Who Was the First NFL Hall of Famer?

The first NFL Hall of Famer was none other than the great Jim Thorpe. He was a star athlete in several sports, but is most remembered for his exploits on the gridiron.

George Halas

The first NFL Hall of Famer was George Halas, who was inducted in 1963. Halas was a player, coach, and owner of the Chicago Bears. He is credited with helping to create the NFL as we know it today. He was a charter member of the NFL and served as its president for 17 years.

Born in Chicago in 1895

George Stanley Halas Sr. (/ˈhɑːləs/; February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed “Papa Bear” and “Mr. Everything”, was a player, coach, and owner involved with professional American football. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League’s Chicago Bears, and he played college football for the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. Halas was also the head basketball coach for one season at the University of Illinois, leading his team to the 1916 Big Ten Conference championship.

Halas had earned a reputation as a tough and rugged player early in his pro career. He suffered many injuries during his career and took many hits to his body during games. As a result of all this physical abuse, he developed several aches and pains that plagued him for the rest of his life. Nevertheless, he continued to play until he was old enough to be considered over-the-hill by most standards. He retired as a player after the 1928 season but remained active with the Bears as their head coach until 1957, when he passed on full team control to his son, George “Mugs” Halas Jr.

Played football at the University of Illinois

George Stanley Halas Sr. nicknamed “Papa Bear” and “Mr. Everything”, was a player, coach, and owner involved with professional football. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League’s Chicago Bears, and was one of the co-founders of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs. Halas was also a significant contributor to the development of professional football, serving as one of its premier players, inventors, and coaches. He invented numerous strategy plays while at the University of Illinois.

Joined the Chicago Bears in 1920

George Stanley Halas Sr. (/ˈhɑːləs/; HAY-ləs; February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed “Papa Bear” and “Mr. Everything”, was an American professional football player, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League’s Chicago Bears and spent over 50 years with the organization, serving as a player, coach, manager, general manager, head coach, and principal owner. He is credited with originating many modern football strategies and with introducing innovations such as playbook numbers and the huddle during his time with both the Chicago Cardinals and Bears. Halas was elected to both the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in 1961 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Born and raised in Chicago’s Polish Back of the Yards neighborhood on the city’s South Side, Halas attended Crane Technical High School for three years before leaving to enter Northwestern University in Evanston on a baseball scholarship after graduating from high school at age 17 in 1912. He played major league baseball as an infielder for 14 seasons with three different clubs: the New York Yankees (1913), Chicago White Sox (1915–18) as well as spending two seasons as a member of both squads (1919), and finally the Pittsburgh Pirates (1920). He also appeared in one game apiece for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1923) and Boston Braves (1924), compiling a career batting average of .235 with two home runs in 92 total games played. Halas had rare speed for a big man, he ran the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat at age 32.

Helped found the NFL in 1920

George Stanley Halas Sr., nicknamed “Papa Bear” and “Mr. Everything”, was a player, coach, and owner involved with professional football. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League’s Chicago Bears, and the first ever NFL player-coach.

In 1963, Halas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. One measure of a man’s impact is how long he is remembered after his death. In coaching terms, that might be measured by how many years his system or style of play is copied by other teams. In executive terms, it might be the number of people he influences who become successful executives themselves. By those standards, George Halas was not only one of pro football’s all-time greats but also one of its most important figures.

Was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1963

George Halas was the first NFL Hall of Famer, inducted in 1963. He was a founder and owner of the Chicago Bears, and he played for the team from 1920 to 1929. He coached the Bears for 40 seasons, from 1930 to 1967.

Sammy Baugh

Sammy Baugh was a professional American football player and coach. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs and was drafted in the first round of the 1937 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Born in Temple, Texas in 1914

Samuel Adrian “Sammy” Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback, halfback, and punter in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952. He led the league in passing yards four times and in punting average six times. He was named NFL Player of the Year for 1940. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1963.

Played football at Texas Christian University

Samuel Adrian “Slingin’ Sammy” Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a quarterback and halfback for the TCU Horned Frogs football team of Texas Christian University (TCU), where he was a two-time All-American (1935, 1936). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. He was also named to the All-Pro team six times.

Joined the Washington Redskins in 1937

As a rookie, Baugh led the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and touchdowns. He was also named NFL Rookie of the Year. The following year, 1938, he set a still-standing NFL record for the lowest single-season interception percentage, at 1.3%. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro in both 1937 and 1938. In 1940, he set an NFL record for punting average in a season at 51.4 yards per punt.

Helped the Redskins win the NFL Championship in 1937

Baugh led the league in passing yards in 1940, 1942, and 1943, and he set a then-NFL record for highest single-season completion percentage in 1945. He was named All-Pro five times and played in six Pro Bowls. Baugh’s career completion percentage of 51.4% is the fourth-worst among qualified quarterbacks, while his 56.9% career interception rate is the second-worst in NFL history. He is credited with helping topopularize the now standard football strategy of passing the ball downfield to receiver
s instead of running with it himself

Was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1963

After an outstanding college career at TCU, Sammy Baugh was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1937. He quickly established himself as one of the most explosive players in the NFL, leading the league in passing yards (1,693), touchdown passes (11), and interceptions (11) in his rookie season. He would go on to win two more passing titles and six first-team All-Pro selections.

Baugh was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1963, becoming the first player to be enshrined in Canton. He was also named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and the league’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.