“We lost Rich Saul today. Our prayers are with Eileen and the kids,” Youngblood tweeted. “He knew who he was and where he was going. See you again, Richie.”

Born February 5, 1948, in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saul was an all-conference linebacker at Michigan State who went on to be selected in the eighth round of the 1970 NFL draft by the Rams.

He played all 12 of his NFL seasons — 176 regular-season games and 12 playoff games — with the Rams, earning Pro Bowl recognition as a center in the final six years and helping Los Angeles to Super Bowl XIV.

The LA Times writes that Saul’s teammates nicknamed him “Supe” — as in super — for multiple reasons. Besides being able to play pretty much any position on the field, Saul the had the uncanny knack for making himself out to be a “superhero” when recounting any story.

The Times quoted former Rams guard Dennis Harrah as saying:

“When Rich Saul told a story, he never lost one battle. And you had to love him for that. Because when Rich would start telling a story I’d say, ‘Hey, I’ll tell you what, Rich is going to come out being super on this one.’ God love him, he just made you laugh.”

In addition to his twin brother Ron, who also played several years in the NFL, Saul is survived by his wife, Eileen; their daughter, Jaime, and son, Josh, and five grandchildren.

A private memorial service for Rich Saul will be held this weekend in Irvine, according to the OC Register.


Read more at:  LA Times