| No. 36 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Fullback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1915-10-31)October 31, 1915 Divernon, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died: | February 9, 2007(2007-02-09) (aged 91) Portage, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 216 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Washington (Washington, Missouri) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Washington University in St. Louis | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1938: 3rd round, 17th pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Joseph N. Bukant (October 31, 1915 – February 9, 2007) was an American professionalfootball player who was afullback for five seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). After playingcollege football forWashington University in St. Louis, he was selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the third round of the1938 NFL draft. He played for the Eagles from 1938 to 1940, and for theChicago Cardinals from 1942 to 1943.
Bukant playedcollege football for theWashington University Bears, where he earned two-time all-Midwest and all-Missouri Valley Conference honors. Bukant also earned AP honorable mention All-American in 1935.[1] He alsolettered intrack and field. He was inducted into the Washington University Bears Hall of Fame in 1993.[2]
Bukant was selected by thePhiladelphia Eagles in the third round of the1938 NFL draft.[3] He was signed to a contract by the team on July 21, 1938.[4] In his three seasons with the Eagles, he played in all 33 games. As arookie, hestarted one game and had 48 rushing attempts for 119 yards, as well as one completed pass for 14 yards. In his second season in1939, he had three starts, 59 rushes for 136 yards, and three touchdowns. He also punted once for 54 yards. In1940, he started in four games, rushed 18 times for 50 yards and a touchdown, caught one pass for 13 yards, punted fifteen times for a total of 568 yards, and intercepted a pass for 10 yards.
After being inactive with an injury throughout the entire 1941 season, Bukant was traded to theChicago Cardinals on July 26, 1942, in exchange forhalfbackHugh McCullough.[5] In Chicago, Bukant was reunited with his college coachJimmy Conzelman. In 1942, Bukant rushed 17 times for 34 yards and went 4-of-15 passing for 56 yards and two interceptions. In 1943, he had 42 rushes for 87 yards and went 14-of-40 passing for 109 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. He also had five punts for 181 yards.
After the1943 NFL season ended, Bukant joined theUnited States Navy in order to serve inWorld War II. After training at theGreat Lakes Naval Training Center, where he played for the Great Lakes Bluejackets service team, he was transferred to theUnited States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, Maryland in June 1944.[6] He was transferred again toCamp Peary inWilliamsburg, Virginia, in August 1944,[7] where he played on the service team in 1944.