Paul Sheeks

Paul Preston "Pepper" Sheeks (October 18, 1889 – September 1968) was a professional football player with the Akron Pros of the National Football League. He played for the Pros in 1922 and 1923.

Before he joined the NFL, Paul played college football and basketball at the University of South Dakota. He was later inducted into the Coyote Sports Hall of Fame in 1973.

He then became the 20th head college football coach for the Wabash College Little Giants located in Crawfordsville, Indiana and he held that position for two seasons, from 1915 until 1916. His career coaching record at Wabash was 14 wins, 2 losses, and 1 ties. This ranks him 11th at Wabash in total wins and third at Wabash in winning percentage (.853). While at Wabash, Sheeks was also coached the basketball team, from 1916 to 1917. In just one year of coaching Sheeks led Wabash to a 19-2 record.

After World War I, Sheeks became the recreation director of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Through this position, he coached the Akron Red Peppers bantamweight football team to national recognition in 1935.

In 1935 Sheeks helped found the National Basketball League, considered a predecessor of the National Basketball Association. He later became the coach of the Akron Firestone Non-Skids winning two league championships and was named NBL Coach of Year twice in 1939 and 1940.

He was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame in 1957.