Emil Banjavic
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Staunton, Illinois, U.S.
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
 Emil Banjavic, 1942 | |||||||||||||
| No. 11 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | September 19, 1915 Staunton, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | December 1, 1995 (aged 80) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Staunton | ||||||||||||
| College | Arizona (1938-1941) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1942: 9th round, 75th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Emil Thomas Banjavic (September 19, 1915 – December 1, 1995) was an American professional football player.
A native of Staunton, Illinois, Banjavic attended Staunton High School and then played college football at the University of Arizona from 1938 to 1941.[1] He was a triple-threat player who was a good kicker, runner, and passer. He was also captain of the Arizona Wildcats football team.[2] In a feature story on the first 56 years of Arizona football, Banajvaic was called "the hard-driving star" of Arizona's 1939-1941 teams.[3]
He was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 75th pick of the 1942 NFL draft.[4] He was described as having "the ideal build for a wingback."[2] He appeared in 10 NFL games as a back for the Lions during the 1942 season, rushing for 67 yards on 11 carries.[4]
He later worked for an aircraft plant in Arizona and the Railroad Retirement Board in Texas.[5][6] He died in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1995 at age 80.[1]