Bob Davenport (gridiron football)
 Davenport from 1954 Southern Campus | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | April 30, 1933 Oakley, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died: | July 3, 2024 (aged 91) Upland, Indiana, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College: | UCLA |
| Position: | Fullback |
| NFL draft: | 1956 / round: 25 / pick: 301 |
| Career history | |
| As a player: | |
| |
| As a coach: | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Bob Davenport (April 30, 1933 – July 3, 2024) was an American football player and coach.
Biography
[edit]Davenport was raised in Long Beach, California, and played college football at the fullback position for the UCLA Bruins football team.[1] He was selected by the Football Writers Association of America as a first-team player on its 1954 College Football All-America Team.[2]
Davenport declined an offer from the Cleveland Browns as they held Sunday sporting events that contradicted his Christian commitment to observing the Lord's Day.[3] He instead played professionally with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Western Interprovincial Football Union—a forerunner of the Canadian Football League (CFL)—in 1956 and 1957.
He served as the head football coach at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana from 1957 to 1966, compiling a record of 53–41–3.
Davenport later became a competitive cycler.[4]
Davenport died in Upland, Indiana on July 3, 2024, at the age of 91.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Bob Davenport Is Key Performer In UCLA Style". The Gettysburg Times (AP story). September 19, 1955. p. 5.
- ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1236. ISBN 1401337031.
- ^ Glausser, Wayne (2020). "How the NFL Domesticated Christianity". Americana: An Institute for American Studies and Creative Writing. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Dan D'Ambrosio. "Bob Davenport and Wandering Wheels" (PDF). Adventure Cycling.
- ^ "Coach Bob Davenport". Armes-Hunt Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Retrieved October 12, 2024.