Eddie Doyle Meador

Eddie Doyle Meador, age 86, peacefully entered his heavenly home on September 4, 2023, while at Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, in the presence of loved ones and his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He was born August 10, 1937, in Dallas, Texas, to the late Euel Edgar and Easther Mae Meador and lived for many years in the West Texas area of Ovalo. He was a 1955 graduate of Russellville High School, where he was a four-sport letterman and All-State football player. He was a 1959 graduate of Arkansas Tech University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and earned the rank of Second Lieutenant through the Army ROTC program at Tech. Eddie also continued his military service with the Army through 1961. He earned athletic honors as a Little All-American for the Arkansas Tech Wonderboys football team. He also ran track and played some basketball for the Wonderboys during his four years at Tech.

Eddie was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round of the 1959 NFL Draft. He started and played all twelve seasons of his NFL career with the Rams and was a First Team All-Pro and First Team All-Decade (1960s) defensive back and special teams player. He was selected to the Pro Bowl six times. Eddie still holds the Rams’ franchise record for interceptions, fumble recoveries, and blocked kicks. He was the recipient of the Byron “Whizzer” White NFL Man of the Year Award and was the NFL Father of the Year in 1967. He is a member of the Russellville High School Hall of Fame, ATU Athletic Hall of Fame, ATU Hall of Distinction, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the NAIA Collegiate Hall of Fame, the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, and the Mike Ditka Gridiron Greats Hall of Fame, and was most recently a Top 6 Semi-Finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. During his NFL career, Eddie enjoyed signing autographs for young people and helping them in any way, such as primarily speaking at youth-related events and giving back to the community in various charitable roles and was particularly active with organizations for those with special needs, such as Special Olympics, greatly because of his beloved first-born son Michael Scott Meador.

After football, Eddie built a successful real estate business with Century 21 in Dallas, Texas, for several years before starting his own jewelry business in Virginia, where he became an artisan and goldsmith specializing in the creation and sales of equestrian jewelry. He finally retired from working at the age of 75 and eventually moved to The Villages of Lady Lake, Florida. Eddie enjoyed working in his yard, drinking his morning coffee and watching the golfers from his lanai, driving his own golf cart to the Villages Square with his wife and dogs to listen to the live music, and he always enjoyed spending time visiting with his family and friends. Eddie was more than an outstanding football player and successful businessman. Those who knew him best will cherish most who he was as a person, not what he did in the professional world. He always loved sports, and his favorite athlete was Jackie Robinson. He also loved the outdoors, from growing up in West Texas to living on a farm in the Gum Log community. In those younger days, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, trot-lining, and frog gigging. He was hard-working, beginning his work career as a gas station attendant at the age of 10 and running cattle on horseback and picking cotton and other farm chores. In college, while balancing Wonderboy football and ROTC, Eddie would earn extra income working at the Atkins Pickle Plant and referee basketball games and umpire baseball games for young people. He was intelligent and even quoted by former Baltimore Colts receiver/NFL Hall of Famer Raymond Berry as one of the “smartest players I ever played against; it was as if he were in our huddle hearing the plays. Johnny (Unitas) would be so mad when Eddie would disrupt our offense.” He was strong, determined, fearless, gritty, and tough as boots and nails. Yet, he also was thoughtful, soft-spoken, classy, professional, kind, down-to-earth, and held a pleasant demeanor to all he would meet. He was proud of his kids, grandkids, and great grandkids and was a source of wisdom to all. His dry sense of humor and his ornery, harmless pranks were a fun part of his personality. Perhaps one of the most admirable qualities of his character was his authentic humility in all things. For example, when Eddie was recently told that he had been voted into the next round of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he paused for a moment and quietly said, “Well, I hope I deserve it; there are so many men who should be in.”

Eddie was preceded in death by his parents; one beloved brother, James Euel Meador and sister-in-law Marianne Meador; a niece Cordie Teddlie; a step-daughter Lee Ann Maze; and many beloved extended family members.

He is survived by his wife, Annette Meador of Lady Lake, Florida; four children: Mike Meador, Mark Meador (Kim) of Council Grove, KS, David Meador, and Vicki Meador Baldwin (Wayne); the mother of his children, Paulette Mitchell Meador; a step-daughter Donna Bornholdt (Jon); thirteen grandchildren: Nikki Day (Pete), Joseph Meador (Kylie), Devin Brown (Megan), Ryan Meador, Zoey Baldwin, Zack Baldwin, Whitley Kuburich (Nick), Alexis Terrell (Jordan), Jason Maze (Jann), Chris Maze (Felicia), Melanie Maze, Jessica Bornholdt, and Doyle Bornholdt; seventeen great-grandchildren; and many extended family members, friends, former teammates, and football fans.

A casual celebration of life and memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m., September 16, 2023, at the First Baptist Church of Russellville, (East Building/”Old Sanctuary”/Student Center. Entry to the service will be available on Old El Paso street between the old and new sanctuary buildings. Visitation will immediately follow the service. Family and friends not able to attend may watch it live stream at: https://youtube.com/@fbcrussellville9469?si=fBZaPaNkioASgM09

The family would like to thank the nurses, doctors, staff (no matter their roles), and the many friends who were part of Eddie’s challenging journey the past several months: Dardanelle Regional Medical Center, Conway Regional Medical Center, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Baptist Health Medical Center, CHI St. Vincent Infirmary, Arkansas Heart Hospital, and other medical personnel and specialists for all their kindness, warmth, and excellent care. The family wishes to express a very special thanks and appreciation toward the wonderful people from Arkansas Hospice and from The Russellville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and to Dr. Stanley Teeter and Mr. Lee Roy Fields for their special support and friendship recently and for almost 70 years.

Cremation arrangements have been made. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks for contributions and memorials to be made to Arkansas Hospice or to Special Olympics or to the charity of your choice.