Wetterlund was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1942 NFL Draft before being released and signed by the Lions.[2] He failed to throw a touchdown pass, instead having ten interceptions, and recorded just six rushing yards as the Lions went 0–11.[1] With World War II taking place, he enlisted in the United States Navy Air Corps at the end of the season and received his pilot certifications on March 7, 1943.[3]
He was assigned to the naval air station at Wildwood, New Jersey. On September 5, 1944, he and Aviation Radioman Third Class Tom Elmer Smith were killed in a plane crash off the New Jersey coast on a routine training flight in a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver; the plane experienced trouble, and he was forced to ditch in the sea.[4] He was killed instantly, and a five-day search by the Navy failed to find him.[5] The cause of the crash is unknown, though authors Todd Anton and Bill Nowlin suggested mechanical issues or the Helldiver's difficult handling compared to its predecessor Douglas SBD Dauntless as possibilities.[1] Wetterlund was survived by his fiancée Myra Jane Rodgers, who was in WAVES.[6]
chet, wetterlund, chester, jerome, wetterlund, march, 1918, september, 1944, american, football, halfback, played, season, national, football, league, detroit, lions, played, college, football, illinois, wesleyan, university, where, team, captain, junior, clas. Chester Jerome Wetterlund March 19 1918 September 5 1944 was an American football halfback who played one season in the National Football League NFL for the Detroit Lions He played college football at Illinois Wesleyan University where he was a team captain and junior class president 1 Chet WetterlundPersonal informationBorn 1918 03 19 March 19 1918Chicago Illinois U S Died September 5 1944 1944 09 05 aged 26 Atlantic Ocean off New Jersey U S Height 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m Weight 185 lb 84 kg Career informationHigh school Chicago IL Morgan ParkCollege Illinois WesleyanPosition HalfbackNFL draft 1942 Round 9 Pick 74Career historyChicago Cardinals 1942 Detroit Lions 1942 Offseason and or practice squad member onlyCareer NFL statisticsRushing attempts 23Rushing yards 5Touchdowns 0 Wetterlund was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1942 NFL Draft before being released and signed by the Lions 2 He failed to throw a touchdown pass instead having ten interceptions and recorded just six rushing yards as the Lions went 0 11 1 With World War II taking place he enlisted in the United States Navy Air Corps at the end of the season and received his pilot certifications on March 7 1943 3 He was assigned to the naval air station at Wildwood New Jersey On September 5 1944 he and Aviation Radioman Third Class Tom Elmer Smith were killed in a plane crash off the New Jersey coast on a routine training flight in a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver the plane experienced trouble and he was forced to ditch in the sea 4 He was killed instantly and a five day search by the Navy failed to find him 5 The cause of the crash is unknown though authors Todd Anton and Bill Nowlin suggested mechanical issues or the Helldiver s difficult handling compared to its predecessor Douglas SBD Dauntless as possibilities 1 Wetterlund was survived by his fiancee Myra Jane Rodgers who was in WAVES 6 References edit a b c Anton Todd Nowlin Bill November 15 2013 When Football Went to War Triumph Books pp 78 79 ISBN 978 1600788451 Chamberlain Charles November 1 1942 Detroit Lions anxious to tab Chicago Bears Sunday News AP Retrieved July 20 2021 via Newspapers com Young Fred March 31 1943 Young s Yarns The Pantagraph Retrieved July 20 2021 via Newspapers com Two Navy airmen missing in crash Shamokin News Dispatch AP September 7 1944 Retrieved July 20 2021 via Newspapers com Navy hunt for Wetterlund is discontinued Chicago Tribune September 10 1944 Retrieved July 20 2021 via Newspapers com Young Fred July 29 1943 Young s Yarns The Pantagraph Retrieved July 20 2021 via Newspapers com External links editCold Hard Football Facts nbsp This biographical article relating to an American football running back born in the 1910s is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Chet Wetterlund amp oldid 1225698128, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
