George Cafego

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1915–1998)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = George Cafego

| image = George Cafego.jpg

| number = 72, 23, 32, 11

| position = Fullback
Quarterback
Halfback

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|8|29}}

| birth_place = Whipple, West Virginia, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|2|9|1915|8|29}}

| death_place = Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 169

| high_school = Oak Hill
(Oak Hill, West Virginia)

| college = Tennessee

| draftyear = 1940

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 1

| pastteams = * Brooklyn Dodgers ({{NFL Year|1940}}, {{NFL Year|1943}})

Washington Redskins (1943)
Boston Yanks ({{NFL Year|1944|1945}})

| pastcoaching = * Furman (1948)
(Backfield)

Wyoming (1949–1952)
(Assistant)
Arkansas (1953–1954)
(Assistant)
Tennessee (1955–1963)
(Backfield)
Tennessee (1964–1973)
(Assistant)
Tennessee (1974–1984)
(Special teams)
Denver Broncos ({{NFL Year|1986}})
(Assistant)
Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|1987}})
(Assistant)

| highlights = * Consensus All-American (1939)

First-team All-American (1938)
SEC Player of the Year (1938)
2× First-team All-SEC (1938, 1939)
Second-team All-SEC (1937)

| statlabel1 = TD–INT

| statvalue1 = 5–16

| statlabel2 = Passing yards

| statvalue2 = 966

| statlabel3 = Passer rating

| statvalue3 = 37.7

| statlabel4 = Rushing yards

| statvalue4 = 77

| statlabel5 = Rushing touchdowns

| statvalue5 = 1

| statlabel6 = Receptions

| statvalue6 = 13

| statlabel7 = Receiving yards

| statvalue7 = 133

| pfr = CafeGe20

| CollegeHOF = 1578

}}

George Cafego ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|f|ə|g|oʊ}} {{respell|KAF|ə|goh}}; August 29, 1915 – February 9, 1998) was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played college football at the University of Tennessee, earning varsity letters 1937–1939, and professionally in the National Football League (NFL) with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Washington Redskins, and Boston Yanks. He served as the head baseball coach at the University of Wyoming in 1950 and at his alma mater, Tennessee, from 1958 to 1962. Cafego was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1969.{{Cite web |title=George Cafego (1969) - Hall of Fame |url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=1578 |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=National Football Foundation |language=en}}

Career

=High school and collegiate career=

Born in rural Whipple, West Virginia to John Cafego and Mary (Rednock) Cafego, Cafego attended Oak Hill High School in nearby Oak Hill.{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Dave |date=September 30, 2021 |title=Oak Hill celebrates 100 years of football Friday night |url=https://www.register-herald.com/sports/oak-hill-celebrates-100-years-of-football-friday-night/article_4c0c9465-6b47-5919-83ea-aca7f3957f5c.html |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Beckley Register-Herald |language=en}} Cafego was able to finish high school because his brother, Tom Cafego, supported the family by playing professional baseball during the summers and mining coal the rest of the year.{{Cite news |last=Gammon |first=Wirt |date=February 18, 1939 |title=There's a Tom Cafego, Too |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chattanooga-daily-times-just-between-us/130388069/ |access-date=August 21, 2023 |work=Chattanooga Daily Times|via=Newspapers.com |pages=8}}

He went to the University of Tennessee as a halfback under coach Robert Neyland. While there, he earned varsity letters 1937 - 1939 and compiled 2,139 total yards and two All-American team selections. He was also a finalist for the Heisman Memorial Trophy.{{Cite web |title=1938 Heisman Trophy Voting |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1938.html |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1939 Heisman Trophy Voting |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/awards/heisman-1939.html |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Sports Reference |language=en}} In addition to running and passing the ball, Cafego also served as punter and kickoff returner, excelling at both. At Tennessee his nickname was "Bad News".{{cite magazine|title=LIFE Goes to a Football Game to Watch Tennessee Trounce Alabama|magazine=LIFE|date=November 6, 1939|page=102}}{{Cite web |title=George Cafego - Football |url=https://utsports.com/sports/football/roster/george-cafego/12255 |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=University of Tennessee Athletics |language=en}} As a sophomore, his first year on the varsity, he already showed signs of success, catching "many an expert eye."{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2504987/washington_ch_recordherald/|work=Washington C. H. Record-Herald|title=All-American Team Selected|date=December 4, 1937|page=9|access-date=May 28, 2015|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

=Professional career=

Cafego was selected as the number one overall pick in the 1940 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals.{{Cite web |title=1940 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1940/draft.htm |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} He eventually played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.{{Cite web |title=1940 Brooklyn Dodgers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/bkn/1940.htm |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} After playing one season, his career was interrupted by a brief stint of Army service in World War II era.{{Cite web |last=Rucker |first=Wes |date=June 17, 2015 |title=Top five RBs in Tennessee history |url=https://247sports.com/Article/top-five-running-backs-in-tennessee-vols-football-history-37797505/ |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=247Sports |language=en}} During this time he appeared in several games for the Newport News Builders of the Dixie League. Returning to the Dodgers in 1943, he was traded to the Washington Redskins after five unspectacular games.{{Cite web |title=1943 Brooklyn Dodgers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/bkn/1943.htm |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1943 Washington Redskins Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1943.htm |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}} For the 1944 and 1945 seasons, Cafego played for the Boston Yanks before retiring.{{Cite web |title=1944 Boston Yanks Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/byk/1944.htm |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1945 Bos/Bkn Yanks/Tigers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/byk/1945.htm |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference |language=en}}

=Coaching career=

After his playing career was over, Cafego served as an assistant coach at Wyoming, Furman, Arkansas, and 30 years at his alma mater, Tennessee, serving under a total of six different head coaches during his UTK coaching career.{{Cite web |date=March 23, 1985 |title=George Cafego, a former All-America tailback who coached Tennessee's kickers for 30 years, has retired |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/03/23/George-Cafego-a-former-All-America-tailback-who-coached-Tennessees/5758480402000/ |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=UPI |language=en}} He was also the head coach of Tennessee's baseball team from 1958 to 1962. He retired from coaching following the 1984 season.

Personal

His brother Tom Cafego played briefly in Major League Baseball, in {{baseball year|1937}}.{{Cite web |title=Tom Cafego Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cafegto01.shtml |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}

=Death=

Cafego died in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the age of 82 and was buried in his native Fayette County in West Virginia.{{Cite web |date=February 10, 1998 |title=Obituary for George Cafego |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-obituary-for-george-cafeg/121499788/ |access-date=March 14, 2024 |website=The Tennessean|via=Newspapers.com |pages=23}}

References

External links

{{College Football HoF|1578}}
{{Footballstats |nfl=2510890 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=C/CafeGe2 |rotoworld= }}
{{Find a Grave|10956021}}
[https://utsports.com/sports/football/roster/george-cafego/12255 Tennessee Volunteers bio]

{{Navboxes

| title = George Cafego—awards and honors

| list1 =

}}

Category:1915 births

Category:1998 deaths

Category:All-American college football players

Category:American football fullbacks

Category:American football halfbacks

Category:American football quarterbacks

Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches

Category:Boston Yanks players