Sidney Luckman was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League from 1939 through 1950.
20 Facts About Sid Luckman
2.
Sportswriter Ira Berkow wrote that Luckman was "the first great T-formation quarterback", and he is considered the greatest long-range passer of his time.
3.
Sid Luckman was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1943.
4.
Sid Luckman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965, and in 1988 he was declared a joint winner of the Walter Camp Distinguished American Award.
5.
Sid Luckman was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish immigrants from Germany, Meyer and Ethel Druckman Sid Luckman.
6.
Sid Luckman's father sparked his interest in football at age eight, by giving him a football to play with.
7.
Sid Luckman was not admitted to Columbia College; instead, he attended the New College for the Education of Teachers, an undergraduate school which was within Teachers College at Columbia.
8.
Sid Luckman competed on the football team from 1936 until the New College closed in 1939, at which point he transferred to Columbia College.
9.
At Columbia, Sid Luckman was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity.
10.
However, despite his successes at Columbia University, Sid Luckman initially declined any further interest in pro football, instead preferring to work for his father-in-law's trucking company.
11.
In 1940, during his second season with the Bears, Sid Luckman took over the offense and led the Bears to the title game against Sammy Baugh and the Washington Redskins.
12.
Perfecting Halas' complex offensive scheme of fakes, men in motion, and quick-hitting runs, Sid Luckman added the dimension of accurate downfield throwing.
13.
In 1943, as soon as the season had ended, Sid Luckman volunteered as an ensign with the US Merchant Marine.
14.
Sid Luckman was stationed stateside and while he could not practice with the team, he did receive permission to play for the Bears on game days during the following seasons.
15.
Sid Luckman returned again to the Bears, as a full-time occupation, in 1946 and led them to a fifth NFL championship.
16.
Sid Luckman's 28 touchdown passes in 1943 was a record that lasted until 1959, a 12-game season.
17.
Sid Luckman was a five-time All-NFL selection, was named the National Football League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1943, and led the "Monsters of the Midway" to championships in 1940,1941,1943, and 1946.
18.
Sid Luckman was a part of the Rapid American Corporation of which he obtained shares.
19.
Sid Luckman eventually retired to Aventura, Florida, where he died on July 5,1998, at the age of 81.
20.
Sid Luckman was survived by a son, Bob, and two daughters, Gale and Ellen.