Don Phelps
No. 21, 94, 44 | |||||||
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Position: | Halfback, Defensive back | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Richmond, Kentucky, U.S. | January 7, 1924||||||
Died: | June 11, 1982 Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. | (aged 58)||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Danville (KY) | ||||||
College: | University of Kentucky | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1950 / Round: 5 / Pick: 65 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at PFR |
Don Cooper "Dopey" Phelps (January 7, 1924 – June 11, 1982) was an American football halfback and defensive back who played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL) in the early 1950s.
Phelps was born in Kentucky and played football at his local high school. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he attended the University of Kentucky and continued to play football under head coach Bear Bryant starting in 1946. He led the nation that year in kickoff and punt returns and set a Kentucky single-season return yardage record. Phelps was suspended for most of the 1948 season for breaking team rules, but he returned in 1949, when Kentucky played in the Orange Bowl.
The Browns selected Phelps in the fifth round of the
Early life and college
Phelps grew up in
Professional career
After graduating from Kentucky in 1949, Phelps was selected by the
Cleveland reached the NFL championship game in each of the following two seasons, but lost to the Rams in 1951 and the Detroit Lions in 1952.[8] Phelps's production declined in his second year to 65 rushing yards and 69 return yards.[7] He had just five punt returns in 1952, his final season with the Browns.[7]
Later life and death
After retiring from football in 1953, Phelps worked for the state of Kentucky.[1][9] When he died in 1982, he still held Kentucky's single-season kickoff return record, with a 45-yard average in 1946.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Don Phelps". Toledo Blade. Frankfort, Ky. Associated Press. June 12, 1982. p. 16. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- ^ "Don Phelps Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards". Database Football. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- ^ "Kentucky Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- ^ Piascik 2007, pp. 141, 148–150.
- ^ "1950 Cleveland Browns Statistics & Players". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- ^ Piascik 2007, pp. 178–182.
- ^ a b c d "Don Phelps NFL Football Statistics". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- ^ Piascik 2007, pp. 231–234, 251–254.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns Go Into Training". Toledo Blade. July 26, 1953. p. 2. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
Bibliography
- Piascik, Andy (2007). The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58979-571-6.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference