American football player
| Personal information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1918-02-05)February 5, 1918 Chicago | ||||
| Died: | November 18, 1985(1985-11-18) (aged 67) | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 193 lb (88 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| College: | St. Joseph's | ||||
| Position: | End | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Owen Frederick "Red" Thuerk (February 5, 1918 – November 18, 1985) was an American football player and coach.
A native of Chicago, Thuerk played college football at Saint Joseph's College in Indiana and professional football in the National Football League as an end for the Detroit Lions. He signed with the Lions in June 1941 and appeared in three games during the 1941 season.
With the United States entry into World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Thuerk entered in the Army Air Force. He played football for the 1943 and 1944 March Field Flyers football teams that were ranked No. 10 in the final AP Poll each year.
After the war, Thuerk worked as a high school football coach at St. Phillip High School for 23 years from 1946 to 1969. He was later an employee of the Chicago Park District. He was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Coaches Hall of Fame. He died in 1985 at age 67.
References
- "Owen Thuerk". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- "5 College Players Sign with Lions". Detroit Free Press. June 29, 1941 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Backfield Shifts Seen For Fourth Air Force". Los Angeles Times. September 22, 1943 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Jack Jacobs' Passes Defeat Trojans, 35-0". The Birmingham News. November 14, 1943 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Thuerk Rejoins Flyers' Squad". The San Bernardino Sun. October 20, 1944. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Owen "Red" Thuerk". Chicago Tribune. November 21, 1985 – via Newspapers.com.