Jim Lankas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stratton, Nebraska, U.S.
Edison, Kansas, U.S.
| No. 16, 3, 43, 23 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Fullback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 26, 1918 Stratton, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died: | August 9, 1978 (aged 59) Edison, Kansas, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Atwood (Atwood, Kansas) Holy Cross Abbey (Cañon City, Colorado) |
| College: | Saint Mary's (1938–1940) |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
James Jarrett Lankas (August 26, 1918 – August 9, 1978) was an American professional football player. He was a fullback in college football for the St. Mary's Gaels and later for three seasons professionally. He played for the Paterson Panthers, Jersey City Giants and Newark Bears of the American Association (AA), and for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was also a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Lankas was born on August 26, 1918, in Stratton, Nebraska, and was of Czechslovakian and Polish descent.[1][2][3] He attended Atwood High School in Kansas and then Holy Cross Abbey in Cañon City, Colorado.[4] He played football as a fullback and was known as "Jarring Jim".[5]
A triple-threat man, Lankas was an all-section selection at Atwood and was among the state's leading scorers in 1936 with 122 points.[2][5] As a senior at Abbey in 1937, he scored 126 points and his coach said that Lankas "is the best all-around back I had ever coached."[5] He finished his high school football career having appeared in 51 games, scoring 531 points in those games for an average of 10.4 points per game.[5] He recorded over 7,000 scrimmage yards.[5] While in high school, Lankas also competed as a boxer, being considered the top heavyweight in southwestern Nebraska, according to The Stratton News.[3]
College career
After high school, Lankas enrolled at Saint Mary's College of California on a four-year football scholarship in 1938, being regarded as "the greatest prospect ever to enter the school", according to the Times-Standard.[6][7] He played for St. Mary's freshman football team that year and was considered the fastest member of the team.[8] One newspaper described him as "all muscle and very fast", as well as being "mean, very mean, very mean, when he tackles and blocks."[8] He missed part of the season after suffering a knee injury.[9] He then made the varsity team as a sophomore in 1939, playing as the third-string fullback.[10] He played his last season for St. Mary's in 1940 and played alongside his brother, George, a fullback.[4][11] He was used as a halfback during the 1940 season.[12]
