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Sammy Baugh

Samuel Adrian Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American professional football player and coach. During his college and professional careers, he most notably played quarterback, but also played as a safety and punter. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a twice All-American. He then played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952. After his playing career, he served as a college coach for Hardin–Simmons University before coaching professionally for the New York Titans and the Houston Oilers.

Sammy Baugh
Baugh in 1938
No. 33
Position:Quarterback
Punter
Safety
Personal information
Born:(1914-03-17)March 17, 1914
Temple, Texas, U.S.
Died:December 17, 2008(2008-12-17) (aged 94)
Rotan, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:182 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:Sweetwater
(Sweetwater, Texas)
College:TCU (1934–1936)
NFL Draft:1937 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
[a]
Career NFL statistics
TDINT:187–203
Passing yards:21,886
Passer rating:72.2
Punts:338
Punting average:45.1
Interceptions:31
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Baugh led the Washington Redskins to winning the NFL Championship in 1937 and 1942 and was named NFL Player of the Year by the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club in 1947 and 1948 for his play. In both of his Player of the Year seasons, he led the league in completions, attempts, completion percentage, and yards. In 1947, he also led the league in passing touchdowns, interception percentage and passer rating.[2]

Primarily known for his passing prowess, Baugh led the league in completion percentage a record eight times, passing yards four times, and three times in passer rating,[3] among other statistics.[2] However, he was also known for his versatility—having the ability to play at a high level as a punter as well as a defensive back. Throughout his career, he led the league in yards per punt five times, as well as yardage in 1943, a year in which he also led the league in defensive interceptions, with 11.[2] His average of 51.4 yards per punt during the 1940 season stood as the single-season record for 82 seasons until Tennessee Titans rookie Ryan Stonehouse broke it with a 53.1 average in the 2022 season.[4]

Baugh was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 17-member charter class of 1963, and was also selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

Early life

Samuel Adrian Baugh was born on a farm near Temple, Texas,[5] the second son of James, a worker on the Santa Fe Railroad,[6] and Lucy Baugh. His parents later divorced and his mother raised the three children.[6] When he was 16, the family then moved to Sweetwater, Texas,[5] and he attended Sweetwater High School.[7] As the quarterback[8] of his high school football team (Sweetwater Mustangs), he would practice for hours throwing a football through a swinging automobile tire, often on the run.[5] Baugh would practice punting more than throwing.[9]

Baugh, however, really wanted to become a professional baseball player and almost received a scholarship to play at Washington State University.[9] About a month before he started at Washington State, however, Baugh hurt his knee while sliding into second base during a game, and the scholarship fell through.[9]

College career

College football

After coach Dutch Meyer told him he could play three sports (football, baseball, and basketball),[10] Baugh attended Texas Christian University. While at Texas Christian, he threw 587 passes in his three varsity seasons for 39 touchdowns.[11] Baugh was named an All-American in 1935 and 1936.[11] He also led TCU to two bowl game wins, a 3–2 victory over LSU in the 1936 Sugar Bowl, and a 16–6 victory over Marquette in the first annual Cotton Bowl Classic in 1937[11] after which he was named MVP.[5] He finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1936.[12]

In the spring of his senior year, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall offered Baugh $4,000 to play with the franchise.[10] Originally unsure about playing professional football (coach Meyer offered him a job as the freshman coach and he still thought about playing professional baseball), he did not agree to the contract until after the College All-Star Game, where the team beat the Green Bay Packers 6–0.[6][10]

Year Comp Att Comp % Passing TD
1934 69 171 40.4 883 10
1935 97 210 46.2 1241 18
1936 104 206 50.5 1196 12

College and minor league baseball

Baugh was also a baseball player at Texas Christian, where he played third base.[5][13] It was during his time as a baseball player that he earned the nickname "Slingin' Sammy",[13] which he got from a Texas sportswriter.[5] After college, Sammy signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and was sent to the minor leagues to play with the American Association Columbus Red Birds in Columbus, Ohio after being converted to shortstop. He was then sent to the International League's Rochester, New York Red Wings, St. Louis's other top farm club.[5] While there he received little playing time behind starting shortstop Marty Marion[5] and was unhappy with his prospects. He then turned to professional football.[13]

Professional career

 
Baugh in September 1937, shortly after being drafted by the Washington Redskins.

As expected, Baugh was drafted in the first round (sixth overall) of the 1937 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, the same year the team moved from Boston.[14] He signed a one-year contract with the Redskins and received $8,000, making him the highest-paid player on the team.[5]

During his rookie season in 1937, Baugh played quarterback (although in Washington's formation he was officially lined up as a tailback or halfback until 1944), defensive back, and punter, set an NFL record for completions with 91 in 218 attempts and threw for a league-high 1,127 yards.[13] He led the Redskins to the NFL Championship game against the Chicago Bears, where he finished 17 of 33 for 335 yards and his second-half touchdown passes of 55, 78 and 33 yards gave Washington a 28–21 victory.[5] His 335 passing yards remained the most ever in a playoff game by any rookie quarterback in NFL history until Russell Wilson broke the record in 2012. The Redskins and Bears would meet three times in championship games between 1940 and 1943. In the 1940 Championship game, the Bears recorded the most one-sided victory in NFL history, beating Washington 73–0.[5] After the game, Baugh was asked what would have happened if the Redskins' first drive had resulted in a touchdown. He shrugged and replied "What? The score would have been 73–7."

