Lee Artoe

Lee Robert Reno Artoe (March 2, 1917 – April 1, 2005) was a professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL) and All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for 7 seasons. A tackle, Artoe played for the NFL's Chicago Bears (1940–1942, 1945). In the AAFC, he played for the Los Angeles Dons (1946–1947) and Baltimore Colts (1948).^[1]

Lee Artoe

Artoe, circa 1946
No. 35
Position:	Offensive Tackle/Kicker
Personal information
Born:	(1917-03-02)March 2, 1917 Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Died:	April 1, 2005(2005-04-01) (aged 88) Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	234 lb (106 kg)
Career information
High school:	Lincoln (WA)
College:	Santa Clara, California
NFL draft:	1940 / Round: 11 / Pick: 97
Career history
Chicago Bears (1940–1942, 1945) Los Angeles Dons (1946–1947) Baltimore Colts (1948)
Career highlights and awards
2× NFL champion (1940, 1941) First-team All-Pro (1942) Second-team All-Pro (1941) 3× Pro Bowl (1940–1942) Second-team All-American (1939) First-team All-PCC (1939)
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 84 Games started: 62
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Artoe played college football at University of Santa Clara, with the Santa Clara Broncos, and in 1940 was picked in the 11th round by Chicago.^[2] He returned a fumble in the 1942 NFL Championship Game 52 yards for the first score of the game.^[3]

Artoe's grave at Memorial Park Cemetery

Artoe served in the U.S. Navy as a member of the Underwater Demolition Team.

He died in Wilmette, Illinois on April 1, 2005, and was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie.^[1]

References

1. McCarthy, Brendan (April 5, 2005). "Lee Artoe, 88 - Hard-nosed 2-way player on Bears champion team". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
2. "1940 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
3. The Coffin Corner December 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine: Vol. 18, No. 4 (1996) -Retrieved January 15, 2011