George Edward Trafton was an American professional football player and coach, boxer, boxing manager, and gymnasium proprietor.
29 Facts About George Trafton
2.
George Trafton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964 and was selected in 1969 as the center on the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.
3.
George Trafton played professional football in the National Football League as a center for the Decatur Staleys, Chicago Staleys, and Chicago Bears.
4.
George Trafton is credited as being the first center to snap the ball with one hand and was selected six times as a first-team All Pro.
5.
George Trafton was the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1951 to 1953.
6.
George Trafton led the Blue Bombers to the 41st Grey Cup in 1953.
7.
George Trafton attended Oak Park High School, in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park.
8.
George Trafton played football for Oak Park from 1913 to 1915.
9.
At age 22, George Trafton played college football for one year at the University of Notre Dame.
10.
In early July 1920, George Trafton signed to play for the Decatur Staleys in the inaugural season of the National Football League.
11.
In 1922, George Trafton took leave from professional football to serve as an assistant football coach, with responsibility for the linemen, for Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
12.
In February 1923, George Trafton was forced to resign his coaching job due to a ruling from the Big Ten Conference prohibiting former professional players to coach in any capacity for a conference team.
13.
In September 1923, George Trafton returned to the NFL as a player with the Chicago Bears.
14.
George Trafton continued playing with the Bears through the 1932 season.
15.
George Trafton became known as one of the roughest players in the earliest years of the NFL.
16.
George Trafton's first boxing match of note was a December 1929 bout against Chicago White Sox first baseman Art Shires.
17.
On March 26,1930, George Trafton faced future world champion Primo Carnera in Kansas City.
18.
George Trafton was knocked out by Carnera in the first round of their fight.
19.
In June 1944, George Trafton was hired as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers and put in charge of the team's linemen.
20.
In May 1945, George Trafton was hired by the Cleveland Rams as the team's line coach.
21.
George Trafton remained the Rams' line coach when they moved to Los Angeles in 1946 and through the 1949 season.
22.
In May 1951, George Trafton signed a one-year contract as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
23.
Two weeks after Winnipeg's loss in the Grey Cup game, George Trafton was fired in December 1953.
24.
George Trafton announced his retirement from coaching in January 1954.
25.
George Trafton was first married to Suzanne Kellington of Decatur, Illinois, in December 1923.
26.
In March 1926, George Trafton divorced his first wife on grounds that she deserted him two months after their marriage.
27.
In December 1932, George Trafton was married for a third time to Helen Lowenstein.
28.
George Trafton underwent "major hip surgery" in April 1971 and was then sent to the Villa Gardens Convalescent Home in Los Angeles.
29.
George Trafton died in September 1971 at West Los Angeles Hospital at age 74.