Baugh's heyday would come during World War II. In 1942, Baugh and the Redskins won the East Conference with a 10–1 record. During the same season the Bears went 11–0 and outscored their opponents 376–84.[5] In the 1942 Championship game, Baugh threw a touchdown pass and kept the Bears in their own territory with some strong punts, including an 85-yard quick kick, and Washington won 14–6.[5]

"I didn't know how much pro players were making, but I thought they were
making pretty good money. So I asked Mr. Marshall for $8,000, and I finally
got it. Later I felt like a robber when I found out what Cliff Battles and some
of those other good players were making. I'll tell you what the highest-priced
boy in Washington was getting the year before—not half as much as $8,000!
Three of them—Cliff Battles, Turk Edwards and Wayne Millner—got peanuts,
and all of 'em in the Hall of Fame now. If I had known what they were getting
I'd have never asked for $8,000."

—Baugh, on his $8,000 salary.[10]

Baugh had what many consider to be the greatest single-season performance by a pro football player during 1943 in which he led the league in pass completions, punting (45.9-yard average) and interceptions (11).[5][14] One of Baugh's more memorable single-game performances during the season was when he threw four touchdown passes and intercepted four passes in a 42–20 victory over Detroit.[5] He was selected as an All-Pro tailback that year. The Redskins again made it to the championship game, but lost to the Bears 41–21. During the game, Baugh suffered a concussion while tackling Bears quarterback Sid Luckman and had to leave.[5]

During the 1945 season, Baugh completed 128 of 182 passes for a 70.33 completion percentage, which was an NFL record then and remains the fourth-best today (to Ken Anderson, 70.55 in 1982, and Drew Brees, 70.62 in 2009, 71.23 in 2011).[5] He threw 11 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. The Redskins again won the East Conference but lost 15–14 in the 1945 Championship game against the Cleveland Rams. The one-point margin of victory came under scrutiny because of a safety that occurred early in the game. In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5-yard line. Dropping back into the end zone, Baugh threw to an open receiver, but the ball hit the goal post (which at the time was on the goal line instead of at the back of the end zone) and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2–0 lead. It was that safety that proved to be the margin of victory. Owner Marshall was so angry at the outcome that he became a major force in passing the following major rule change after the season: A forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete. This later became known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule".[15]

"The best, as far as I'm concerned. He could not only throw the ball, he
could play defense, he could punt the football, he ran it when he had to.
He and I roomed together, and he was a football man. He knew football,
played it, and everybody had a lot of confidence in him."

Bill Dudley, on Sammy Baugh.[13]

One of Baugh's more memorable single performances came on "Sammy Baugh Day" on November 23, 1947. That day, the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club honored him at Griffith Stadium and gave him a station wagon.[5] Against the Chicago Cardinals he passed for 355 yards and six touchdowns.[5][14] That season, the Redskins finished 4–8, but Baugh had career highs in completions (210), attempts (354), yards (2,938) and touchdown passes (25), leading the league in all four categories.[5]

Baugh played for five more years—leading the league in completion percentage for the sixth and seventh times in 1948 and 1949. He then retired after the 1952 season.[5] In his final game, a 27–21 win over Philadelphia at Griffith Stadium, he played for several minutes before retiring to a prolonged standing ovation from the crowd.[6] Baugh won numerous NFL passing titles and earned first-team All-NFL honors four times in his career. He completed 1,693 of 2,995 passes for 21,886 yards.[5][14]

Records

By the time he retired, Baugh set 13 NFL records in three player positions: quarterback, punter, and defensive back. He is considered one of the all-time great football players.[16] He gave birth to the fanaticism of Redskins fans. As Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post says: "He brought not just victories but thrills and ignited Washington with a passion even the worst Redskins periods can barely diminish."[16] He was the first to play the position of quarterback as it is played today, the first to make of the forward pass an effective weapon rather than an "act of desperation".[16]

Two of his records as quarterback still stand: most seasons leading the league in passing (six; tied with Steve Young) and most seasons leading the league with the lowest interception percentage (five).[13] He is also fourth in highest single-season completion percentage (70.33), most seasons leading the league in yards gained (four) and most seasons leading the league in completion percentage (seven).[13]

As a punter, Baugh retired with the NFL record for highest punting average in a career (45.1 yards), and is still second all-time (only Shane Lechler has passed him with 46.5 yards), and has the second-best (51.4 in 1940) and fifth-best (48.7 in 1941) season marks.[5][13] He led the league in punting from 1940 through 1943.[14] His single-season record of 51.4 average yards per punt during the 1940 season was held for 82 seasons until Tennessee Titans rookie punter Ryan Stonehouse broke it with a 53.1 average in the 2022 season.[17]

As a defensive back, he was the first player in league history to intercept four passes in a game, and is the only player to lead the league in passing, punting, and interceptions in the same season.[5][13]

As one of the best-known of the early NFL quarterbacks, Baugh is likely to be compared to more recent great players. As noted by Michael Wilbon in The Washington Post, the football of Baugh's era was rounder at the ends and fatter in the middle than the one used today, making it far more difficult to pass well (or even to create a proper spiral).[16] Additionally, it is important to point out that pass-interference rules have intensified dramatically, inflating modern quarterbacks' statistics.[18]

Coaching career

While playing for the Redskins, Baugh and teammate Wayne Millner were assistant coaches with The Catholic University of America's Cardinals, and went with them to the 1940 Sun Bowl.[19] Baugh left Washington, D.C. in 1952. He chose not to return for Redskins team functions, despite repeated organization invitations.[6] After his playing career, he became head coach at Hardin–Simmons University where he compiled a 23–28 record between 1955 and 1959.[5][6]

