Antedating of "Nose Tackle"

[Fred Shapiro]

nose tackle (OED3 1978, Popik Dec. 1977, Clements Oct. 1977)

1975 _N.Y. Times_ 28 Sept. 208  If you see the position abbreviation n.t.
after a player's name, realize that he is a nose tackle, like Ray Hamilton
of the New England Patriots.  A nose tackle is the middle man in a
three-man defense and he lines up right opposite the center, nose to nose.

Fred Shapiro


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------