Sammy Baugh
Encyclopedia
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American football
player and coach. He played college football
for the Horned Frogs
at Texas Christian University
, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League
for the Washington Redskins
from 1937
to 1952
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in the 17-member charter class of 1963.
, the second son of James, a worker on the Santa Fe Railroad, and Lucy Baugh. His parents later divorced and his mother raised the three children. When he was 16, the family then moved to Sweetwater, Texas
, and he attended Sweetwater High School
. As the quarterback
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. But apparently, Baugh would practice punting
more than throwing.
Baugh, however, really wanted to become a professional
baseball
player and almost received a scholarship
to play at Washington State University
. 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.
told him he could play three sports (football
, baseball
, and basketball
), Baugh attended Texas Christian University
. While at Texas Christian, he threw 587 passes in his three varsity seasons for 39 touchdowns. Baugh was named an All-America
in 1935
and 1936
. He also led TCU
to two bowl game
wins, a 3–2 victory over Louisiana State
in the 1936 Sugar Bowl
, and a 16-6 victory over Marquette
in the first annual Cotton Bowl Classic in 1937 after which he was named MVP. He finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy
in 1936.
In the spring of his senior year, Redskins
owner George Preston Marshall
offered Baugh $4,000 to play with the franchise. 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.
. It was during his time as a baseball player that he earned the nickname "Slingin' Sammy", which he got from a Texas
sportswriter. After college, Sammy signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals
and was sent to the minor leagues
to play with the Columbus Red Birds
in Columbus, Ohio
after being converted to shortstop
. He was then sent to an even lower league in Rochester, New York
. While there he received little playing time behind starting shortstop Marty Marion
and was unhappy with his prospects, so he then turned to professional football.
in the first round (sixth overall) of the 1937 NFL Draft
by the Washington Redskins
, the same year the team moved from Boston
. He signed a one-year contract with the Redskins and received $8,000, making him the highest paid player on the team. He is credited for making the forward pass
an integral part of the offensive play in the NFL.
During his rookie season in 1937
, Baugh played quarterback
, defensive back
, and punter, set an NFL record for completions with 91 in 218 attempts and threw for a league-high 1,127 yards. 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. His 335 passing yards are the most in a playoff game by any rookie QB in NFL history. 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. After the game, Baugh was asked what would have happened if the Redskins' last scoring drive had resulted in a touchdown. He shrugged and replied "What. The score would have been 73-7."
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. 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.
Baugh was even more successful in 1943
and led the league in passing, punting
(45.9-yard average) and interceptions (11). One of Baugh's more memorable single performances during the season was when he threw four touchdown passes and intercepted four passes in a 42–20 victory over Detroit
. 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.
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 third best today (to Ken Anderson, 70.55 in 1982
, and Drew Brees
, 70.62 in 2009
). 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 mad 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".
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
. Against the Chicago Cardinals
he passed for 355 yards and six touchdowns. 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.
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
. 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. Baugh won a record-setting six NFL passing titles and earned first-team All-NFL honors seven times in his career. He completed 1,693 of 2,995 passes for 21,886 yards.
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." 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". He was the last surviving member of the inaugural class inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1963, including Bronko Nagurski
, Red Grange
, Jim Thorpe
, Curly Lambeau
, Don Hutson
, George Halas
, Ernie Nevers, and Mel Hein
.
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). He is also third 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).
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 (Shane Lechler
46.5 yards), and has the best (51.4 in 1940) and fourth best (48.7 in 1941) season marks. 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. Baugh also led the league in punting from 1940
through 1943
.
When comparing Baugh's athletic achievements with modern football greats, consider the actual football he threw then 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).
where he compiled a 23–28 record between 1955 and 1959. Baugh was the first coach of the New York Titans
of the American Football League
in 1960
and 1961
. He was an assistant at the University of Tulsa
in 1963 under head coach Glenn Dobbs
. At Tulsa, he coached All-America
n quarterback Jerry Rhome
. In 1964
, Baugh coached the AFL's Houston Oilers
and went 4–10.
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.
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.
, 80 miles (128.7 km) northwest of Abilene. After retiring from football altogether, Baugh and Edmonia Smith, his wife, moved to the ranch and had four boys and a girl. Edmonia died in 1990, after 52 years of marriage to Baugh, who was her high school sweetheart. 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.
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 not far from Double Mountain
Ranch. The Double Mountain Ranch is now in the hands of Baugh's son David and is still a cow-calf operation, on 20000 acres (80.9 km²).