Baugh was the first coach of the New York Titans (which eventually became the New York Jets) of the American Football League in 1960 and 1961 compiling a record of 14–14. He was an assistant at the University of Tulsa in 1963 under head coach Glenn Dobbs. At Tulsa, he coached All-American quarterback Jerry Rhome.[20] In 1964, Baugh coached the AFL's Houston Oilers and went 4–10.[5][6]

Acting

Baugh also took up acting. In 1941, he made $6,400 for starring in a 12-week serial as a dark-haired Texas Ranger named Tom King. The serial, called King of the Texas Rangers, was released by Republic Studios. The episodes ran in theaters as Saturday matinees; it also starred Duncan Renaldo, later famous as TV's Cisco Kid.[6][21]

Robert Duvall patterned the role of Gus McCrae in the television series Lonesome Dove after Baugh, particularly his arm movements, after visiting him at his home in Texas in 1988.[16]

Personal and later life

After retiring from football, Baugh and his wife Edmonia Smith moved to his Double Mountain ranch west of Aspermont, Texas, where they had four boys and a girl.[6] Edmonia died in 1990, after 52 years of marriage to Baugh, who was her high school sweetheart.[6] According to his son, Baugh derived far more pleasure from ranching than he ever had from football, saying that he enjoyed the game, but if he could live his life over again, he probably wouldn't play sports at all.

Similar to the nicknaming of fellow football great Byron "Whizzer" White of Colorado, he said sports writers had tagged him with "Slingin' Sammy" whereas Sam was his preferred name. He always introduced himself as Sam Baugh and signed his papers and autographs that way. TCU named its football practice center the Sam Baugh Football Center with that perspective in mind.

Baugh's health began to decline after the death of his wife. During his last years, he lived in a nursing home in a little West Texas town called Jayton not far from Double Mountain Ranch. The ranch is now in the hands of Baugh's son David and is still a cow-calf operation, on 20,000 acres (81 km2).[6]

Death

The Associated Press quoted Baugh's son on December 17, 2008, saying Baugh had died after numerous health issues, including Alzheimer's disease, at Fisher County Hospital in Rotan, Texas.[22] He is interred at Belvieu Cemetery in Rotan.

Honors and tributes

Baugh was the last surviving member of the 17-member charter class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[6] Additionally, he was honored by the Redskins with the retirement of his jersey number, No. 33, one of only four numbers officially retired by the team.

Hip hop artist Jay-Z wore Baugh's Mitchell & Ness 1947 Washington jersey in his 2002 video for "Girls, Girls, Girls." This increased demand for the throwback jersey and renewed popular awareness of Baugh.[23]

Additional Honors
  • A street in his hometown of Rotan, Texas[24]
  • 50th Anniversary Team by the NFL (1969)[24]
  • 75th Anniversary Team by the NFL (1994),[13] included in Madden NFL 10
  • 36th greatest athlete of the 20th century by Burt Randolph Sugar (1995)[24]
  • 64th greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN (1999)[24]
  • 43rd greatest athlete of the 20th century by the Associated Press (1999)[24]
  • 3rd greatest NFL player of the 20th century by the Associated Press (1999)[24]
  • 11th greatest NFL player of the 20th century by The Sporting News (1999)[24] (highest-ranking player for the Redskins)
  • Scripps-Howard all-time college football team (1999)[citation needed]
  • 14th greatest NFL player of all-time by NFL Network/NFL Films (2010)[25]
  • 4th greatest college football player by SPORT magazine (1999)[24]
  • 3rd greatest college football player by College Football News (2003)[24]
  • 7th greatest college football player by Brad Rawlins (2006)[citation needed]
  • 5th greatest college football player by ESPN (2007)[citation needed]
  • Named starting quarterback, defensive back and punter of the (2006)
  • Named as the Most Versatile Player of all-time by the NFL Network (2007).[26]
  • Has his number (21) retired at Sweetwater High School, his alma mater.[27]
  • Had a children's home in Jayton, Kent County, Texas named in his honor.[28]
  • TCU's indoor practice facility is named after him.[29]
  • Included as an All-Player Legend on Madden NFL 25[30] and Madden NFL 15[31] as a quarterback.
  • The golf course at Western Texas College (http://sammybaughgolf.com) is named for him.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
Won the NFL championship
NFL Player of the Year
Bold Career high
Year Team Games Passing Punting Defense
GP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Int% Lng Avg Rate Punts Yds Lng Avg Int Yds
1937 WAS 11 5 81 171 47.4 1,127 8 14 8.2 59 6.6 50.5
1938 WAS 9 3 63 128 49.2 853 5 11 8.6 60 6.7 48.1
1939 WAS 9 1 53 96 55.2 518 6 9 9.4 44 5.4 52.3 26 998 69 38.4
1940 WAS 11 11 111 177 62.7 1,367 12 10 5.6 81 7.7 85.6 35 1,799 85 51.4 3 84
1941 WAS 11 1 106 193 54.9 1,236 10 19 9.8 55 6.4 52.2 30 1,462 75 48.7 4 83
1942 WAS 11 8 132 225 58.7 1,524 16 11 4.9 53 6.8 82.5 37 1,785 74 48.2 5 77
1943 WAS 10 7 133 239 55.6 1,754 23 19 7.9 72 7.3 78.0 50 2,295 81 45.9 11 112
1944 WAS 8 4 82 146 56.2 849 4 8 5.5 71 5.8 59.4 44 1,787 76 40.6 4 21
1945 WAS 8 8 128 182 70.3 1,669 11 4 2.2 70 9.2 109.9 33 1,429 57 43.3 4 114
1946 WAS 11 2 87 161 54.0 1,163 8 17 10.6 51 7.2 54.2 33 1,488 60 45.1
1947 WAS 12 1 210 354 59.3 2,938 25 15 4.2 74 8.3 92.0 35 1,528 67 43.7
1948 WAS 12 3 185 315 58.7 2,599 22 23 7.3 86 8.3 78.3
1949 WAS 12 8 145 255 56.9 1,903 18 14 5.5 76 7.5 81.2 1 53 53 53.0
1950 WAS 11 7 90 166 54.2 1,130 10 11 6.6 56 6.8 68.1 9 352 58 39.1
1951 WAS 12 9 67 154 43.5 1,104 7 17 11.0 53 7.2 43.8 4 221 53 55.3
1952 WAS 7 5 20 33 60.6 152 2 1 3.0 20 4.6 79.4 1 48 48 48.0
Career 165 83 1,693 2,995 56.5 21,886 187 203 6.8 86 7.3 72.2 338 15,245 85 45.1 31 491

