Al Sparlis
{{Short description|American football player (1920–2005)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Al Sparlis
| image = Al Sparlis 1945.jpg
| caption = Sparlis, circa 1945
| number = 21, 58
| position = Guard
| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|05|20}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2005|07|9|1920|05|20}}
| death_place = Porterville, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 185
| high_school = Los Angeles Poly
| college = UCLA (1941–1942, 1945)
| draftyear = 1946
| draftround = 30
| draftpick = 286
| pastteams =
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1946}})
| highlights =
- First-team All-American (1945)
- First-team All-PCC (1945)
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 3
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 1
| pfr = SparAl21
| CollegeHOF = 1672
}}
Albert Alexander Sparlis{{cite web |url=https://www.fold3.com/image/631975945 |title=Draft Registration Card |date= |via=fold3.com |url-access=subscription |accessdate=July 29, 2023}} (May 20, 1920 – July 9, 2005) was an American football player. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and professional football for the Green Bay Packers. Sparlis was a highly decorated military pilot, serving during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
Biography
Sparlis was born in Los Angeles in 1920. One of three brothers, his parents divorced when he was four. Each parent took one of his brothers, and Sparlis ended up in an orphanage at age eight; by age 10, he was sent to a reformatory. Several years later, he briefly lived with his mother in Phoenix, then returned to Los Angeles where he attended Polytechnic High School. He played high school football and graduated with the highest grade average in his class.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-advocate-from-reformatory-to-hall/129112275/ |title=From reformatory to Hall of Fame |agency=AP |newspaper=Daily Times-Advocate |location=Escondido, California |page=C5 |date=December 7, 1983 |accessdate=July 29, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}
Sparlis attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity and played for the UCLA Bruins football program.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news-area-me/129116323/ |title=Area Men Are Serving In U.S. And Overseas |newspaper=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News |page=B-8 |date=December 29, 1967 |accessdate=July 29, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}} He played for the 1941 team that finished with a 5–5–1 record, and the 1942 team that had a 7–3 regular season record before losing to Georgia in the Rose Bowl. His college career was interrupted by World War II military service, where he flew B-25s in Southeast Asia. Returning to UCLA, Sparlis played for the 1945 team that finished with a 5–4 record. He was named to the 1945 All-Pacific Coast football team and the 1945 College Football All-America Team by some selectors.
Sparlis was selected by the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in the 1946 NFL draft. He appeared in three games for the Packers in 1946.{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SparAl21.htm |title=Al Sparlis Stats |website=pro-football-reference.com |accessdate=July 29, 2023}} He then took a sales position with the General Cigar Company.
Sparlis later returned to military service with the United States Air Force during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. His military citations include the Distinguished Flying Cross (with four oak leaf clusters) and Air Medal (with nine oak clear clusters). He retired with the rank of colonel. Outside of the military, Sparlis worked for Coldwell Banker for 35 years, and was a trustee of Claremont Men's College in Claremont, California.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/progress-bulletin-two-named-to-trustees/129117132/ |title=Two Named To Trustees |newspaper=Progress Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |page=B-4 |date=November 3, 1972 |accessdate=July 29, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}
Sparlis was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983,{{Cite web |title=Al Sparlis (1983) |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1672 |access-date=April 23, 2022 |website=footballfoundation.org}} and the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.{{cite web |url=https://uclabruins.com/honors/hall-of-fame/al-sparlis/240 |title=Al Sparlis |website=uclabruins.com |accessdate=July 29, 2023}} He died in July 2005 in Porterville, California, aged 85.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-passings/129111129/ |title=Passings |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=D2 |date=July 29, 2005 |accessdate=July 29, 2023}} He was survived by a daughter.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-albert-a-sparlis/129115447/ |title=Albert A. Sparlis |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=B17 |date=August 27, 2005 |accessdate=July 29, 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Green Bay Packers 1946 NFL draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparlis, Al}}
Category:American football guards
Category:UCLA Bruins football players
Category:Green Bay Packers players
Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Category:American Korean War pilots
Category:American Vietnam War pilots
Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)
Category:Recipients of the Air Medal
Category:John H. Francis Polytechnic High School alumni
Category:Sportspeople from Porterville, California