Sammy Baugh was the first outstanding quarterback in the history of American professional gridiron football. He led the National Football League in forward passing in 6 of his 16 seasons (1937–52) with the Washington Redskins. On two occasions (October 31, 1943, and November 23, 1947) he passed for six touchdowns in a single game. He also excelled as a punter and as a defensive back. In 1943 he led the NFL in passing, punting and interceptions (as a defensive back).

At Texas Christian University, in Fort Worth, Baugh became the greatest passer in the Southwest Conference. He led his team to a victory in the 1936 Sugar Bowl, helping to bring national attention to the conference and to football in the Southwest for the first time.
After graduation in 1937, Baugh joined the Redskins. Nicknamed “Slingin’ Sammy,” Baugh led the NFL in passing in his first season and helped Washington to an 8–3 record and a spot in the championship game, where he threw three touchdown passes in a 28–21 upset of the Chicago Bears. He led the NFL in passing again in 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947 and 1949 and in average yards per punt from 1940–43.
As a defensive back he led the NFL in 1943 by intercepting 11 passes. He had a career record of 1,693 pass completions in 2,995 attempts (56.5 percent) for 21,886 yards and 187 touchdowns. His 45.1 career punting average is still the second best in NFL history. His single season punting average of 51.4, a record set in 1940, still stands.
Baugh was head coach of two American Football League teams, the New York Titans in 1960–61 and the Houston Oilers in 1964. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

No. 33, 45Quarterback / Defensive back / PunterPersonal information

Date of birth: March 17, 1914

Place of birth: Temple, Texas

Date of death: December 17, 2008 (aged 94)

Place of death: Rotan, Texas

Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)Weight: 182 lb (83 kg)

Career information

High school: Sweetwater High School

College: Texas Christian

NFL Draft: 1937 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6

• Debuted in 1937 for the Washington Redskins

• Last played in 1952 for the Washington RedskinsCareer history

As player:

• • Washington Redskins (1937–1952)

As coach:

• • New York Titans (1960–1961)
• • Houston Oilers (1964)

Career highlights and awards

• • Pro Football Hall of Fame (1963)
• • College Football Hall Of Fame (1951)
• • 5x All-Star selection (1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942)
• • Pro Bowl selection (1951)
• • 7× First-team All-Pro selection (1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1948)
• • 2× Second-team All-Pro selection (1938, 1941)
• • 2× NFL Player of the Year (1947, 1948)
• • NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• • NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
• • 1937 Cotton Bowl Classic MVP
• • 70 Greatest Redskins
• • Redskins’ Ring of Fame
• • Washington Redskins #33 retired

Career NFL statistics as of 1952Pass attempts2,995Pass completions1,693Percentage56.5TD-INT187-203Passing yards21,886QB Rating72.2• Stats at NFL.com• Stats at pro-football-reference.com• Stats at DatabaseFootball.com• Pro Football Hall of Fame• College Football Hall of Fame—Information from Wikipedia.com—Sammy Baugh on Wikipedia