Jack Jacobs facts for kids

Jack Jacobs (born August 7, 1919 – died January 12, 1974) was a famous football player. People called him "Indian Jack". He played in both American and Canadian football leagues. Jack was one of the first people to join the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Early Life

Jack Jacobs was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He played high school football at Muskogee High School. He was known as "Indian Jack" because he was a Creek man.

College Football

Jack played college football at the University of Oklahoma. He was an amazing all-around player. Jack played as a quarterback and a punter. In 1940, he set an Oklahoma University record for punting. He averaged 47.84 yards per kick that year.

Jack also gained the most offensive yards in 1940 and 1941. As a defensive player, he holds a record for the most interceptions in one game. He caught 3 passes from the other team in a game in 1941.

Professional Football

National Football League

Jack Jacobs was chosen in the second round of the 1942 NFL Draft. He played many positions in the National Football League. These included quarterback, defensive back, tailback, halfback, and punter.

He played for the Cleveland Rams in 1942 and 1945. Jack served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. After the war, he played for the Washington Redskins in 1946. Then, he joined the Green Bay Packers from 1947 to 1949. In 1947, he was the best punter in the league.

Canadian Football League

After playing in the NFL, Jack joined the Western Interprovincial Football Union. This league later became part of the Canadian Football League. He was a quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1950 to 1954. In 1952, he won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy.

Jack Jacobs helped change how football was played. He didn't invent the forward pass. But he showed how important it was in professional football. His exciting passing game brought many fans to Blue Bombers games. This led to the city building a bigger stadium, Winnipeg Stadium.

While playing for the Blue Bombers, Jack threw for over 11,000 yards. This was a record at the time. In 1951, he was the first professional player to throw for over 3,000 yards in one season. He also threw 33 touchdowns that year, another first. The next season, he threw 34 touchdowns.

With Jack as their starting quarterback, the Blue Bombers won 46 games. They reached the Grey Cup championship game twice. They lost in 1950 and again in 1953.

The Winnipeg Stadium, built in 1953, was nicknamed "The House That Jack Built." This shows how much Jack Jacobs helped the team's success.

Jack was a Grey Cup finalist twice. He was named the best quarterback in the Western division twice. He was one of the first players chosen for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1963. He is also in the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame (1977). In 2002, he joined the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum inducted him in 2004. Some of his records from the University of Oklahoma still stand today.

Other Professional Teams

In 1956, Jack left the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He then signed with the London Lords as their head coach. He also played for the Lords for most of that season.

In 1957, Jack became the general manager for the London Lords. He played in one exhibition game that year.

After working as an assistant coach in the CFL, Jack played again in 1964. He played for the Toledo Tornadoes. He mainly played as a punter but also as a quarterback.

Jack played his very last game on July 18, 1966. It was an exhibition game for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

After Football

In 1955, Jack Jacobs worked as a scout for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Later, he was a coach for the London Lords. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montreal Alouettes, and the Edmonton Eskimos.

Jack was also an actor. He played a professional football player in the 1948 movie, Triple Threat. Jack Jacobs passed away in 1974 in Greensboro, North Carolina. He had a sudden heart attack.