John Petitbon

{{Short description|American football player (1931–2006)}}

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

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image = John Petitbon 1951.jpg

| caption = Petitbon, circa 1951

| alt =

| number = 23, 44, 20

| position = {{Ubl|Defensive back|Half back}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|6|4}}

| birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2006|11|11|1931|6|4}}

| death_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 11

| weight_lb = 186

| high_school = Jesuit (Louisiana)

| college = Notre Dame

| draftyear = 1952

| draftround = 7

| draftpick = 74

| pastteams = * Dallas Texans ({{NFL Year|1952}})

• Cleveland Browns ({{NFL Year|1955}}–{{NFL Year|1956}})
• Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1957}})

| highlights = * NFL Champion (1955)

• National champion (1949)
• Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 47

| statlabel2 = Interceptions

| statvalue2 = 8

| statlabel3 = Fumbles recovered

| statvalue3 = 4

| pfr = PetiJo20

}}

John Petitbon (June 4, 1931 – November 11, 2006) was an American football player.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Petitbon was a three-sport star in baseball, basketball, and football at Jesuit High School. He was named the Louisiana All-State Most Valuable Player in football in 1946, and led Jesuit with 18 touchdowns in 1946 and 17 in 1947.{{Cite web | url = http://www.jesuitnola.org/athletics/InputIndividual_Football_Records-4065.htm | title = Jesuit Individual Records | access-date = December 15, 2023 | website = JesuitNOLA.org | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061112080216/http://www.jesuitnola.org/athletics/InputIndividual_Football_Records-4065.htm | archive-date = November 12, 2006 | url-status = dead}} He played college football at Notre Dame under coach Frank Leahy, and was a member of Notre Dame's 1949 national championship team as a sophomore safety. Moved to halfback for his final two years, he amassed 1,432 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns during those seasons, and was named a Collier's Weekly All-American in 1950. He was chosen to play in the College All-Star Game and the East-West Shrine Game after his senior season in 1951.{{Cite web | url = http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/nd-m-fb-a-allstargame.html | title = Notre Dame All-Star game participants | access-date = December 15, 2023 | website = UND.CSTV.com | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212195138/http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/nd-m-fb-a-allstargame.html |archive-date=December 12, 2007}}

Petitbon was selected as a defensive back in the seventh round of the 1952 NFL draft by the New York Yanks, who became the Dallas Texans for the 1952 season.{{Cite web | url = http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftteam.htm?tm=NYB&lg=nfl | title = New York Yanks 1952 NFL Draft selections | website = DatabaseFootball.com | access-date = December 15, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061208174114/http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftteam.htm?tm=NYB&lg=nfl | archive-date = December 8, 2006 | url-status = usurped}} Petitbon, however, joined the United States Marine Corps and served in the Korean War.{{Cite web | url = http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/war/korean/honor_roll.jsp | title = Football and America: The Korean War Honor Roll | website = ProFootballHoF.com | access-date = December 15, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090107055445/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/war/korean/honor_roll.jsp | archive-date = January 7, 2009 | url-status = dead }} Before the 1953 season, the Texans, who had become the Baltimore Colts, traded him to the Cleveland Browns as part of a 15-player deal, the second-largest trade in NFL history, in which the Colts received, among other players, defensive back Don Shula.{{Cite web | url = http://www.profootballhof.com/history/decades/1980s/eric_dickerson.jsp | title = Blockbuster Trade on Halloween 1987 | website = ProFootballHoF.com | access-date = December 15, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090224034734/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/decades/1980s/eric_dickerson.jsp | archive-date = February 24, 2009 | url-status = dead}} After returning from the Marines, Petitbon played for the Browns and was a member of their 1955 NFL championship team. Petitbon was traded to the Green Bay Packers in 1957 and retired after that season.{{Cite news | url = http://www.jsonline.com/sports/century/oct99/century111499.asp | title = Sports in Wisconsin: The 20th Century (1950-1959) | last = Christl | first = Cliff | author-link = Cliff Christl | date = November 13, 1999 | access-date = December 15, 2023 | newspaper = Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20000818210541/http://www.jsonline.com/sports/century/oct99/century111499.asp | archive-date = August 18, 2000 | url-status = dead}}

Petitbon was selected for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame, as was his younger brother Richie Petitbon, a former NFL player and coach.

After leaving football, John Petitbon entered the insurance business. He died of Alzheimer's disease in New Orleans on November 11, 2006.