View source for Bob Chappuis

{{Short description|American football player (1923–2012)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
| name = 
| image = Bob Chappuis by Harry Watson 1947.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Chappuis in 1947
| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1923|02|24}}
| birth_place = [[Toledo, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2012|06|14|1923|2|24}}
| death_place = [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], U.S.
| team = 
| number = 49
| status = 
| position1 = [[Halfback (American football)|HB]]/[[quarterback|QB]]
| height_ft = 
| height_in = 
| weight_lb = 
| college = [[University of Michigan]]
| NFLDraftedYear = 1947
| NFLDraftedRound = 5
| NFLDraftedPick = 26
| NFLDraftedTeam = [[Detroit Lions]]
| playing_years1 = 1948
| playing_team1 = [[Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)|Brooklyn Dodgers]]
| playing_years2 = 1949
| playing_team2 = [[Chicago Hornets]]
| career_highlights = 
* [[List of unanimous All-Americans in college football|Unanimous All-American]] ([[1947 College Football All-America Team|1947]])
* 2× First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Nine]] ([[1946 All-Big Nine Conference football team|1946]], [[1947 All-Big Nine Conference football team|1947]])
* [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] [[Rush (American football)|rushing]] Champion, 1946
* 2× Big Ten [[Total offense]] Champion (1946, 1947)
* [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] team [[Most valuable player|MVP]], 1946
| awards = 
| honors =
| records = '''[[Big Ten Conference]] Records'''<br />
Single-season [[passer rating]] (1947–)<br />
Single-season total offense (1946–1951)

'''[[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] Records'''<br />
Career total offense (1947–1970)<br />
Career [[passer rating]] (1947–80)<br />
Single-season yards/completion (1947–)<br />
Career yards/completion (1947–78)<br />
Single-season [[touchdown]] percentage (1947–76)<br />
Career touchdown percentage (1947–78)<br />
Single-season total offense/play (1947–76)<br />
Career total offense/play (1947–78)
| DatabaseFootball = CHAPPBOB01
| CollegeHOF = 1679
| module = {{Infobox military person
| embed = yes
| allegiance = United States of America
| branch = [[U.S. Army Air Forces]]
| serviceyears = 1943–1945
| rank = [[Lieutenant]]
| battles = World War II<br />[[European Theater of Operations]]
}}
}}

'''Robert Richard Chappuis''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|æ|p|i|ə|s}} {{respell|CHAP|ee-əs}};<ref name=K>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779320-1,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023101301/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779320-1,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |title=Kickoff |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=October 6, 1947 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> February 24, 1923 – June 14, 2012) was an [[American football]] player who played [[halfback (American football)|halfback]] and [[quarterback]] for the [[University of Michigan]] [[Michigan Wolverines football|Wolverines]] in 1942, 1946, and 1947. His college years were interrupted by service in the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] during World War II. Chappuis flew 21&nbsp;missions as a [[radio operator]] and [[air gunner|aerial gunner]] on [[North American B-25 Mitchell|B-25 bombers]] in the [[European Theatre of World War II|European Theater]]. His aircraft was shot down in February 1945 in the [[Lombardy]] region of [[Northern Italy]]. Chappuis [[parachute]]d from the plane before it crashed, and [[Italian resistance movement|Italian partisans]] rescued him by hiding Chappuis and two other crew members for the final three months of the war.

After the war, Chappuis returned to Michigan where he broke the [[Big Ten Conference|Big Nine Conference]] record for [[total offense]] in 1946 and then broke his own record in 1947. He led the [[1947 Michigan Wolverines football team|1947 Michigan team]] known as the "Mad Magicians" to an undefeated season and a 49–0 win over the [[USC Trojans football|USC Trojans]] in the [[1948 Rose Bowl]] game. Chappuis was a unanimous All-American selection in 1947 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1948 Rose Bowl. His picture appeared on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine in 1947 in connection with a feature article about Chappuis and the 1947 Wolverines. He placed second in the 1947 [[Heisman Trophy]] balloting.

During his career he established many football records that lasted for over a generation and became an [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]]. He continues to hold the Big Ten Conference single-season [[passer rating]] record and the [[Michigan Wolverines]] single-season yards/completion records. He was one of the early [[forward pass|passing]] specialists in an era where football players were just beginning to either play on offense or defense instead of both.

Chappuis played professional football in the [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC) as a quarterback for the [[Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] and [[Chicago Hornets]] in 1948 and 1949. He led the Dodgers in total offense in 1948 with 1,402&nbsp;yards passing and 310&nbsp;yards rushing. When both clubs and the AAFC folded, Chappuis retired from football in 1950. He was elected to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1988.

