Fran Polsfoot
 Polsfoot on a 1951 Bowman football card | |||||||||
| No. 41, 81, 82 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | End | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | April 19, 1927 Montesano, Washington, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | April 5, 1985 (aged 57) Denver, Colorado, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Montesano (WA) | ||||||||
| College: | Washington State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1950 / round: 3 / pick: 35 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||
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| As a coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Francis Charles Polsfoot (April 19, 1927 – April 5, 1985) was an American football player and coach. He played professionally as an end in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Cardinals from 1950 to 1952 and the Washington Redskins in 1953. Polsfoot played college football at Washington State and was drafted in the third round of the 1950 NFL draft. He caught 57 passes in the 1951 season for the Chicago Cardinals and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
After Polsfoot suffered a knee injury and was forced to retire following the 1953 season, he started his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. In 1962, he returned to the NFL as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Cardinals.[1] Polsfoot later coached with the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos. His NFL coaching career lasted over 20 years and he was an assistant coach for the Broncos in Super Bowl XII.
Polsfoot was also a high hurdle champion for Washington State.
Polsfoot was married to Mary Eileen (née Hesterman) and the couple had two children, Sally Baldwin and Thomas Polsfoot. He had a brother, Curtis Frederic Polsfoot, and a sister, Bea Polsfoot. Both Francis and Curt served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. Polsfoot died on April 5, 1985, after suffering from brain cancer.[2]
Head coaching record
[edit]Football
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Falls State Falcons (Wisconsin State College Conference) (1957–1961) | |||||||||
| 1957 | River Falls State | 6–2 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1958 | River Falls State | 7–2 | 6–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1959 | River Falls State | 2–6–1 | 2–4–1 | T–7th | |||||
| 1960 | River Falls State | 2–6–1 | 1–4–1 | T–8th | |||||
| 1961 | River Falls State | 5–4 | 4–2 | 3rd | |||||
| River Falls State: | 22–20–2 | 17–11–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 22–20–2 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Former UW Star New Falls Mentor". The Herald Times. Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Associated Press. April 18, 1962. p. 7. Retrieved August 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Briefly Noted". The San Bernardino Sun. San Bernardino, California. April 6, 1986. p. 38. Retrieved August 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com .
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Fran Polsfoot at Find a Grave
 | This biographical article relating to an American football tight end born in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This biographical article relating to a college football coach first appointed in the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1927 births
- 1985 deaths
- American football ends
- American male hurdlers
- Chicago Cardinals players
- Cleveland Browns coaches
- Denver Broncos coaches
- Houston Oilers coaches
- St. Louis Cardinals (football) coaches
- Washington Redskins players
- Washington State Cougars football players
- Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons football coaches
- Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons men's basketball coaches
- Washington State Cougars men's track and field athletes
- Eastern Conference Pro Bowl players
- United States Merchant Mariners of World War II
- People from Montesano, Washington
- Coaches of American football from Washington (state)
- Players of American football from Washington (state)
- Basketball coaches from Washington (state)
- Track and field athletes from Washington (state)
- Deaths from brain cancer in the United States
- Deaths from cancer in Colorado
- American football tight end, pre-1950 birth stubs
- College football coaches first appointed in the 1950s stubs