Jack Espey

Last updated
Jack Espey
Career history
As an administrator:
Career highlights and awards
2x National Football League champion (1937 and 1942)

Jack Espey was an American publicity director who served as general manager of the Washington Redskins, Miami Seahawks, and Baltimore Colts.

Contents

Early career

Espey was a sportswriter for several Washington, D.C. newspapers, including The Washington Post . He was the press agent for the Washington Palace Five of the American Basketball League, but returned to the Post when the team folded. [1]

George Washington University

In 1932 he became the publicity director for George Washington University. He turned the Colonials football team into the "Capital's most colorful fall spectacle" by expanding the in-game attractions to include card stunts, drum majors, halftime shows, and a cannon. [1] In 1936 he led a campaign to have Tuffy Leemans elected to the College All-Star team. [1]

Washington Redskins

In 1937, Espey became general manager of the Washington Redskins. [1] He was with the team when they won the 1937 and 1942 National Football League championships. [2] He left the club on April 1, 1943, to become the general manager of the Uline Arena. [3] He resigned five months later to return to the newspaper business as the promotion manager of Washington Times-Herald . [4]

Miami Seahawks

In 1946, Espey became the general manager of the Miami Seahawks of the All-America Football Conference. In order to attract fans, Espey brought in high school bands and drums and bugle corps, spent $1,500 on a fireworks show that was hampered by rain, and brought in clown Felix Adler to perform at halftime. However, poor weather (it rained during six of the Seahawks seven home games and the home opener was postponed due to a hurricane) and an uncompetitive team led the Seahawks to draw about 7,000 fans per game. The Seahawks final home game saw about 2,500 fans turn up to the 35,000-seat Burdine Stadium. [5]

Baltimore Colts

The Seahawks folded after the season and Espey joined its successor in the AAFC, the Baltimore Colts. In June 1947 he asked a friend, Jo Lombardi, to compose a theme song for the team. Lombardi wrote the song with Benjamin Klasmer and Espey added a strain from Maryland, My Maryland near the end. The song was used by the first and second incarnations of the Colts and was adapted by John Ziemann and Todd Clontz for the Baltimore Ravens. [6] [7] Epsey was fired after the 1947 season. [8]

Later life

In 1948, Espey was a finalist to become manager of the D.C. Armory, but lost the job to Dutch Bergman. [9] He served as a press agent for the Armory's annual sportsmen's and outdoors show and was on the publicity staff for the Presidential Cup. [10] [11] He eventually moved to Montgomery County, Maryland, where he worked in newspaper advertising and was vice president of the Paulin Publishing Company. [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Lombardi</span> American football coach (1913–1970)

Vincent Thomas Lombardi was an American football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered by many to be the greatest coach in American football history, and he is recognized as one of the greatest coaches and leaders in the history of all American sports. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight and five total NFL Championships in seven years, in addition to winning the first two Super Bowls at the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 NFL seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Shula</span> American football player and coach (1930–2020)

Donald Francis Shula was an American professional football player and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. He played seven seasons as a defensive back in the NFL. For most of his career, Shula was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He is the winningest head coach in NFL history with 347 career victories and 328 regular season victories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Seahawks</span>

The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in the league's inaugural season, 1946, before the team was relocated to Baltimore. They are notable as the first major league sports franchise in Miami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Colts (1947–1950)</span> Defunct American football team

The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The first team to bear the name, it was a member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1947 to 1949 and then joined the National Football League (NFL) for one season before folding. The Colts were one of the least successful teams in the AAFC and NFL both on and off the field, winning only 11 of their 54 games in their history. In 1953, Baltimore was granted an expansion team that revived the Colts name. That franchise moved in 1984 and became the Indianapolis Colts.

Steven Charles Emtman is a former professional American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Washington and was selected first overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1992 NFL Draft. He also played for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins before retiring following the 1997 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike McCormack (American football)</span> American football player and coach (1930–2013)

Michael Joseph McCormack Jr. was an American professional football player, coach, and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He played as an offensive tackle with the Cleveland Browns from 1954 through 1962 and served as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Colts, and Seattle Seahawks. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Bielski</span> American football player and coach (1932–2023)

Richard Adam Bielski was an American professional football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and Baltimore Colts. Bielski played college football at the University of Maryland.

James Michael Curtis was an American professional football player for the Baltimore Colts, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins, who played 14 seasons from 1965 to 1978 in the National Football League (NFL). He was a four-time Pro Bowler in 1968, 1970, 1971 and 1974. Although sacks were not official during the time he played, Curtis was a good blitzer, recording 22 sacks, including one in which a famous photograph was taken of Curtis tackling Roman Gabriel's head. Curtis also picked off 25 passes and was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1970 by a panel of 101 sportswriters.

