Fran Polsfoot

Francis Charles Polsfoot (April 19, 1927 – April 5, 1985) was an American football player and coach. He played professionally as an end in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Cardinals from 1950 to 1952 and the Washington Redskins in 1953. Polsfoot played college football at Washington State and was drafted in the third round of the 1950 NFL Draft. He caught 57 passes in the 1951 season for the Chicago Cardinals and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Fran Polsfoot

Polsfoot on a 1951 Bowman football card
No. 41, 81, 82
Position:	End
Personal information
Born:	(1927-04-19)April 19, 1927 Montesano, Washington, U.S.
Died:	April 5, 1985(1985-04-05) (aged 57) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	203 lb (92 kg)
Career information
High school:	Montesano (WA)
College:	Washington State
NFL Draft:	1950 / Round: 3 / Pick: 35
Career history
As a player:
Chicago Cardinals (1950–1952) Washington Redskins (1953)
As a coach:
River Falls State (1954–1956) (Assistant) River Falls State (1957–1961) (Head coach) St. Louis Cardinals (1962–1967) (WR) Houston Oilers (1968–1971) (WR) Cleveland Browns (1972–1974) (WR) Houston Oilers (1975–1976) (WR) Denver Broncos (1977–1980) (WR) Denver Broncos (1981) (TE) Denver Broncos (1982–1984) (TE/SE)
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (1951)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 106 Receiving yards: 1,613 Receiving TDs: 10

After Polsfoot suffered a knee injury and was forced to retire following the 1953 season, he started his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. In 1962, he returned to the NFL as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Cardinals.^[1] Polsfoot later coached with the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. His NFL coaching career lasted over 20 years and he was an assistant coach for the Broncos in Super Bowl XII.

Polsfoot was also a high hurdle champion for Washington State.

Polsfoot was married to Mary Eileen (née Hesterman) and the couple had two children, Sally Baldwin and Thomas Polsfoot. He had a brother, Curtis Frederic Polsfoot, and a sister, Bea Polsfoot. Both Francis and Curt served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. Polsfoot died on April 5, 1985, after suffering from brain cancer.^[2]

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
River Falls State Falcons (Wisconsin State College Conference) (1957–1961)
1957	River Falls State	6–2	4–1	2nd
1958	River Falls State	7–2	6–0	1st
1959	River Falls State	2–6–1	2–4–1	T–7th
1960	River Falls State	2–6–1	1–4–1	T–8th
1961	River Falls State	5–4	4–2	3rd
River Falls State:		22–20–2	17–11–2
Total:		22–20–2
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

1. "Former UW Star New Falls Mentor". The Herald Times. Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Associated Press. April 18, 1962. p. 7. Retrieved August 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com  .
2. "Briefly Noted". The San Bernardino Sun. San Bernardino, California. April 6, 1986. p. 38. Retrieved August 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com  .

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
• Fran Polsfoot at Find a Grave