View source for Paul Dekker

{{unreferenced|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
| name = 
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|2|24|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Muskegon, Michigan]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2001|05|8|1931|02|24}}
| death_place = 
| team = 
| number = 83
| status = 
| import = yes
| position1 = Wide receiver
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 220
| college = [[Michigan State University|Michigan State]]
| NFLDraftedYear = 1953
| NFLDraftedRound = 3
| NFLDraftedPick = 27
| NFLDraftedTeam = [[Washington Redskins]]
| playing_years1 = 1953
| playing_team1 = [[Washington Redskins]]
| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|1954}}–{{CFL Year|1962}}
| playing_team2 = [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] ([[Canadian Football League|CFL]])
| career_highlights = 
| CFLEastAllStar = {{CFL Year|1958}}, {{CFL Year|1959}}, {{CFL Year|1960}}, {{CFL Year|1961}}
| NFL = DEK553722
| DatabaseFootball = DEKKEPAU01
}}
'''Paul Nelson Dekker''' (February 24, 1931 &ndash; May 8, 2001) was an [[American football|American]] and [[Canadian football]] player for the [[Michigan State Spartans]] and professionally for the [[Washington Redskins]] and the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]].

==College career==
At Michigan State, Dekker was a [[Starting lineup|starting]] [[End (American football)|end]] in his junior and senior years.  The Spartans were runners-up for the [[NCAA Division I-A national football championship|1951 National Championship]] in the [[Associated Press]] poll and [http://www.tiptop25.com/champ1952.html National Champions in the undefeated 1952 season ].

[https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan-state/1952.html 1952 Michigan State Spartans Stats]

He was selected by the Associated Press as a member of their All‑Western team.

[http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv08/CFHSNv08n3f.pdf Paul Dekker named to the All American Blockers for 1952, named by Wirt Gammon of the Chattanooga Times. As told by Bernie McCarty ]

Dekker represented the Spartans in the annual [[East-West Shrine Game|East‑West Shrine contest]], pulling in a game-record nine receptions for 100 yards.  A member of the 1953 [[College All-Star Game|College All‑Stars]] and the 1953 [[Hula Bowl]] squad, he was selected in the third round of the [[1953 NFL Draft]] by the [[Washington Redskins]]. While at Michigan State, Dekker joined the [[Phi Kappa Tau]] fraternity.

[http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/msu/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history3.pdf He was a Spartan Football Letterwinner in 1951-1952. See Page 231. ]

==Professional career==
Dekker remained with the Redskins for only one season.  In 1954, he joined the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]] of the [[Canadian Football League]].  In nine seasons at Hamilton, Dekker played in the [[Grey Cup]] championship contest five times, winning once in 1957.  He was elected to the All Eastern/All Western All‑Star team four times and tied a Grey Cup record for the longest completed pass with a 90‑yard touchdown reception in the Tiger‑Cats' 21‑14 overtime loss to the [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] in the [[1961 Grey Cup]] game.  He died before seeing the record broken in the year after he passed.  Dekker retired from professional football following the 1962 season.

[https://web.archive.org/web/20111222234321/http://www.fanbase.com/1-Paul-Dekker Paul Dekker Football Statistics on Fanbase.com]

[http://www.cflapedia.com/Players/d/dekker_paul.htm Paul Dekker CFL Statistics]

==Legacy==
He is a member of the [http://www.mashf.com/1990_inductees.htm#Dekker Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame] and got his start at [http://blog.mlive.com/muskegon_chronicle_hssports/2007/08/driven_players_bring_muskegon.html Muskegon High]

Dekker was selected as an honorary member of Hamilton's "Fabulous Fifties Team of the Decade."

{{1952 Michigan State Spartans football navbox}}
{{Redskins1953DraftPicks}}
{{45th Grey Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dekker, Paul}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:American football wide receivers]]
[[Category:American players of Canadian football]]
[[Category:Canadian football wide receivers]]
[[Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players]]
[[Category:Michigan State Spartans football players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Muskegon, Michigan]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Michigan]]
[[Category:Washington Redskins players]]
[[Category:Grey Cup champions]]


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{{widereceiver-1930s-stub}}