 Ehlers in 1948 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1923-03-10)March 10, 1923 Joliet, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 2013(2013-06-17) (aged 90) South Bend, Indiana, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 198 lb (90 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | South Bend Central (South Bend, Indiana) |
| College | Purdue (1942–1943, 1946–1947) |
| BAA draft | 1947: 1st round, 3rd overall pick |
| Drafted by | Boston Celtics |
| Playing career | 1947–1949 |
| Position | Shooting Guard |
| Number | 14 |
| Career history | |
| 1947–1949 | Boston Celtics |
| Career BAA statistics | |
| Points | 800 (8.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | Not recorded |
| Assists | 177 (1.8 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Edwin Sheffield "Bulbs" Ehlers (March 10, 1923 – June 17, 2013) was an American professionalbasketball player. Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weighing 198 pounds (90 kg), he played theShooting Guard positions. Ehlers was drafted third overall in the inaugural1947 BAA draft by theBoston Celtics. In two seasons in the league, both with the Celtics, Ehlers averaged 8.1 points per game.
Though born in Joliet, Illinois; Ehlers was raisedSouth Bend, Indiana and attendedSouth Bend Central High School. While there, he played basketball for futureHall of Fame player and coachJohn Wooden. Ehlers attendedPurdue University, lettering for the Boilermakers in three sports;basketball,football, andbaseball.
In addition to being the Celtics' first ever draft pick, theNational Football League'sChicago Bears selected him in the 31st round (293rd overall) in the1947 NFL draft. TheNew York Yankees ofMajor League Baseball also signed him. He spent five seasons playing minor league baseball: three seasons with the Yankees and two with the Chicago Cubs. He spent the majority of his career at the AAA level, playing for such teams as theKansas City Blues,Newark Bears and theSpringfield Cubs.
Bulbs Ehlers was the father of NFL playerTom Ehlers; his granddaughters, Emily and Jessica, played intercollegiate volleyball atPurdue University andCampbell University respectively. His grandson,Scott Dreisbach, played football at the University of Michigan and spent several seasons in theNFL and theAFL.
He is unique in being a member of both theIndiana Basketball Hall of Fame and theIndiana Football Hall of Fame; he was inducted into the basketball hall in 1980,[1] and the football hall in 1985.[2]
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | APG | Assists per game | ||
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | PPG | Points per game | ||
| FT% | Free-throw percentage | Bold | Career high | ||
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–48 | Boston | 40 | .249 | .542 | 1.1 | 7.2 |
| 1948–49 | Boston | 59 | .312 | .667 | 2.3 | 8.7 |
| Career | 99 | .286 | .618 | 1.8 | 8.1 |