Ken Huffine
{{Short description|American football player and coach (1897–1977)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
| name = Ken Huffine
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1897|12|22}}
| birth_place = Hammond, Indiana, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|09|26|1897|12|22}}
| death_place = Bradenton, Florida, U.S.
| team =
| number =
| status =
| position1 = Fullback, Head Coach
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 208
| college = Purdue
| coaching_years1 = 1920
| coaching_team1 = Muncie Flyers
| playing_years1 = 1920
| playing_team1 = Muncie Flyers
| playing_years2 = 1920
| playing_team2 = Fort Wayne Friars
| playing_years3 = 1921
| playing_team3 = Chicago Staleys
| playing_years4 = 1922–1925
| playing_team4 = Dayton Triangles
| career_highlights =
- NFL champion (1921)
- 2nd Team All-NFL (1924)
| NFL = 2516971
| CoachPFR = HuffKe0
}}
Kenneth Wilbur Huffine (December 22, 1897 – September 26, 1977) was a professional football player-coach who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1920 until 1925. During that time, he played for the Muncie Flyers, Chicago Staleys and the Dayton Triangles. He was a member of the Staleys' 1921 Championship team. The Staleys were renamed the Chicago Bears in 1922. Ken also played with the independent Fort Wayne Friars in 1920, alongside the legendary Jim Thorpe.{{cite journal| title=Forward Into Invisibility| journal=PFRA Annual| publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association| pages=1–6| url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Forward_Into_Invisibility.pdf| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218174026/http://profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Forward_Into_Invisibility.pdf| archivedate=2010-12-18}}
Prior to playing football professionally, Ken played college football at Purdue University. He was a three-time letterman with the Boilermakers in 1916, 1917 and 1919.{{cite web|url=http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080609aac.html|title=Purdue Football All-Time Letterwinners - PURDUESPORTS.COM - Purdue Official Athletic Site|publisher=purduesports.com|accessdate=2015-04-05|archive-date=2011-07-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727185201/http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080609aac.html|url-status=dead}}
Rough first game
Ken also played in one of the first NFL games as Muncie played the Rock Island Independents on October 3, 1920. While serving as the team's punter, Huffine had three of his punts blocked during the game. The Independents used each blocked punt to score three touchdowns in the first quarter. Rock Island's Ed Shaw blocked Huffine's first attempt and Arnie Wyman picked it up to run 35 yards for the score. Later Huffine got off a successful punt, however the Islanders drove to the Muncie two-yard line, only to fumble. But, when Huffine went into the end zone for yet another punt attempt, Walt Buland broke through to block, and Wyman scored again by falling on the ball in the end zone. As soon as Huffine was called upon to punt again, Shaw and Oak Smith blocked another one. This time Dewey Lyle recovered but stepped out of bounds on the 15-yard line. Rube Ursella then scored for Rock Island shortly after.{{cite journal |title=The First NFL Game(s) |journal=The Coffin Corner |publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association |volume=2 |year=1981 |pages=1–4 |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-02-059.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311103812/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-02-059.pdf |archivedate=2012-03-11 }}
Personality and traits
According to Henry E. Beck's book Growin' Up With Men And Machines, Ken is described as a "soft spoken man with a hand like a catcher's mitt". He was an educated person as people like being around him. During the conversations Ken would listen to every word spoken to him.{{cite book|title=Growin' Up with Men and Machines|author=Beck, H.E.|date=2005|publisher=Vantage Press|isbn=9780533151639|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A_JMVqYTtaoC|accessdate=2015-04-05}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
- {{cite journal |title=The First NFL Game(s) |journal=The Coffin Corner |publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association |volume=2 |year=1981 |pages=1–4 |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-02-059.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311103812/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/03-02-059.pdf |archivedate=2012-03-11 }}
- {{cite journal| title=Forward Into Invisibility| journal=PFRA Annual| publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association| pages=1–6| url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Forward_Into_Invisibility.pdf| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218174026/http://profootballresearchers.org/Articles/Forward_Into_Invisibility.pdf| archivedate=2010-12-18}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave}}
{{1921 Chicago Staleys}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huffine, Ken}}
Category:Players of American football from Indiana
Category:Purdue Boilermakers football players
Category:Chicago Staleys players
Category:Dayton Triangles players
Category:Fort Wayne Friars players