George Connor (football player)
| George Connor | |
|---|---|
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Positions: LB , OT |
Jersey numbers: 81, 71 |
| born on January 21, 1925 in Chicago , Illinois | |
| died on March 31, 2003 , ibid | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1948 - 1955 | |
| NFL Draft : 1946 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | |
| College : Holy Cross , Notre Dame | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Games | 90 |
| Interception | 7th |
| Fumbles secured | 10 |
| 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 | |
George Lee Connor (born January 21, 1925 in Chicago , Illinois , † March 31, 2003 , ibid) was an American football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Chicago Bears .
Player career
College career
George Connor attended high school in Chicago and then studied in 1942 and 1943 at the College of the Holy Cross , where he also played American football. In 1944 and 1945 he had to do his military service in the US Navy . Connor did not have to go into combat, rather he had the opportunity to do his service in a training camp, which was set up on the campus of the University of Notre Dame . In 1946 and 1947 he continued his studies at this college and played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as a tackle, both in defense and offense . Because of his athletic achievements, he was voted All American in both years . In 1946 he received the Outland Trophy .
Profile career
Connor was drafted fifth in the first round by the New York Giants in 1946 . With this obligation he did not agree and announced that he only wanted to play in Chicago. The Giants gave him in exchange for another player to the Chicago Bears trained by George Halas . In the late 1940s, the Philadelphia Eagles were the defining team in the NFL.
Halas gave Connor a three-year contract with an annual income of $ 13,000 . That salary was exceptionally high for a tackle, but it was due to the fact that Halas and his assistant coach Hunk Anderson were interested in hiring top-class defenders to break the supremacy of the Eagles offense. Connor was used as linebacker and defensive tackle with the Bears and had well-known players such as Ken Kavanaugh and George McAfee by his side. He was also used as an offensive tackle , where he was responsible for protecting quarterback Sid Luckman .
In 1950 Connor was able to move into the play-offs for the first and only time with the Bears . But they were defeated in the NFL championship game to the Los Angeles Rams with 14:24.
Connor was known to be a very tough player, but he never did his job unfairly. In 1954 he suffered a knee injury that meant that he could only serve eight games that season. He managed to return to his team again, but ended his career after the 1955 season.
After the playing career
George Connor became an assistant coach for the Chicago Bears after his playing career. He then worked as a commentator for the games of the Bears and the Fighting Irish on the radio. Connor then worked as a representative for a cardboard box manufacturer before founding his own company. George Connor is buried in All Saints Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum in Des Plaines , Illinois. Connor left behind his wife and two sons.
Honors
George Connor played four times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He was voted All-Pro seven times . Connor is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team , the College Football Hall of Fame , the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
Web links
- George Connor in the nndb (English)
- George Connor of the Chicago Bears
- Short biography ( Memento from June 3, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- Obituary in the New York Times
- Obituary in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Connor, George |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Connor, George Lee |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 21, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago , Illinois |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 31, 2003 |
| Place of death | Chicago , Illinois |