Benton Bangs
{{Short description|American football player (1893–1970)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox NFL player
| name = Benton Bangs
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1893|9|5}}
| birth_place = Moscow, Idaho, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1970|6|7|1893|9|5}}
| death_place = Wenatchee, Washington, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lbs = 180
| position = Halfback
| college = Washington State (1914–1917)
Mare Island Marines (1918)
| pfr= BangBe20
| teams =
- Los Angeles Buccaneers ({{nfly|1926}})
| highlights =
- First-team All-PCC (1917)
- 1916 Rose Bowl
- 1919 Rose Bowl
}}
Benton Maxwell "Biff" Bangs Jr. (September 5, 1893 – June 7, 1970) was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Los Angeles Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) in {{NFL Year|1926}}.. He played college football for Washington State from 1914 to 1917 and for the 1918 Mare Island Marines football team during World War I.
Early years
Bangs was born in 1893 in Moscow, Idaho, United States.{{cite web|title=Ben Bang|publisher=Pro Football Archives|accessdate=November 29, 2022|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/bang00200.html}} He was the son of H.H. Bangs who served several terms in the Idaho state legislature.{{cite news|title=H. H. Bangs Passes Away|newspaper=The Idaho Statesman|date=November 6, 1914|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113867028/hh-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}} His father died in November 1914.{{cite news|title=Players To Bangs' Funeral|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=November 11, 1914|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113866905/players-to-bangs-funeral/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Football career
=Albion=
Bang began his college career at the Albion Normal School in Albion, Idaho. He was the team captain and star punter, rusher and passer for the Albion football team in 1913. After a strong showing, he was recruited as a transfer student by both the University of Idaho and Washington State College.{{cite news|title=Pocatello Academy Loses Game to the Albion Normals|newspaper=The Idaho Statesman|date=November 17, 1913|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113866509/bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=W.S.C. Football Fans Joyful: Benton Bangs, Albion Star, Enrolls at State College|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=September 12, 1914|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113866013/benton-bangs/ |via=Newspapers.com}}
=Washington State=
Bangs enrolled at Washington State in September 1914. He played at the halfback and fullback positions for Washington State from 1914 to 1917. He was a key player on the 1915 Washington State football team that compiled an undefeated 7–0 record and defeated Brown in the 1916 Rose Bowl.{{cite news|title=Cougar Rose Bowler, Benton Bangs Is Dead|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=June 11, 1970|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113825121/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Pullman to Boost Bang For All-American Team|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=November 10, 1915|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113867237/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}} After the team's victory in the Rose Bowl, Bangs was elected as captain of the 1916 team.{{cite news|title=Biff Bangs Elected W.S.C. Captain: Washington State Footballers Name Halfback Leader|newspaper=Los Angeles Express|date=January 5, 1916|page=Sporting 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113826712/bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}} He received both bachelor's and master's degrees in agriculture.{{cite news|title=Football Star Gets County Job: Skagit Commissioners Name Benton Bangs of W.S.C. Agriculturist|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=December 27, 1917|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113828034/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}
=Mare Island Marines=
After graduating from Washington State, Bangs was appointed county agriculturist for Skagit County, Washington. With the United States entering World War I, Bangs joined the US Marine Corps. He played for the 1918 Mare Island Marines football team that compiled a 10-0 record before losing in the 1919 Rose Bowl against Great Lakes Navy.{{cite news|title=Benton Bangs on His Way to Join Mare Island Team: Marines Get Sterling Halfback in Plunging Pullman Grid Star|newspaper=Tacoma Daily Ledger|date=October 30, 1918|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113828525/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Dietz's Marines Show Their Class: Benton Bangs a Shining Light in a Victory Over Vancouver Barracks Eleven|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=November 24, 1918|page=Sporting 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113828678/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}} in its coverage of the Rose Bowl game, the Los Angeles Times called Bangs "the greatest line plunger the colleges of the Pacific Coast have ever produced."{{cite news|title=Sailors Win U.S. Title|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 2, 1919|page=II-7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113852745/bangs-in-1919-rose-bowl/}}
=Professional football=
After the war, Bangs lived for several years in Wenatchee, Washington. He played football for a local team, the Wenatchee All-Stars.{{cite news|title=Wenatchee Wins, 17 to 0|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=October 2, 1926|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113826163/wenatchee-wins/|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1926, he also played professional football with the Los Angeles Buccaneers.
Family and later years
Bangs moved in 1929 to Chelan, Washington, where he owned and operated an orchard. He was also a Chelan County commissioner in the 1950s and 1960s.{{cite news|title=Chelan County Position Filled|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=April 1, 1951|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113825772/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}} He also raced pigeons, winning pigeon racing competitions in 1955, 1956, and 1957.{{cite news|title=Prexy's Bird Wins|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle|date=September 19, 1955|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113882951/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Benton Bangs' Pigeons Win Race From Pasco|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=April 30, 1956|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113826019/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Benton Bangs' Birds In First|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=May 20, 1957|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113825886/benton-bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Bangs and his wife Esther had two sons, Henry H. Bangs and Benton M. Bangs Jr. He died in 1970 at age 76 at a hospital in Wenatchee.{{cite news|title=Death Listed of Long-Time County Chief|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=June 10, 1970|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113825396/bangs/|via=Newspapers.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://content.libraries.wsu.edu/digital/collection/wsu_fb/id/106/rec/9 Official game program: Idaho at Washington State] – November 4, 1916
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bangs, Ben}}
Category:American football ends
Category:Los Angeles Buccaneers players
Category:Mare Island Marines football players
Category:Washington State Cougars football players