Clyde Emrich, pioneering NFL strength coach, dies at 90 1 day ago share facebook twitter reddit linkLAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Clyde Emrich, an Olympic weightlifter who became the NFL's first strength and conditioning coach when the Chicago Bears hired him 50 years ago, has died. Emrich had been working with several Bears players such as Stan Jones, Doug Atkins and Ronnie Bull at a local YMCA when the Bears hired him in 1971. He worked in some capacity under every Bears coach from Halas to Matt Nagy and was known as “The Legend" around team headquarters. A USA Weightlifting Hall of Famer, Emrich competed in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki during a 21-year career. Emrich started lifting weights at age 15 in 1946, when he was 5-foot-6 and weighed just 110 pounds.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 11, 2021 13:19 UTC