Chief Elkins
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | August 16, 1899 Utica, New York |
| Died: | August 10, 1966 (aged 67) Philadelphia |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Haskell (KS) |
| College: | Haskell, Southeastern State Teachers (Durant, Oklahoma), Dallas University, Nebraska |
| Position: | Back |
| Career history | |
| |
Fait Vernon "Chief" Elkins (August 16, 1899 – August 9, 1966) was an American football player and decathlete.
Elkins was born in Utica, New York, in 1899. He enrolled at the Haskell Indian School at age 15.[1] He played college football at Haskell (1921-1923), Southeastern State Teachers College, Dallas University, and Nebraska (1926-1927).[1][2] He held the national decathlon record in 1928 while attending Nebraska.[3][4] He pulled a tendon that prevented him from competing in the 1928 Summer Olympics.[1][5]
Elkins also played professional football the National Football League (NFL) as a back for the Frankford Yellow Jackets (1928-1929), Chicago Cardinals (1929), and Cincinnati Reds (1933). He appeared in 20 NFL games, 10 as a starter.[6]
Elkins died in Philadelphia in 1966.[6][7]
He was posthumously profiled by Sports Illustrated in 1991 as "among the greatest athletes ever seen in this country — a golden sportsman during sport's golden age."[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Bob Gilbert (October 16, 1991). "The Twists of Fait". Sports Illustrated.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lo! Another Indian Hope". Fort Worth Record-Telegram. June 14, 1928.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Chief Elkins". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ "Fait Elkins obituary". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 12, 1966.