Lowell K. Wardien

Rainier Beach / Seattle Ramblers

Halfback / Fullback / Quarterback / Assistant Coach

1947-1957

Before Lowell Wardien joined the Seattle Ramblers legendary run through Northwest football, he had already been the 27th Marine Corps Outstanding football player in Hawaii and was wounded in action in World War II receiving the Purple Heart during the Iwo Jima landing resulting in a gangrene infection.  The Great Falls, Montana native was discharged from the US Marine Corps after serving as part of the occupation forces in Japan, and joining the University of Montana freshman football team in 1946 lettering in both football and basketball.  Financial difficulty made it impossible to remain in school, so he took up an offer to try out with the Calgary Stampeders.  Doing well, Lowell was ready to sign until the hardened Marine got into a heated arguement with Coach Les Lear and colorfully told him what to do with his team.

Opting to return to Seattle, Wardien joined the newly minted Rainier Beach Athletic Club Ramblers as a two-way halfback and over the course of his career, scored more touchdowns than any other player and set the Ramblers franchise scoring record with 207 points.  Defensive stats were rarely taken, however, Lowell was one of the toughest "little" guys back there on defense. Wardien was never the feature back in the Ramblers attack, splitting time with numerous all-star level backs, but he was the most consistent earning the teams' coveted Most Inspirational Player award in 1950 and was just barely edged out by teammate Dale Lamb for the same award in 1951 even though he scored 11 touchdowns, his best season total to date.  The award was the defacto Northwest Player of the Year award in the 1950's as the Ramblers were the most dominant team for most of the decade.

Becoming a Player-Coach in the latter half of his time with the Ramblers, Wardien eventually moved into a full time coaching position in 1954, although Coach Sprinkle brought his gear to the College of Idaho game that year with Frank Bly as the only healthy QB.  Bly got hurt and Coach Wardien geared up to play both ways as QB and to guard future NFL receiver R.C. Owens who would later be known for catching "alley-oop" passes from Y.A. Tittle as a San Francisco 49er (1957-1961).  Owens also caused a rule change disallowing "goal tending".  Owens would stand under the goal posts and swat away potential field goals that got within his wingspan.

While assistant coaching with the 1956 and 1957 teams, the Ramblers played no home games against 20 college and military teams going 9-1 in his final season of 1957 losing only to Southern Oregon College, champions of the Oregon Collegiate Conference.

Lowell made the following observation about the Ramblers that rings true of many semi pro teams: "I'll always remember how Don Sprinkle would gather up the dirty, muddy uniforms after the games and take them home.  Audrey (Don's wife) would wash them and mend them every week and have them ready for the next game.  This sort of dirty work was thankless and so often overlooked."

When the Ramblers franchise ended in 1964, members began organizing reunions that went on through the 1970's and 80's with Lowell flying from California to attend in 1977 where the men would reminisce and honor those who had passed.  During the 1977 reunion, J.B. Parker, a 6-year coach of the Ramblers quipped; " Lowell, it's sure good seeing you and I've always wanted to tell you something.  You know, looking at you in street clothes, you looked the least like a football player that I'd ever seen.  When you had your football pants on those skinny legs, you still looked like the worst football player I'd ever seen.  But when you got on the field, you were an absolutely different individual.  I have never seen a guy with so much determination and ability.  You could do things on the field with an ease that I had never seen before and I've always wanted to tell you that."  To Lowell, that was possibly the best compliment he could have ever received.

In 1983 it would be he who would be honored by his former teammates after suffering a sudden heart attack in Ventura, California on September 11th.  He was 57.

In 1990, Lowell was inducted into the inaugural Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame by his Seattle Rambler peers, who would operate the Hall of Fame through the 90's and into the 2000's joining forces with the Seattle Sports Commission to honor Washington's greatest members of the States' football community.

Honors

1944 USMC 27th Marine Corps Outstanding Player

1950 Seattle Ramblers Most Inspirational Player

1950 Northwest Player of the Year

1951 Runner-up Northwest Player of the Year

Ramblers Franchise All-Time Touchdown Leader

Ramblers Franchise All-Time Scoring Leader

1990 Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame