Pro football hall of fame quaterback sammy baugh comes in at number 14 on nfl films the top 100. The first superstar passer in college football, sammy baugh held every national football league nfl passing record and was chosen for the charter classes of both the college 1951 and professional 1963 football halls of fame. In 2009 he joined the houston chronicle, where his column. Many of his records stood for fifty years and others will never be broken. When i was a kid, one of my favorite heroes was a rangy football player out of texas, slingin sammy baugh. Baugh, nicknamed slingin sam for his heroics tossing the pigskin, probably also didnt shock many of the 35,000plus at griffith stadium with his aerial display.
The thing about sammy baugh was that he did, in his day, the work of three currentday players. Sammy baugh was the last surviving member of the pro football hall of fames inaugural class. Washington redskins great sammy baugh, not surprisingly, made the list of finalists of alltime top quarterbacks announced by the nfl network as. Sammy baugh, in full samuel adrian baugh, byname slingin sammy, born march 17, 1914, temple, texas, u. Sammy baugh students britannica kids homework help. It was during his time as a baseball player that he earned the nickname slingin sammy. He was a primetime passer, an outstanding defensive back and possibly the best punter ever. Baugh passed away on december 17, 2008 in rotan, texas at the age of 94. Sammy baugh, also known as slingin sammy, was the first outstanding quarterback in the history of american professional gridiron football. Sammy attended texas christian university on a baseball scholarship, but he also played football and basketball at the college although he is most famous for his football. Searching for slingin sammy baugh only a game wbur. Joe holley is a former editorial page editor and columnist for newspapers in san antonio and san diego and a staff writer for the washington post.
Baugh redefined the quarterback position by utilizing the forward pass and setting an nfl record in his rookie season with 91 completions in 218 attempts, for a league leading. Slingin sam the life and times of the greatest quarterback ever to. Montana judge criticised over rape case remark to retire. Nfl hall of famer sammy baugh set numerous records the. Slingin sammy baugh, a recordsetting quarterback in the nfl in 1930s, 40s and. In this serial, onetime football hero slingin sammy baugh stars as tom king, a texas ranger on the hunt for the nazis who killed his due to covid. While the pros still wore leather helmets and played the game more like rugby, baughs ability to throw the ball with riflelike accuracy made the forward pass a strategic weapon, not a desperation heave. Footballplayerturnedactor slinging sammy baugh was born in texas in 1914 to a father who worked for the santa fe railroad, which meant that the family moved around a lot. Slinging sammy baugh, new addition to the washington redskins, the texas christian u. Washington redskins quarterback sammy baugh drops back to pass against the chicago bears on september, 1942. Football legend slingin sammy baugh played for texas christian university tcu and was with the washington redskins from 1937 1952. Americas game is filled with inside stories of the leagues fiercest rivalries, closest competitions, and most memorable characters, from the early days of red the galloping ghost grange and slingin sammy baugh to jim brown and broadway joe namath to lawrence taylor, jerry rice, and tom brady. Slingin sammy baugh, who died yesterday, revolutionized the forward pass as a hall of fame quarterback for the washington redskins from 19371952. Biography tackles greatest quarterback san antonio.
The picture was a rousing success and republic wanted sammy to make more of. While the pros still wore leather helmets and played the game more like rugby, baughs ability to throw the ball with riflelike accuracy made the forward pass a strategic dan jenkins calls him the greatest quarterback who. One of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of professional football has died. Baugh, the son of former washington redskins quarterback slingin sammy baugh, first disclosed his retirement plans in an interview with billings television station ktvq. Slingin sammy baugh, who played for tcu and the washington redskins, singlehandedly revolutionized the game of football. He had been suffering from alzheimers and dementia, and more recently, from pneumonia, low blood pressure and kidney problems. However, baughs domination on both sides of the passing game is one for the record books. The life and times of the greatest quarterback ever to. Manning catches ride in hearse to meet west texas hero. He was the son of james valentine baugh and lucy ray baugh.
Samuel adrian baugh march 17, 1914 december 17, 2008 was an american professional. The nfl has seen plenty of quarterbacks who have changed the game, from slingin sammy baughs introducing the concept of a gunslinger in the late 30s to joe montanas role in pioneering the west. The day sammy baugh did just about everything sports of yore. Baugh had displayed his passing prowess as an allamerican at texas christian university in fort worth. Baugh set numerous passing records with the redskins in an. Sammy baugh, quarterback 1st round, pick 6, 1937 baugh helped put football in the district on the map, becoming the face of the franchise the. Slingin sammy was a twotime allamerican in 1935 and 1936 and the washington redskins drafted him as the sixth pick overall in the first round of the 1937 nfl draft. S ammy baugh was the first outstanding quarterback in the history of american professional gridiron football. Little davey, not slingin sammy the new york times. Photo, print, drawing slingin sammy baugh, washington, d. Joe holley tells the story of footballs first great quarterback, sweetwaters slingin sammy baugh, who changed the game from a running slugfest to the passing frenzy of today, in a new. Until slingin sammy baugh born 1914 arrived in the nfl after an allamerican career at texas christian university, no one had ever seen a passer who could throw long, short, and inbetween with such fantastic accuracy.
After starring at tcu, slingin sammy baugh played with the redskins from 1937 to 1952. Slingin sammy baugh, 94, a recordsetting passer, punter and defensive back who led the washington redskins to two nfl championships in 16 seasons with the team and whose wideopen style of play helped usher professional football into the modern era, died yesterday at fisher county memorial hospital in rotan, tex. Sammy baugh pro football hall of fame official site. He had played before my time, his last game with the washington redskins in 1952. The top 10 quarterbacks of all time bleacher report. Sammy baugh american football kicking hall of fame. Sammy baugh, who played for the washington redskins, was 94.
He played a major role in the emergence of the forward pass as a primary offensive tactic in the 1930s and 40s. Slingin sammy baugh, who played for tcu and the washington redskins. Former serial and western players kermit maynard, buddy roosevelt and eddie dew all have roles in king as well as richard simmons who, years later, starred in republics man with the steel whip serial. Samuel adrian sammy baugh, star quarterback at texas christian university and recordsetting passer for the washington redskins of the national football league, was born on march 17, 1914, in temple, texas.
Ap sammy baugh, quarterback for the washington redskins, is shown at the polo grounds in new york in 1938. Sammy baugh the greatest quarterback of his generation. Sammy baugh turned his attention to rewriting the nfl record books with the. Slinging sammy baugh, new addition to the washington redskins. In his first season with the redskins, slingin sammy, as he would be known, provided a. Slingin sammy, as he was nicknamed by a texas sportswriter, led tcu to bowl. Lubbock, texas slingin sammy baugh, the ultimate threeway threat who revolutionized the use of the forward pass as a hall of fame quarterback for the washington redskins, died wednesday night. Baugh, samuel adrian slingin sammy the handbook of. As a rookie in 1937, baugh led the redskins to a championship. Slingin sammy baugh, a recordsetting passer, punter and defensive back who led the washington redskins to two national football league championships in 16. King of the texas rangers by john english, william witney. Joe holley tells the story of footballs first great quarterback, sweetwaters slingin sammy baugh, who changed the game from a running.