George Cafego
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | August 29, 1915 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Whipple, West Virginia | ||||||||
| Date of death: | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. | ||||||||
| Place of death: | Knoxville, Tennessee | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Tennessee | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1940 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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George Cafego (August 29, 1915 – February 9, 1998) was a college, and professional American football player and coach. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969.
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High school and collegiate career
Born in rural Whipple, West Virginia, Cafego attended Oak Hill High School in nearby Oak Hill, West Virginia. He went to the University of Tennessee as a halfback under coach Robert Neyland. While there, he compiled 2,139 total yards and two All-American team selections. He was also a finalist for the Heisman Memorial Trophy. In addition to running and passing the ball, Cafego also served as punter and kickoff returner, excelling at both. At Tennessee his nickname was "Bad News".[1] As a sophomore, his first year on the varsity, he already showed signs of success, catching "many an expert eye."[2]
Professional career
Cafego was drafted as the number one overall pick in 1940 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals. He eventually played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. After playing one season, his career was interrupted by a brief stint of Army service in World War II. During this time he appeared in several games for the Newport News Builders of the Dixie League. Returning to the Dodgers in 1943, he was traded to the Washington Redskins after five unspectacular games. For the 1944 and 1945 seasons, Cafego played for the Boston Yanks before retiring.
Coaching career
After his playing days were over, Cafego served as an assistant coach at Wyoming, Furman, Arkansas, and 30 years at his alma mater, Tennessee, serving under a total of six different head coaches during his UT coaching career. He was also the head coach of Tennessee Volunteers baseball from 1958 to 1962. He retired from coaching following the 1984 season.
- 1949-1952 University of Wyoming (Assistant)
- 1953-1954 University of Arkansas (Assistant)
- 1955-1963 University of Tennessee (QB/RB)
- 1964-1973 University of Tennessee (Assistant)
- 1974-1984 University of Tennessee (ST)
- 1986 Denver Broncos (Assistant)
- 1987 Minnesota Vikings (Assistant)
Cafego died in Knoxville, Tennessee at the age of 82 and was buried in Fayette County, West Virginia.
References
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- Pages with reference errors
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- 1915 births
- 1998 deaths
- All-American college football players
- American football running backs
- American military personnel of World War II
- Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches
- Boston Yanks players
- Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Furman Paladins football coaches
- National Football League first overall draft picks
- People from Fayette County, West Virginia
- Tennessee Volunteers baseball coaches
- Tennessee Volunteers football coaches
- Tennessee Volunteers football players
- Washington Redskins players
- Wyoming Cowboys football coaches
