Joe Stydahar

Last updated

Joe Stydahar
Joe sydahar westvirginia.jpg
Stydahar during his tenure on the West Virginia University football team, c. 1936
No. 13, 18
Position: Offensive tackle,
Kicker
Personal information
Born:(1912-03-17)March 17, 1912
Kaylor, Pennsylvania
Died:March 23, 1977(1977-03-23) (aged 65)
Beckley, West Virginia
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:233 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school:Shinnston HS
(Shinnston, West Virginia)
College: West Virginia (1933–1935)
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:84
Games started:53
Interceptions:1
Fumble recoveries:2
Head coaching record
Career:20–27–1 (.427)
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Joseph Lee Stydahar (March 17, 1912 – March 23, 1977), sometimes listed as Joseph Leo Stydahar, and sometimes known by the nickname "Jumbo Joe", [1] [2] was an American football player and coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972.

Contents

A native of Kaylor, Pennsylvania, Stydahar grew up in West Virginia and played college football and basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1936 NFL Draft and played nine seasons as a tackle for the Bears from 1936 to 1942 and 1945 to 1946. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro five consecutive years from 1936 to 1940 and helped the Bears win NFL championships in 1940, 1942, and 1946 NFL Championship Games.

After his playing career ended, Stydahar was the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams during the 1950 and 1951 seasons and the Chicago Cardinals during the 1953 and 1954 seasons. His 1950 and 1951 Rams teams both advanced to the NFL Championship Game, and the 1951 team won the championship. He also served as an assistant coach for the Rams (1947–1949) and Bears (1963–1965).

Early years

Stydahar was born in 1912 in Kaylor, Pennsylvania, [3] the son of Peter P. Stydahar (1877-1970) and Lucille M. Stydahar (1884-1941). At age eight, he moved with his family to Shinnston, West Virginia, [4] where his father was a coal miner, and Stydahar also worked in the mines in his youth. [5] At Shinnston High School, he was regarded as "the greatest schoolboy football and basketball player ever turned out in West Virginia". Currently, the football/track/soccer complex in Shinnston, WV is named "Stydahar Field", home of the Lincoln High School Cougars. [6]

West Virginia University

Stydahar was recruited by both the University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University. He initially went to Pittsburgh in the fall of 1931 and participated in the football team's preliminary practices, but then showed up at West Virginia seeking to enroll. [6] According to one account, he returned home after tryouts at Pittsburgh and was taken in a car to Morgantown where he was hidden in a fraternity house by West Virginia football coach Greasy Neale "until Pitt gave up looking for him." [7]

At West Virginia, Stydahar was six feet, four inches, weighed 220 pounds, possessed "one of the largest pairs of hands in the business", and played both basketball and football. He played at the tackle position for the football team from 1933 to 1935 and developed a reputation as a "vicious tackler" and "bruising blocker". [8] As a junior in 1934, he blocked five punts and returned one of the blocks 17 yards for a touchdown. As a senior in 1935, he was responsible for stopping Pittsburgh's running game, holding the Panthers to one first down in the second half. [8]

During Stydahar's three years with the West Virginia football team, the Mountaineers compiled records of and 3-5-3, 6–4, and 3-4-2, and lost three years in a row against Pittsburgh by a combined score of 72 to 12. Sports writer Harry Grayson opined that the team's poor record and the small crowds to which it played impaired Stydahar's chances of being selected to All-America teams. [8] In 1934, Stydahar was ignored by the major All-America selectors, though he reportedly received recognition on an All-American team selected by the players on the NFL's New York Giants. [8] In 1935, the best Stydahar could muster was a selection on the Newspaper Enterprise Association's third-team. [9]

Those who saw Stydahar play in college rated him among the best and was selected to play in both the East–West Shrine Game and the Chicago College All-Star Game in 1936. [7] [10] Pittsburgh coach Jock Sutherland, despite having been spurned by Stydahar in 1931, rated Stydahar as the best tackle he saw during the 1935 season and added: "I doubt that there is a more formidable tackle in the country." [8] Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger said: "I played in two all-star games with him and thought he was the best tackle by far of that collegiate group. He proved to me in those two games that he was a tremendous player." [2]

In basketball, Stydahar was a three-year letterman at the center position. He set a single-game scoring record with 24 points against West Virginia Wesleyan in 1933. [10]

Professional football player

Stydahar's Chicago Bears uniform worn during his 1943 championship season. Joe Stydahar 1943 Chicago Bears jersey on display at NFL Experience (3818214195).jpg
Stydahar's Chicago Bears uniform worn during his 1943 championship season.

