Oregon-born and raised, Jack Patera (August 1, 1933 – October 31, 2018) was a four-year starter on the offensive line for the Oregon Ducks before his long career as a coach in the NFL.
Patera attended Washington High School in Portland. Upon graduation in 1951, he enrolled at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he played college football for Len Casanova's Ducks from 1951–1954, earning All-Pacific Coast Conference honors as a guard in his senior year. Other honors included his selection to play in the 1955 East-West Shrine Game, the Hula Bowl, and the College All-Star Game. He was noted for his rugged play on the inside of the offensive line.
Jack played seven seasons in the NFL as an outside linebacker for the Baltimore Colts, Chicago Cardinals, and Dallas Cowboys. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, and the Minnesota Vikings. Patera managed two outstanding defensive line groups, the "Fearsome Foursome" of the Rams the "Purple People Eaters" in Minnesota.
He was named the first head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and brought the expansion team into playoff contention in the team’s third season in the league (1978), earning NFL Coach of the Year honors. Patera was the right choice for an expansion team, willing to take chances and experiment with different players. Jim Zorn went from deep in the depth chart that first year to beloved team leader. The Hawks ran more than their share of trick plays, especially fake field goals. Seattle's first appearance on Monday Night Football in October of 1979 featured a buffet of fake punts, onside kicks, 4th down conversions and most famously, the fake field that result a catch and first down for kicker Efren Herrera. The Seahawks rallied from a 14-0 deficit to win and the country got an introduction to Jack Patera's brand of football.
The Hawks came close but never made post-season until after Patera was dismissed after an 0-2 start in 1982. His head coaching record was 35-39 with Seattle. In retirement, Jack lived a full outdoors life hunting and fishing
In 2000, Jack Patera was inducted into the University of Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame.