The Great Elroy ‘Crazy Legs’ Hirsch

Re the legendary L.A. Rams football great Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch (obituary, Jan. 29): In the ‘50s and ‘60s, Elroy and his family lived around the corner from us in a modest neighborhood in Van Nuys, just south of Chandler Boulevard. They were a warm, friendly, unassuming family. Elroy threw the football to the kids on the block.

One day I invited him to join my Sunday morning tennis game at the local community college courts. He came apologetically, because he said he had never played tennis. But when he picked up a borrowed racquet and began to volley, we looked at him with awe and envy. He was obviously a gifted, natural athlete with hand-eye coordination that was easily transferred from football to tennis. The announcement of his death reminded me of how family life in the Valley used to be, and of a man who was warm, modest, a good husband and a good father. Despite his celebrity, he was never too busy to play in the streets with the adoring kids who surrounded him.

Samuel Sapin

Sherman Oaks