the state championships. Mercein's acceptance of a scholarship to attend

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

was based on recommendations from Mike Pyle, a fellow New Trier graduate who had also matriculated at Yale. While at Yale, Mercein was a member of the Phi chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.Shropshire, Mike. ''The Ice Bowl: The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys Season of 1967''. New York City: Diversion Books, 1997.
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercein, Chuckie 1943 births Living people New York Giants players Green Bay Packers players New York Jets players Players of American football from Milwaukee Yale College alumni New Trier High School alumni Yale Bulldogs football players