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| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Quarterback,fullback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1919-04-19)April 19, 1919 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | September 14, 2009(2009-09-14) (aged 90) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | Ohio State University |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Jack Graf (April 19, 1919 – September 14, 2009) was an American two-sport athlete atOhio State University. Infootball he was namedBig Ten MVP in 1941 and in basketball he served as team captain in 1942.[1]
In 1938 Graf enrolled at Ohio State, where his father Campbell "Honus" Graf had been a three-sport athlete and the 1914 football captain. After college Honus had been a graduate assistant on the 1915 team and played professional football with Peggy Parratt'sCleveland Indians football club. He later served on the Ohio State Athletic Council.
Jack Graf joined the Ohio State football team asquarterback and served as a backup toAll-AmericanDon Scott for two years. In 1941, before Graf's senior year,Paul Brown replacedFrancis Schmidt as an Ohio State head coach and Brown moved Graf tofullback. As the featured back on the Ohio State offense, Graf led the Buckeyes to a 6–1–1 record. He won theChicago Tribune Silver Football award, the Most Valuable Player award in theBig Ten. His senior year, he ran for 10 touchdowns while passing for 2 more. Meanwhile, Graf was also a guard on the Ohio State basketball team and was named team captain as a senior.
TheCleveland Rams selected Graf in the1942 NFL draft, but he instead attendedHarvard Business School. In 1945 Graf and his brother Campbell Jr. joined their father's electrical engineering company to form Graf and Sons. He also served 26 years as an assistant coach with the Ohio State basketball team.
Graf was inducted into theOhio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1988.[2]