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Whatever
Happened to .... Mike Bass (I interviewed Mike Bass via phone on October 9, 2005) No doubt during the history of the National Football League there have been a number of players who never got beyond the taxi or practice squad or sitting on the bench. They would stay in the league for two or three years and then drop out into obscurity. This could have happened to Mike Bass. Instead, there were a handful of coaches who recognized his talents and skills and encouraged him to stay in the league until he got his break. He did and the result was that he played in a Super Bowl, participated in one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history, was voted to the All-NFC team one year, is recognized as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins of all time, and helped make the Redskins a perennial playoff contender through much of the 1970s. Bass was born March 31, 1945 in Ypsilanit, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. His father was a doctor and his mother was a teacher for 30 years and a graduate of Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. Bass is the oldest of three children. He has two sisters, Leah, who is nine years younger and now is an assistant principal of a middle school in Los Angeles, and Ann, who is two years younger and now lives in San Diego. According to Bass, he started playing football in a flag football league when he was in fourth or fifth grade. Surprisingly, it was his mother who encouraged him to play. “She wanted me to go out for football,” he said. “She didn’t care if I made the team. She was a real student of the game and an avid football fan.” In fact, his mother and father attended every single football game he played in during his high school and college years. Even the away games. He attended Ypsilanit High School where he played football, baseball, basketball, and ran the high hurdles for the track team. He played running back and defensive back “out of necessity.” His favorite sport, however, was basketball. He was honorable mention All-American in football; and All-League in football, basketball and track. He received a football scholarship to the University of Michigan in 1963 and was switched from a running back to a defensive back in his sophomore year. “I was recruited as a running back but I wasn’t a good blocker. I never learned how to block in high school. Don James, who was the coach at Michigan at the time, saw something and convinced me to play cornerback,” said Bass. He played in the 1965 Rose Bowl and was invited to play in the 1967 College All-Star game. He graduated from Michigan in 1967 with a bachelor of arts degree in education. He had majored in psychology. He was drafted
in the 12th round of the National Football League draft by the Green
Bay Packers in 1967. “I think I was an afterthought,” joked
Bass. He could have quit right then and there. But Coach Vince Lombardi inspired him to continue. “Coach Lombardi told me ‘You have the talent to play in this league. So don’t give up.’ That was quite inspiring coming from someone like Coach Lombardi.” After he was cut by the Packers he was picked up by the Detroit Lions and spent two years on the team’s taxi squad. “They didn’t think I had the talent to play,” said Bass. “During the two years in Detroit, they activated me with only two games left in the season. I needed three games a season to qualify for the pension.” The coach of the Lions at the time was Joe Schmidt. The defensive backfield coach was Jimmy David. “David gave me a lot of encouragement,” said Bass. In 1969 Lombardi became head coach of the Redskins. Bass called Lombardi to see if he was interested in having Bass play for him in Washington. “He seemed excited when I contacted him and he asked me to join the team.” So Bass went on to Washington and ended up starting every game for the Skins for eight years. His first training camp with the Redskins he competed with Aaron Martin, who had been with the Philadelphia Eagles, for the cornerback position opposite Pat Fischer. “Martin had made some kind of a mistake in practice and Coach Lom bardi put me in as the starter,” remembered Bass. He has fond memories of Lombardi during that season with the Redskins and his previous stint with the Packers. “He was a fatherly figure who was feared and respected,” said Bass. “All of us played for him as much as we played for each other. We didn’t want to disappoint him or suffer his raft. He had a tendency to get on you and he may have had his favorites, but he treated everyone the same. He played no favorites. He challenged you in practices and the games and he let you know where you stood. There was no psychological games like a lot of coaches played, which I think does more harm than good. Lombardi was compassionate in his approach. All we wanted was that pat on the back and it came when it was most needed.” Lombardi died just before the start of the 1970 season and Bill Austin, an assistant coach with the Skins and a previous assistant under Lombardi in