While overlooked by All-America selectors, Stydahar was not overlooked in the 1936 NFL Draft. He was selected by George Halas' Chicago Bears in the first round with the sixth overall pick, becoming the first player drafted by the Bears in the first NFL draft and the first lineman to be selected in the first round. [3] [7]

As a rookie, Stydahar started all 12 games at left tackle for a 1936 Chicago Bears team that compiled a 9–3 record. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro by Collyer's Eye magazine and a second-team All-Pro by the NFL and UPI. [3]

By 1937, Stydahar helped lead the Bears to the NFL Western Division title with a 9-1-1 record. He was recognized as one of the best players in the NFL, receiving the highest point total of any player at any position in voting for the Associated Press (AP) All-Pro team. The AP reported:

The standout player of the 1937 national pro football league season wasn't Slingin' Sammy Baugh . . ., but Joe Stydahar, veteran tackle of the Chicago Bears. That was the way the coaches of the 10 league clubs figured, at least, when it came to casting their ballots for the all-league team. ... Stydahar received 43 points out of a possible 50. [11]

Stydahar played nine years as a tackle for the Bears from 1936 to 1942 and from 1945 to 1946, appearing in 84 NFL games. [3] He continued to be acknowledged as one of the best players in the league through the 1930s. In 1939, the United Press rated him as "the league's best tackle" and "one of the toughest linemen in the league to take out." [12] He was also ranked third among all NFL players in points received in the AP's 1939 All-Pro voting, trailing only Don Hutson and Dan Fortmann. [13] In all, he was selected as a first-team All-Pro five consecutive years from 1936 to 1940. [3] During his time with the club, the Bears won five NFL Western Division titles (1937, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1946) and won the 1940, 1942, and 1946 NFL Championship Games.

Stydahar missed the 1943 and 1944 NFL seasons due to military service during World War II. He served as a lieutenant and gunnery officer in the United States Navy on the USS Monterey light aircraft carrier. [7]

Coaching career

Los Angeles Rams

In February 1947, Stydahar was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as an assistant coach. [14] He served three years as the Rams' line coach from 1947 to 1949. [15]

In February 1950, Sydahar took over as the Rams' head coach. [15] In his first season as head coach, he led the 1950 Rams to the NFL Western Division championship with a 9–3 record and the top offense in the NFL (38.8 points per game). [16] In the 1950 NFL Championship Game, the Rams lost, 30–28, to the Cleveland Browns on a field goal by Lou Groza with 27 seconds remaining in the game.

In his second season with the Rams, Stydahar led the 1951 Rams to the NFL championship with a victory over the Cleveland Browns in the 1951 NFL Championship Game. [17]

Stydahar began the 1952 season as the Rams' head coach. After losing to the Cleveland Browns in the season opener, dissension between Stydahar and his backfield coach Hamp Pool became public. [18] On September 30, Stydahar reached an agreement with Rams owner Dan Reeves under which Stydahar resigned and was paid him $11,900 to buy out his contract, and Pool was promoted as the new head coach. [19]

Green Bay Packers

In mid-November 1952, Stydahar was hired by the Green Bay Packers. [20] He served as a scout and part-time assistant coach for the balance of the 1952 season. [21]

Chicago Cardinals

In January 1953, he was hired as head coach of the Chicago Cardinals. [21] His Cardinals teams compiled records of 1–10–1 in 1953 and 2–10 in 1954. [22] [23] In June 1955, Stydahar and the Cardinals reached an agreement buying out the remainder of his three-year contract with the club. [24]

Chicago Bears

In February 1963, George Halas hired Stydahar as defensive line coach for the Chicago Bears. [25] Stydahar was credited with overhauling the Bears defensive line, [26] helping to lead the 1963 Bears to the best scoring defense in the NFL and an NFL championship. [27] The Bears dropped to sixth place in the Western Division in 1964, [28] and Stydahar resigned from his position with the club at the end of the 1964 season in order devote his efforts to his work for a corrugated carton company. [29]

Head coaching record

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
LA 1950 930.7501st in NFL National11.500Lost to Cleveland Browns in NFL Championship.
LA 1951 840.6671st in NFL National101.000 NFL Champions.
LA 1952 010.0002nd in NFL National00.000–
LA total1780.68021.667–
CHI 1953 1101.0916th in NFL Eastern––––
CHI 1954 2100.1676th in NFL Eastern––––
CHI total3201.130––––
NFL total [30] 20281.41721.667–
Total20281.41721.667–

Honors and awards

Stydahar received numerous honors for his football career, including the following:

Family and later years

Stydahar married Yolanda Monet Margowski in 1947. They were later divorced, but they had three sons, [35] David (born 1948), [36] Joseph (born 1952), [37] and George, [35] and a daughter, Stephanie (born 1955). [38]

