Rams Ex Eddie Meador Passes Away At 86

Former Los Angeles Rams safety Eddie Meador, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, passed away Monday at the age of 86.

Longtime Los Angeles Rams safety Eddie Meador passed away Monday at the age of 86.

Meador played the entirety of his NFL career with the Rams from 1959 to 1970. In 12 professional seasons, Meador earned six Pro Bowl selections and first-team All-Pro honors once. To this day, he is the Rams' leader in career interceptions with 46.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of an NFL great, Eddie Meador, who was a standout leader for our organization and the Los Angeles community throughout his entire 12-year career,” the Rams said in a statement. “He was an instinctive and fearless competitor who captained some of the greatest defenses in NFL history. Eddie’s ability to galvanize teammates made him a heartbeat of the Rams and his humility made him approachable to everyone. The Meador family and friends are at the core of our thoughts, and his legacy will live on forever.”

According to his son Dave Meador, Eddie Meador passed away surrounded by his friends and family.

"We are blessed to have had Dad with us all these years," Dave told Talk of Fame. "We are proud of his football career, no doubt. But we are prounder of the man he was to us and to so many."

Despite his stellar resume, Meador is still not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In fact, Meador, a member of the NFL's 1960s all-decade team, is the only first-team safety on any all-decade team from the 1950s to the 2000s to not receive a gold jacket.

Earlier this year, though, Meador was named a senior semifinalist for the Hall of Fame class of 2024. However, he was not a finalist as the senior committee instead selected linebacker Randy Gradishar (played 1974-1983), defensive tackle Steve McMichael (1980-1994) and receiver Art Powell (1959-1968).

A celebration of life is planned for Meador in his hometown of Russellville Arkansas on Saturday morning.