Red Badgro

His father, Walter Badgro (1865–1940), was a farmer in Orillia.

He attended Kent High School where he was twice named captain of the basketball and baseball teams.

Badgro later recalled that his focus was on baseball and basketball in high school, noting that he only played "maybe three games of football in four years" of high school.

Badgro enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) on a basketball scholarship.

At USC, was a multi-sport star in baseball, basketball, and football.

Morris Hiram "Red" Badgro (December 1, 1902 – July 13, 1998) was an American professional football and baseball player.

He played as an end in the National Football League (NFL).

Badgro was born in 1902 in Orillia, Washington.

Playing at the end position for the USC football team, he was selected by the United Press as a first-team player on the 1926 All-Pacific Coast football team.

He then played nine seasons of professional football for the New York Yankees (1927–1928), New York Giants (1930–1935), and Brooklyn Dodgers (1936).

He was a forward for the USC basketball team and was named to the All-Pacific Coast Conference basketball team in 1927.

During the 1927 baseball season, he led USC with a .352 batting average, scored 25 runs in 21 games, and was named to the All-California baseball team.

Badgro played 10 seasons of professional football.

During the 1927 season, he appeared in 12 games for the New York Yankees.

Badgro also played professional baseball as an outfielder for six years from 1928 to 1933, including two seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Browns (1929–1930).

The Yankees folded after the 1928 season, and Badgro opted to focus on professional baseball.

He played minor league ball in 1928 for the Tulsa Oilers in the Western League and the Muskogee Chiefs in the Western Association, compiling a .351 batting average in 513 at bats.

He did not play professional football in 1929.

After playing Major League Baseball in 1929 and 1930, Badgro qualified as a free agent in professional football and signed with the New York Giants for $150 a game.

He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in 1929.

In June 1929, Badgro made his major league debut with the St. Louis Browns.

Over the 1929 and 1930 season, he appeared in 143 games, 80 of them as a right fielder and 13 as a center fielder.

He gained his greatest acclaim as the starting left end for the Giants from 1930 to 1935.

He was regarded as a sure-tackling defender and an effective blocker and talented receiver on offense.

Giants coach Steve Owen said of Badgro: "He could block, tackle, and catch passes equally well. And he could do each with the best of them."

Highlights from Badgro's prime years include the following:

He compiled a .257 batting average in 382 major league at-bats and appeared in his final major league game on September 18, 1930.

He was selected as a first-team All-Pro in 1931, 1933, and 1934.

Badgro continued to play in the minor leagues for several years, including stints with the Wichita Falls Spudders of the Texas League (1931–1932) and Seattle Indians of the Pacific Coast League (1933).

He scored the first touchdown in the first NFL Championship Game and was a member of the 1934 New York Giants team that won the second NFL Championship Game.

Badgro concluded his playing career with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1936.

Badgro also played professional baseball.

In 1937, Badgro returned to USC to finish the credits he needed to graduate.

At the same time, he was a member of Howard Jones' football coaching staff at USC, responsible for working with USC's frosh players.

In June 1938, Badgro was hired as the football coach at Ventura High School in Ventura, California.

He also coached football, baseball, and basketball for Ventura Junior College.

After his career as an athlete was over, Badgro served as a football coach for 14 years, including stints as the ends coach for Columbia (1939–1942) and Washington (1946–1953).

In June 1939, he was hired as an assistant coach (responsible for ends) under Lou Little at Columbia.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

A native of Orillia, Washington, he attended the University of Southern California (USC) where he played baseball, basketball, and football.