World War II Chronicle: October 14, 1941
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Today’s front page features an interesting story about the Detroit Lions hurting so badly for talent that they signed the equipment manager.
Steve Belichick may have been handing out towels in October but back in January he scored the winning touchdown for Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio) as they defeated Arizona State University in the 1941 Sun Bowl. His coach was Bill Edwards, who is now the Lions’ skipper. Belichick reportedly told Edwards that he could do better than the guys on the Lions roster and Edwards took him up on it.
In six games this year he rushes for two touchdowns, returns a punt for a third, and intercepts a pass before joining the Navy in 1942. Although Belichick already graduated college and played in the NFL, he plays for the No. 1 ranked Great Lakes Navy Bluejackets during the 1942 college football season. He serves as an armed guard officer with an amphibious task force in the Pacific Theater.
The man he is supposed to replace is Harry Hopp. His brother is St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Johnny Hopp, who was moved to third base to make room for rookie sensation Stan Musial.
Edwards and Brown also joined the Navy during the war. Edwards attended high school (Massillion, Ohio) with Harry Stuhldreher, one of Notre Dame’s “Four Horsemen,” and the legendary Paul Brown, who was Edwards’ roommate during college. Belechick’s playing days are over after the war, but he becomes a United States Naval Academy institution, spending 33 years as a scout and coach.
Football fans probably noticed the name; Steve Belichick is the father of six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick, and grandfather to Brian and Steve — also coaches for the New England Patriots. Bill Belechick is actually named after Edwards, who is his godfather.
One of his teammates on the 1941 Lions is Byron “Whizzer” White, the former University of Colorado All-American halfback. The Rhodes Scholar was picked fourth overall in the 1938 NFL Draft and led the league in rushing. He spent 1939 in law school, but returned to the gridiron in 1940 and led the league in rushing yards again. When the United States entered World War II, he tried to join the Marine Corps, but was turned away for being color blind. Instead he became a Naval intelligence officer and wrote the report on the sinking of PT-109, skippered by Lt. John F. Kennedy. After the war White finished his law degree and would ultimately be named to the United States Supreme Court by Pres. John F. Kennedy.
Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 14 October 1941. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1941-10-14/ed-1/