Sammy Baugh

Samuel Adrian Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American professional football quarterback who played 16 seasons with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). Baugh also played safety on defense and was the team's punter. He played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, where he was a two time All-American prior to being selected by the Redskins in the first round of the 1937 NFL draft. With the Redskins, Baugh won NFL Championships in 1937 and 1942 and led the NFL in completion percentage eight times, passing yards four times, and passing touchdowns twice. In addition to being an outstanding quarterback, he led the NFL in punting average five times and in defensive interceptions with 11 in 1943.

After his playing career, he served as a college coach for the Hardin–Simmons Cowboys before coaching professionally for the New York Titans and Houston Oilers. Baugh was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and was named to the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time teams.

Early life Baugh was born on March 17, 1914, in Temple, Texas, the second son of James, a worker on the Santa Fe Railroad, and Lucy Baugh. His parents later divorced and his mother raised the three children. As the quarterback of his high school football team (Sweetwater Mustangs), he practiced for hours throwing a football through a swinging automobile tire, often on the run.

However, he really wanted to become a professional baseball player and almost received a scholarship to play at Washington State University. Baugh attended Texas Christian University. While at TCU, he threw 587 passes in his three varsity seasons for 39 touchdowns. Baugh was named an All-American in 1935 and 1936.

In early 1936, Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall offered Baugh $4,000 to play for them. It was during his time as a baseball player that he earned the nickname "Slinging Sammy", He signed a one-year contract with the Redskins and received $8,000, making him the highest-paid player on the team. The Redskins and Bears met three times in championship games between 1940 and 1943. In the 1940 Championship game, the Bears recorded the most one-sided victory in NFL history, beating Washington 73–0.

"The best, as far as I'm concerned. He could not only throw the ball, he could play defense, he could punt the football, he ran it when he had to. He and I roomed together, and he was a football man. He knew football, played it, and everybody had a lot of confidence in him." — Bill Dudley, on Sammy Baugh. He gave birth to the fanaticism of Redskins fans. As Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post says: "He brought not just victories but thrills and ignited Washington with a passion even the worst Redskins periods can barely diminish".

As a safety, he was the first player in league history to intercept four passes in a game (in 1943; a record that has since been tied but not surpassed), and he is the only player to lead the league in passing, punting, and interceptions in the same season (also 1943).

Coaching career While playing for the Redskins, Baugh and teammate Wayne Millner were assistant coaches for the Catholic University Cardinals, and went with them to the 1940 Sun Bowl. In 1964, Baugh coached the Houston Oilers and went 4–10. NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team (1994) 3rd greatest NFL player and 43rd greatest athlete of the 20th century by the Associated Press (1999)

College CFB national champion (1935) TCU Horned Frogs No. 45 retired Consensus All-American (1936) First-team All-American (1935) 2× first-team All-SWC (1935, 1936) All-Century college football team Sports Illustrated (1999). 4th greatest college football player by SPORT magazine (1999) A street in his hometown of Rotan, Texas, is named after him. TCU's indoor practice facility is named after him.

Acting Baugh also took up acting. In 1941, he made $6,400 for starring in a 12-week serial as a dark-haired Texas Ranger named Tom King. The serial, called King of the Texas Rangers, was released by Republic Studios. The episodes ran in theaters as Saturday matinees; it also starred Duncan Renaldo, later famous as TV's Cisco Kid.

Robert Duvall patterned the role of Gus McCrae in the television series Lonesome Dove after Baugh, particularly his arm movements, after visiting him at his home in Texas in 1988. He is interred at Belvieu Cemetery in Rotan.