Ralph Waldsmith
American football player (1892–1925)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ralph George "Fat" Waldsmith (August 7, 1892 – June 7, 1925) was a professional football player during the early years of the National Football League (NFL). Waldsmith won an NFL championship with the Canton Bulldogs in 1922. before that season, he played for the Cleveland Indians in the American Professional Football Association, which was the run-up to the NFL.
| No. 10 (1922)[1] | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Guard, Center |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 7, 1892 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 7, 1925 (aged 32) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Akron |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1914 | Akron Indians |
| 1916–1917 | Canton Bulldogs |
| 1919 | Akron Indians |
| 1921 | Cleveland Indians |
| 1922 | Canton Bulldogs |
Coaching | |
| 1916, 1919 | Akron Indians |
owner | |
| 1919 | Akron Indians |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Pre-NFL era
Prior to playing the NFL, Waldsmith played in the Ohio League with the Akron Indians in 1914, alongside Knute Rockne. He played in every game that season.[2] In 1916 and 1917, Ralph won the Ohio League championship with the Canton Bulldogs.[3][4] In 1919 Waldsmith was the coach and co-owner of the Akron Indians. That year, he signed Fritz Pollard to play for Akron ao that the team could compete against the Massillon Tigers and Canton.[5]
Akron Zips Hall of Fame
In 1978, Waldsmith was inducted into the University of Akron's Varsity “A” Sports Hall of Fame.[6]
References
- "Parratt Stays On Top" (PDF). PFRA Annual. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2012.
- "The Super Bulldogs" (PDF). PFRA Annual. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2015.
- "Canton Wins Again" (PDF). PFRA Annual. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2013.
- McClellan, Keith (1998). The Sunday Game: At the Dawn of Professional Football. Akron, OH: Akron University Press. ISBN 1-884836-35-6.
- Carroll, John M. (1999). Fritz Pollard: Pioneer in Racial Advancement. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06799-1.