Elbert Bloodgood
Encyclopedia
Elbert "Al" Lorraine Bloodgood (born September 5, 1901, date of death unknown) was a professional American football
player in the National Football League
(NFL). He played at the University of Nebraska. He graduated from Nebraska in 1924. He played five seasons in the NFL including the 1930 Green Bay Packers
title team.
and attended Beatrice High School where became a Nebraska high school track state champion for the 100-yard dash in 1920, and the 440-yard dash and 880-yard relay in 1921. He graduated from high school in 1921.
and then at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned varsity letters as a quarterback
in 1923 and 1924. At Nebraska, he played during the tenure of head football coach Fred Dawson
and alongside Ed Weir
and Verne Lewellen
.
Bloodgood was a Cornhusker on the 1923 team that defeated Notre Dame University and head coach Knute Rockne's
legendary "Four Horsemen
" for the second straight year. He was starting quarterback in the following year's 1924 game where the Cornhuskers lost 34-6 to the Fighting Irish.
in 1925-1926. He was listed as a back with jersey number 23. On December 12, 1926 against the Duluth Eskimos he tied an NFL record (with Paddy Driscoll
) of 4 drop-kicked field goals in a single game.
as the team essentially relocated as the Cleveland Bulldogs
for its 1927 and final season. He is listed as a tailback and wore jersey number 1. It was with the Bulldogs that where Bloodgood has his best year when he ran back a fumble for a touchdown, and was tied for sixth in league touchdowns and fifth in field goals.
and was listed as blocking back.
. At age 29 and in his final season, he played three games on the 1930 Green Bay Packers
championship team, where he is listed as a back and special teams starter
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). He played at the University of Nebraska. He graduated from Nebraska in 1924. He played five seasons in the NFL including the 1930 Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
title team.
Early life
Elbert Bloodgood was born in Beatrice, NebraskaBeatrice, Nebraska
Beatrice is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska.Beatrice is located south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River. It is surrounded by agricultural country. The population was 12,459 at the 2010 census.-History:...
and attended Beatrice High School where became a Nebraska high school track state champion for the 100-yard dash in 1920, and the 440-yard dash and 880-yard relay in 1921. He graduated from high school in 1921.
College football career
Bloodgood attended DePauw UniversityDePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
and then at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned varsity letters as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in 1923 and 1924. At Nebraska, he played during the tenure of head football coach Fred Dawson
Fred Dawson
-References:...
and alongside Ed Weir
Ed Weir
Samuel Edwin Weir was an American collegiate and professional football player.He was the first Nebraska Cornhusker football player elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and is known as one of Nebraska's greatest athletes...
and Verne Lewellen
Verne Lewellen
Verne Lewellen was an American football player. He played most of his nine year career with the Green Bay Packers and was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1970. He also was the Packers' General Manager from 1954 through 1957. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of...
.
Bloodgood was a Cornhusker on the 1923 team that defeated Notre Dame University and head coach Knute Rockne's
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
legendary "Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (football)
The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team...
" for the second straight year. He was starting quarterback in the following year's 1924 game where the Cornhuskers lost 34-6 to the Fighting Irish.
Professional football career
Bloodgood played 34 games during five seasons in the NFL between 1925 and 1930. He did not play in 1929.Kansas City Cowboys
Bloodgood made his professional debut in the NFL playing two years with the Kansas City CowboysKansas City (NFL)
Kansas City, Missouri had a National Football League team prior to the Chiefs that operated under two different names: The Blues in 1924 and the Cowboys from 1925-1926. The Blues competed as a traveling team, playing all of their NFL games in other cities' stadia in their only year under that name...
in 1925-1926. He was listed as a back with jersey number 23. On December 12, 1926 against the Duluth Eskimos he tied an NFL record (with Paddy Driscoll
Paddy Driscoll
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll was a professional American football quarterback. Driscoll was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and is a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team...
) of 4 drop-kicked field goals in a single game.
Cleveland Bulldogs
When the Kansas City Cowboys franchise folded at the end of 1926, he followed his player-coach LeRoy AndrewsLeRoy Andrews
LeRoy B. Andrew, or commonly Roy Andrew, was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Pittsburg State University. In 1923, he played for the St. Louis All Stars. From 1924 to 1927, he was a player-coach for the Kansas City Blues/Cowboys and the Cleveland Bulldogs...
as the team essentially relocated as the Cleveland Bulldogs
Cleveland Bulldogs
The Cleveland Bulldogs was a team that played in Cleveland, Ohio in the National Football League. They were originally called the Indians in 1923, not to be confused with the Cleveland Indians NFL franchise in 1922...
for its 1927 and final season. He is listed as a tailback and wore jersey number 1. It was with the Bulldogs that where Bloodgood has his best year when he ran back a fumble for a touchdown, and was tied for sixth in league touchdowns and fifth in field goals.
New York Giants
In 1928 Bloodgood played for the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was listed as blocking back.
Green Bay Packers
After not playing during 1929, Bloodgood to the NFL and played pre-season football with the Green Bay Packers, playing once again with former Cornhusker teammate Verne LewellenVerne Lewellen
Verne Lewellen was an American football player. He played most of his nine year career with the Green Bay Packers and was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1970. He also was the Packers' General Manager from 1954 through 1957. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of...
. At age 29 and in his final season, he played three games on the 1930 Green Bay Packers
1930 Green Bay Packers season
The 1930 Green Bay Packers season was their 10th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 10-3-1 record under coach Curly Lambeau earning them a first-place finish and the Packers' second consecutive National Football League Championship....
championship team, where he is listed as a back and special teams starter