Cecil Souders facts for kids
Souders on a 1948 Bowman football card
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| No. 66 | |||||||||
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| Position: | End, tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | January 3, 1921 Bucyrus, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Died: | August 30, 2021 (aged 100) Hilliard, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Bucyrus (OH) | ||||||||
| College: | Ohio State | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1945 / Round: 25 / Pick: 259 (By the Washington Redskins) |
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| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Cecil "Cy" Souders (born January 3, 1921 – died August 30, 2021) was an American football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions. For a while, he was thought to be the oldest living former NFL player before he passed away.
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Early Life and High School Football
Cy Souders was born in Bucyrus, Ohio. He loved playing football at Bucyrus High School. In his last year, he was the team captain. He even got to play in a special game called the Kumquat Bowl in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was captain of that team too, and they played to a tie.
College and Military Service
After high school, Cy planned to play college football at Louisiana State University. But an assistant coach from Ohio State University (OSU) and his girlfriend, Jean Hoover, convinced him to stay in Ohio. He decided to play for OSU instead.
Cy was a fantastic college player. He was named an All-American three times between 1942 and 1946. He also played in two special games called the East–West Shrine Game.
During World War II, Cy took a break from college football. He served in the United States Navy from 1944 to late 1945. After his service, he returned to play for Ohio State.
Playing in the NFL
In 1945, the Washington Redskins picked Cy in the NFL Draft. However, he ended up playing for the Detroit Lions for three years.
- In 1947, he played in 11 games. He caught 15 passes for 184 yards and scored his only touchdown.
- In 1948, he played in 12 games and caught 2 passes for 19 yards.
- In 1949, he played in 12 games but did not catch any passes.
Cy finished his NFL career with a total of 17 catches for 203 yards.
Life After Football
After his football career, Cy Souders became a salesman. He worked for a company called Suburban Motor Freight. He managed their Detroit office and later became an executive vice president. He retired in 1984.
Cy married his high school sweetheart, Jean Hoover, in 1939. They were married for over 80 years! Cy passed away in Hilliard, Ohio on August 30, 2021, at 100 years old.
Awards and Recognition
Cy Souders received several honors for his amazing football career:
- In 2002, he was inducted into the Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
- In 2016, he was part of the first group of people inducted into the Bucyrus City Schools Hall of Fame.