==Early life==
Chappuis was born and raised in [[Toledo, Ohio]], the son of Mary Ellen (née Burchell) and Sylvan Francis Chappuis.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=aeaFAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Toledo.+Feb.+24,+1923%3B+s.+Sylvan+%22 Toledo. Feb. 24, 1923; s. Sylvan], Who's who in Finance and Industry – Institute for Research in Biography (New York, N.Y.), Marquis Who's Who, LLC, A.N. Marquis & Company, Marquis Who's Who, Inc – Google Books</ref> His father—who had played quarterback for [[Denison University]], which is located near [[Columbus, Ohio]]— was an executive with a [[porcelain]] products company in Toledo.<ref name=Specialist /> Chappuis graduated from [[DeVilbiss High School (Toledo, Ohio)|DeVilbiss High School]] where he was a star football player.<ref name=Rustling /> When it came time to choose a college, his father said his only preference for his son was that he not attend [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]].<ref name=Specialist /> Chappuis could not provide much of an explanation for his father's preference: "Dad just didn't like Ohio State."<ref name=Specialist />

Chappuis played in nine games for Michigan as a [[Sophomore year|sophomore]] in 1942, contributing 220&nbsp;yards rushing, 358&nbsp;yards passing, and 30&nbsp;yards receiving.<ref name=Bentley>{{cite web |title=Bentley Library: Bob Chappuis |url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aachappu.htm |work=The Regents of the University of Michigan |date=January 10, 2007 |access-date=April 14, 2008}}</ref> In his first game as a college halfback, Chappuis completed seven of eighteen passes for a gain of 80&nbsp;yards, and also rushed for 49&nbsp;yards in a 9–0 win over the [[Naval Station Great Lakes|Great Lakes Naval Training Station]].<ref name=Rustling>{{cite news |author=Davies, Russ |title=Rustling Thru Sports: Chappuis fits The Bill |work=The Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) |date=October 2, 1942}}</ref> Chappuis' predecessor as Michigan's halfback, [[Heisman Trophy]] winner [[Tom Harmon]], completed seven passes in a single game only three times in three years, a feat accomplished by Chappuis in his first game.<ref name=Rustling />

==Service in World War II==
Chappuis' college program was interrupted by military service from 1943 to 1945. During World War II, Chappuis earned the rank of [[Lieutenant]] in the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]].<ref name=K /> He flew 21&nbsp;missions as a [[radio operator]] and [[air gunner|aerial gunner]] in [[North American B-25 Mitchell|B-25 bombers]].<ref name=Eck /><ref name=Veterans /> His crew sunk a [[cruiser]] in an Italian harbor, which earned it a citation in September 1944.<ref name=CFHOF /> He flew his first mission, which was targeting a railroad bridge in the heavily fortified [[Brenner Pass]] on Christmas Day 1944.<ref name=Specialist /> At the time he flew this first mission, he was a [[Sergeant#United States|sergeant]].<ref name=Specialist /> On February 13, 1945, Chappuis flew his 21st mission when he was assigned to fill in for a sick crew member.<ref name=Tosi>{{cite news |title='M' All-American At Tosi's: Chappuis' Life Story Like Movie Script |work=[[The Herald-Palladium]] |date=August 19, 1975}}</ref> Chappuis' B-25 bomber was assigned to bomb a railroad tunnel in the Italian mountains north of the [[Po River]]. "Over the target, a burst of [[flak]] knocked out one engine, then the other engine went out. When the order came to bail out, the [[Tail gunner|tailgunner]] went out first, and got stuck in the escape hatch, pinned against the rear of it by the wind pressure. Chappuis kicked him in the only accessible place—his head—and knocked him loose. Then he jumped."<ref name=Specialist />

Chappuis was rescued by an [[Italian resistance movement|Italian partisan]], Aldo Comucci, a 21-year-old who was in charge of one of the many underground groups operating in the area.<ref name=Tosi /> Comucci and his band of [[Italian resistance movement|resistance fighters]] got to Chappuis before the Germans and hid him and two other American flyers from the same plane for nearly three months until the end of the war.<ref name=Tosi /> The partisans passed Chappuis and the two other Americans from house to house, and village to village, toward the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] frontier.<ref name=Specialist /><ref name=Eck /> Dressed in shawls — but still wearing [[GI (military)|G.I.]] shoes — they once walked undetected past a German [[General Orders for Sentries|sentry]].<ref name=Specialist />

