Scott Appleton
| No. 70 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | February 20, 1942 Brady, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Died: | March 2, 1992 (aged 50) Austin, Texas, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Brady (TX) | ||||||
| College: | Texas | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1964 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||
| AFL draft: | 1964 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| |||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Gordon Scott Appleton (February 20, 1942 – March 2, 1992) was an
Early years
Appleton was born on February 20, 1942, in McCulloch County, Texas to Gordon Frederick Appleton and Alberda Methelda Leifeste. He attended Brady High School, where he was an All-state tackle.
He accepted a football scholarship from the
In the 1964 Cotton Bowl, he tallied 12 tackles, 2 unofficial sacks of quarterback Roger Staubach and stopped a scoring threat on fourth down with less than 10 minutes left on the game. He also contributed to the defense setting 2 records by holding Navy without a rushing first down and limiting them to minus 14 yards rushing. The 28-6 win cemented the school's first national championship.[2]
In 1986, he was inducted into the University of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor. In 2001, he was inducted into the Southwestern Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.
Professional career
In the
Although the Steelers thought that Appleton would sign with them,[4] he ended up joining the Houston Oilers of the AFL, who had also drafted him in the first round.[5] The voice of the Steelers, Myron Cope, described the shenanigans both teams used in the attempt to sign Appleton as the "Buddy Dial for Nothing" trade and was one of his favorite stories.[6]
As a rookie in
Appleton's career with the Oilers was a disappointment, playing until
He was the Chargers' starter at
On November 6,
On June 12,
Personal life
After his career in football ended, he became a manager of a
Suffering from heart disease, Appleton at first declined a heart transplant operation, but later was placed on the list for a donor heart. However, he died of heart failure in 1992 at age 50.
See also
- List of Texas Longhorns football All-Americans
- List of Dallas Cowboys first-round draft picks
- List of American Football League players
References
- ^ "Scott Appleton was unassuming anchor". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Appleton to be inducted into Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame". The Brady-Standard Herald. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "1964 draft left lasting impact on Dallas Cowboys, NFL". NFL.com. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Just a Bad Year". The Telegraph. November 21, 1964. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Houston Oilers Sign Appleton". Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. United Press International. February 2, 1964. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "How Steelers Choked On Scott Appleton". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ a b "Bill Little commentary: Scott Appleton's journey to redemption". Texassports.com. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Appleton, Baker Traded by Oiler". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Storm Signs Appleton". Eugene Register-Guard. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
External links
- "Scott Appleton; Football Player, 50". The New York Times. March 5, 1992. Retrieved February 3, 2018.