Joe Don Loony

[Chris Grieb]

Joe Don Loony was a pro football player in the 60ths. He was also supposed to be fan of Ayn Rand. He was a good player but very undisciplined leading to his being cut by several The on line encyclopedia article on him did not mention his interest in Ayn Rand and suggested he committed suicide.

Does anyone know any more about him?

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Chris,

Here are the results from a quick search:

Wikipedia article: Joe Don Looney. From the article:

After his retirement from football he converted to Hinduism and joined the Siddha Yoga movement led by Swami Muktananda. Stan Trout, a fellow convert, alleged that Looney was one of Muktananda’s “enforcers” who intimidated people into obeying him.

He died at the age of 45 on September 24, 1988 near Luna Vista north of Terlingua, Texas when his motorcycle ran off a rural highway and crashed into a fence. There were no skidmarks on the road.

That sounds like it might have been suicide, but here is the NYT obituary that suggests he was thrown from his motorcycle:

Joe Don Looney, 45, Former Football Star

I skimmed the following article, which btw is so fascinating I stopped skimming in a few places and read in more depth, and although I did not see Rand's name, it certainly sounded like he was into her writing at one time.

The greatest player who never was - football legend Joe Don Looney; includes related article - Cover Story

Here is a quote from that article that certainly sounds Randish. Incidentally, the writer's name is Looney, but he is not related to Joe Don.

Indeed it is difficult to be around football people for very long before Joe Don works his way into the conversation, whether you want him to or not Joe Don always generates smiles in remembrance. How can you not like a guy, who, as a Colt, punted a ball towering straight up, then put his hands on his hips and yelled, "Hey, God, how did you like that one?'

Here is another poignant quote about him that I think applies to many disenchanted Objectivists and libertarians of around my generation (the generations that were alive and adult when Rand was a public figure, say the 60's and 70's).

Suggests Joe Don's Uncle Bill, "There was something in his nature that made him go to extremes. There was no damn middle ground in him.I think he got caught up in the change between the World War II mentality of drinkin' whiskey and smokin' cigarettes to the `60s mentality of dope, long hair and ragged clothes. This place he was in he didn't like. He was makin' an attempt to move himself above it. I think he spent most of his life trying to get back up stream to the source of where he came from. When you are trying to go back upstream, a lot of strange things happen. I don't know how far he ever got."

Here is a book about him: 3rd Down and Forever: Joe Don Looney and the Rise and Fall of an American Hero by J. Brent Clark

Here is a smartass article: Joe Don Looney by Mike Shropshire.

He sounds like a fascinating character. Of all of Rand's characters, the one that most reminds me of him in spirit is Gail Wynand.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Michael; Thanks!