.
. Additionally he was honored by the Redskins with the retirement of his jersey number, #33, the only number the team has officially retired.
Hip-Hop artist Jay-Z
wore Baugh's Mitchell & Ness
1947 Washington jersey in his 2002 video for the single "Girls, Girls, Girls
". This increased demand for the throwback jersey and renewed popular awareness of Baugh.
Additional Honors:
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 and coach. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Horned Frogs
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played 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...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
from 1937
1937 NFL season
The 1937 NFL season was the 18th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Rams joined the league as an expansion team. Meanwhile, the Redskins relocated from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C....
to 1952
1952 NFL season
The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL...
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in the 17-member charter class of 1963.
Early life
Baugh was born on a farm near Temple, TexasTemple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
, the second son of James, a worker on the Santa Fe Railroad, and Lucy Baugh. His parents later divorced and his mother raised the three children. When he was 16, the family then moved to Sweetwater, Texas
Sweetwater, Texas
Sweetwater is the county seat of Nolan County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,415 at the 2000 census.-History:Sweetwater received a U.S. post office in 1879. The Texas and Pacific Railway started service in 1881, with the first train arriving on March 12 of that year, beginning...
, and he attended Sweetwater High School
Sweetwater Independent School District
Sweetwater Independent School District is a public school district based in Sweetwater, Texas .Located in Nolan County, the district extends into a portion of Fisher County....
. As the 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...
of his high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team (Sweetwater Mustangs), he would practice for hours throwing a football through a swinging automobile tire, often on the run. But apparently, Baugh would practice punting
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
more than throwing.
Baugh, however, really wanted to become a professional
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player and almost received a scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to play at Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
. 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.
Football
After coach Dutch MeyerDutch Meyer
Leo R. "Dutch" Meyer was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Texas Christian University from 1934 to 1952, compiling a record of 109–79–13. His TCU Horned Frogs football teams of 1935 and 1938 have been recognized...
told him he could play three sports (football
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...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
), Baugh attended Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
. While at Texas Christian, he threw 587 passes in his three varsity seasons for 39 touchdowns. Baugh was named an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
in 1935
1935 college football season
The 1935 college football season was the last one before the Associated Press writers' poll was used in selecting the national champion. The Dickinson System, consisting of the calculations of University of Illinois Professor Frank Dickinson, crowned Southern Methodist University as the best in...
and 1936
1935 college football season
The 1935 college football season was the last one before the Associated Press writers' poll was used in selecting the national champion. The Dickinson System, consisting of the calculations of University of Illinois Professor Frank Dickinson, crowned Southern Methodist University as the best in...
. He also led TCU
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
to two bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
wins, a 3–2 victory over Louisiana State
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
in the 1936 Sugar Bowl
1936 Sugar Bowl
The 1936 Sugar Bowl, part of the 1935 bowl game season, took place on January 1, 1936, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The competing teams were the , representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Southwest Conference...
, and a 16-6 victory over Marquette
Marquette Golden Eagles
The Marquette Golden Eagles are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Marquette University....
in the first annual Cotton Bowl Classic in 1937 after which he was named MVP. He finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
in 1936.
In the spring of his senior year, Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
owner George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall was the owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League from 1932 until his death in 1969.-Contributions:...
offered Baugh $4,000 to play with the franchise. 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
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
, where the team beat the 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...
6–0.
Statistics
| 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 |
Baseball
Baugh was also a baseball player at Texas Christian, where he played third baseThird Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
. It was during his time as a baseball player that he earned the nickname "Slingin' Sammy", which he got from a Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
sportswriter. After college, Sammy signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and was sent to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
to play with the Columbus Red Birds
Columbus Red Birds
The Columbus Red Birds was the name of a top-level minor league baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio, in the American Association from 1931 through 1954. The Columbus club, a member of the Association continuously since 1902, was previously known as the Columbus Senators — a typical...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
after being converted to shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
. He was then sent to an even lower league in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. While there he received little playing time behind starting shortstop Marty Marion
Marty Marion
Martin Whiteford Marion was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball from to . Marion played with the St. Louis Cardinals for the majority of his career before ending with the St. Louis Browns as a player-manager...
and was unhappy with his prospects, so he then turned to professional football.
