Bob Waterfield
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Stanton Waterfield (July 26, 1920 – March 25, 1983) was an American
football
player.
Waterfield attended Van Nuys High School
, in Van Nuys, California and went on to play college football for UCLA. In 1943 he led the Bruins to the Pacific Coast Conference
football championship. Waterfield's Bruins lost 9-0, in the 1943 Rose Bowl
to the University of Georgia
.
Waterfield then began his NFL
career with the Cleveland Rams
with their 5th pick in 1944 in the NFL Draft
. He started immediately and was taken in quickly by fans, becoming the first ever rookie to win the league’s Most Valuable Player and unanimous All-NFL choice. Waterfield ended the season with the NFL Championship game in 1945 where he threw touchdown passes of 37 and 44 yards as the Rams beat the Washington Redskins
15-14.
In 1946, the Rams moved to Los Angeles
, California
where Waterfield split quarterback jobs with Norm Van Brocklin
. Behind this duo, Los Angeles played in three straight title games, 1949-1951. The Rams won it all in 1951 with a 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns
in the title game.
In a 1948 regular season game, the Rams were behind the to-be-champion Philadelphia Eagles
28-0. Waterfield managed to rally the team for a tie on four late touchdown passes.
In the 1950 divisional playoffs, he was unable to practice due to a severe flu he had endured. However, he came off the bench anyway and threw three touchdown passes in a 24-14 win over the Chicago Bears
.
In his first four seasons, he intercepted a career total of 20 passes. As a punter, he had a 42.4 yard average. As a place kicker, he had 315 successful PATs and 60 field goals.
Overall, Waterfield was best known for his ability to throw the deep ball. He led the NFL in passing in the 1946 and 1951 seasons, ending with career totals of 814 completions, 11,849 yards and 97 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1965 as a Cleveland/LA Ram, and died on March 25, 1983 at the age of 62.
. The couple adopted three children during the 1950s. Russell divorced Waterfield in 1968.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player.
Waterfield attended Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys High School
Van Nuys High School established in 1914, is a high school in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2...
, in Van Nuys, California and went on to play college football for UCLA. In 1943 he led the Bruins to the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
football championship. Waterfield's Bruins lost 9-0, in the 1943 Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
.
Waterfield then began his NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
career with the Cleveland Rams
Cleveland Rams
The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio.The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League...
with their 5th pick in 1944 in the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
. He started immediately and was taken in quickly by fans, becoming the first ever rookie to win the league’s Most Valuable Player and unanimous All-NFL choice. Waterfield ended the season with the NFL Championship game in 1945 where he threw touchdown passes of 37 and 44 yards as the Rams beat the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
15-14.
In 1946, the Rams moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where Waterfield split quarterback jobs with Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
. Behind this duo, Los Angeles played in three straight title games, 1949-1951. The Rams won it all in 1951 with a 24-17 win over the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the title game.
In a 1948 regular season game, the Rams were behind the to-be-champion Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
28-0. Waterfield managed to rally the team for a tie on four late touchdown passes.
In the 1950 divisional playoffs, he was unable to practice due to a severe flu he had endured. However, he came off the bench anyway and threw three touchdown passes in a 24-14 win over the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In his first four seasons, he intercepted a career total of 20 passes. As a punter, he had a 42.4 yard average. As a place kicker, he had 315 successful PATs and 60 field goals.
Overall, Waterfield was best known for his ability to throw the deep ball. He led the NFL in passing in the 1946 and 1951 seasons, ending with career totals of 814 completions, 11,849 yards and 97 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1965 as a Cleveland/LA Ram, and died on March 25, 1983 at the age of 62.
Personal life
On April 24, 1943, during his senior year at UCLA, he married actress Jane RussellJane Russell
Jane Russell was an American film actress and was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s....
. The couple adopted three children during the 1950s. Russell divorced Waterfield in 1968.
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: member biography