Follow-Up on the Greensboro Redskins:Talking with Chuck Mardis, these days an assistant football coach at Page HS, back in 1974, a DB for the G ‘Skins!!!

Ten Questions Chuck Mardis, now as assistant football coach for the Page Pirates, former assistant coach at Eastern Guilford High School, and former Greensboro Redskins football player(defensive back)…Chuck Mardis, DB for the G ‘Skins, back in 1974…..

**********Questions for Coach Mardis:**********

1) What do you remember most about your experience with the Greensboro Redskins team?
Trying to fit in practice while working. The closeness of our teammates, long bus rides, and the chance to still play football.
(What position did you play and were you a starter?)
I was the starting free safety. Was injured some near the end of the season. Was backup long snapper. Wedge buster on Kickoff team…

2)How did you end up with the G’ Skins?…Did you come in from college and if so, what college did you attend and play football for…
No college. Heard they were putting a team together and tried out. Knew coach Lou Hollow from youth football days. Free Agent lol….

3)Your memories of head coach Lou Hallow?
Lou was a intense guy. He knew how to get the most from his players. Side note, I played for Lou when I was 14 years old for the Bessemer Midgets. We won the city title and played a game in Hyattsville, Maryland. We lost the game, but what a nice Thanksgiving trip. Remember watching OJ Simpson playing for USC in the room before we left for the game. I was the game’s MVP.

4)Your memories of assistant head coach Al Clapper?
Al was exact opposite of Lou. Knowledgeable but more personable. Was a players coach. He was a scout for the Oakland Raiders at that time also.

5)Most memorable game for you?
Probably the first game. That’s when all the hard work came to a reward. As players we knew that we were going to get to play again. The first game was on Labor Day weekend and it stormed badly (delayed start)even had flooding throughout Greensboro. We lost the game but the stands were pretty full even with the weather.

6)What type of work, other than playing football, were you doing back in 1974?
Automotive Machinist

7)Some of the players you remember from the 1974 Greensboro Redskins team and what makes those players from back then, so special?
Dickie Mebane blinding speed, Kerry Greene OL nasty, hit after the whistle, glad he played for us, we called him mean. Jim Ezekiel, good solid player fun to be around. Bobby Tisdale, great speed and hands. He actually fractured some bones in his neck before the season was over.

8)What were the crowds like at War Memorial Stadium, and at Western Guilford High School, for the Mini-Super Bowl Game?
Certain nights we had decent crowds. Had a small 4-man band on occasion that would play “Hail to the Redskins”. It was a nasty day for the mini super bowl so the crowd was not as good as we would like, but it was decent. I had 2 picks that day at the end, when they were throwing every down, trying to get back in the game. Also the Greensboro Generals Hockey team supported us at our games and us them at theirs.

9)Talk about your work today, how long have you been coaching, and your football coaching stops over the years?
I became a Greensboro Firefighter (Retired 34 years used the skill learned there for CPR on a player this year)…I coached some in the Youth Pop Warner League for the O’ Henry Lions. Coached there players such as Lee Rouson, NY Giants Super Bowl twice. Jimmy Walden ECU, James Dubose Wake Forest, Michael Brooks NCSU,.

I had my children, 3 girls, so I switched to coaching Soccer for about 10 years. Coached for Bill Bookout at Northeast Guilford High School also. Went back into football at NEG coaching for Tommy Pursley, Moved to Eastern Guilford HS with Doug Robertson when he became the head coach, was Defensive Coordinator/DC there, running a defense similar to the one we ran at the Redskins. Moved to Page with Jared Rolfes last year and retained this year by Coach Robertson…..

Side note, pretty cool That I played with Ike Oglesby with the Redskins, and coached his grandson Isaiah Oglesby at Page last year.

10)The most enjoyable part about being a Greensboro Redskins football player?
Being around the guys. Competing not only as a team, but as friends. The trips on the bus with the jokes and pranks. Knowing I was part of history.

**********And we have had a chance to re-live that history here at GreensboroSports.com this week…Many thought the Greensboro Redskins were gone, but thanks to Chuck Mardis and Jim “Zeke” Ezekiel, the G ‘Skins live again….**********

++++++++++Thank-you Coach Chuck Mardis, for taking the time to answer our questions on this day…..++++++++++

3 thoughts on “Follow-Up on the Greensboro Redskins:Talking with Chuck Mardis, these days an assistant football coach at Page HS, back in 1974, a DB for the G ‘Skins!!!

  1. I know Chuck and his wife from Greensboro Christian Church some years back. Had no idea he played for the G’Skins. Awesome.

  2. Word is that Chuck Mardis could hit like a ton of bricks…

    One day after the Greensboro Redskins’ weekend football game, Chuck Mardis came back to work on Monday morning, at Key
    Block Repair, where he was an Automotive Machinist, and there was a load of bricks on Chuck Mardis’ work desk/work table…
    (Key Block Repair did work for Petty Enterprises.)

    He hit like a “Ton of Bricks” and there was a load of bricks waiting for him when he arrived at work on Monday…

    Hitting like a “load/ton of Bricks”….

    Chuck Mardis and Jim Ezekiel(representing the Greensboro Redskins), two of the “Best in Sports Today”, ala Charlie Harville-style…

    Thats another name that hasn’t come across our screens lately, but there he is again today, Charlie Harville…”The Best in Sports Today”…..

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