Hall of Fame
Position: Halfback
Years: 1934-1936
Place of Birth: Temple, TX
Date of Birth: Mar 17, 1914
Place of Death: Rotan, TX
Date of Death: Dec 17, 2008
Jersey Number: 45
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
High School: Temple, TX (Temple HS)Sweetwater, TX (Sweetwater HS)
"Slingin'" Sammy Baugh was the first of the great glamour players to give tremendous impetus to the modern passing game. Aided by the slimmer football developed in 1934, Baugh threw 587 passes in his three varsity seasons for 39 touchdowns and nearly two miles in yardage. In an era when 10 passes in a game was considered extravagant, Baugh threw as many as 40 passes in some games. Baugh was also an excellent punter, who as a professional would lead the league four times. During a 3-2 TCU victory over LSU in the Sugar Bowl, Baugh punted 14 times for a 48 yard average, placing many kicks inside the Tiger five yard line. Baugh gained All America status in 1935 and repeated as a consensus All- America in his 1936 senior season. On New Year's Day of 1937 Texas Christian played in the first Cotton Bowl defeating Marquette 16-6. As a professional with the Washington Redskins, he played on five division and two league championship teams. As a passer he led the league six times and still holds many NFL passing records. In addition to being a great passer and punter, Baugh was also a superior defensive player as he led the NFL in interceptions in 1943.
