Jack Manders

{{Short description|American football player (1909–1977)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Jack Manders

| image = Manders-Jack-1936.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Manders in 1936

| number = 10

| position = Halfback
Fullback
Kicker

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|1|13|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Milbank, South Dakota, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1977|1|29|1909|1|13|mf=y}}

| death_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 203

| high_school = Milbank (SD)

| college = Minnesota

| pastteams =

• Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1933|1940}})

| highlights =

• 2× NFL champion (1933, 1940)
• 2× First-team All-Pro (1934, 1937)
• 2× NFL scoring leader ({{nfly|1934}}, {{nfly|1937}})
• Third-team All-American (1932)
• First-team All-Big Ten (1931)
• 2× Second-team All-Big Ten (1930, 1932)

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 93

| statlabel2 = Games started

| statvalue2 = 42

| statlabel3 = Rushing yards

| statvalue3 = 1,586 (3.5 average)

| statlabel4 = Rushing touchdowns

| statvalue4 = 11

| statlabel5 = Receiving yards

| statvalue5 = 260 (17.3 average)

| statlabel6 = Receiving touchdowns

| statvalue6 = 6

| statlabel7 = Field goals

| statvalue7 = 19-for-40 (47.5%)

| pfr = MandJa20

}}

John Albert "Automatic Jack" Manders (January 13, 1909 – January 29, 1977) was an American football player. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears from 1933 to 1940.

A kicking savant in the era of one-platoon football, Manders gained his "Automatic" moniker kicking an NFL record 72 consecutive points after touchdown, dating from his entry into the league in the first game of 1933."Jack 'Automatic' Manders," in Pro Football Illustrated: The Picture Magazine of Pro Football: Fall 1941 Edition. Mt. Morris, IL: Elbak Publishing Co., 1941; p. 3. In his 8-season NFL career he scored a total of 368 points — 19 touchdowns, 40 field goals, and 134 points after touchdown — again an NFL individual record.

File:Manders-Automatic-Jack-magazine-1941.jpg

Manders began his NFL career as a fullback but was moved by Bears head coach George Halas to the halfback position in 1937. He was used primarily as a blocker during the 1939 and 1940 Bears seasons and was slated to be moved from the backfield to the line to play as a guard in 1941.

Manders was the second pro football player to appear on a Wheaties box.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.generalmills.com/2018/01/when-automatic-jack-wowed-wheaties-fans/|title=When 'Automatic Jack' wowed Wheaties fans}} He was also a member of the Chicago team coached by George Halas that defeated the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Championship Game by the memorable score of 73–0.

He was the older brother of Clarence "Pug" Manders, who played contemporaneously as a blocking back for the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers.[https://www.newspapers.com/article/kenosha-news-young-brothers-of-pro-stars/160700944/ "Young Brothers of Pro Stars Drafted,"] Kenosha News, Jan. 4, 1941, p. 3.