Bronko Nagurski
| Bronko Nagurski | |
|---|---|
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Positions: Fullback , Offensive Tackle , Defensive Tackle |
Jersey number (s): 3 |
| born November 3, 1908 in Rainy River , Ontario | |
| died on January 7, 1990 in International Falls , Minnesota | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1930 - 1943 | |
| College : University of Minnesota | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Interceptions | 7th |
| Touchdowns | 25th |
| Space gained by running play | 3,510 yards |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Bronko Nagurski (born November 3, 1908 in Rainy River , Ontario , Canada ; † January 7, 1990 in International Falls , Minnesota , USA ; actually Bronislau Nagurski ), nickname : "Monster of the Midway" , was a Canadian American football - Player. He is considered one of the best players in the history of the National Football League (NFL).
youth
Nagurski grew up as the son of the Ukrainian immigrants, Amelia and Michael Nagurski, first in Canada, then later in International Falls on the border with Canada. His parents belonged to the Ukrainian minority in Poland and ran a farm in Canada . The student Nagurski had to walk four miles to and from his school every day. His passion was wrestling and boxing, which, however, was rejected by his mother due to the high risk of injury. He got his nickname Bronko from his friends who had difficulties with the pronunciation of his first name. The name stayed with him until the end of his life.
Football player
college
Nagurski received a scholarship from the University of Minnesota in 1926 , where he played college football with George Gibson at the Minnesota Golden Gophers both as a fullback , as well as a defensive tackle in defense . With Nagurski, the Gophers won 18 games between 1927 and 1929, lost four, and drew two games. His shirt number 72 is no longer assigned by the Gophers. Bronko Nagurski was elected All American from 1927 to 1929 . He has received several awards from his college for his athletic achievements . The outstanding athlete quickly attracted the attention of the NFL professional league scouts .
Professional time
In 1930 Nagurski was hired by the Chicago Bears from their legendary team owner and from 1933 George "Papa Bear" Halas , who was again head coach of the team . In Chicago he became a member of Red Grange . The first two years he was used almost exclusively as a defensive tackle. In 1932 the Bears signed the End Bill Hewitt and Nagurski was given more fullback time from that year. Nagurski developed into a feared attacking player who often pulled several defenders with him due to his size and ideal weight for a fullback (188 cm tall, 109 kg heavy). During his career, he scored a total of 18 touchdowns by running play.
In the 1930s, football was mostly a running game. The pass was an exception. Although Nagurski was never set up as a quarterback , to the surprise of his opponents, he occasionally threw the ball to a wide receiver after receiving it from his own quarterback. Thereupon a great discussion developed in the NFL about the admissibility of passing plays, which ended in the passing play becoming more and more popular.
Nagurski won the NFL Championship with the Bears in 1932. There was no final yet. The respective leaders became champions. In 1933, an NFL championship game was played for the first time . The Bears were able to prevail against the New York Giants with 23:21 in front of 27,000 spectators . Nagurski also acted as a passer in this game. His pass, captured by Bill Hewitt , played the latter with a permissible lateral pass backwards to Bill Karr , who then scored a touchdown.
The duels with the future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Clarke Hinkle also caused a stir . The Bears and Hinkle's team, the Green Bay Packers , met regularly and Nagurski, who also appeared as tackle , did not always have the upper hand.
In 1937 Nagurski ended his career as a football player. He became a wrestler , but returned to the football stage in 1943 as players were scarce due to World War II . He even managed another touchdown in the Bears jersey. The Bears won the championship again and were able to prevail with 41:21 against the Washington Redskins .
Honors in football
Nagurski is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team . He was the first player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The best players of all time were accepted into the all-time team. Nagurski is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame , the University of Minnesota Hall of Fame, and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. His shirt number 3 is no longer awarded by the Bears. In 1969 he was elected to the All-Time All-America team of college football by American sports journalists . In 2003 Nagurski was immortalized on a postage stamp issued by the US Post . American sports journalists have awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy to the best defensive player in college football every year since 1993 .
Wrestling career
After his football career, Nagurski earned his living as a wrestler between 1937 and 1943 with what was then the National Wrestling Association and the resulting National Wrestling Alliance . He was also able to win titles in both leagues.
successes
- 1 × NWA World Tag Team Champion (Minneapolis version; with Verne Gagne )
- 2 × NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Champion (San Francisco version)
- Further titles / wrestling honors
- 1 × World Heavyweight Championship ( Los Angeles version )
- World Heavyweight Championship ( professional wrestling )
- 2 × World Heavyweight Championship ( Minneapolis version )
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
After the sports career
In 1960 Nagurski ended his career as a professional athlete due to physical problems. He was married and the couple had one child. His son Bronko Nagurski Jr. played Canadian football with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Nagurski operated a gas station in International Falls until 1978 . There is also a museum that bears his name. Bronko Nagurski is buried in Saint Thomas Cemetery in International Falls , Minnesota .
Web links
- Bronko Nagurski's website
- Statistics about Bronko Nagurski
- Bronko Nagurski in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Bronko Nagurski in the College Hall of Fame
- Postage stamp from Bronko Nagurski
- Bronko Nagurski at the Chicago Bears
- Nagurski at college
- Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame to Bronko Nagurski
source
- Jens Plassmann: NFL - American Football. The game, the stars, the stories (= Rororo 9445 rororo Sport ). Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-499-19445-7 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1932
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1933
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1943
- ↑ Endgame statistics 1943
- ^ Bronko Nagurski Museum
- ^ Tomb of Bronko Nagurski in the Find a Grave database
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nagurski, Bronko |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nagurski, Bronislau |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian American Football Player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 3, 1908 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rainy River , Ontario, Canada |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 7, 1990 |
| Place of death | International Falls , Minnesota, United States |