BAUGH, SAMMY

born March 17, 1914, Temple, Texas, U.S. byname of Samuel Adrian Baugh first outstanding quarterback in the history of American professional football, who led the National Football League (NFL) in forward passing in 6 of his 16 seasons (1937-52) with the Washington Redskins. On two occasions (Oct. 31, 1943, and Nov. 23, 1947) he passed for six touchdowns in a single game. He also excelled as a punter and as a defensive halfback. After graduation from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, in 1937, Baugh joined the Redskins and also the St. Louis Cardinals baseball organization, for which he played shortstop in the minor leagues for a few years. Immediately successful in professional football, he led the NFL in passing in 1937, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947, and 1949, and in average yards per punt in 1940-43. In 1945 he completed 70.3 percent of his passes (128 of 182), and in 1940 he averaged 51.3 yards per punt. As a defensive back he led the NFL in 1943 by intercepting 11 passes. He had a career record of 1,693 pass completions in 2,995 attempts (56.5 percent) for 21,886 yards and 186 touchdowns. Baugh was head coach of two American Football League teams, the New York Titans (afterward Jets) in 1960-61 and the Houston Oilers in 1964. He was elected to the professional football Hall of Fame in 1963.