Joe Kopcha
American football player (1905–1986)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Edwards Kopcha (December 23, 1905 – July 29, 1986) was an American professional football player who was a guard for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Chicago Bears.
Whiting, Indiana, U.S.
Hobart, Indiana, U.S.
| No. 22, 29, 18 | |||||||||
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| Position | Guard | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | December 23, 1905 Whiting, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | July 29, 1986 (aged 80) Hobart, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Whiting (IN) | ||||||||
| College | Chattanooga | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career statistics | |||||||||
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Kopcha attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he studied to become an obstetrician,[1] and played professional football in order to fund his university studies.[2] Kopcha played for the Detroit Lions when he obtained an internship at Harper Hospital, after previously studying at the Rush Medical College when playing for the Bears.[3] Kopcha used his knowledge to redesign the shoulder pads worn by players, with his basic designs still in use today.[4]
Personal life
Kopcha was of Polish descent.[5]