Source:[2][3]

Head coaching record

College

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Hardin–Simmons Cowboys (Border Conference) (1955–1959)
1955 Hardin–Simmons 5–5 3–2 3rd
1956 Hardin–Simmons 4–6 1–3 5th
1957 Hardin–Simmons 5–5 3–2 T–3rd
1958 Hardin–Simmons 6–5 4–0 1st L Sun
1959 Hardin–Simmons 3–7 2–2 T–3rd
Hardin–Simmons: 23–28 13–9
Total: 23–28
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

AFL

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
NY 1960 7 7 0 .500 2nd in AFL East - - -
NY 1961 7 7 0 .500 3rd in AFL East - - -
HOU 1964 4 10 0 .286 4th in AFL East - - -
NY Total 14 14 0 .500
HOU Total 4 10 0 .286
Total 18 24 0 .429

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Among qualified players

References

  1. ^ "Sammy Baugh". pro-football-reference.com.
  2. ^ a b c d "Sammy Baugh Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "NFL Record Factbook 2015" (PDF). Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  4. ^ "NFL Single-Season Yards per Punt Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Baugh perfected the perfect pass". ESPN. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Holley, Joe. "A Redskin Forever Hailed". Washington Post. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  7. ^ "A Life For Two Tough Texans: Page 1". Sports Illustrated. October 20, 1969. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  8. ^ "Sweetwater Team History". Lone Star Grirdiron. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c "A Life For Two Tough Texans: Page 7". Sports Illustrated. October 20, 1969. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c d "A Life For Two Tough Texans: Page 8". Sports Illustrated. October 20, 1969. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  11. ^ a b c Sammy Baugh at the College Football Hall of Fame
  12. ^ . Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on December 28, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j (PDF). Pro Football Researchers. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 11, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Sammy Baugh's Pro Football HOF profile". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  15. ^ Nash, Bruce, and Allen Zullo (1986). The Football Hall of Shame, 68–69, Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-74551-4.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Michael Wilbon: Baugh Belongs in Quarterback Conversation". The Washington Post. December 19, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  17. ^ "Ryan Stonehouse breaks NFL punt record previously held by Sammy Baugh". Coloradoan. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  18. ^ . Cold, Hard Football Facts. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013.
  19. ^ "Baugh to Greet C.U. Players". The Washington Post. December 14, 1939. p. 26.
  20. ^ . archive.is. December 23, 2008. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  21. ^ "Sammy Baugh's Acting profile". IMDb. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  22. ^ "Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh dies at 94".
  23. ^ Rovell, Darrenn (February 26, 2003). "Old-school is new again". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hurrey, Scott. "Sammy Baugh- The Best Ever?". the-hogs.net. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  25. ^ #14: Sammy Baugh. The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players (Television production, YouTube video). NFL Films. June 10, 2016 [2010]. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  26. ^ . Cold, Hard Football Facts. Archived from the original on April 28, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2007.
  27. ^ "Sammy Baugh Classic". sweetwatertexas.org. Sweetwater Texas Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  28. ^ Taylor, Cindi (August 27, 2015). . The Texas Spur. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  29. ^ "Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility & Cox Field". gofrogs.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  30. ^ Todd, Brett (August 26, 2013). "Madden NFL 25 Review". gamespot.com. CBS Interactive, Inc. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  31. ^ "20 Hall of Famers You Didn't Know Where in Madden". easports.com. Electronic Arts, Inc. November 24, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2016.

