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Ki Aldrich

{{Short description|American football player (1916–1983)}}

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

{{More citations needed|date=February 2008}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image = Ki Aldrich.jpg

| caption =

| position = Center / Linebacker

| number = 48, 55, 38

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|6|1|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Rogers, Texas, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1983|3|12|1916|6|1|mf=y}}

| death_place = Temple, Texas, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lbs = 207

| draftyear = 1939

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 1

| high_school = Temple (TX)

| college = TCU

| pastteams =

| highlights =

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 73

| statlabel2 = Interceptions

| statvalue2 = 8

| statlabel3 = Touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 2

| pfr = AldrKi20

| CollegeHOF = 1536

}}

Charles Collins "Ki" Aldrich (June 1, 1916 – March 12, 1983) was an American football player. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960.

Early life

Aldrich was born in Rogers, Texas, and attended Temple High School in Temple, Texas, where he was named All-State as a center in 1934.{{Cite web|work=Texas Sports Hall of Fame|url=http://tshof.org/inductees/|title=Inductees|access-date=2015-10-23|archive-date=2015-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117121749/http://tshof.org/inductees/|url-status=dead}} He was an All-American center at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. At TCU, he played alongside two legendary quarterbacks—Sammy Baugh and Davey O'Brien. Aldrich's senior year, 1938, the Horned Frogs won the National Championship, finishing 11-0 and winning the Sugar Bowl.

Professional career

The Chicago Cardinals made Aldrich the first selection in the 1939 NFL draft, in which his TCU teammates O'Brien and I. B. Hale also were selected in the top ten.{{Cite web |title=1939 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1939/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He played two seasons for the Cardinals before moving to the Washington Redskins. After two seasons in Washington, he left to serve in the Navy during World War II.{{College Football HoF|id=1536|name=Ki Aldrich|accessdate=2015-10-23}} He returned to the Redskins in 1945, and retired in 1947. During his professional career, Aldrich averaged 50 minutes of playing time per game.

After football

After retiring from football, Aldirch served as the superintendent at the Lena Pope Orphanage in Fort Worth, Texas. His first wife was the daughter of the founder. He died March 12, 1983, in Temple, Texas.

Legacy

His coach at TCU, Dutch Meyer, said of Aldrich: "That boy wanted to play football more than anyone I ever knew." Baugh called him "the toughest player I ever knew." Aldrich was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960 and was named to the Southwest Conference's All-Time Team in 1969.

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Footballstats |nfl=Ki-Aldrich|ESPN= |cfl= |cbs= |si= |yahoo= |pfr=AldrKi20 }}
  • {{College Football HoF|id=1536}}
  • {{Find a Grave|47943664}}

{{1939 NFL Draft}}

{{NFL NumberOne Draft Picks}}

{{CardinalsFirstPick}}

{{Chicago Cardinals 1939 draft navbox}}

{{1942 Washington Redskins}}

{{1938 TCU Horned Frogs football navbox}}

{{1938 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Ki}}

Category:1916 births

Category:1983 deaths

Category:All-American college football players

Category:People from Rogers, Texas

Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II

Category:American football centers

Category:Chicago Cardinals players

Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees

Category:First overall NFL draft picks

Category:TCU Horned Frogs football players

Category:Washington Redskins players

Category:Players of American football from Bell County, Texas