Emil Beasy
{{Short description|American football player (1898–1967)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Emil Beasy
| image = Emil Beasy, 1925.png
| alt = Black-and-white portrait of Emil Beasy, a then young white man wearing a jeryse and a football helmet.
| caption = Beasy, {{circa}} 1925
| upright = yes
| number =
| position = Fullback
| birth_date = {{birth date|1898|8|1}}
| birth_place = Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1967|4|21|1898|8|1}}
| death_place = Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
| height_ft =
| height_in =
| weight_lb = 162
| high_school =
| college = North Dakota?
| pastteams =
- Hibbing Miners (1916–?, 1919–1923)
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1924}})
- Hibbing Miners (1924–1925)
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 1
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 1
| pfr =
}}
Emil Anton Beasy{{efn|Identified as "Jack Beasey" by the Green Bay Packers website.{{Cite web |title=Packers All-Time Players Roster |url=https://gb.packers.com/players |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Packers.com}}}}{{efn|Beasy's{{Cite news |date=April 23, 1967 |title=Regional Deaths |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165409457/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=23 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} name was frequently misspelled as "Beasey".{{Cite news |date=July 24, 1924 |title=Stars Of Hibbing Sign With Packers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent/165409563/ |work=The Post-Crescent |page=11 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}}} (August{{nbsp}}1, 1898 – April{{nbsp}}21, 1967) was an American professional football fullback. He played semi-professionally for several years with a team in Hibbing, Minnesota, and joined the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in 1924, playing in one game for them.
Early life
Beasy was born on August{{nbsp}}1, 1898, in Minnesota.{{Cite web |title=Emil Beasy Stats |url=https://profootballarchives.com/players/b/beas01600.html |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Pro Football Archives}} He was the oldest of four brothers who were all involved in Hibbing, Minnesota, sports.{{Cite news |date=April 30, 1945 |title=Untitled |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165409274/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He grew up playing football, being a fullback, and also competed as a middleweight boxer.{{Cite news |date=March 3, 1922 |title=Hibbing Fight Fans To See Home Boys |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165414381/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He graduated from high school in 1916.{{Cite news |date=October 2, 1916 |title=Hibbing Defeats Gilbert Eleven |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165411677/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He reportedly attended the University of North Dakota where he played football at an unknown date, although the Green Bay Packers identified him as having played college football for the University of South Dakota.
Professional career
=First stint with Hibbing=
After Beasy graduated from high school, he began playing semi-professional football for the team in Hibbing, known as the Hibbing Miners. He returned to the team in 1919 and was noted for his speed, with The Duluth News Tribune describing him as "one of the fastest backfield men developed on the Mesaba range" and "one of Hibbing's best ground gainers all year."{{Cite news |date=October 26, 1919 |title=He's Fast |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165411953/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=13 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} At Hibbing, he was nicknamed "Busy" Beasy. He remained with Hibbing in 1920, as they compiled a record of 2–1–1 in games with known results.{{Cite news |date=October 10, 1920 |title=Hibbing And Eveleth City Teams Clash Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165413751/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite web |title=1920 Hibbing |url=https://profootballarchives.com/1920hib.html |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Pro Football Archives}} In 1921, he was reported as "without a doubt one of the best backs in this part of the country" and he served as Hibbing's team captain, with the News Tribune calling him "the scintillating backfield man of the local teams for many seasons past."{{Cite news |date=October 30, 1921 |title=Hibbing-Eveleth City Teams Clash for Second Time |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165413921/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=37 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |date=August 31, 1921 |title=Hibbing Will Have Home Players On Grid Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165414010/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} After the 1921 football season, in which Hibbing went at least 2–3,{{Cite web |title=1921 Hibbing |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1921hib.html |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Pro Football Archives}} he began playing baseball for a team in Hibbing, being named their captain while playing as their catcher.{{Cite news |date=December 15, 1921 |title=Hibbing Will Have Indoor Baseball Team in Field |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165414122/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
