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Dutch Clark

The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions

Chris Willis - Foreword by Steve Sabol

In 1963, 17 charter members were inducted into the newly established Pro Football Hall of Fame. Joining the likes of Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, George Halas, and Sammy Baugh was Detroit Lions quarterback Dutch Clark. A bona fide superstar for the NFL in the 1930s, Clark led the Lions to success on the gridiron and helped establish the NFL in one of America’s most passionate sports cities. Throughout his seven-year NFL career (1931–1932, 1934–1938), Clark was selected first team NFL All-Pro six times, led the league in scoring three times, was team captain of the Detroit Lions, and helped the Lions win the 1935 NFL Championship in their second season in Detroit. The triple-threat star could do everything—he could run, he could pass, and he could kick.

In Dutch Clark: The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions, Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of an athlete from a small town in Colorado who would become one of the NFL’s greatest players. To recount the story of this sports pioneer, Willis had complete cooperation from the Clark family and unlimited access to personal letters, the Dutch Clark Scrapbooks, and family photos. Appendixes include Clark’s football statistics and a list of his honors and awards. Supplemented with archival interviews, never-before-seen photos, newspaper quotes, and anecdotes, Dutch Clark tells the rags-to-riches story of one of the NFL’s first stars.

Scarecrow Press

Pages: 422 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9¼

978-0-8108-8520-2 • Hardback • June 2012 • $99.00 • (£76.00)

978-0-8108-8521-9 • eBook • June 2012 • $94.00 • (£72.00)

Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Football, Sports & Recreation / History, Biography & Autobiography / Sports

Dutch Clark

The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions

Hardback

eBook

Summary

In 1963, 17 charter members were inducted into the newly established Pro Football Hall of Fame. Joining the likes of Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, George Halas, and Sammy Baugh was Detroit Lions quarterback Dutch Clark. A bona fide superstar for the NFL in the 1930s, Clark led the Lions to success on the gridiron and helped establish the NFL in one of America’s most passionate sports cities. Throughout his seven-year NFL career (1931–1932, 1934–1938), Clark was selected first team NFL All-Pro six times, led the league in scoring three times, was team captain of the Detroit Lions, and helped the Lions win the 1935 NFL Championship in their second season in Detroit. The triple-threat star could do everything—he could run, he could pass, and he could kick.

In Dutch Clark: The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions, Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of an athlete from a small town in Colorado who would become one of the NFL’s greatest players. To recount the story of this sports pioneer, Willis had complete cooperation from the Clark family and unlimited access to personal letters, the Dutch Clark Scrapbooks, and family photos. Appendixes include Clark’s football statistics and a list of his honors and awards. Supplemented with archival interviews, never-before-seen photos, newspaper quotes, and anecdotes, Dutch Clark tells the rags-to-riches story of one of the NFL’s first stars.

Details

Scarecrow Press

Pages: 422 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9¼

978-0-8108-8520-2 • Hardback • June 2012 • $99.00 • (£76.00)

978-0-8108-8521-9 • eBook • June 2012 • $94.00 • (£72.00)

Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Football, Sports & Recreation / History, Biography & Autobiography / Sports

Author

Chris Willis has worked at NFL Films as the head of the research library since 1996. He has written three books on early pro football, including Old Leather: An Oral History of Early Pro Football in Ohio, 1920–1935 (2005), The Columbus Panhandles: A Complete History of Pro Football’s Toughest Team, 1900–1922 (2007), and The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr (2010), all published by Scarecrow Press.

Table of Contents

Foreword: by Steve Sabol, President, NFL Films
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction: “The Lion King”
Chapter 1: The NFL Arrives and Fails in the Motor City
Chapter 2: Two Families Move to Colorado
Chapter 3: Dutch
Chapter 4: Pueblo
Chapter 5: Central High School
Chapter 6: Dorothy
Chapter 7: High School Football Glory
Chapter 8: College Dreams
Chapter 9: Picking a College
Chapter 10: Coach “Bully” Van De Graaff
Chapter 11: Hello, Colorado College
Chapter 12: Setting the Stage
Chapter 13: Mr. All-American
Chapter 14: Senior Year
Chapter 15: June 11, 1930
Chapter 16: Heading to the NFL
Bonus Chapter- State of the National Football League
Chapter 17: Portsmouth Spartans
Chapter 18: A Missed Opportunity
Chapter 19: Unfinished Business
Chapter 20: George A. Richards
Chapter 21: Birth of the Detroit Lions
Chapter 22: A Famous Photo and A New Born Baby
Chapter 23: NFL Champions!!
Chapter 24: Hollywood and Retirement Talk
Chapter 25: Greatest All-Around Football Player
Chapter 26: Player-Coach
Chapter 27: Big Crowds in the Motor City
Chapter 28: Dutch Leaves Detroit
Chapter 29: Building the Cleveland Rams
Chapter 30: Tough Days
Chapter 31: Dutch Says Good-Bye to the NFL
Chapter 32: Seattle Bombers
Chapter 33: Los Angeles Dons
Chapter 34: University of Detroit
Chapter 35: An Unexpected Death
Chapter 36: A New Job, A New Love
Chapter 37: Pro Football Hall of Fame
Chapter 38: Watching the Lions
Chapter 39: Back Home to Colorado
Chapter 40: Legacy of Dutch Clark
Appendix: Dutch Clark Honors and Awards
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Dutch Clark

The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions

Chris Willis - Foreword by Steve Sabol

Dutch Clark

The Life of an NFL Legend and the Birth of the Detroit Lions

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