Otto Schnellbacher

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Otto Schnellbacher
Position (s):
Defensive Back 		Jersey number (s):
83
born on April 15, 1923 in Sublette, Kansas, USA
died on March 10, 2008 in Topeka, Kansas, USA
Career information
Active : 1948 - 1951
NFL Draft : 1947 / Round: 25 / Pick: 231
College : University of Kansas
Teams

Career statistics
Games     50
Touchdown     3
Interception     34
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Career highlights and awards

  • 2 × Pro Bowl election (1950, 1951)
  • 2 × All-Pro election (1950, 1951)
  • Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (1970)
  • University of Kansas Hall of Fame (1972)
  • University of Kansas all-time football team
  • University of Kansas Ring of Honor

Otto Ole Schnellbacher (born April 15, 1923 in Sublette , Kansas , USA ; † March 10, 2008 in Topeka , Kansas, USA), nickname : The Claw , was an American football player and basketball player . He played as a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Giants .

Player career

College career

Otto Schnellbacher graduated from a high school in his hometown in 1941 . In 1942 he received an athletic scholarship from the University of Kansas as a basketball player . In college , he first played basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks . Since he did not have enough financial resources, he was forced to work in the college football stadium while studying . However, this activity was reserved for the college football players, which is why he was forced to join the Jayhawks football team, where he was used as a wide receiver . Due to the Second World War , Schnellbacher was forced to interrupt his studies to do his military service in the United States Army Air Corps . After the war he resumed his studies.

In 1947 he led his football team as deputy captain to win the football league and at the same time in the Orange Bowl , where you had to admit defeat, however, with 20:14 the team of the Georgia Institute of Technology . Schnellbacher was voted All-American that year . During his season in Kansas he achieved 58 pass catches with which he was able to achieve a gain of 1,069 yards . This was the college record for 22 years. Schnellbacher also distinguished himself as a basketball player. He was elected four times in the league selection and was captain of his team in his final year of study. Both as a football and basketball player, he has received multiple awards from his college for his athletic achievements. Because of his use in both teams, he was nicknamed The Double Threat from Sublette in Topeka .

Professional career

While still a student, Otto Schnellbacher was drafted in the 25th round in 231st place by the Chicago Cardinals in 1947 . Schnellbacher should never play for this team. In 1948, after completing his studies, he joined the New York Yankees coached by Ray Flaherty and who played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), a competitive league of the NFL. Schnellbacher was used by the Yankees as a defensive back . He already attracted attention in his rookie game year . He got 11 interceptions this season . This performance was a league record. The AAFC had to stop playing after the 1949 season due to financial difficulties. Numerous Yankees players such as Tom Landry and Arnie Weinmeister then joined the New York Giants. Schnellbacher also took this step, but had to accept a pay cut of 30%. Together with the later members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Landry and Emlen Tunnell , he was used by the coach of the Giants, Steve Owen , in the team's defensive backfield. After he had managed eight interceptions in the 1950 season, he set a league record with 11 interceptions in the following round. Schnellbacher surprisingly ended his professional career after the 1951 season. He did not succeed in winning the title.

Otto Schnellbacher was also active as a professional basketball player after his studies. In the 1948/1949 season he ran for the Providence Steamrollers and the St. Louis Bombers . Both teams were part of the Basketball Association of America (NBA). Schnellbacher did not pursue his basketball career after a year of play.

After the playing career

After his career, Otto Schnellbacher returned to Topeka. He worked there as an insurance agent. Otto Schnellbacher was married and had three children. He died of cancer and is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Topeka.

Honors

Otto Schnellbacher played twice in the Pro Bowl , the season-end game of the best players in a game round. He was voted All-Pro twice . He is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame , the University of Kansas Hall of Fame, and the University of Kansas All-Time Football Team. The Jayhawks honor him in their football stadium at the University of Kansas Ring of Honor.

literature

  • 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 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Basketball college awards from Otto Schnellbacher ( Memento from September 6, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ Otto Schnellbacher ( Memento from September 10, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  3. ↑ Otto Schnellbacher's grave
personal data
SURNAME Schnellbacher, Otto
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schnellbacher, Otto Ole
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American football and basketball players
DATE OF BIRTH April 15, 1923
PLACE OF BIRTH Sublette, Kansas, USA
DATE OF DEATH March 10, 2008
Place of death Topeka , Kansas , USA