Green Bay, became interim head coach. The Skins did not do well that year. Yet Bass said that he did learn during the Austin era. He noted that the defensive backfield coach, Don Doll, and the defensive coordinator, Harland Svare, who had been assistants under Lombardi in Green Bay and Washington, continued to give him encouragement. After the 1970 season George Allen was named head coach of the Redskins. He fired all of Lombardi’s assistants and created his own staff. Bass remembered that the new defensive backfield coach was Ralph Hawkins. “The emphasis was more on defense,” said Bass. “But we had experienced defensive backs. It’s hard for a coach to come in and tell veterans how to play their position. We were all self motivated. “Coach Allen was a player’s coach,” continued Bass. “He brought in various defensive schemes that made it fun and popular to play defense. We were quick to pick up his schemes. That’s why he wanted veterans.” When asked about the differences in coaching styles between Lombardi and Allen, Bass said, “The philosophies were the same, preparation and respect for the players. But their motivational techniques were different. There was no fear of George Allen, there was respect. But there was fear and respect for Lombardi. “George Allen was the prototype coach,” continued Bass. “He counted on the fact that we had pride and knowledge. He pretty much left us alone. We didn’t make mental mistakes. Some coaches have the tendency to overcoach, especially overcoach the older players. Allen didn’t do that. We were an extremely confident team and we worked together. That’s why Allen wanted veterans. He was hyper, superstitious and a bundle of nerves. But he left no stone unturned. we were always very prepared.” The Allen System worked. That first season with Allen as head coach the Redskins were 9-4-1, won their first five games and went on into the playoffs losing to the 49ers 24-20. The following year they were 11-3 and went all the way to Super Bowl VII losing to the Dolphins 14-7. Bass played a prominent role in that Super Bowl game. In one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history Bass intercepted a pass from Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian during a botched field goal attempt and took it 49 yards for a touchdown. “When I replay that Super Bowl in my mind, the play that stands out is not that Yepremian interception. It’s a play that took place in the last two minutes of the game. I had an opportunity to get an interception on a quick out to Paul Warfield. I hesitated for a moment. Sometimes you just can’t help re-playing these things,” mused Bass. Bass retired from the game in 1976. “In the 1975 season we were playing the Giants and Joe Dalkins hit me. I was partially paralyzed and tore muscles in my neck. I came back to play in ‘76 and went through training camp. But I was hit again in the head around the neck and decided to retire before something really serious happened. I wanted to walk away whole,” said Bass. Bass added that
he still feels some of the hits he took during his career. After he retired
Bass purchased a small hotel in the Bahamas and lived there for 18 years.
While he was there he wanted to teach so he coached a city league team
of 18 to 25 year olds. He has been married and has two daughters. He
returned to the United States in 1997 moving to Gainesville, Florida
where he took a job at the University of Florida as a counselor for
five years. He provided academic and personal counseling to students
and also supervised the University’s Academic Support and Institutional
Services (OASIS) tutoring program. Today he is in the resort and real estate business and serves as a consultant in getting funding for major real estate projects and he is involved in buyng and selling properties for himself. He is also available for speaking engagements and special events. Visit http://www.arawakintl.com/bass/ for more information. During his career with the Redskins Bass intercepted 30 passes. That makes him fourth all time in interceptions in the team’s history. He gave up only five touchdown receptions. He led the National Football Conference in interceptions with eight in 1972 and was selected first team All-NFC in 1974. And, again, he is one of the 70 Greatest Redskins of all time. “In fact, the first game I saw after my retirement was the game when the 70 Greatest Redskins were honored at FedEx field in Washington,” Bass said. As for the NFL
today, Bass is somewhat concerned about the retired players. H e explained
that the league does not provide the older retired players with health
insurance despite efforts by the National Football League Players Association
to provide such assistance. He is optimistic, however, that today’s
players are becoming more concerned about this issue thanks to the work
of Gene Upshaw, Brig Owens, and Andre Collins, all members of the National
Football League Players Association. He hopes that the problem of insurance
for the older retirees will be addressed soon.
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