George Fritts
Personal information | |
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Born: | Lenoir City, Tennessee | December 30, 1919
Died: | February 8, 1987 Savannah, Georgia | (aged 67)
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Lenoir City (Lenoir City, Tennessee) |
College: | Clemson |
Position: | Guard, tackle |
Career history | |
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George Henry Fritts Jr. (December 30, 1919 – February 8, 1987) was an American football player and coach. A native of Lenoir City, Tennessee, Fritts attended Lenoir City High School before accepting a full scholarship to Clemson University. He played guard for the Clemson team from 1939 to 1942.
Fritts played in Clemson, first bowl game, the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic. After serving in World War II, he was hired to coach the Columbus, Georgia football team but a manager in the front office of the Philadelphia Eagles contacted him for completing his requirements for professional football. An earlier exposure to high levels of radiation during World War II left him with a disability which resulted in his loss of eyesight after three years of playing for Philadelphia.
Frank Howard hired him to be an assistant coach at Clemson and after a few years there he left to coach at Gaffney High School, where his teams won several state championships. He moved to Georgia to become a high school principal. In 1977, he was inducted in the Clemson University Hall of Fame. and was recognized as a first-team all-century team at Clemson in 1998.[1]
References
- ^ "Player Bio: George Fritts". clemsontigers.cstv.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- George Fritts at Find a Grave
- 1919 births
- 1987 deaths
- American football guards
- American football tackles
- Clemson Tigers football coaches
- Clemson Tigers football players
- Newberry Wolves football coaches
- Philadelphia Eagles players
- High school football coaches in South Carolina
- American military personnel of World War II
- People from Lenoir City, Tennessee
- Players of American football from Tennessee
- College football player stubs