Sammy Powers
{{Short description|American football player (1897–1969)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Sammy Powers
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| number =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1897|05|26}}
| birth_place = Koss, Michigan, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1969|10|14|1897|05|26}}
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 170
| high_school = Marinette
(Marinette, Wisconsin)
| college =
| pastteams =
- Green Bay Packers (1919–1921)
- Ishpeming (1923)
- Iron Mountain (1924–{{circa}} 1926)
| pastcoaching=
- Marinette High School (1918)
Head coach
| highlights =
| statlabel1 = Games played
| statvalue1 = 4
| statlabel2 = Games started
| statvalue2 = 1
| pfr = PoweSa20
}}
Samuel R. Powers (May 26, 1897 – October 14, 1969) was an American professional football guard and tackle. After attending Marinette High School, he joined the newly-formed Green Bay Packers and played for them in their inaugural 1919 season. He remained with the Packers through 1921, when they were in the American Professional Football Association (APFA, now the National Football League), appearing in a total of four APFA games.
Early life
Powers was born on May 26, 1897, in Koss, Michigan. He attended Marinette High School where he played football and was a three-year starter. A lineman, he measured at {{convert|5|ft|10|in}} and weighed {{convert|130|lb|kg}} in high school, starting for Marinette from 1915 to 1917. At the start of the 1917 season, the Marinette Eagle-Star called Powers "easily the best tackle in the state," and he "backed up the paper's bold assertion" in their season opener, helping block for Ed Glick in a 69–0 victory over their opponent.{{Cite news|url=https://archive.today/20250224024058/https://www.ehextra.com/sports/whether-marine-or-packer-powers-was-a-standout/article_f0f177c0-0250-5888-8447-5c9f77f5ee65.html|newspaper=Marinette Menominee EagleHerald|via=archive.today|title=Whether Marine or Packer, Powers was a standout|date=August 1, 2021|author=Lehmann, Matt}} He helped Marinette compile an undefeated record while they outscored their opponents by a margin of 168–0 and won the state title. After he graduated, Powers worked as Marinette's head coach for half of the 1918 season.
Professional career
In 1919, Powers joined the newly-formed Green Bay Packers, playing as a tackle and guard in their inaugural 1919 season. He increased his weight to {{convert|170|lb|kg}} and helped the 1919 Packers compile a record of 10–1, with their only loss coming against the Beloit Fairies in the season finale by a 6–0 score.{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/1919greenb.html|access-date=February 21, 2025|title=1919 Green Bay Packers|website=Pro Football Archives}} Most of the original Packers were from the area, with Powers being reported in the Green Bay Press-Gazette to be the team's only non-local player that year.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166702157/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 27, 1957|page=18|title=Packers Known as 'the Pro Team With the College Spirit|author=Calhoun, George Whitney|author-link=George Whitney Calhoun}} {{Open access}} He continued playing for the Packers in 1920.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-de-pere-vs-gree/101780343/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 25, 1920|page=4|title=Packers Run Wild Over De Pere; Rout Invaders 62-0 In Sunday's Game}} {{Open access}} He played his third and final season for the Packers in 1921, as they joined the American Professional Football Association (APFA) (renamed National Football League (NFL) in 1922). By playing in the APFA in 1921, Powers became the first resident of Marinette, Wisconsin, to play in what became the NFL. He played in four games, one as a starter, for the Packers that season.
In 1923, Powers played for a team in Ishpeming, Michigan.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166704437/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 3, 1924|page=10|title=Sport Gossip}} {{Open access}} He then played for a team in Iron Mountain in 1924, along with former Packer Jab Murray.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166704547/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 26, 1924|page=17|title=Untitled}} {{Open access}} He was still playing for the Iron Mountain team by 1926, including once against the Packers, which Iron Mountain lost 79–0.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166704716/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=September 8, 1926|page=16|title=Iron Mountain Coming Here Sunday With Good Team}} {{Open access}}{{Cite web|url=https://profootballarchives.com/1926nflgb.html|website=Pro Football Archives|access-date=February 25, 2025|title=1926 Green Bay Packers (NFL)}}
In addition to football, Powers also played baseball locally.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166705703/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 31, 1920|page=5|title=Good Game At Packer Field}} {{Open access}}
Later life and death
Powers was married and had at least three children, including a son who died at age seven.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/166705433/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 16, 1931|page=21|title=Obituary}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/26302965/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 24, 1958|page=17|title=Sammy Powers Packers' First Great Grandpa?}} {{Open access}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent/166705378/|newspaper=The Post-Crescent|via=Newspapers.com|date=June 4, 1965|page=15|title=Pallbearers Named for Lambeau's Funeral}} {{Open access}} During his Packers career, he and his wife would bring their daughter, then a baby, to games, with her receiving some "publicity" as the "youngest Packer backer". After his football career, he lived in De Pere, Wisconsin. He died on October 14, 1969, at the age of 72, from a cerebral hemorrhage.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-sam-powers-obit/13814610/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 15, 1969|page=27|title=Sam Powers, Original Packer, Dies}} {{Open access}} He was posthumously inducted into the Marinette High School Hall of Fame in 2021.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1919 Green Bay Packers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powers, Sammy}}
Category:People from Menominee County, Michigan
Category:People from Marinette, Wisconsin
Category:Players of American football from Michigan
Category:Players of American football from Wisconsin
Category:Green Bay Packers players