Bruce McLenna
{{Short description|American football player (1941–1968)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Bruce McLenna
|image=
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|birth_date={{Birth date|1941|12|23}}
|birth_place=Holly, Michigan, U.S.
|death_date={{Death date and age|1968|6|18|1941|12|23}}
|death_place=Urbana, Missouri, U.S.
|allegiance={{flagu|United States|name=United States of America|1960|size=23px}}
|branch=Missouri National Guard
|serviceyears=1967–1968
|unit=1975th Military Police Battalion
|laterwork={{Infobox NFL biography
| embed = yes
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| number = 24
| position = Halfback, Fullback, End
| high_school =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lbs = 225
| college = Michigan
| draftyear = 1965
| draftround = 9
| draftpick = 123
| afldraftyear = 1965
| afldraftround = Red Shirt 9
| afldraftpick = 69
| undraftedyear =
| pastteams =
- Detroit Lions ({{NFL year|1966}})
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL year|1967}})*
- Kansas City Chiefs (1967–1968)*
| statlabel1 = Carries
| statvalue1 = 16
| statlabel2 = Rushing yards
| statvalue2 = 51
| statlabel3 = Average
| statvalue3 = 3.1
| statlabel4 = Receptions
| statvalue4 = 3
| statlabel5 = Yards
| statvalue5 = 13
| statlabel6 = Touchdowns
| statvalue6 = 0
| pfr = McLeBr00.htm
}}
}}
Bruce Oliver McLenna (December 23, 1941 – June 18, 1968) was an American professional football player. He played college football for the University of Michigan in 1961 and for Hillsdale College in 1964 and 1965. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions in 1966 and was later signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. In June 1968, he was killed in an automobile accident at age 26 while riding in a military vehicle as part of his service in the Missouri National Guard.
Early life
College career
McLenna played college football as a halfback for the University of Michigan in 1961. He gained 43 net rushing yards on 14 rushing attempts in 1961 and scored touchdowns against Army and Ohio State.{{cite web |title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page |publisher=University of Michigan |url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |accessdate=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112175906/http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php |archivedate=November 12, 2007 }}(To access McLenna's record, enter his last name "McLenna" in the main search page. Then click on "Display Stats By Season" to access his game-by-game results.) He was listed on the 1962 roster at the fullback and end positions,{{cite web|title=University of Michigan All-time Rosters Search Page |publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library |url=http://141.211.39.65/allroster/fbsearch.htm |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928200732/http://141.211.39.65/allroster/fbsearch.htm |archivedate=2007-09-28 }}(Enter McLenna as the last name on the search page, and press enter) but he was ruled academically ineligible to play for Michigan's football team in late August 1962.{{cite news|title=Second Wolverine Lost for Football|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=August 25, 1962|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/623693112.html?dids=623693112:623693112&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+25%2C+1962&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Second+Wolverine+Lost+for+Football&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107130855/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/623693112.html?dids=623693112:623693112&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+25,+1962&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Second+Wolverine+Lost+for+Football&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012}}("Bruce McLenna junior letterman has been ruled scholastically ineligible to play on the University of Michigan football team ..."){{cite news|title=Michigan Junior End Lost For 1962 Season|newspaper=The Sun, Baltimore, Md.|date=September 3, 1962|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1709674492.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+03%2C+1962&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Michigan+Junior+End+Lost+For+1962+Season&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107130907/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1709674492.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+03,+1962&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Michigan+Junior+End+Lost+For+1962+Season&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2012}}
McLenna transferred to Hillsdale College where he became a star running back for the Hillsdale Chargers football team. He played for Hillsdale in 1964 and 1965 and was the leading scorer in the state in 1964.{{cite news|title=Michigan College Grid teams Open League Play|newspaper=The Owosso Argus-Press|date=October 1, 1965|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OkwiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k6sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1386,3435355&dq=bruce-mclenna&hl=en}} He was also selected as Hillsdale's most valuable player in 1965.{{cite news|title=Bruce McLenna Most Valuable|newspaper=Ludington Daily News|date=November 27, 1965|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y1gzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Rk8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5215,5706464&dq=bruce-mclenna&hl=en}} He was also selected for the "Little All-America" team.
Professional career
McLenna was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the ninth round (123rd overall pick) of the 1965 NFL draft, but he opted to continue playing for Hillsdale College in 1965. He played at the halfback position for the 1966 Detroit Lions, appearing in the first nine games of the 1966 NFL season.{{cite web|title=Bruce McLenna|publisher=pro-football-reference.com|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/1966.htm}} However, he sustained a knee injury in the ninth game and missed the remainder of the season.{{cite news|title=LIONS' McLENNA LOST FOR YEAR WITH INJURY|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=November 9, 1966|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/587128182.html?dids=587128182:587128182&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+09%2C+1966&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=LIONS%27+McLENNA+LOST+FOR+YEAR+WITH+INJURY&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131181320/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/587128182.html?dids=587128182:587128182&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+09,+1966&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=LIONS'+McLENNA+LOST+FOR+YEAR+WITH+INJURY&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013}} McLenna underwent knee surgery in November 1966. In March 1967, the Lions traded McLenna to the New Orleans Saints for Charlie Bradshaw.{{cite news|title=Saints Trade for McLenna|newspaper=Herald-Journal (AP story)|date=March 10, 1967|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LnssAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bcwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4944,2041706&dq=bruce-mclenna&hl=en}}{{cite news|title=McLenna Surprises Saints|newspaper=The Evening Independent|date=August 17, 1967|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pj9QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NFcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2378,2874076&dq=bruce-mclenna&hl=en}} He was cut by the Saints before the start of the 1967 regular season. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and played on the Chiefs' practice squad during the 1967 season.{{cite news|title=McLenna, Chiefs' Fullback, Killed in Auto Accident|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 19, 1968|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1968/06/19/77178921.pdf}}
Death
McLenna died in June 1968 at Urbana, Missouri.{{cite news|title=Deaths|newspaper=The Michigan Alumnus, vol. 75|page=37|year=1968}} He was killed in an automobile crash while traveling in a military vehicle from Ft. Leonard Wood to Camp Clark at Nevada, Missouri. According to an account of the accident published in The Sporting News, McLenna was riding in the rear of a military truck as part of a two-week assignment with the 1975th Military Police Battalion. The truck was sideswiped by a civilian automobile on U.S. Highway 65.{{cite news|title=Bruce McLenna|newspaper=The Sporting News|date=July 6, 1968}} McLenna was attempting to fulfill his service obligation with the Missouri National Guard before the start of the 1968 AFL season.{{cite news|title=Fullback Bruce McLenna Dies in Crash|newspaper=The Evening News (AP story)|date=June 19, 1968|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qnZGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PSoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2191,3486120&dq=bruce-mclenna&hl=en}}{{cite news|title=Onetime Lion, McLenna killed|newspaper=The Windsor Star|date=June 20, 1968|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ozY_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=iVEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5417,4178933&dq=bruce-mclenna&hl=en}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Lions1965DraftPicks}}
{{Chiefs1965DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mclenna, Bruce}}
Category:Detroit Lions players
Category:Hillsdale Chargers football players
Category:Kansas City Chiefs players
Category:Michigan Wolverines football players
Category:Road incident deaths in Missouri
Category:People from Holly, Michigan
Category:Players of American football from Oakland County, Michigan