Professional career
As expected, Baugh was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the first round (sixth overall) of the 1937 NFL Draft
1937 NFL Draft
The 1937 National Football League Draft was the second draft held by the NFL. The draft took place December 12, 1936, consisting of 10 rounds, with 100 player selections two of which would later become members of the Professional Football Hall of Fame...
by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, the same year the team moved from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He signed a one-year contract with the Redskins and received $8,000, making him the highest paid player on the team. He is credited for making the forward pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
an integral part of the offensive play in the NFL.
During his rookie season in 1937
1937 NFL season
The 1937 NFL season was the 18th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Rams joined the league as an expansion team. Meanwhile, the Redskins relocated from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C....
, Baugh played 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...
, defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, and punter, set an NFL record for completions with 91 in 218 attempts and threw for a league-high 1,127 yards. He led the Redskins to the NFL Championship game
NFL Championship Game, 1937
The 1937 National Football League Championship game was the fifth annual championship game and was held December 12, 1937, at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The attendance was 15,870...
against the Chicago Bears
1937 Chicago Bears season
The 1937 Chicago Bears season was their 18th regular season completed in the National Football League. The Bears started the season fast, winning their first five games, three of them on the road. After a tie to the Giants and a loss to the Packers, the Bears finished the season strong, winning...
, 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. His 335 passing yards are the most in a playoff game by any rookie QB in NFL history. The Redskins and Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
would meet three times in championship games between 1940
1940 NFL season
The 1940 NFL season was the 21st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game, 73–0. This game still stands as the most one-sided victory in NFL history...
and 1943
1943 NFL season
The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II, three teams were affected by the depleted rosters. The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season. The Philadelphia Eagles and the...
. In the 1940 Championship game, the Bears recorded the most one-sided victory in NFL history, beating Washington 73–0. After the game, Baugh was asked what would have happened if the Redskins' last scoring drive had resulted in a touchdown. He shrugged and replied "What. The score would have been 73-7."
In 1942
1942 NFL season
The 1942 NFL season was the 23rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, many players left for service in World War II, thus depleting the rosters of all the teams....
, Baugh and the Redskins
1942 Washington Redskins season
The 1942 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 6-5 record from 1941. They would end the season by winning the NFL Championship against the Chicago Bears, 14-6.-Schedule:-Standings:-NFL Championship Game:-All-Star Game:...
won the East Conference with a 10–1 record. During the same season the Bears went 11–0 and outscored their opponents 376–84. In the 1942 Championship game
NFL Championship Game, 1942
The 1942 National Football League Championship game was the NFL's tenth title game. The game was played on December 13, 1942 at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. and the attendance was 36,006....
, Baugh threw a touchdown pass and kept the Bears
1942 Chicago Bears season
The 1942 Chicago Bears season was their 23rd regular season and 7th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 11-0 record under head coach George Halas and temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos...
in their own territory with some strong punts, including an 85-yard quick kick, and Washington won 14–6.
Baugh was even more successful in 1943
1943 NFL season
The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II, three teams were affected by the depleted rosters. The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season. The Philadelphia Eagles and the...
and led the league in passing, punting
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
(45.9-yard average) and interceptions (11). One of Baugh's more memorable single performances during the season was when he threw four touchdown passes and intercepted four passes in a 42–20 victory over Detroit
1943 Detroit Lions season
The 1943 Detroit Lions season was their 14th in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 0-11, winning three games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
. The Redskins again made it to the championship game
NFL Championship Game, 1943
The 1943 NFL Championship Game was the 11th annual title game of the National Football League . The game was held at Wrigley Field in Chicago on December 26, 1943, and drew attendance of 34,320....
, but lost to the Bears
1943 Chicago Bears season
The 1943 Chicago Bears season was their 24th regular season and 8th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 8-1-1 record under temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos...
41–21. During the game, Baugh suffered a concussion while tackling Bears 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...
Sid Luckman
Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman, known as Sid Luckman, was an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 to 1950...
and had to leave.
During the 1945 season
1945 NFL season
The 1945 NFL season was the 26th regular season of the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals resumed their traditional operations....
, Baugh completed 128 of 182 passes for a 70.33 completion percentage, which was an NFL record then and remains the third best today (to Ken Anderson, 70.55 in 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
, and Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, 70.62 in 2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
). 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
NFL Championship Game, 1945
In the 1945 National Football League Championship Game, the Cleveland Rams defeated the Washington Redskins, 15–14, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on December 16, 1945. This was the last game before the Rams moved to Los Angeles, California and was the 13th annual NFL...
against the Cleveland Rams
1945 Cleveland Rams season
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH* Game attendance: 32,178In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5-yard line. Dropping back into the end zone, quarterback Sammy Baugh threw, but the ball hit the goal post and bounced back to the ground in the end zone...
