Doug Kotar
{{Short description|American football player (1951–1983)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| number = 44
| position = Running back
| birth_date = {{birth date|1951|6|11|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1983|12|16|1951|06|11}}
| death_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 205
| high_school = Canon-McMillan (PA)
| college = Kentucky
| undraftedyear = 1974
| pastteams =
- Pittsburgh Steelers ({{nfly|1974}})*
- New York Giants ({{nfly|1974}}–{{nfly|1981}})
| statlabel1 = Rushing attempts
| statvalue1 = 900
| statlabel2 = Rushing yards
| statvalue2 = 3,380
| statlabel3 = Rushing TDs
| statvalue3 = 20
| pfr = KotaDo00
}}
Douglas Allan Kotar (June 11, 1951 – December 16, 1983) was an American football running back for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f1dWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2117%2C559825 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=(New York Times)|last=Litsky |first=Frank |title=Kotar dies of tumor |date=December 17, 1983 |page=25}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wFciAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kacFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4043%2C6317360 |work=Reading Eagle |location=(Pennsylvania) |agency=news services |title=Former Giant Doug Kotar loses battle with cancer |date=December 17, 1983 |page=16}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_hshAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2GEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2334%2C612522 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=Associated Press |title=Gutty: Friends and teammates mourn Kotar |date=December 17, 1983 |page=D1}}
Early years
Raised in Muse, Pennsylvania, Kotar graduated from Canon-McMillan High School and played college football at the University of Kentucky in {{nowrap|Lexington.}}
Career
Unselected in the 1974 NFL draft, Kotar was signed as an undrafted free agent by the {{nowrap|Pittsburgh Steelers.}} Four days later, they traded him to the New York Giants (for Leo Gasienica), where he played for eight years. Linebacker Harry Carson, a teammate for six seasons, once described him as "a fighter you'd like to have with you in a {{nowrap|foxhole."}}
Kotar rushed for 3,380 yards (while also gaining 1,022 yards receiving) in his career, which was the fourth most in Giants history at the time of his retirement. Kotar was known for leading with his head while rushing, a fact that would come back to haunt him in later life.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KotaDo00.htm|title = Doug Kotar Stats|website = Pro-Football-Reference.com}} He retired after the first day of training camp in July 1982, citing knee and shoulder pain and family reasons.
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" |
| colspan="2"| Legend |
|---|
| Bold
| Career high |
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Rushing ! colspan="5"| Receiving | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |
| 1974 | NYG
| 12 || 7 || 106 || 396 || 3.7 || 53 || 4 || 10 || 57 || 5.7 || 18 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1975 | NYG
| 14 || 6 || 122 || 378 || 3.1 || 46 || 6 || 9 || 86 || 9.6 || 17 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1976 | NYG
| 14 || 14 || 185 || 731 || 4.0 || 24 || 3 || 36 || 319 || 8.9 || 30 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1977 | NYG
| 12 || 11 || 132 || 480 || 3.6 || 32 || 2 || 15 || 73 || 4.9 || 13 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1978 | NYG
| 15 || 5 || 149 || 625 || 4.2 || 46 || 1 || 22 || 225 || 10.2 || 31 || 1 | |||||||||||
| 1979 | NYG
| 16 || 14 || 160 || 616 || 3.9 || 32 || 3 || 25 || 230 || 9.2 || 37 || 0 | |||||||||||
| 1981 | NYG
| 7 || 5 || 46 || 154 || 3.3 || 18 || 1 || 9 || 32 || 3.6 || 11 || 0 | |||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 90 | 62 | 900 | 3,380 | 3.8 | 53 | 20 | 126 | 1,022 | 8.1 | 37 | 1 |
Personal life
Kotar and his wife Donna had two children, Doug Jr. and Christie.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/17/obituaries/doug-kotar-of-giants-dies-ex-star-of-backfield-was-32.html|title = Doug Kotar of Giants Dies; Ex Star of Backfield Was 32|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 17 December 1983|last1 = Litsky|first1 = Frank}}
Death
After experiencing major headaches post-retirement, Kotar had a CT scan that revealed a brain tumor. He underwent invasive surgery that involved cutting into his skull, but the tumor was malignant and could not be removed. Kotar later suffered partial paralysis and was moved back to his hometown, where he received radiation treatment.
On December 16, 1983, Kotar died in his sleep at age 32.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=825b0iC_FJ0 | title=Keith Olbermann Reflects on the Life and Career of Doug Kotar - YouTube | website=YouTube }}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XTpSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UTYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5751%2C3761251 |work=The Day |location=(New London, Connecticut) |agency=Associated Press |last=Wilhelm |first=Kathy |title=Kotar was a fighter |date=December 17, 1983 |page=19}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Footballstats |nfl=2518759 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=KotaDo00 |dbf= |rotoworld=}}
- [https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/doug-kotar-1.html Sports Reference] – college football – Doug Kotar
- {{Find a Grave|11258974}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotar, Doug}}
Category:People from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Category:Players of American football from Washington County, Pennsylvania
Category:American football running backs
Category:American people of Hungarian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Hungarian descent
Category:New York Giants players