Call them flakes, misfits or screwballs. They are athletes whose offbeat antics mystify teammates and fascinate fans and, over three centuries, Baltimore has been blessed with its share. The Baltimore Sun is counting down The Daffy Dozen, the 12 most memorable characters in the city's sports lore. Today's oddball, No. 7, is former Baltimore Colts running back-punter Joe Don Looney, who played for the team in 1964.
The name fit. Once, having boomed a punt in practice, Joe Don Looney put his hands on his hips, raised his head and shouted, "How do you like that one, God?"
An All-American from Oklahoma, Looney was a first-round draft pick of the New York Giants who, three weeks into training camp, dealt him Baltimore.
"He didn't have both shoes tied," Giants linebacker Sam Huff said.
The Colts learned as much. Upon leaving a team party, Looney said, "I'm going to sleep in the cemetery; it's nice and peaceful there." In November, 1964, he broke down the door of an apartment in Northeast Baltimore while looking for three female nurses. Not finding them, he slugged a man inside. In court, Looney told the judge he lost his temper because Barry Goldwater had lost the presidential election. Looney received probation.
Another time, during a wrestling event at the Civic Center, he got carried away and leaped into the ring to help a startled Bruno Sammartino pin his opponent.
Halfback Alex Hawkins, a character himself, refused to bunk with Looney on road trips.
"I'm not rooming with anyone crazier than I am," Hawkins said.
With the Colts, Looney rushed for 127 yards, scored two touchdowns and punted for a 42.4-yard average. Routinely late for workouts, he reasoned, "If practice makes perfect and perfection is impossible, why practice?"
Exasperated, Baltimore traded him to the Detroit Lions for linebacker Dennis Gaubatz, to which Looney replied, "I think the Colts made a hell of a deal."
In retirement, Looney converted to Hinduism and lived for a time in India, washing elephants. He died in a motorcycle crash in Texas in 1988.
twitter.com/MikeKlingaman