External links

sammy, baugh, samuel, adrian, baugh, march, 1914, december, 2008, american, professional, football, player, coach, during, college, professional, careers, most, notably, played, quarterback, also, played, safety, punter, played, college, football, horned, frog. Samuel Adrian Baugh March 17 1914 December 17 2008 was an American professional football player and coach During his college and professional careers he most notably played quarterback but also played as a safety and punter He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University where he was a twice All American He then played in the National Football League NFL for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952 After his playing career he served as a college coach for Hardin Simmons University before coaching professionally for the New York Titans and the Houston Oilers Sammy BaughBaugh in 1938No 33Position QuarterbackPunterSafetyPersonal informationBorn 1914 03 17 March 17 1914Temple Texas U S Died December 17 2008 2008 12 17 aged 94 Rotan Texas U S Height 6 ft 2 in 1 88 m Weight 182 lb 83 kg Career informationHigh school Sweetwater Sweetwater Texas College TCU 1934 1936 NFL Draft 1937 Round 1 Pick 6Career historyAs a player Washington Redskins 1937 1952 As a coach Hardin Simmons 1955 1959 New York Titans 1960 1961 Houston Oilers 1964 Career highlights and awards2 NFL champion 1937 1942 4 First team All Pro 1937 1940 1942 1943 4 Second team All Pro 1938 1941 1947 1948 6 Pro Bowl 1938 1942 1951 4 NFL passing yards leader 1937 1940 1947 1948 2 NFL passing touchdowns leader 1940 1947 3 NFL passer rating leader 1940 1945 1947 8 NFL completion percentage leader 1940 1942 1943 1945 1949 5 NFL punting average leader 1940 1945 1 NFL punting yards leader 1943 NFL interceptions made leader 1943 NFL 1940s All Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team 80 Greatest Redskins Washington Commanders Ring of Fame Washington Commanders No 33 retired Consensus All American 1936 Second team All American 1935 TCU Horned Frogs No 45 retired a Career NFL statisticsTD INT 187 203Passing yards 21 886Passer rating 72 2Punts 338Punting average 45 1Interceptions 31Player stats at NFL com PFRPro Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameBaugh led the Washington Redskins to winning the NFL Championship in 1937 and 1942 and was named NFL Player of the Year by the Washington D C Touchdown Club in 1947 and 1948 for his play In both of his Player of the Year seasons he led the league in completions attempts completion percentage and yards In 1947 he also led the league in passing touchdowns interception percentage and passer rating 2 Primarily known for his passing prowess Baugh led the league in completion percentage a record eight times passing yards four times and three times in passer rating 3 among other statistics 2 However he was also known for his versatility having the ability to play at a high level as a punter as well as a defensive back Throughout his career he led the league in yards per punt five times as well as yardage in 1943 a year in which he also led the league in defensive interceptions with 11 2 His average of 51 4 yards per punt during the 1940 season stood as the single season record for 82 seasons until Tennessee Titans rookie Ryan Stonehouse broke it with a 53 1 average in the 2022 season 4 Baugh was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 17 member charter class of 1963 and was also selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary All Time Team in 1994 and the NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team in 2019 Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 2 1 College football 2 2 College and minor league baseball 3 Professional career 3 1 Records 3 2 Coaching career 3 3 Acting 4 Personal and later life 4 1 Death 5 Honors and tributes 6 NFL career statistics 7 Head coaching record 7 1 College 7 2 AFL 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksEarly life EditSamuel Adrian Baugh was born on a farm near Temple Texas 5 the second son of James a worker on the Santa Fe Railroad 6 and Lucy Baugh His parents later divorced and his mother raised the three children 6 When he was 16 the family then moved to Sweetwater Texas 5 and he attended Sweetwater High School 7 As the quarterback 8 of his high school football team Sweetwater Mustangs he would practice for hours throwing a football through a swinging automobile tire often on the run 5 Baugh would practice punting more than throwing 9 Baugh however really wanted to become a professional baseball player and almost received a scholarship to play at Washington State University 9 About a month before he started at Washington State however Baugh hurt his knee while sliding into second base during a game and the scholarship fell through 9 College career EditCollege football Edit After coach Dutch Meyer told him he could play three sports football baseball and basketball 10 Baugh attended Texas Christian University While at Texas Christian he threw 587 passes in his three varsity seasons for 39 touchdowns 11 Baugh was named an All American in 1935 and 1936 11 He also led TCU to two bowl game wins a 3 2 victory over LSU in the 1936 Sugar Bowl and a 16 6 victory over Marquette in the first annual Cotton Bowl Classic in 1937 11 after which he was named MVP 5 He finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1936 12 In the spring of his senior year Redskins owner George Preston Marshall offered Baugh 4 000 to play with the franchise 10 Originally unsure about playing professional football coach Meyer offered him a job as the freshman coach and he still thought about playing professional baseball he did not agree to the contract until after the College All Star Game where the team beat the Green Bay Packers 6 0 6 10 Year Comp Att Comp Passing TD1934 69 171 40 4 883 101935 97 210 46 2 1241 181936 104 206 50 5 1196 12College and minor league baseball Edit Baugh was also a baseball player at Texas Christian where he played third base 5 13 It was during his time as a baseball player that he earned the nickname Slingin Sammy 13 which he got from a Texas sportswriter 5 After college Sammy signed a contract with the St Louis Cardinals and was sent