Otis Douglas
American football player and coach, Canadian football coach
About Otis Douglas
Lived 1911 – 1989 (aged 77). Otis Douglas was an American american football player.
Otis Whitfield Douglas Jr. (July 25, 1911 – March 21, 1989) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Akron (1941–1942), Drexel University, and the University of Arkansas (1950–1952), compiling a career college football coaching record of 17–34–4. He also coached the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1955 to 1960.
After World War II, Douglas played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons (1946–1949). In 1946, he became the oldest NFL rookie of all time, at 35 years of age.
Born in Reedville, Virginia, Douglas played college football at the College of William & Mary in 1929 and 1930. He served in United States Navy from 1942 to 1945. Douglas worked as an assistant coach Villanova University under Frank Reagan in 1954. He was an assistant coach for the Baltimore Colts in 1953 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1955, and also was a consultant to the coaching staff of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball in 1961 and 1962, assisting with physical fitness and morale.
In 1979, Douglas was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Head coaching record College
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Important facts
People in Otis Douglas's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Otis Douglas's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Otis Douglas?
American football player and coach, Canadian football coach (1911-1989)
When was Otis Douglas born?
Otis Douglas was born on 25 July 1911 in Reedville.
When did Otis Douglas die?
Otis Douglas died on 21 March 1989 in Kilmarnock.
What was Otis Douglas's occupation?
Otis Douglas was an american football player.
What nationality was Otis Douglas?
Otis Douglas was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Otis Douglas. https://biography.guide/otis-douglas/
MLA: "Otis Douglas." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/otis-douglas/.
Chicago: "Otis Douglas." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/otis-douglas/.
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