A Chicle a day through the end of May

[jefferyepayne]

Card #34 in the Chicle set is Bronko Nagurski. It is the 10th of 12 short prints in the 1935 National Chicle set and generally regarded as the most valuable card in the set.

Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was born in 1908 in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada. His parents were immigrants from the Western Ukraine and moved the family to International Falls, MN when Bronko was still a boy. Nagurski attended the University of Minnesota where he played both tackle (offensive and defensive) and fullback from 1927 - 1929. In 1929, he was a consensus All-American at fullback and made numerous All-American teams as a tackle as well. The preeminent sportswriter of the day, Grantland Rice, named Bronko to his All-American team at both positions. Nagurski led the nation in rushing in 1929. U of Minnesota was 18-4-1 during his three years of play.

Nagurski played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears from 1930 - 1937 and again in 1943. He was first or second team All-Pro from 1930 - 1937 and is the only player to make All-Pro in three different non-kicking positions (FB, LB, Tackle). He was a member of three NFL Championship teams with the Bears and was named to the 1930's NFL Team of the Decade and the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. After retiring from football at the end of the 1937 season, Nagurski came back to the Bears for the 1943 season when WWII had depleted the NFL of a lot of its players.

Nagurski was also a famed Pro Wrestler who wrestled from 1933 - 1960 and won several world titles. Here is a video of one of his bouts against Jim Londos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TF7hdX37vY

After retiring from wrestling, Nagurski ran and operated a service station near International Falls, MN until 1978 when he retired. He had one son, also named Bronko, who played in the Canadian Football League.

Nagurski is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a member of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.

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Bronko's wrestling opponent in the above video and one of my favorite Sport Kings cards.

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Bronko's son

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jeff

[davemri]

The Bronk pumping gas at his station in the 60's

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I would like to add too that Bronko was a very willing signer through the mail, I received two 8 x 10s mailed to him both signed boldly.

The second was about a year before his passing and it was a bit scraggly. Same goes for Red Grange, signed everything I ever sent to him!

Long live the memory of the early football stars!!!

[jefferyepayne]

Card #35 in the Chicle set is Luke Johnsos. It is the 11th of 12 short prints in the 1935 National Chicle set.

Luke Andrew Johnsos was born in 1905 in Chicago, IL. He played baseball and football at Schurz High School in Chicago before entering Northwestern University in 1924. Johnsos earned 9 letters in basketball, baseball, and football at Northwestern where he was an All-East End on the football team and led the Big Ten in Home Runs in 1928.

Johnsos owes his successful NFL career to NU football captain and teammate, Walter Holmer, who insisted that the Chicago Bears sign his good friend Luke Johnsos while signing him. Holmer received a $5,000 signing bonus while Johnsos received $100 per game played. While Johnsos became an All-Pro end for the Bears, Holmer had an undistinguished pro career as a running back. Johnsos played with the Bears from 1929 to 1936 and was a member of two NFL Championship teams. He was first or second team All-NFL every year between 1929 - 1932. In 1935 he was named the Bears MVP. After completing his NFL career, he became a Bears assistant under George Halas. When Halas entered the Army during WWII , he turned the Bears over to assistants Johnsos and Hunk Anderson to be co-head coaches. Johnsos and Anderson ran the Bears for 3 1/2 seasons until his return. They won two Western Conference Championships and the NFL Championship in 1943. After Halas returned, Johnsos remained an assistant of the Bears into the 1960's. He was an assistant coach on the 1963 NFL Championship Team.

Johnsos also signed a baseball contract with the Cincinnati Reds out of college but poor eye sight ended his hopes of playing pro baseball as well.

Luke Johnsos is a member of the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame.

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jeff

[jefferyepayne]

Card #36 in the Chicle set is Bernie Masterson. It is the last card and last short print in the 1935 National Chicle set.

Bernard Edward "Bernie" Masterson was born in 1911 in Shenandoah, IA. A three sport athlete at Lincoln High in Lincoln, NE, Masterson was an all-state quarterback in football, a starter on the 1930 state championship basketball team and a track star. At the University of Nebraska, Masterson was quarterback of three straight unbeaten Big Six championship teams from 1931 - 1933. He was selected All-Big Six in 1933.

Masterson played quarterback in the NFL for the Chicago Bears from 1934 to 1940. He led the league in TD passes in 1937 and was a member of the Bears 1940 NFL Championship Team. Masterson was selected in 1936 as All-NFL and played in the 1940 Pro Bowl. During his time with the Bears, Masterson learned the "T" formation offense that Halas used to defeat the Washington Redskins 73-0 in the 1940 NFL Championship game.

After retiring from the NFL, Masterson became a football coach. He was brought to Stanford by head coach Clark Shaughnessy to teach the "T" formation to QB Frankie Albert. Shaughnessy inherited a Stanford squad that had gone 1-7-1 the prior year and led them to a 10-0 record and a Rose Bowl win the next season using the "T" formation. Frankie Albert was a consensus All-American under Masterson's tutelage.

After serving in the Navy during WWII, Masterson was hired by his Alma Mater to be their head football coach. Nebraska had a record of 5-13 during his tenure. After leaving Nebraska, Masterson was an assistant at both the college and professional level.

Masterson is in the University of Nebraska Football Hall of Fame and the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.

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This completes the "A Chicle a day through the end of May" thread. Thanks all for checking it out.

jeff

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Jeff- Thanks for doing this, as a PFRA member I enjoyed you spreading the football history. How about the Leafs sets?

[jefferyepayne]

Originally Posted by Hot Springs Bathers

Jeff- Thanks for doing this, as a PFRA member I enjoyed you spreading the football history. How about the Leafs sets?

Thanks. It was fun and interesting to do. Next time I'll do my research beforehand so I'm not scrambling each day to pull it together.

The Leaf sets would be awesome! I'd love to do Mayo as well but am not sure how much info I'd readily find about some of those players.

Tell PFRA to keep up the great work!

jeff