Gerald Thomas Smith was an American professional football player who was a tight end for the National Football League (NFL)'s Washington Redskins for 13 seasons, from 1965 through 1977. By the time he retired, he held the NFL record for most career touchdowns by a tight end. Smith publicly announced he had AIDS in August 1986, being the first professional athlete to do so. He died two months later. A 2014 documentary from the NFL Network's A Football Life series profiles his career, as well as his "double life as a closeted gay man and a star athlete."

James Vincent "Jim" Castiglia was an American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles as well as the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He also briefly played Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics.

The Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy was the trophy awarded to the champions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1934 through 1969. The trophy was named after Ed Thorp, a noted referee, rules expert, sporting goods dealer, and friend to many of the early NFL owners. Thorp died in June 1934, and a large, traveling trophy was made later that year. It was to be passed along from champion to champion each season with each championship team's name inscribed on it.

The DC Touchdown Club, earlier known as The Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C., was started in 1935 with a passion for charity and sports. In the ensuing years the Club has benefited many local charities as well as providing scholarships to deserving student/athletes. The Touchdown Timmies, the club's trophies, are given each year to athletes who excelled in their respective arenas including professionals, college and scholastic players. Additionally, the Club provided monies to 15 charitable organizations each year.

The 1981 Baltimore Colts season was the 29th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). The Colts finished the NFL's 1981 season with a record of 2 wins and 14 losses, finishing in a tie with the New England Patriots for both last place in their division, the AFC East, and the worst record in the league. However, by virtue of beating the Patriots for their only two wins of the season, the Colts finished ahead of New England on a tiebreaker. Those wins came in the first and last weeks of the season, as the Colts lost their other fourteen games consecutively.

Ralph Hawkins was an American football coach. He worked 35 years in the National Football League (NFL) for nine teams. In addition to a long career as a college coach, Hawkins coached some of the top defensive units in the NFL.

Walter Scott Driskill was a football coach and administrator for the University of Maryland and the Baltimore Colts. After leaving football he worked in the brewing industry. He founded his own company, Dribeck Importers, that was the sole American importer of Beck's beer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Idzik</span> American football player and coach (1928–2013)

John Joseph Idzik Sr. was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach of the University of Detroit football team until the school discontinued its program in 1964. He held assistant coaching positions at the University of Tennessee, University of Maryland, Tulane University, in the National Football League (NFL) with the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Ottawa Rough Riders. Idzik played college football at the University of Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore Colts</span> Professional American football team in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1953 to 1983

The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team who played in Baltimore, starting in 1953, to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis, Indiana. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It was the second incarnation of the Baltimore Colts, the first having played for three years in the All-America Football Conference and one in the National Football League (NFL). This Baltimore Colts team played its home games at Memorial Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Funk</span> American football player (born 1998)

Jake Funk is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland. In Maryland's four games during the 2020 season, which was shortened due to COVID-19, Funk averaged 129 rushing yards per game. He also led the Big Ten Conference and ranked second among all Football Bowl Subdivision running backs with an average of 8.6 rushing yards per carry. Funk was drafted in the 7th round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2022.

Sidney Ashby Carroll was an American sports executive who served as general manager of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League from 1943 to 1947 and was an editor at The Washington Post for 25 years.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Espey Leaving G. W. to Join With Pro Grid Venture Here". Evening Star. February 10, 1937. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Jack Espey". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Jack Espey Named Uline Arena Boss". Detroit Evening Times. March 23, 1943.
  4. ↑ "Espey Quits Ulines, Goes Back to News Field". Evening Star. September 20, 1943. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Whittlesey, Merrell (December 22, 1946). "'Golden Touch' Espey Meets With Ironic Failure in Miami". Evening Star. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "Klasmer v. Baltimore Football, Inc., 200 F. Supp. 255 (D. Md. 1961)". Justia US Law. Justia. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "The Baltimore Fight Song". Baltimore Ravens. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Stann, Francis E. (April 18, 1948). "Win, Lose, or Draw". Evening Star. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "'Dutch' Bergman Named Armory Hall Manager". Evening Star. July 7, 1948. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Seamless, Rot-Proof Glass Boat A Feature at Sportsmen's Show". Evening Star. March 5, 1950. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Win, Lose, or Draw". Evening Star. November 26, 1950. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  12. ↑ Atchison, Lewis F. (September 15, 1959). "Atchison's Angle". Evening Star. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Tribute by Hon. Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. of Maryland". Memorial Addresses in the Congress of the United States and Tributes in the Congress of the United States and Tributes in Eulogy of John Fitzgerald Kenney Late a President of the United States. United States Government Printing Office: 805. 1964. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.