 Childress in 1961 | |||||||||||||
| No. 35 | |||||||||||||
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| Positions | Halfback Fullback Flanker | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1933-10-26)October 26, 1933 Robertsdale, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | May 5, 1986(1986-05-05) (aged 52) Houston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 202 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Robertsdale (Robertsdale, Alabama) | ||||||||||||
| College | Auburn | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1956: 1st round, 7th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
Playing | |||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Joe Childress (October 26, 1933 – May 5, 1986) was an American professionalfootballrunning back in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theAuburn Tigers.
Childress was a two-time All-American atAuburn and was considered the finest fullback in the country during his junior and senior seasons. He led theSoutheastern Conference in rushing and scoring his junior season in 1954 and was named the Gator Bowl MVP. Childress led Auburn with 1,677 yards rushing his senior season in 1955.[1]
Childress was selected in the first round of the1956 NFL draft by theChicago Cardinals. For his entire career, he played for theChicago Cardinals andSt. Louis Cardinals, primarily as a backup running back. He was known as an excellent receiver out of the backfield and a punishing blocker. His best season came in 1963 when he led the Cardinals in rushing and gained over 1000 yards from scrimmage while filling in for the injuredJohn David Crow. His best rushing game came on September 22, 1963, when he gained 136 yards on 22 carries against thePhiladelphia Eagles. Later in the season against the Eagles, he caught a 78-yard touchdown pass fromCharley Johnson.[2]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1956 | CRD | 11 | 4 | 43 | 203 | 4.7 | 30 | 0 | 6 | 82 | 13.7 | 34 | 1 |
| 1957 | CRD | 12 | 1 | 41 | 168 | 4.1 | 39 | 1 | 10 | 146 | 14.6 | 28 | 0 |
| 1958 | CRD | 10 | 8 | 50 | 170 | 3.4 | 30 | 0 | 35 | 406 | 11.6 | 26 | 4 |
| 1959 | CRD | 9 | 3 | 30 | 59 | 2.0 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 73 | 18.3 | 52 | 1 |
| 1960 | STL | 12 | 8 | 34 | 240 | 7.1 | 28 | 0 | 11 | 202 | 18.4 | 52 | 2 |
| 1962 | STL | 14 | 2 | 37 | 162 | 4.4 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 207 | 13.8 | 42 | 1 |
| 1963 | STL | 14 | 14 | 174 | 701 | 4.0 | 28 | 2 | 25 | 354 | 14.2 | 78 | 2 |
| 1964 | STL | 9 | 7 | 102 | 413 | 4.0 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 203 | 16.9 | 46 | 2 |
| 1965 | STL | 5 | 2 | 19 | 94 | 4.9 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 10 | 0 |
| 96 | 49 | 530 | 2,210 | 4.2 | 39 | 3 | 121 | 1,700 | 14.0 | 78 | 13 | ||
Childress retired as a player from the NFL in 1966. He coached five seasons with theHouston Oilers and later went into the securities business. In his 40s, he contracted a type ofcancer and began the battle which ultimately he lost in 1986 at the age of 52.[3]