to the minor leagues to play with the American Association Columbus Red Birds in Columbus Ohio after being converted to shortstop He was then sent to the International League s Rochester New York Red Wings St Louis s other top farm club 5 While there he received little playing time behind starting shortstop Marty Marion 5 and was unhappy with his prospects He then turned to professional football 13 Professional career Edit Baugh in September 1937 shortly after being drafted by the Washington Redskins As expected Baugh was drafted in the first round sixth overall of the 1937 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins the same year the team moved from Boston 14 He signed a one year contract with the Redskins and received 8 000 making him the highest paid player on the team 5 During his rookie season in 1937 Baugh played quarterback although in Washington s formation he was officially lined up as a tailback or halfback until 1944 defensive back and punter set an NFL record for completions with 91 in 218 attempts and threw for a league high 1 127 yards 13 He led the Redskins to the NFL Championship game against the Chicago Bears where he finished 17 of 33 for 335 yards and his second half touchdown passes of 55 78 and 33 yards gave Washington a 28 21 victory 5 His 335 passing yards remained the most ever in a playoff game by any rookie quarterback in NFL history until Russell Wilson broke the record in 2012 The Redskins and Bears would meet three times in championship games between 1940 and 1943 In the 1940 Championship game the Bears recorded the most one sided victory in NFL history beating Washington 73 0 5 After the game Baugh was asked what would have happened if the Redskins first drive had resulted in a touchdown He shrugged and replied What The score would have been 73 7 Baugh s heyday would come during World War II In 1942 Baugh and the Redskins won the East Conference with a 10 1 record During the same season the Bears went 11 0 and outscored their opponents 376 84 5 In the 1942 Championship game Baugh threw a touchdown pass and kept the Bears in their own territory with some strong punts including an 85 yard quick kick and Washington won 14 6 5 I didn t know how much pro players were making but I thought they weremaking pretty good money So I asked Mr Marshall for 8 000 and I finallygot it Later I felt like a robber when I found out what Cliff Battles and someof those other good players were making I ll tell you what the highest pricedboy in Washington was getting the year before not half as much as 8 000 Three of them Cliff Battles Turk Edwards and Wayne Millner got peanuts and all of em in the Hall of Fame now If I had known what they were gettingI d have never asked for 8 000 Baugh on his 8 000 salary 10 Baugh had what many consider to be the greatest single season performance by a pro football player during 1943 in which he led the league in pass completions punting 45 9 yard average and interceptions 11 5 14 One of Baugh s more memorable single game performances during the season was when he threw four touchdown passes and intercepted four passes in a 42 20 victory over Detroit 5 He was selected as an All Pro tailback that year The Redskins again made it to the championship game but lost to the Bears 41 21 During the game Baugh suffered a concussion while tackling Bears quarterback Sid Luckman and had to leave 5 During the 1945 season Baugh completed 128 of 182 passes for a 70 33 completion percentage which was an NFL record then and remains the fourth best today to Ken Anderson 70 55 in 1982 and Drew Brees 70 62 in 2009 71 23 in 2011 5 He threw 11 touchdown passes and only four interceptions The Redskins again won the East Conference but lost 15 14 in the 1945 Championship game against the Cleveland Rams The one point margin of victory came under scrutiny because of a safety that occurred early in the game In the first quarter the Redskins had the ball at their own 5 yard line Dropping back into the end zone Baugh threw to an open receiver but the ball hit the goal post which at the time was on the goal line instead of at the back of the end zone and bounced back to the ground in the end zone Under the rules at the time this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2 0 lead It was that safety that proved to be the margin of victory Owner Marshall was so angry at the outcome that he became a major force in passing the following major rule change after the season A forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete This later became known as the Baugh Marshall Rule 15 The best as far as I m concerned He could not only throw the ball hecould play defense he could punt the football he ran it when he had to He and I roomed together and he was a football man He knew football played it and everybody had a lot of confidence in him Bill Dudley on Sammy Baugh 13 One of Baugh s more memorable single performances came on Sammy Baugh Day on November 23 1947 That day the Washington D C Touchdown Club honored him at Griffith Stadium and gave him a station wagon 5 Against the Chicago Cardinals he passed for 355 yards and six touchdowns 5 14 That season the Redskins finished 4 8 but Baugh had career highs in completions 210 attempts 354 yards 2 938 and touchdown passes 25 leading the league in all four categories 5 Baugh played for five more years leading the league in completion percentage for the sixth and seventh times in 1948 and 1949 He then retired after the 1952 season 5 In his final game a 27 21 win over Philadelphia at Griffith Stadium he played for several minutes before retiring to a prolonged standing ovation from the crowd 6 Baugh won numerous NFL passing titles and earned first team All NFL honors four times in his career He completed 1 693 of 2 995 passes for 21 886 yards 5 14 Records Edit By the time he retired Baugh set 13 NFL records in three player positions quarterback punter and defensive back He is considered one of the all time great football players 16 He gave birth to the fanaticism of Redskins fans As Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post says He brought not just victories but thrills and ignited Washington with a passion even the worst Redskins periods can barely diminish 16 