Ed Sprinkle
| Ed Sprinkle | |
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Position (s): Defensive End |
Jersey number (s): 7 |
| born September 3, 1923 in Bradshaw , Texas | |
| died on July 28, 2014 in Palos Heights , Illinois | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1944 - 1955 | |
| College : Hardin-Simmons University | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Games | 132 |
| as a starter | 29 |
| Interceptions | 4th |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Edward Alexander Sprinkle (* 3. September 1923 in Bradshaw , Texas ; † 28 July 2014 in Palos Heights , Illinois ; Nickname : The Claw (German: The claw )) was an American American football player at the position of the Defensive Ends . He played with the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL) and won the NFL championship with them in 1946 .
Player career
College career
Ed Sprinkle was the son of the Texan farmer Olif Orno Sprinkle and his wife Nellie Catherine. He attended high school in Tuscola , Texas and then studied at Hardin-Simmons University, where he was selected for his athletic performance as a football player in the league selection before joining the United States Naval Academy . There he was also active as a football player. Sprinkle was never drafted by a professional team after graduating .
Professional career
In 1944 he received a professional contract with the Chicago Bears trained by Hunk Anderson and initially played in the offense and defense of the team. Due to his speed, however, he was increasingly used as an end and a defensive end in the course of his career . His head coach George Halas , who took over as coach of the Bears in 1946, had recognized that Sprinkle was an excellent pass rusher and that he regularly managed to overflow the opposing offensive line . Given that American football was evolving from a running game to a game where the pass became more important, Sprinkle's skills were a key asset to his team. In 1946 Sprinkle won the NFL Championship Game with the Bears . This year the Bears were superbly cast with players like Sprinkle, Sid Luckman , Ken Kavanaugh , Joe and Bill Osmanski as well as George McAfee and Bulldog Turner . In the final, the New York Giants were beaten 24:14.
Sprinkle ended his career with the Bears in 1955 after twelve years of play.
Honors
Sprinkle was a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team , the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame , the Hardin-Simmons Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Chicago Bears Ring of Honor . He was voted All-Pro five times and played in four Pro Bowls . In 2020 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
After the career
Ed Sprinkle became a businessman in Chicago after his career. In 1962 he briefly returned to football and became assistant coach with the New York Titans . He was buried in the Fairmount-Willow Hills Memorial Park in Willow Springs , Illinois, after his death .
Individual evidence
- ^ Ed Sprinkle, Defensive End Known for Violent Play, Dies at 90
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Bears 1946
- ^ Statistics NFL final 1946
- ↑ Ed Sprinkle, BearsHistory.com Chicago Bears Ring of Honor. Retrieved on April 13, 2018 .
- ^ Ed Sprinkle's grave in the Find a Grave database
Web links
- Ed Sprinkle of the Chicago Bears
- CV (PDF; 23 kB)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sprinkle, Ed |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Sprinkle, Edward Alexander (full name); The Claw (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 3, 1923 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bradshaw , Texas , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 28, 2014 |
| Place of death | Palos Heights , Illinois , United States |