After being released by the Cardinals, Stydahar remained in the Chicago area where he had formed a cardboard box business with a partner. He continued in that business into the 1960s. [24] [39] In his later years, Stydahar lived in Highland Park, Illinois, where he was the eastern regional manager for a container company. He died of heart failure in 1977 at age 65 while on a business trip in Beckley, West Virginia. [5] He was buried at the Shinnston Memorial Cemetery, located adjacent to "Stydahar Field", a sports complex named in his honor. [40]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Halas</span> American football player, coach, and team owner (1895–1983)

George Stanley Halas Sr., nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was an American professional football player, coach, and team owner. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League's Chicago Bears, and served as his own head coach on four occasions. He was also lesser-known as a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees.

Daniel Lee Dierdorf is an American sportscaster and former football offensive tackle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulldog Turner</span> American football player and coach (1919–1998)

Clyde Douglas "Bulldog" Turner was an American football player and coach. He was elected, as a player, to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966. He was also selected in 1969 to the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Train Lane</span> American football player (1927–2002)

Richard Lane, commonly known as Dick "Night Train" Lane, was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for 14 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Los Angeles Rams (1952–1953), Chicago Cardinals (1954–1959), and Detroit Lions (1960–1965).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Fortmann</span> American football player (1916–1995)

Daniel John Fortmann was an American professional football player who was a guard and linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colgate University. Playing for Chicago from 1936 to 1943, he was selected as an All-Pro for seven consecutive years from 1937 to 1943. He was the Bears' team captain starting in 1940 and led the team to NFL championships in 1940, 1941, and 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Healey</span> American football player (1894–1978)

Edward Francis Healey Jr. was an American football player. Regarded as one of the best linemen in the early days of the National Football League (NFL), Healey was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its second induction class in 1964. He was also named in 1969 to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team. In 1974, he was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Schmidt (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1932)

Joseph Paul Schmidt is an American former professional football player and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charley Trippi</span> American football player (1921–2022)

Charles Louis Trippi was an American professional football player for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1947 to 1955. Although primarily a running back, his versatility allowed him to fill a multitude of roles over his career, including quarterback, defensive back, punter, and return specialist. A "quintuple-threat", Trippi was adept at running, catching, passing, punting, and defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Kiesling</span> American football player and coach (1903–1962)

Walter Andrew Kiesling was an American football guard and tackle who spent 36 years as a player, coach, and aide with National Football League (NFL) teams. He was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966 and was named to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greasy Neale</span> American football and baseball player and coach (1891–1973)

Alfred Earle "Greasy" Neale was an American football and baseball player and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Trafton</span> American gridiron football player and coach (1896–1971)

George Edward Trafton was an American football player and coach, boxer, boxing manager, and gymnasium proprietor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964 and was also selected in 1969 as the center on the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.

Lawrence Lee Brooks Sr. is a former American football defensive tackle. Brooks was drafted in the 14th round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams after playing college football at Virginia State University. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dutch Clark</span> American football player and coach (1906–1978)

Earl Harry "Dutch" Clark, sometimes also known as the "Flying Dutchman" and the "Old Master", was an American football player and coach, basketball player and coach, and university athletic director. He gained his greatest acclaim as a football player and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1963. He was also named in 1969 to the NFL 1930s All-Decade Team and was the first player to have his jersey retired by the Detroit Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Chamberlin</span> American football player and coach (1894–1967)

Berlin Guy "Champ" Chamberlin, sometimes misspelled Guy Chamberlain, was an American football player and coach. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965. He was also named in 1969 to the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.

Raymond William Richards was an American football player and coach on both the college and professional levels, including head coach for the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL).

Hampton John "Hamp" Pool was an American football player, coach and scout who was part of two National Football League (NFL) championship teams during his playing career and served as head coach for three professional teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy Driscoll</span> American football and baseball player (1895–1968)

John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was an American football and baseball player and football coach. A triple-threat man in football, he was regarded as the best drop kicker and one of the best overall players in the early years of the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

The 1936 season was the Chicago Bears' 17th in the National Football League and 14th season under head coach George Halas. The team was able to improve on their 6–4–2 record from 1935 and finished with a 9–3 record. The team also finished in second place in the Western Division behind the Green Bay Packers. After week 10, the Bears were tied with the Packers in first place with identical 9–1 records, having split their season series. However, the club swooned at the end of the year, losing their last two games on the road to Detroit and the Cardinals. Green Bay went on to easily defeat the Boston Redskins and win the NFL title.

