:Paul Naumoff
{{Short description|American football player (1945–2018)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Paul Naumoff
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| number = 58, 50
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|07|03}}
| birth_place = Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|8|17|1945|07|03}}
| death_place = Lenoir City, Tennessee, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lbs = 215
| college = Tennessee
| draftyear = 1967
| draftround = 3
| draftpick = 60
| pastteams =
- Detroit Lions ({{nfly|1967}}–{{nfly|1978}})
| highlights =
| pfr = NaumPa00
}}
Paul Peter Naumoff (July 3, 1945 – August 17, 2018{{cite news|url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2018/08/18/ut-vols-paul-naumoff-co-captain-1996-tennessee-team-dies-73-detroit-lions/1032328002/|title=UT Vols: Paul Naumoff, co-captain of 1966 Tennessee team, dies at 73|publisher=Knox News|work=The News Sentinel|first=Tom|last=Mattingly|accessdate=August 18, 2018|date=August 18, 2018}}) was an American football player. He played college football at the University of Tennessee from 1964 to 1966 and was selected as a consensus first-team All-American at the linebacker position in 1966. He played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) as a linebacker for the Detroit Lions from 1967 to 1978. He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl after the 1970 season and was named the Lions' defensive most valuable player in 1975. He once played in 142 consecutive games for the Lions and missed only two games in 12 years with the club.
Early years
Naumoff was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1945, and attended Eastmoor Academy there.{{cite web|title=Paul Naumoff|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=February 19, 2015|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/N/NaumPa00.htm}} He was the son of Macedonian immigrants.{{cite news|title=Admiring grandson says it's cool to have a NFL great in family|date=October 12, 2015|author=Steve Williams|newspaper=The Knoxville Focus|url=http://knoxfocus.com/2015/10/admiring-grandson-says-cool-nfl-great-family/}}
College football
Naumoff enrolled at the University of Tennessee and played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers football team under coach Doug Dickey from 1964 to 1966. He began as an offensive player in 1964 but was moved to defense in 1965. As a defensive end, he helped lead the 1965 Tennessee team to an 8–1–2 record, a #7 ranking in the final AP Poll, and a victory over Tulsa in the 1965 Bluebonnet Bowl.
In 1966, Naumoff moved to linebacker after one of the team's starting linebackers, Tom Fisher, died in an automobile accident.{{cite news|title=Paul Naumoff|publisher=University of Tennessee|accessdate=February 19, 2016|url=http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-footbl/fballamerica/naumoff.htm}} He helped lead the 1966 Tennessee team to an 8-3 record. He was awarded the game ball after the 1966 Gator Bowl. Naumoff made a "jolting tackle" of Larry Csonka late in the game to preserve Tennessee's 18-12 victory over Syracuse.{{cite news|title=Vols Give Game Ball To Linebacker Naumoff|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=January 1, 1967|page=2G|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4369950/vols_give_game_ball_to_linebacker/}}
At the end of the 1966 season, Naumoff was selected as a consensus first-team linebacker on the 1966 College Football All-America Team.{{cite web|title=2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2014|accessdate=February 19, 2016|page=7|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/Awards.pdf|archive-date=November 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126094941/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2014/awards.pdf|url-status=dead}} He also played in the 1967 Chicago College All-Star Game and the 1967 Senior Bowl.{{cite web|title=Hall of Fame Candidate Capsule: Paul Naumoff|publisher=National Football Foundation|accessdate=February 19, 2016|url=http://www.footballfoundation.org/News/NewsDetail/tabid/567/Article/51499/hall-of-fame-candidate-capsule-paul-naumoff.aspx}} Naumoff received a bachelor's degree of education in 1967.
Professional football
Naumoff was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round, 60th overall pick, of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft. He played 12 years for the Lions from 1967 to 1978. He was selected to play in the Pro Bowl after the 1970 season. In 1975, Naumoff had two interceptions and was voted by his teammates as the Lions' defensive most valuable player.{{cite news|title=3 Lions Are Standouts in Up-and-Down '75 Season|author=Jack Saylor|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=December 23, 1975|page=2C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4369998/3_standouts/}} Naumoff once played in 142 consecutive games for the Lions and missed only two games in 12 years with the club. In July 1979, at age 33, Naumoff announced his retirement as a player, citing a foot injury that had required two surgeries and posed the risk of permanent damage.{{cite news|title=Lions' Naumoff retires|author=Curt Sylvester|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=July 19, 1979|pages=1D, 9D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4370040/lions_naumoff_retires/}} At the time of his retirement, Naumoff had appeared in 168 games for the Lions, more than any other players in franchise history other than Wayne Walker and Dick LeBeau.{{cite web|title=Player Season Finder Query Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|accessdate=February 20, 2016|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=combined&year_min=1920&year_max=2015&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&league_id=&team_id=det&is_active=&is_hof=&pos_is_qb=Y&pos_is_rb=Y&pos_is_wr=Y&pos_is_te=Y&pos_is_e=Y&pos_is_t=Y&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_ol=Y&pos_is_dt=Y&pos_is_de=Y&pos_is_dl=Y&pos_is_ilb=Y&pos_is_olb=Y&pos_is_lb=Y&pos_is_cb=Y&pos_is_s=Y&pos_is_db=Y&pos_is_k=Y&pos_is_p=Y&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5comp=&c5gtlt=lt&c6mult=1.0&c6comp=&order_by=g&draft=0&draft_year_min=1936&draft_year_max=2015&type=&draft_round_min=0&draft_round_max=99&draft_slot_min=1&draft_slot_max=500&draft_pick_in_round=0&draft_league_id=&draft_team_id=&college_id=all&conference=any&draft_pos_is_qb=Y&draft_pos_is_rb=Y&draft_pos_is_wr=Y&draft_pos_is_te=Y&draft_pos_is_e=Y&draft_pos_is_t=Y&draft_pos_is_g=Y&draft_pos_is_c=Y&draft_pos_is_ol=Y&draft_pos_is_dt=Y&draft_pos_is_de=Y&draft_pos_is_dl=Y&draft_pos_is_ilb=Y&draft_pos_is_olb=Y&draft_pos_is_lb=Y&draft_pos_is_cb=Y&draft_pos_is_s=Y&draft_pos_is_db=Y&draft_pos_is_k=Y&draft_pos_is_p=Y}}
Later years
After retiring from the NFL, Naumoff opened a beer distributorship in Tennessee.{{cite news|title=Beer seller Naumoff: Lions brewed own troubles|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|author=Jack Saylor|date=December 31, 1979|page=2C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4370107/beer_seller_naumoff/}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{1966 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Lions1967DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Naumoff, Paul}}
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Detroit Lions players
Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players
Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players
Category:Players of American football from Columbus, Ohio
Category:American people of Macedonian descent