Jack Christiansen
| Jack Christiansen | |
|---|---|
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Positions: Safety , Head Coach |
Jersey numbers: 19, 24 |
| born December 20, 1928 in Sublette , Kansas | |
| died on June 29, 1986 in Stanford , California | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1951 - 1958 | |
| NFL Draft : 1951 / Round: 6 / Pick: 69 | |
| College : Colorado State University | |
| Teams | |
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player
Trainer
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| Career statistics | |
| Interceptions | 46 |
| the resulting gain in space | 717 yards |
| Touchdowns | 13 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
John LeRoy "Jack" Christiansen (* 20th December 1928 in Sublette , Kansas ; † 29. June 1986 in Stanford , California ) was an American American football player and trainer . He played as safety in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions .
youth
Jack Christiansen had a difficult youth. He grew up in a children's home in Canon City , Colorado . In high school he played basketball , football and was active as a sprinter in athletics. In his senior year in high school, he sustained a serious injury to his arm in a gun accident that restricted his mobility for life. This fact, and the fact that he thought he was too young to play football, caused him to stop playing football for the time being.
Player career
College career
John Christiansen graduated from Colorado State University . As in high school, he was active as a sprinter on the athletics team of his college . It was only as a sophomore that he joined the football team. Christiansen played in the safety position. In his first game he was used as a starter in his team's defense . His running speed made him a dominant defender. He was to remain the starter of his team until the end of his studies. His achievements also made the NFL scouts aware of him.
Professional career
In 1951, Jack Christiansen was by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round at the 69th spot drafted . Several later members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame such as Bobby Layne , Lou Creekmur , Yale Lary or Doak Walker were already on the Lions team or were signed on. The team from Detroit developed into a top team. 1952 Christiansen could move with his team for the first time in the play-offs and in the NFL championship game . In the NFL final, the Cleveland Browns were defeated 17-7. The following year, the Lions were able to defend their title and again won the NFL final against the Browns 17:16. In 1957 Christiansen won his third championship title. Again the Browns were the final opponent and again they had to admit defeat to the Lions. This time they clearly lost with 14:59.
Christiansen not only won three championships, he also set numerous individual NFL annual bests. In 1953 he was able to intercept 12 passes of the opposing quarterback and thus achieve a space gain of 238 yards . In 1957 he got 10 interceptions . Christiansen also made a name for himself as a punt returner and scored four touchdowns as a returner in his rookie year . Christiansen was the leader of the Lions' defensive backfield and feared by opposing attacking players. Mac Speedie , wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, admitted after Christiansen's retirement that his side had been instructed not to throw the ball at Christiansen under any circumstances. The coach thought the risk that the pass would be intercepted by him was too high.
After the 1958 season, Jack Christiansen ended his playing career.
Coaching career
Jack Christiansen's career as a coach was not very successful. From 1963 to 1967 he coached the San Francisco 49ers . His team could only win 26 of 67 games. From 1972 to 1976 he was Head Coach at Stanford University . As an assistant coach , he then worked for the Kansas City Chiefs , Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons . He was no longer able to win the title. In 1986 Christiansen died of cancer.
Honors
Jack Christiansen played five times in the Pro Bowl , the final game of the best players of the season. He was voted All-Pro six times . Christiansen is a member of the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team and has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 1970. He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame six weeks before his death .
Web links
- Jack Christiansen in the nndb (English)
- Biography ( Memento from December 18, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 23 kB)
- Short biography ( memento from January 25, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
- Jack Christiansen at the Detroit Lions
- Coach statistics
Individual evidence
- ↑ 1952 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .
- ↑ Championship - Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns - December 28th, 1952 | Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .
- ↑ 1953 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .
- ↑ Championship - Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions - December 27th, 1953 | Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .
- ↑ 1957 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .
- ↑ Championship - Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions - December 29th, 1957 | Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved September 9, 2018 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Christiansen, Jack |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Christiansen, John LeRoy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and coach |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 20, 1928 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sublette , Kansas |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 29, 1986 |
| Place of death | Stanford , California |