The 1937 All-Pro Team consisted of American football players chosen by various selectors for the All-Pro team of the National Football League (NFL) for the 1937 NFL season. Teams were selected by, among others, the NFL coaches (NFL), the International News Service (INS), the United Press (UP), Collyer's Eye (CE), and the New York Daily News (NYDN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Hatley</span> American football player and rodeo performer (1930–2001)

Johnny Ray Hatley was an American football player and coach and rodeo performer. He played college football at Baylor, Corpus Christi, Southwest Texas JC and Sul Ross State and was selected in the 16th round of the 1953 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played one season with the Bears before being traded to the Chicago Cardinals, for which he played two seasons. Hatley was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1956, but did not play. He then retired from football to become a rodeo performer, winning several competitions and placing thirteenth at the 1959 National Finals. Hatley returned to pro football in 1960, being signed by the Dallas Texans and later being traded to the Denver Broncos. In 1961, he briefly had a stint with the New York Titans. From 1966 to 1969, he was a player, coach, executive, and administrator in the Texas Football League (TFL) with the Odessa-Midland Comets and Fort Worth Texans/Braves. Hatley was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2004.

References

  1. ↑ "Joe Stydahar Bio". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Joe "Jumbo Joe" Stydahar". College Football Hall of Fame . Football Foundation. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Joe Stydahar". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Stydahar Joins Grid Greats". The Charleston Daily Mail. February 17, 1972. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 "Football Great Stydahar Dies, Had Planned To Live In Beckley". Beckley Post-Herald. March 25, 1977. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 "The Mountaineers All Worked Up Over the Stydahar Case". The Pittsburgh Press. September 20, 1931. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Services set for ex-Bear Stydahar". Chicago Tribune. March 25, 1977. p. 4-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Harry Grayson (November 12, 1935). "By Harry Grayson". Muncie (IN) Evening Press. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Bernard Bierman (December 2, 1935). "Southern Players Get Grid Spotlight". The Maryville (MO) Daily Forum. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 3 "Joe Stydahar". West Virginia University. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Stydahar, Veteran Bear Tackle, Is Top Grid Pro". The Burlington (N.C.) Daily Times-News. December 15, 1937. p. 2.
  12. ↑ "Bears Win Three Places on Pro All Star Team". The Hammond (IN) Times. December 14, 1939. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Four Giants Win Honors". Los Angeles Times. December 15, 1939. p. II-13 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Joe Stydahar to Help Tutor L. A. Rams' Line". Green Bay Press-Gazette. February 7, 1947. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "Stydahar To Be Coach Of Rams". The News, Frederick, Md. February 20, 1950. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "1950 Los Angeles Rams Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  17. ↑ "1950 Los Angeles Rams Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Trouble Between Coaches Bared". News-Press. September 30, 1952. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Pool Succeeds Stydahar as Ram Coach; Joe Paid, $11,900". Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1952. p. 4-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Joe Stydahar Joins Bay Staff". Green Bay Press-Gazette. November 14, 1952. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. 1 2 "Stydahar New Cardinals Coach". The Journal and Courier (IN). January 30, 1953. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "1953 Chicago Cardinals Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  23. ↑ "1954 Chicago Cardinals Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  24. 1 2 "Grid Cards Name Richards Coach: Joe Stydahar Out; Settle 3 Season Pact". Chicago Tribune. June 3, 1955. p. 3-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Bears Sign Stydahar As Defense Aid". Chicago Tribune. February 15, 1963. p. 4-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Bears' Defensive Line Overhauled by Stydahar". Chicago Tribune. August 28, 1963. p. 3-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "1963 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  28. ↑ "1964 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Stydahar Resigns His Post As Line Coach for Bears". The New York Times. December 16, 1964.
  30. ↑ Joe Stydahar Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com
  31. ↑ "Pro Football's Hall of Fame Is Announced". The Circleville (OH) Herald. August 3, 1950. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "Dr. Hugh MacMillan Makes 25th Anniversary All-America". The Cumberland News. December 19, 1960. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Fete Ex-Bear Stydahar in Highland Park". Chicago Tribune. April 20, 1967. p. 3-3 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "All-1930's NFL Team Selected". The Baltimore Sun. August 27, 1969. p. C5.
  35. 1 2 "Former NFL Great Joe Stydahar Dies". The Cumberland News. March 25, 1977. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Joe Stydahar Father of Boy". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1948. p. II-9 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "Stydahar Proud Father of Son". Redlands Daily Facts. June 27, 1952. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ↑ "In the Wake of the News". Chicago Tribune. March 4, 1955. p. III-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "Ram-Bear Switch May Help Both ---Stydahar". Los Angeles Times. May 1, 1961. p. IV-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ Shinnston News
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.