He was the first to play the position of quarterback as it is played today the first to make of the forward pass an effective weapon rather than an act of desperation 16 Two of his records as quarterback still stand most seasons leading the league in passing six tied with Steve Young and most seasons leading the league with the lowest interception percentage five 13 He is also fourth in highest single season completion percentage 70 33 most seasons leading the league in yards gained four and most seasons leading the league in completion percentage seven 13 As a punter Baugh retired with the NFL record for highest punting average in a career 45 1 yards and is still second all time only Shane Lechler has passed him with 46 5 yards and has the second best 51 4 in 1940 and fifth best 48 7 in 1941 season marks 5 13 He led the league in punting from 1940 through 1943 14 His single season record of 51 4 average yards per punt during the 1940 season was held for 82 seasons until Tennessee Titans rookie punter Ryan Stonehouse broke it with a 53 1 average in the 2022 season 17 As a defensive back he was the first player in league history to intercept four passes in a game and is the only player to lead the league in passing punting and interceptions in the same season 5 13 As one of the best known of the early NFL quarterbacks Baugh is likely to be compared to more recent great players As noted by Michael Wilbon in The Washington Post the football of Baugh s era was rounder at the ends and fatter in the middle than the one used today making it far more difficult to pass well or even to create a proper spiral 16 Additionally it is important to point out that pass interference rules have intensified dramatically inflating modern quarterbacks statistics 18 Coaching career Edit While playing for the Redskins Baugh and teammate Wayne Millner were assistant coaches with The Catholic University of America s Cardinals and went with them to the 1940 Sun Bowl 19 Baugh left Washington D C in 1952 He chose not to return for Redskins team functions despite repeated organization invitations 6 After his playing career he became head coach at Hardin Simmons University where he compiled a 23 28 record between 1955 and 1959 5 6 Baugh was the first coach of the New York Titans which eventually became the New York Jets of the American Football League in 1960 and 1961 compiling a record of 14 14 He was an assistant at the University of Tulsa in 1963 under head coach Glenn Dobbs At Tulsa he coached All American quarterback Jerry Rhome 20 In 1964 Baugh coached the AFL s Houston Oilers and went 4 10 5 6 Acting Edit Baugh also took up acting In 1941 he made 6 400 for starring in a 12 week serial as a dark haired Texas Ranger named Tom King The serial called King of the Texas Rangers was released by Republic Studios The episodes ran in theaters as Saturday matinees it also starred Duncan Renaldo later famous as TV s Cisco Kid 6 21 Robert Duvall patterned the role of Gus McCrae in the television series Lonesome Dove after Baugh particularly his arm movements after visiting him at his home in Texas in 1988 16 Personal and later life EditAfter retiring from football Baugh and his wife Edmonia Smith moved to his Double Mountain ranch west of Aspermont Texas where they had four boys and a girl 6 Edmonia died in 1990 after 52 years of marriage to Baugh who was her high school sweetheart 6 According to his son Baugh derived far more pleasure from ranching than he ever had from football saying that he enjoyed the game but if he could live his life over again he probably wouldn t play sports at all Similar to the nicknaming of fellow football great Byron Whizzer White of Colorado he said sports writers had tagged him with Slingin Sammy whereas Sam was his preferred name He always introduced himself as Sam Baugh and signed his papers and autographs that way TCU named its football practice center the Sam Baugh Football Center with that perspective in mind Baugh s health began to decline after the death of his wife During his last years he lived in a nursing home in a little West Texas town called Jayton not far from Double Mountain Ranch The ranch is now in the hands of Baugh s son David and is still a cow calf operation on 20 000 acres 81 km2 6 Death Edit The Associated Press quoted Baugh s son on December 17 2008 saying Baugh had died after numerous health issues including Alzheimer s disease at Fisher County Hospital in Rotan Texas 22 He is interred at Belvieu Cemetery in Rotan Honors and tributes EditBaugh was the last surviving member of the 17 member charter class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame 6 Additionally he was honored by the Redskins with the retirement of his jersey number No 33 one of only four numbers officially retired by the team Hip hop artist Jay Z wore Baugh s Mitchell amp Ness 1947 Washington jersey in his 2002 video for Girls Girls Girls This increased demand for the throwback jersey and renewed popular awareness of Baugh 23 Additional HonorsA street in his hometown of Rotan Texas 24 50th Anniversary Team by the NFL 1969 24 75th Anniversary Team by the NFL 1994 13 included in Madden NFL 10 36th greatest athlete of the 20th century by Burt Randolph Sugar 1995 24 64th greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN 1999 24 43rd greatest athlete of the 20th century by the Associated Press 1999 24 3rd greatest NFL player of the 20th century by the Associated Press 1999 24 11th greatest NFL player of the 20th century by The Sporting News 1999 24 highest ranking player for the Redskins Scripps Howard all time college football team 1999 citation needed 14th greatest NFL player of all time by NFL Network NFL Films 2010 25 4th greatest college football player by SPORT magazine 1999 24 3rd greatest college football player by College Football News 2003 24 7th greatest college football player by Brad Rawlins 2006 citation needed 5th greatest college football player by ESPN 2007 citation needed Named starting quarterback defensive back and punter of the Cold Hard Football Facts com All Time 11 2006 Named as the Most Versatile Player of all time by the NFL Network 2007 26 Has his number 21 retired at Sweetwater High School his alma mater 27 Had a children