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Hal Erickson (American football)

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Hal Erickson
No. 3, 41
Born:(1898-03-10)March 10, 1898
Maynard, Minnesota, U.S.
Died:January 27, 1963(1963-01-27) (aged 64)
Hennepin County, Minnesota, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)Running back
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight193 lb (88 kg)
CollegeSt. Olaf
Washington & Jefferson
Career history
As coach
1924Milwaukee Badgers
As player
1923–1924Milwaukee Badgers
1925–1928Chicago Cardinals
1929–1930Minneapolis Red Jackets
Career highlights and awards
Career stats
Military career
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service / branchUnited States Navy seal U.S. Navy
Years of service1917–1919
Battles / warsWorld War I

Harold Alexander Erickson (March 10, 1898 – January 27, 1963), born Harald Alexander Ingvald Eriksen, was an American football back who played for three teams over eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), four with the Chicago Cardinals, including the 1925 NFL Champion team.[1][2][3]

Biography

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Erickson was born in Maynard, Minnesota on March 10, 1898 to Norwegian immigrant Reverend Michael Benjamin Eriksen (1867–1950) and his wife, first generation Norwegian-American Emma Gustava Eriksen (née Anderson) (1879–1940). Though he would be known as "Swede" during his football playing days, he was a Norwegian-American. A stocky man, he stood 5 feet (1.5 m) and 9 inches (230 mm) and weighed 193 pounds (88 kg).

Erickson served as a Chief Pharmacist's Mate in the United States Navy during World War I. He participated in the 1919 Rose Bowl as a member of the winning team, Great Lakes Navy from Great Lakes, Illinois, a team that also included future Pro Football Hall of Famers George Halas and Paddy Driscoll, who were also members of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.[4] Erickson also participated in the 1922 Rose Bowl as a back for Washington and Jefferson, giving him the unique distinction of being the only man ever to play in two different Rose Bowls, with two different teams, without losing.[5]

Erickson attended St. Olaf College in 1916 and 1917, and after completing his service in the United States Navy in 1919, he attended Washington & Jefferson College where he played competitive football. After college, though undrafted, Erickson went professional, playing eight seasons in the National Football League (1923–1930), with the Milwaukee Badgers, the Chicago Cardinals, and the Minneapolis Red Jackets. In 1924 he played for, and was the head coach of the Milwaukee Badgers, a team that included Pro Football Hall of Famer, and a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team, Jimmy Conzelman. During the 1925 season Erickson scored six touchdowns (four receiving and two rushing) for the NFL Champion Chicago Cardinals who were 11–2–1 that year. At the conclusion of the 1925 NFL season, Erickson joined future Pro Football Hall of Famer Red Grange and the Chicago Bears on their post-season barnstorming tour.[6] He was a member of the 1928 Chicago Cardinals team that included American sports legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Thorpe, also a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team.

Erickson served as president of the Security National Life Insurance Company of Minneapolis.[7] He was married to Vera Mattocks (1906–1998) until his death on January 27, 1963. He is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

References

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  1. ^ "Hal Erickson". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
  2. ^ "Hal Erickson". databaseFootball.com. databaseSports.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010.
  3. ^ "Hal Erickson". NFL All-Time Players. NFL Enterprises LLC.
  4. ^ Buzzell, Francis (1910). The Great Lakes naval training station; a history. Charleston, South Carolina: Nabu Press. pp. 166–167. ISBN 978-1-171-75248-6. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  5. ^ Campbell, Jim (August 2006). "The 1922 Rose Bowl: David v. Goliath" (PDF). College Football Historical Society Newsletter. LA84 Foundation. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  6. ^ Poole, Gary Andrew (2008). The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, an American Football Legend. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 186–187. ISBN 978-0-618-69163-0. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  7. ^ Christiansen, R. C. (2023). Mill City Scrum: The History of Minnesota's First Team in the National Football League. Independently published. ISBN 979-8398571127.
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