Robert J. Schmitz, who spent 33 years as an NFL scout, died on June 8 of an apparent heart attack. He was 65.
In the late 1950s, Schmitz played football at Montana State. A 14th round draft pick, he moved up to the NFL and played in 51 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1961 to 1966. The burly linebacker was named the NFL Player of the Week on Nov. 10, 1963 when he tackled Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown in the end zone for a safety that gave the Steelers a 9-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
After playing a season with the Minnesota Vikings, Schmitz launched a full-time scouting career. He spent two decades seeking out defensive players for the Steelers then joined the New York Jets in 1996. Schmitz retired after the draft last April.