Sammy Baugh (1914 - 2008)

Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2008 by Travis Cody in
11

Sammy Baugh, Hall of Fame former quarterback and running back for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952, died yesterday. He was 94.

Mr Baugh was a Pro Bowler 6 times and a 1st team All Pro 4 times. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1963. Pro Football Reference has a complete list of Mr Baugh's stats.

Mr Baugh set 13 NFL records during his NFL career as a quarterback, punter, and defensive back. His 6 seasons leading the league in passing (tied with Steve Young) and his 5 seasons leading the league with lowest interception percentage still stand.

He threw for 21,886 total yards in the era just before the early greats like YA Tittle, Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham, and Bart Starr, who truly began the evolution of the forward pass into the weapon it is in today's game. Mr Baugh's propensity for throwing the football earned him the nickname Slingin' Sammy.

Mr Baugh was a member of the charter class of the NFL HOF in 1963, and he was the last surviving member of those 17 initial inductees. That class included Red Grange, George Halas, Don Hutston, Curly Lambeau, Jim Thorpe, and Bronko Nagurski. His jersey #33 is the only number that has officially been retired by the Redskins.

The trophy for the nation's top college passer is named after Mr Baugh. The trophy has been awarded since 1959 to such QBs as Bob Griese, Jim McMahon, John Elway, Steve Young, Kerry Collins, Daunte Culpepper, Chad Pennington, and Brady Quinn. This year's recipient is sophomore Sam Bradford, who will lead Oklahoma against Florida in the BCS title game.



Samuel Adrian Baugh
17 March 1914 - 17 December 2008

11 comments:

  1. DrillerAA says:
    18 December, 2008 05:08

    I can remember watching NFL football when Y.A., Johnny U, and Bart were the stars. It seemed like every week an announcer would make some reference to "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh.
    Nice post.

  1. Anonymous says:
    18 December, 2008 07:52
    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
  1. Ivanhoe says:
    18 December, 2008 08:24

    Yay! Brady Quinn made it on your list :o) Gosh, Browns suck with or without him! It's hard to live in Cleveland with underperforming sport teams.
    Oh wait, there may be a good one this year: Go Cavs!

  1. Jeff B says:
    18 December, 2008 09:15

    Admittedly I hadn't heard of Mr Baugh until this post. Thanks for the lesson.

  1. Charles Gramlich says:
    18 December, 2008 09:22

    I've only watched Sammy play on film but he was an awesome player. I've also read a fair amount about him. That would have been an exciting time to watch football. Sorry to hear of his passing.

  1. Cinnamon Girl says:
    18 December, 2008 10:15

    Phhhhhtttttt. Steve Young. Phht.

    That was nicely written Trav =)

  1. Akelamalu says:
    18 December, 2008 12:26

    It's sport so I can't pretend to know what it's all about Trav, I'll just say HI! :)

  1. Anndi says:
    18 December, 2008 16:58

    Nice tribute... well done.

  1. Travis Cody says:
    18 December, 2008 18:14

    Drilleraa: I remember my favorites in the 70's were always being compared to Unitas and Tittle, and I'd always hear about Baugh too. I have a deep appreciation for the history of the game.

    All spam comments will eventually be deleted.

    Ivanhoe: It's too bad Quinn broke his finger. I suspect the Browns will be his team next season.

    Jeff: I'm all about the history.

    Charles: Based on the footage I've seen, he was one of those guys who always looked bigger and faster and stronger.

    Starr: SY was a legend on his own, but I also remember when it seemed like he moved Joe out.

    Akelamalu: More than sport, but I understand.

    Ann: Thanks.

  1. Terra Shield says:
    18 December, 2008 21:57

    Is it just me or is there really a lot of famous people dying this year?

  1. Desert Songbird says:
    19 December, 2008 07:05

    We've had great passers in the league, but to lead the league with the lowest interception percentage is incredible. Great records like that stand the test of time.

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