Carl Etelman
Carl Edward Etelman (April 1, 1900 – December 18, 1963) was an American football back and coach. After playing college football at Tufts University in Massachusetts, he played semi-professional football for the independent St Alphonsus Athletic Association from 1924 to 1926. He also played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for the Boston Bulldogs and Providence Steam Roller, before returning to the semi-pro ranks with the Fitton Athletic Club, where he spent three seasons. After his playing career, Etelman coached the Whitman High School football team in Massachusetts for 18 years, and also coached the semi-professional Old Town team of Abington for two years. Early life and education Etelman was born on April 1, 1900, in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. He attended Fairhaven High School and Academy and graduated in 1920. In football, he was team captain as a senior and played the quarterback position, leading the team to several "big wins with his dramatic passing and running," according to The Standard-Times. At five feet eight inches tall, he was nicknamed "midget" by his teammates. In 1920, Etelman matriculated at Tufts College—now known as Tufts University—where he starred in football, baseball, and basketball. He eventually earned five varsity letters, including three in football. A 1922 article in The Boston Globe wrote, "Coach Casey's best bet at quarter[back] is Carl Etelman. He is a good general and may be trusted to run the team in an excellent manner and, if need be, reel off many gains himself." On a play in the 1923 season opener against , Etelman returned a punt and after "dodging a handful of defenders and bouncing off a couple of others, eventually fought his way into the end zone" for a touchdown. He collapsed onto the field after reaching the goal line, and it was found that he fractured his ankle and injured his collarbone. He was done for the game, and several newspaper headlines called him out for the year. However, he returned to the starting lineup against Harvard three weeks later with a reinforced special plate and extra strap in his shoe. Stanley Woodard, for the Boston Herald, wrote: In the season finale against Massachusetts, Etelman broke his ankle again, but stayed in the game and two plays later kicked a 40-yard field goal, after which he was carried off the field. The field goal was the margin of victory for Tufts. Following the season, he was named all-New England at quarterback and to the all-Eastern team by The New York Times. Etelman, who was Jewish, was a member of the Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity at Tufts. After graduating from Tufts with a bachelor's degree in 1924, Etelman had graduate studies at Harvard University and Boston University. Professional career Following his graduation from Tufts, Etelman played professional and semi-professional football to stay in shape while coaching the Whitman High School football team. He started with the St Alphonsus Athletic Association, also referred to as the "Roxbury Club", in 1924. In their