s home in Jayton Kent County Texas named in his honor 28 TCU s indoor practice facility is named after him 29 Included as an All Player Legend on Madden NFL 25 30 and Madden NFL 15 31 as a quarterback The golf course at Western Texas College http sammybaughgolf com is named for him NFL career statistics EditLegendLed the leagueWon the NFL championshipNFL Player of the YearBold Career highYear Team Games Passing Punting DefenseGP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Int Lng Avg Rate Punts Yds Lng Avg Int Yds1937 WAS 11 5 81 171 47 4 1 127 8 14 8 2 59 6 6 50 5 1938 WAS 9 3 63 128 49 2 853 5 11 8 6 60 6 7 48 1 1939 WAS 9 1 53 96 55 2 518 6 9 9 4 44 5 4 52 3 26 998 69 38 4 1940 WAS 11 11 111 177 62 7 1 367 12 10 5 6 81 7 7 85 6 35 1 799 85 51 4 3 841941 WAS 11 1 106 193 54 9 1 236 10 19 9 8 55 6 4 52 2 30 1 462 75 48 7 4 831942 WAS 11 8 132 225 58 7 1 524 16 11 4 9 53 6 8 82 5 37 1 785 74 48 2 5 771943 WAS 10 7 133 239 55 6 1 754 23 19 7 9 72 7 3 78 0 50 2 295 81 45 9 11 1121944 WAS 8 4 82 146 56 2 849 4 8 5 5 71 5 8 59 4 44 1 787 76 40 6 4 211945 WAS 8 8 128 182 70 3 1 669 11 4 2 2 70 9 2 109 9 33 1 429 57 43 3 4 1141946 WAS 11 2 87 161 54 0 1 163 8 17 10 6 51 7 2 54 2 33 1 488 60 45 1 1947 WAS 12 1 210 354 59 3 2 938 25 15 4 2 74 8 3 92 0 35 1 528 67 43 7 1948 WAS 12 3 185 315 58 7 2 599 22 23 7 3 86 8 3 78 3 1949 WAS 12 8 145 255 56 9 1 903 18 14 5 5 76 7 5 81 2 1 53 53 53 0 1950 WAS 11 7 90 166 54 2 1 130 10 11 6 6 56 6 8 68 1 9 352 58 39 1 1951 WAS 12 9 67 154 43 5 1 104 7 17 11 0 53 7 2 43 8 4 221 53 55 3 1952 WAS 7 5 20 33 60 6 152 2 1 3 0 20 4 6 79 4 1 48 48 48 0 Career 165 83 1 693 2 995 56 5 21 886 187 203 6 8 86 7 3 72 2 338 15 245 85 45 1 31 491Source 2 3 Head coaching record EditCollege Edit Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl playoffsHardin Simmons Cowboys Border Conference 1955 1959 1955 Hardin Simmons 5 5 3 2 3rd1956 Hardin Simmons 4 6 1 3 5th1957 Hardin Simmons 5 5 3 2 T 3rd1958 Hardin Simmons 6 5 4 0 1st L Sun1959 Hardin Simmons 3 7 2 2 T 3rdHardin Simmons 23 28 13 9Total 23 28 National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berthAFL Edit Team Year Regular Season Post SeasonWon Lost Ties Win Finish Won Lost Win ResultNY 1960 7 7 0 500 2nd in AFL East NY 1961 7 7 0 500 3rd in AFL East HOU 1964 4 10 0 286 4th in AFL East NY Total 14 14 0 500HOU Total 4 10 0 286Total 18 24 0 429See also EditList of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leadersNotes Edit Among qualified playersReferences Edit Sammy Baugh pro football reference com a b c d Sammy Baugh Stats Pro Football Reference com Retrieved November 27 2016 a b NFL Record Factbook 2015 PDF Retrieved November 27 2016 NFL Single Season Yards per Punt Leaders Pro Football Reference com Retrieved January 7 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Baugh perfected the perfect pass ESPN Retrieved July 8 2008 a b c d e f g h i j k l Holley Joe A Redskin Forever Hailed Washington Post Retrieved July 10 2008 A Life For Two Tough Texans Page 1 Sports Illustrated October 20 1969 Retrieved July 8 2008 Sweetwater Team History Lone Star Grirdiron Retrieved June 26 2015 a b c A Life For Two Tough Texans Page 7 Sports Illustrated October 20 1969 Archived from the original on January 2 2013 Retrieved July 8 2008 a b c d A Life For Two Tough Texans Page 8 Sports Illustrated October 20 1969 Archived from the original on January 2 2013 Retrieved July 9 2008 a b c Sammy Baugh at the College Football Hall of Fame Cotton Bowl Classic match makers Dallas Morning News Archived from the original on December 28 2007 Retrieved July 9 2008 a b c d e f g h i j THE COFFIN CORNER Vol 24 No 3 2002 Sammy Baugh PDF Pro Football Researchers Archived from the original PDF on October 11 2010 Retrieved July 9 2008 a b c d e Sammy Baugh s Pro Football HOF profile Pro Football Hall of Fame Retrieved July 9 2008 Nash Bruce and Allen Zullo 1986 The Football Hall of Shame 68 69 Pocket Books ISBN 0 671 74551 4 a b c d e Michael Wilbon Baugh Belongs in Quarterback Conversation The Washington Post December 19 2008 Retrieved April 1 2017 Ryan Stonehouse breaks NFL punt record previously held by Sammy Baugh Coloradoan Retrieved January 7 2023 A brief fact filled history of the NFL passing game Cold Hard Football Facts Archived from the original on March 15 2013 Baugh to Greet C U Players The Washington Post December 14 1939 p 26 Tulsa World Sammy Baugh dies archive is December 23 2008 Archived from the original on December 23 2008 Retrieved December 18 2008 Sammy Baugh s Acting profile IMDb Retrieved July 9 2008 Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh dies at 94 Rovell Darrenn February 26 2003 Old school is new again ESPN com Retrieved July 19 2012 a b c d e f g h i Hurrey Scott Sammy Baugh The Best Ever the hogs net Retrieved December 29 2016 14 Sammy Baugh The Top 100 NFL s Greatest Players Television production YouTube video NFL Films June 10 2016 2010 Archived from the original on December 21 2021 Retrieved December 29 2016 Cold Hard Football Facts com The Truth Hurts Cold Hard Football Facts Archived from the original on April 28 2007 Retrieved February 15 2007 Sammy Baugh Classic sweetwatertexas org Sweetwater Texas Chamber of Commerce Retrieved December 29 2016 Taylor Cindi August 27 2015 Sammy Baugh Children s Home Closing The Texas Spur Archived from the original on December 30 2016 Retrieved December 29 2016 Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility amp Cox Field gofrogs com CBS Interactive Retrieved December 29 2016 Todd Brett August 26 2013 Madden NFL 25 Review gamespot com CBS Interactive Inc Retrieved December 29 2016 20 Hall of Famers You Didn t Know Where in Madden easports com Electronic Arts Inc November 24 2014 Retrieved December 29 2016 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sammy Baugh Sammy Baugh at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Sammy Baugh at the College Football Hall of Fame Career statistics and player information from NFL com Pro Football Reference Sammy Baugh at IMDb Sammy Baugh at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sammy Baugh amp oldid 1133307166, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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