.jpg) Samuel in 1949 with Steelers | |||||
| No. 88 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive back,halfback | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | (1924-02-16)February 16, 1924 Hood River, Oregon, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | November 23, 2010(2010-11-23) (aged 86) Portland, Oregon, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Hood River (OR) | ||||
| College: | Oregon State | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1946: 3rd round, 25th pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Donald Allen Samuel (February 16, 1924 – November 23, 2010) was anAmerican football player who played at thedefensive back andhalfback positions.
Samuel was born inHood River, Oregon, in 1924. He graduated from Hood River High School in 1942 and enrolled atOregon State College where he played college football for theOregon State Beavers in the fall of 1942. His college education was interrupted by service in the Navy duringWorld War II. While in the Navy, he played for the1943 Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football team that compiled a 9–1 record (the sole looss by one point to national champion Notre Dame) and was ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll. He earned his pilots' wings five months after the war ended.[1]
After the war, Samuel returned to Oregon State where he played for the1946 and1947, and1948 Oregon State Beavers football teams. He was also captain of the 1948 team. He graduated from Oregon State in 1948 with a business degree.[2]
Samuel was selected by theLos Angeles Rams in the third round (25th overall pick) of the1946 NFL draft.[3] He was traded by the Rams to thePittsburgh Steelers in exchange forTommy Kalmanir.[1] He played for the Steelers during the 1949 and 1950 seasons and appeared in a total of six NFL games.[4] He sustained torn knee ligaments and underwent surgery in October 1949.[5][6] He attempted a comeback but appeared in only one game during the 1950 season.[4][7]
Samuel married Opal Boyle in 1948. He worked as an insurance agent for State Far for 32 year until his retirement in 1986. He died in 2010 at age 86 at the Encore Senior Village inPortland, Oregon.[2]