Football player
Junior and College Levels
Coach:
Football - High School, US
College, NFL
Basketball and Track - High
School
From 1954-2011
Al
Sandahl was born and raised in Wetaskiwin. In high school he played
both football, basketball and participated in track but football was
what he pursued. After a successful football career playing at the
Junior and College levels, Al became involved in coaching. He spent
thirty-four years coaching football, basketball and track at high
schools and colleges in the USA as well as spending one year coaching in
the NFL. Al successfully coached several individuals in high school and
college who received scholarships or NFL/CFL contracts. Many of the
teams where Al was a member of the coaching staff were conference
champions, involved in state championships, or "Bowl" champions.
Al’s first football
experience was playing for the Wetaskiwin High School Sabres coached by
Norm Brown and Pete Durnovo. Al played end on the undefeated 1954 team
and tackle on the 1955 and 1956 Sabre teams that won three league
championships and played twenty-three games without a loss. The 1956
team was so dominant that in six league games, the first play-off game
and an exhibition game no points were scored against them. In 2009 the
1956 team was inducted into the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of
Fame.
Member of Sabres Dynasty of 1950's
Al and two of his 1956
team-mates, Don Duncalfe and Daryl Maki, were invited to the Edmonton
Eskimo Rookie Tryout Camp in their grade twelve year confirming their
exceptional ability and the high quality of play demonstrated by the
Sabres dynasty of the 1950’s. After the Rookie Camp Eskimo head coach
“Pop” Ivy was so impressed with Al and Don that he invited them to
attend the main training camp later in the summer.
In 1957, after graduating
from high school, Al played Junior Football with the Edmonton Huskies.
The 1957 Huskies were Alberta Junior Football League Champions and
Alberta-BC Champions but lost in the Western Canadian finals. After a
successful season playing tight end for the Huskies, “Pop” Ivy
recommended him to the Head Coach at the University of Montana for a
football scholarship, which he subsequently accepted.
In 1959, after one year in
Montana, Al participated in a Calgary Stampeder Tryout Camp where he
impressed the coaches. They recommended a transfer to Louisiana College
for which he received a full scholarship. He played tight end for the
Wildcats for the rest of his collegiate career. In 1963, Al graduated
from Louisiana College with a Bachelor of Science Degree with majors in
Physical Education and Social Studies.
Started Coaching as Member of Montreal Alouettes
Playing professional
football was still Al’s goal and in 1963, Al signed with the Edmonton
Eskimos and was in the final cut after the preseason. In 1964, Al was
signed by the Calgary Stampeders and again in the final cut after the
preseason. He then became the property of the Montreal Alouettes and
was placed on their practice roster. During his year in Montreal
(1964-65), Al and his wife accepted teaching positions and Al made his
first foray into the coaching arena by coaching football and basketball
at Westhill High School in Montreal. The Westhill basketball team, with
Al as head coach, made it to the final game of the City Championship.
In 1965, Al and his wife
moved back to Louisiana and for the next seven years until 1972, Al was
either an assistant or Head Football Coach at the high school level. In
1965 his Jonesboro-Hodge high school team was in the quarter finals of
the class 4A state playoffs and in 1966, his Mansfield high school team
was in the semi-finals of the class 3A state playoffs. Al also coached
basketball and track and in 1967 the Mansfield High School track team,
with Al as head coach, won the State Championship. In 1969, he
received his Master of Arts Degree in History from Stephen F. Austin
State University in Texas.
13 Years with Elite College Teams
From 1973 to 1986 Al was
involved with the following State University teams as either assistant
coach or offensive co-ordinator: Mississippi State, Oklahoma State,
Washington State, UCLA, Colorado State, Iowa State, Syracuse and Kansas
State. In those two positions, Al coached wide receivers, running backs
and quarterbacks. Al’s job with the quarterbacks was preparing the
plays that were run, getting the quarterback ready and calling offensive
plays, a huge responsibility. Al’s teams were very successful; in 1974
the Mississippi Bulldogs were the Sun Bowl Champions, in 1976 the
Oklahoma Cowboys were Big 8, co-conference Champions and won the
Tangerine Bowl and in 1984 his Syracuse Orange defeated Nebraska, the
number one ranked team in the nation. Many of Al’s protégés were
drafted by the NFL. One example was quarterback Jack Thompson who Al
coached in 1978 at Washington State University. Jack was a Sporting
News 1st Team All American and was chosen third by the Cincinnati
Bengals in the 1st round of the NFL draft.
Hired by Buffalo Bills - Recruited by Syracuse
University to be Offensive Coordinator
The most prestigious
coaching position of Al’s career was when Al was hired in 1983 as the
Assistant Offensive Line/TE’s coach for the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.
As Assistant Offensive Line Coach, during the games he was in the press
box connected to the head coach who called the plays. Al provided the
head coach with the secondary coverages by down and distance as well as
other pertinent information. A highlight for Al that season was
coaching the Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama as a member of the Buffalo
Bills staff. Players in this game were College Senior NFL prospects.
While he was in Buffalo, Al was recruited and hired by Syracuse
University to be Offensive Co-ordinator for their football team in 1984.
In 1986, Al moved to
Memphis, Tennessee and became involved in the real estate business. He
tutored local high school football teams by working with quarterbacks
and wide receivers in his spare time. Al then moved to Dallas and from
2002 to 2011, once again became involved with coaching high school
football, basketball and track. Many of his teams were involved in state
high school play-offs. After hip and knee replacements in 2011, Al
decided to take a year off from coaching and teaching.
In order for Al to be
hired to coach at such elite levels, he had to have the necessary
knowledge and expertise, experience and a proven reputation in the sport
as well as an ability to coach. Al certainly has all of these
attributes. Over the years, hundreds of athletes have been positively
influenced by Al’s coaching. We applaud his impressive achievements and
successes along with his athletic and coaching abilities and are pleased
to induct Al Sandahl into the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame.
Information
about an inductee is collected from published sources,
sports archives, scrapbooks, anecdotal information from
family, friends and fans, and
the athlete.
However, sometimes
the best stories and personal insights are gleaned at the induction dinner from
the introductory comments or acceptance speech of the
inductee or their representative.
Where possible we have included this type of information for
your enjoyment.
Read the
opening comments made by Dale Cory when introducing Al
Sandahl.
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