Beasy led Hibbing to a record of 4–2–1 in 1922, which included both a win against and a close loss to the Duluth Kelleys, a future NFL team.{{Cite web |title=1922 Hibbing All-Stars |url=https://profootballarchives.com/1922hib.html |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Pro Football Archives}} In the loss to the Kelleys, by a score of 6–0, Beasy was reported to have gained more yards than the rest of his team's backfield combined.{{Cite news |last=Gollop, Louis H. |date=October 16, 1922 |title=Gilbert's Drop Kicking Defeats Hibbing 6 To 0 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165415077/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} In 1923, Hibbing went 4–4, which included three games against NFL teams: a 6–0 loss to the Kelleys, a 10–0 loss to the Green Bay Packers, and a 27–7 loss to the Rock Island Independents.{{Cite web |title=1923 Hibbing All-Stars |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1923hiba.html |access-date=February 13, 2025 |website=Pro Football Archives}} He was considered the "pride" of the team and The Post-Crescent noted that "against the Packers, Beasy was about the only Hibbing backfielder who could make any consistent gains. Beasy was hurt in this game during the third quarter ... As he walked across the field to the sidelines, holding his injured shoulder, the spectators tendered him a great ovation."{{Cite news |date=September 5, 1924 |title=Packers Greatest Team Starts Practice On Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-packers-greatest/165369793/ |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |page=16 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
When not playing football for Hibbing, Beasy was a firefighter in the city.{{Cite news |date=July 22, 1924 |title=Buland And Beasey Sign Packer Football Contracts |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/165415769/ |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He also frequently fought as a boxer during his football career and was called "a mighty good mauler," with him being reported to have fought "about a dozen battles" from fall 1923 to summer 1924 against "some of the best boys in the ring."
=Packers and later career=
In July 1924, Beasy signed to play for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. A report in the Green Bay Press-Gazette called him "the type of a smashing crashing fullback that the Packers have long needed." He made the team and started at fullback in the Packers' NFL season-opener, a 6–3 loss to the Kelleys, with Curly Lambeau later coming in as a substitute for him.{{Cite news |date=September 29, 1924 |title=Kelleys Defeat Packers in Thrilling Dope Upset |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165416374/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=8 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} However, within two weeks of the Kelleys game, he had left the Packers and returned to Hibbing.{{Cite news |date=October 9, 1924 |title=Kansas City-Packer Battle Here Sunday To Draw Big Crowd |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/165416502/ |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |page=12 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He only appeared in a single game for the Packers. He returned to Hibbing for the 1925 season.{{Cite news |date=October 16, 1925 |title=Plunging Fullback |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165416697/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} Afterwards, he continued playing baseball in Hibbing, doing so through at least 1933, often with several of his brothers.{{Cite news |date=September 6, 1926 |title=Duluth Plays Winona For State Diamondball Championship |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-minneapolis-journal/165416857/ |work=The Minneapolis Journal |page=18 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |date=May 26, 1930 |title=Hibbing Nine to Play Colored Giants Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165417144/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news |date=September 3, 1933 |title=Mankato Blasts Hibbing |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165417233/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=16 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
Later life and death
After his sports career, Beasy remained a firefighter and was the vice chairman of the Minnesota Fire Department Association.{{Cite news |date=February 11, 1934 |title=Hibbing Firemen Arrange Annual State Convention |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/162205061/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=10 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He served as a fire warden for 42 years. In 1931, he was presented a medal by the mayor of Hibbing for saving the life of a man who was trapped in a well.{{Cite news |date=April 29, 1931 |title=Hibbing Seeks Flying Field; Honor Fireman |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-duluth-news-tribune/165417627/ |work=The Duluth News Tribune |page=14 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He was married to Esther Beasy and the two had a son and a daughter. He died in a Duluth hospital on April 21, 1967, at the age of 68.
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons-inline}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beasy, Emil}}
Category:Sportspeople from Hibbing, Minnesota
Category:Players of American football from Minnesota
Category:Boxers from Minnesota
Category:Baseball players from Minnesota
Category:American football fullbacks
Category:North Dakota Fighting Hawks football players