By Anthony Holden
CBS SportsLine Historian

They called Chargers offensive tackle Ron Mix "The Intellectual Assassin" for two very good reasons: He was intellectual, and he was an assassin.

Mix is regarded as one of the best linemen of his era. (AP)

Mix is considered by many the finest offensive linemen to have ever played in the AFL. He was a mix -- no pun intended -- of brute strength, size, quickness and intelligence and those attributes helped him become an All-American at USC. They also served him well during his 11 seasons in San Diego and one in Oakland before being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1960, the Baltimore Colts made him their No. 1 pick in the college draft and the Boston Patriots did the same when the AFL held its draft.

Recognizing that Mix would be a hit in Los Angeles -- where the Chargers played in the inaugural AFL season -- the Patriots agreed to trade his rights to the Chargers for the betterment of the league, and Mix gladly signed with the new team.

"The Colts offered me $8,500 to come play in cold Baltimore," Mix said. "The Chargers offered me $12,000 to play in my home town. It was one of my easier decisions. It didn't bother me that the AFL at that time had no guarantee of success, that it might last only a few years. I had planned to play only two years of pro ball and then go into teaching."

That plan went awry when Mix quickly established himself as the dominant big man in the game. "When you're running behind Mix," said Chargers running back Paul Lowe, "it's like you're a little kid and he's your big brother protecting you from the wolves."

During his career, Mix was called for holding twice. That's right, twice in 12 years.

"I don't hold because I don't believe in it," he once said.

Oh.

"Ron Mix was one of the greats of all time," said his coach, Sid Gillman. "I think he's the greatest tackle who ever lived."

Mix stood 6-4 and usually played at about 255 pounds, which was good size for that time, but occasionally he would have to go up against men who were bigger and stronger.

This is where Mix's mastery of fundamentals kicked in.

"With a man outweighing you by anywhere from 10 to 50 or 60 pounds, you have to use a lot of technique blocks," he said. "You're just not going to be able to drive a man out by force and overpower him like you did in college."

Al Davis, who was a Chargers assistant in the early 1960s before leaving to take over the operation in Oakland, marveled at Mix's skill. "It was beautiful watching real fundamentals in action," he said.

For as great as he was, Mix admitted that football never consumed his life completely.

"It was never the most important thing in my life, but it was important for a number of reasons," he said. "First, it was a good way to make a living. Second, I enjoyed the public attention just as everyone does. And third, it was something I could do well. That was probably the most important reason of all to me. It would be terrific if what one's work was also what happened to be his main love and passion in life. But that situation doesn't exist for many people."

Mix is one of only a few Jewish men who have enjoyed standout athletic careers, Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers being another obvious example. Mix said he never really thought about being a successful Jewish athlete, but he was proud nonetheless.

"To some people I guess I represented a kind of ethnic hero," he said. "Sure, it would have been nice if people had said 'There's Ron Mix, a human being who made good.' But until that time in history comes around, I'm proud when they say 'There's Ron Mix, a Jewish football player who made good.'"

Mix, who obtained his law degree during his playing days, worked briefly in the Chargers' front office after he retired from football. It was his job to negotiate contracts and provide general counsel to the team on legal matters. Today, he is out of football but remains a successful attorney and champion of many social causes.

Looking back on his career, Mix has often said he loved the fact that he played in the AFL and helped the league flourish. And while his contributions to the success of the league are obvious, he said that one single event stands above all others in the history of the AFL, and he was not a part of it: The Jets victory in Super Bowl III over the Colts.

"That gave meaning to the careers of all of us in the AFL," he said. "We knew how good we were all along, but the public didn't. Not until the Jets won that game."