. 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
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
, 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 mad 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".
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
Washington D.C. Touchdown Club
The Washington D.C. Touchdown Club was started in 1935 with a passion for charity and sports. In the ensuing years the Club has benefited many local charities as well as providing scholarships to deserving student/athletes....
honored him at Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...
and gave him a station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
. Against the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
he passed for 355 yards and six touchdowns. 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.
Baugh played for five more years—leading the league in completion percentage for the sixth and seventh times in 1948
1948 NFL season
The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The season ended when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago...
and 1949
1949 NFL season
The 1949 NFL season was the 30th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City...
. He then retired after the 1952 season
1952 NFL season
The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL...
. In his final game, a 27–21 win over Philadelphia
1952 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1952 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 20th in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 4–8, winning seven games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.-Off Season:...
at Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium
Griffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street, and between W Street and Florida Avenue, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had been built on the same site in 1891...
, he played for several minutes before retiring to a prolonged standing ovation from the crowd. Baugh won a record-setting six NFL passing titles and earned first-team All-NFL honors seven times in his career. He completed 1,693 of 2,995 passes for 21,886 yards.
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. He gave birth to the fanaticism of Redskins fans. As Michael WilbonMichael Wilbon
Michael Ray Wilbon is a former sportswriter and columnist for the Washington Post and current ESPN commentator. He serves as an analyst for ESPN and co-hosts Pardon the Interruption on ESPN with former Post writer Tony Kornheiser, and has been doing so since 2001.-Career:Wilbon began working for...
of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
says: "He brought not just victories but thrills and ignited Washington with a passion even the worst Redskins periods can barely diminish." 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". He was the last surviving member of the inaugural class inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1963, including Bronko Nagurski
Bronko Nagurski
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a Canadian-born American football player. He was also a successful professional wrestler, recognized as a multiple-time world heavyweight champion.-Youth and collegiate career:...
, Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
, Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
, Curly Lambeau
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was founder, player, and first coach of the Green Bay Packers professional American football team...
, Don Hutson
Don Hutson
Donald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver....
, George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, Ernie Nevers, and Mel Hein
Mel Hein
Melvin Jack Hein was an American Professional Football player for the New York Giants. Hein played fifteen seasons for the Giants and never missed a down due to injury...
.
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). He is also third 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).
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 (Shane Lechler
Shane Lechler
Edward Shane Lechler is an American football punter who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League. Lechler played college football for Texas A&M from 1996-1999. In the NFL, Lechler has been named an All-Pro eight times during his career...
46.5 yards), and has the best (51.4 in 1940) and fourth best (48.7 in 1941) season marks. 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. Baugh also led the league in punting from 1940
1940 NFL season
The 1940 NFL season was the 21st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game, 73–0. This game still stands as the most one-sided victory in NFL history...
through 1943
1943 NFL season
The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II, three teams were affected by the depleted rosters. The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season. The Philadelphia Eagles and the...
.
When comparing Baugh's athletic achievements with modern football greats, consider the actual football he threw then 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).
Coaching career
Baugh left Washington D.C. in 1952. He chose not to return for Redskins team functions, despite repeated organization invitations. After his playing career, he became head coach at Hardin-Simmons UniversityHardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
where he compiled a 23–28 record between 1955 and 1959. Baugh was the first coach of the New York Titans
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
in 1960
1960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
and 1961
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
. He was an assistant at the University of Tulsa
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
in 1963 under head coach Glenn Dobbs
Glenn Dobbs
Glenn Dobbs was an American Football player in the All-America Football Conference. He played college football at the University of Tulsa before playing in the All-America Football Conference's Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946 and 1947, and the Los Angeles Dons from 1948 through 1949...
. At Tulsa, he coached All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n quarterback Jerry Rhome
Jerry Rhome
Jerry Byron Rhome is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He played for the Dallas Cowboys , the Cleveland Browns , the Houston Oilers , and the Los Angeles Rams...
. In 1964
1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
, Baugh coached the AFL's Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and went 4–10.
Acting
Baugh also took up acting. In 1941, he made $6,400 for starring in a 12-week serialSerial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
as a dark-haired Texas Ranger named Tom King. The serial, called King of the Texas Rangers
King of the Texas Rangers
King of the Texas Rangers is a Republic film serial.King of the Texas Rangers is slightly anachronistic in that it features a mix of period western and modern elements, which was not unknown in the B-Western films also produced by Republic. In this case, Cowboys vs. Nazis...
