Jack Dugger
John Richard Rabbit Dugger (January 13, 1923 – February 23, 1988) was an American professional athlete who played American football for three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears and professional basketball for one season with the Syracuse Nationals in the National Basketball League (NBL).
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | January 13, 1923 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died: | February 23, 1988 (aged 65) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Canton McKinley (Canton, Ohio) |
| College: | Ohio State |
| Position: | Tackle / Defensive end |
| NFL draft: | 1945 / Round: 2 / Pick: 12 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |
Dugger was a 9-time letterman at Ohio State University who'd gone to high school at Canton McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio. In football, he started as a tackle in his sophomore year of 1942, but he switched to left end his junior and senior years. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1944. He also excelled as a shot-putter and discus thrower in track, and was a stand-out basketball player. He was voted Ohio State's most valuable basketball player in 1942. For three years, he earned letters in all three sports. He earned the Big 10 Award, for excellence in both athletics and academics.
Before the games were cancelled due to World War II, he was invited to try out for the Olympics as a shot-putter.
He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 1945 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Buffalo Bisons of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
Dugger also played one year of professional basketball. He played for the Syracuse Nationals in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 1946–47 season and averaged 1.7 points per game.
In 1979, he was elected to the Ohio State Sports Hall of Fame.