| No. 44 | |
| Quarterback | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: March 5, 1918 St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Date of death: March 2, 1970 (aged 51) Lake Forest, Illinois | |
| Career information | |
| College: Missouri | |
| NFL Draft: 1941 / Round: 2 / Pick: 13 | |
| Debuted in 1945 for the Chicago Cardinals | |
| Last played in 1950 for the Green Bay Packers | |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Paul Joseph Christman[1] (March 5, 1918–March 2, 1970) was an American football player and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He played college football for the University of Missouri and professionally for the Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers.
| TEAMS | AWARDS | MEDIA | BOOKS | STATS | TRADING CARDS | IMAGES |
Collegiate career
A St. Louis native, Christman led the Missouri Tigers to a 20-8 record during his three seasons as their starting quarterback. He was a two-time All-American, and led the nation in touchdown passes in 1940. He was Missouri's all-time leading passer until 1976, when he was surpassed by Steve Pisarkiewicz. While at the University of Missouri he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. His jersey number, 44, is one of seven retired by the school. In 1956, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
National Football League career
Christman played six seasons in the National Football League, from 1945-1950. He was a member of the so-called "Million Dollar Backfield," which led the Cardinals to the 1947 NFL Championship. A notoriously poor ball-handler, at one time he owned the record for most fumbles in a game (five) and most own fumbles recovered in a season (eight).
Broadcasting career
After retiring as a player Christman worked as a color commentator for American Football League games on NBC television, teamed with play-by-play announcer Curt Gowdy; in 1967, the pair called Super Bowl I for the network. In 1968-69 he moved to rival CBS, teaming with Ray Scott on NFL broadcasts.
Personal
His daughter is noted Scientology critic Tory Christman.
Death
Christman died in 1970 in Lake Forest, Illinois from a heart attack.
See also
References
- ↑ "Christman on Pro-Football-Reference". rbref.com. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ChriPa20.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
External links
- NFL.com list of fumble records
- Pro Football Hall of Fame article on the "Million Dollar Backfield"
- Career statistics at databaseFootball.com
- Biography from the College Football Hall of Fame
- Tigers Football Honors and Records[dead link]
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