A football life: Fred Bruney's son Ritchie shares the former Eagles coach's story

Fred Bruney translated his play style to his coaching career.

On the field, Bruney was an impressive player. Despite not having the prototypical size, he was a successful player in both college and professionally. Bruney was a two-way player at Ohio State, racking up 805 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns on offense while having 17 interceptions on defense. Those 17 interceptions still rank second all-time in the Ohio State record books.

Regarding his dad's playing career, Richie said Fred said that he felt that he "did pretty well for someone that was undersized." He also spoke about how Fred's playing style benefitted his coaching career.

" He was just a ballhawk. He had the natural ability to read a quarterback, read a play, read a receiver, and know where the ball is going. And I think that's what made him such a good coach and gave him the longevity in his career as a player and a coach."

Once Fred Bruney moved into coaching, he started to have success there as well. According to his son, Fred's impact revolved around instilling toughness, technique, and hard work into his players.

"I can remember coming into the locker room at halftime or at the end of the games, and they were all bloodied up from the short turf on the Vet field...they were never complaining about anything. My dad, the guys he wanted to come in and play for him, they had to be tough as nails and be willing to go above and beyond for their teammates. "

These traits were built from what Bruney learned throughout his playing career. As a result, he focused on bringing in players who fit that mold. This gained him a moniker as a "players' coach" among those he coached at the defensive back position.