, was released by Republic Studios. The episodes ran in theaters as Saturday matinees; it also starred Duncan Renaldo
Duncan Renaldo
Renault Renaldo Duncan , better known as Duncan Renaldo, was an American actor who portrayed The Cisco Kid in films and on the 1950-1956 American TV series, The Cisco Kid.-Early years:...
, later famous as TV's Cisco Kid.
Robert Duvall patterned the role of Gus McCrae in the television series Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
after Baugh, particularly his arm movements, after visiting him at his home in Texas in 1988.
After football
Early in his career, Baugh paid $200 an acre for a 7600 acres (30.8 km²) ranch in West TexasWest Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
, 80 miles (128.7 km) northwest of Abilene. After retiring from football altogether, Baugh and Edmonia Smith, his wife, moved to the ranch and had four boys and a girl. Edmonia died in 1990, after 52 years of marriage to Baugh, who was her high school sweetheart. 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.
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 not far from Double Mountain
Double Mountain (Texas)
Double Mountain is the name of a pair of flat-topped buttes located southwest of Aspermont in Stonewall County, Texas. While the Handbook of Texas gives their elevation as either or , United States Geological Survey maps give the elevation of the western mountain as and that of the eastern...
Ranch. The Double Mountain Ranch is now in the hands of Baugh's son David and is still a cow-calf operation, on 20000 acres (80.9 km²).
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, TexasRotan, Texas
Rotan is a city in Fisher County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,611 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rotan is located at ....
.
Honors and tributes
Baugh was the last surviving member of the 17-member charter class of the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. Additionally he was honored by the Redskins with the retirement of his jersey number, #33, the only number the team has officially retired.
Hip-Hop artist Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
wore Baugh's Mitchell & Ness
Mitchell & Ness
Mitchell & Ness Nostalgia Co., is a sports apparel company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania owned by Adidas which purchased the company in November 2007. Mitchell & Ness was established in 1904, and is the oldest sporting goods company in Philadelphia...
1947 Washington jersey in his 2002 video for the single "Girls, Girls, Girls
Girls, Girls, Girls (Jay-Z song)
"Girls, Girls, Girls" is the second single from rapper Jay-Z's album The Blueprint. It is a playful description of the artist's promiscuous lifestyle. The song contains a sample of "There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You" by Tom Brock. The chorus features a lyrical...
". This increased demand for the throwback jersey and renewed popular awareness of Baugh.
Additional Honors:
- An avenue in his hometown of Rotan, TexasRotan, TexasRotan is a city in Fisher County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,611 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rotan is located at ....
- 50th Anniversary Team by the NFL (1969)
- 75th Anniversary Team by the NFL (1994)
- 36th greatest athlete of the 20th century by Burt Randolph Sugar (1995)
- 64th greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
(1999) - 43rd greatest athlete of the 20th century by the Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(1999) - 3rd greatest NFL player of the 20th century by the Associated Press (1999)
- 11th greatest NFL player of the 20th century by The Sporting NewsThe Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
(1999); highest-ranking player for the Redskins - Scripps-Howard all-time college football team (1999)
- 14th greatest NFL player of all-time by NFL NetworkNFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
(2010) - 4th greatest college football player by SPORTSport magazineSPORT magazine was an American sports magazine. Launched in September 1946 by the New York-based publisher, Macfadden Publications, SPORT pioneered the generous use of color photography – it carried eight full colour plates in its first edition – and almost immediately became half-bible, half-guru...
magazine (1999) - 3rd greatest college football player by College Football News (2003)
- 7th greatest college football player by Brad Rawlins (2006)
- 5th greatest college football player by ESPN (2007)
- 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).
- Has his number retired at Sweetwater High School, his alma mater.
- Has a children's home in Jayton, Kent County, Texas named in his honor.
- TCU's indoor practice facility is named after him.
External links
- AP Obituary in the Plainview Daily HeraldPlainview Daily HeraldThe Plainview Daily Herald is a daily newspaper in Plainview, Texas. The offices for the paper are located at 820 Broadway, Plainview, TX 79072. The newspaper is published in the nation's largest cotton growing region and on the edge of the nation's heaviest concentration of cattle feeding and...
- New York Times Obit
- Photo of "Slingin'Sammy 1937" via Shorpy
- Gallery of Sammy Baugh football cards