[[File:B-25J Bomber.jpg|200px|thumb|left|[[North American B-25 Mitchell]]]]
Chappuis and his crewmates finally reached a home in the small town of [[Asola, Lombardy|Asola, Italy]], in the [[Province of Mantua]], [[Lombardy]], about {{convert|80|mi|km}} from [[Milan]]. The German headquarters was two houses away, and the drill grounds were across the street. Accordingly, Chappuis and the other Americans could not walk near a window or talk above a whisper.<ref name=Specialist /><ref name=Eck /> They passed the time playing cards with each other and with the Ugolini family with whom they stayed, and reading a well-worn copy of ''[[Uncle Tom's Cabin]]''. The Americans were nearly captured one evening when the [[Italian fascism|Fascist]] fiancé of one of the Ugolini daughters entered the house unannounced and found the Americans playing cards. He threatened to turn the Americans in, but was persuaded not to when told it would mean the death of his fiancée and her family for aiding the Americans.<ref name=Specialist />

When [[V-E Day]] arrived in early May 1945, Chappuis and his crewmates stayed in Asola for a week-long celebration. On the night the war ended, residents of Asola removed the seats from the town's theater for a victory ball. While two orchestras played onstage, the liberated townspeople toasted the Americans, and Chappuis danced with the Ugolinis' daughters.<ref name=Specialist /> When Chappuis returned to the United States, he stayed in touch with the Ugolinis and sent them weekly food packages.<ref name=Specialist /> Chappuis also stayed in touch with Comucci, the resistance leader who rescued him. In 1974, Chappuis returned to Italy to meet with Comucci for the first time in 20&nbsp;years.<ref name=Tosi /> And in August 1975, Comucci and his wife traveled to Michigan to visit Chappuis.<ref name=Tosi />

==All-American at the University of Michigan==

===1946 season===
Chappuis returned to Michigan after being discharged from the military and played football in the spring of 1946. He returned in time to join the Michigan [[baseball]] team, where he played in the [[outfielder|outfield]], led the team in [[batting average (baseball)|batting]], and helped them win the Big Nine championship with a 26-game winning streak.<ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan's Nine Win 26th Straight |work=[[Wisconsin State Journal]] |date=May 1, 1946}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Harry Grayson |author-link=Harry Grayson |title=Fritz Crisler Predicts Greatest College Football Season |work=[[Ogden Standard-Examiner]] |date=August 19, 1946}}</ref>

When football season arrived in the fall, Chappuis was one of many veterans who returned to college and the [[Gridiron football|gridiron]] after serving in the war. Many of the returning veterans were not in prime football condition at the start of the 1946 season, and Coach [[Fritz Crisler]] "predicted it might be November before ex-servicemen were adjusted physically and mentally to play their top game."<ref name=Veterans>{{cite news |title=Military Veterans Find Grid Warfare Right Up Their Alley |work=[[Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune]] |date=October 10, 1946}}</ref> Chappuis later recalled that he was 23&nbsp;years old when he returned to school, and some of the returning veterans "didn't know if they could get back into the rah-rah of college football, but Fritz took care of that. He really whipped us into shape."<ref name=Tosi /> Despite any difficulties in re-adjusting to civilian life and football, Chappuis broke [[Otto Graham]]'s [[Big Ten Conference|Big Nine Conference]] record for total offensive yards during the 1946 football season.<ref name=History>{{cite news |title=Bob Chappuis Out To Make Grid History At Michigan |work=[[Portland Press-Herald]] |date=October 21, 1947}}</ref> Though reports differ as to Chappuis' total yards gained, [[University of Michigan]] records show that Chappuis gained 1,284&nbsp;yards in 1946—734&nbsp;yards passing, 501&nbsp;yards rushing and 49&nbsp;yards receiving.<ref name=Bentley /> Chappuis set the new offensive mark in 1946 with a fractured bone in his wrist that he did not report until after the season had ended, at which time an operation was performed.<ref name=Specialist /><ref name=History /> Chappuis later said he knew the [[x-ray]] would reveal a fracture, and he would be benched before he even began.<ref name=Unspoiled /> He delayed the examination until the season was over because "the time to break into the lineup is prior to the first game. If I hadn't, there were so many capable candidates around who could have made good behind our front wall that I'd never have become a first-stringer by returning in the middle of the season."<ref name=Unspoiled /> Accordingly, Chappuis played the 1946 season with a fractured wrist and without even bothering to tape the wrist.<ref name=Unspoiled />
He was later drafted in December by the [[Detroit Lions]] in the fifth round of the [[1947 NFL draft]] (26th overall pick).<ref name=1947Draft>{{cite web |title=1947 NFL Draft |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1947/draft.htm |work=pro-football-reference.com (Sports Reference LLC)}}</ref> But Chappuis opted to stay in school to finish his collegiate career.

===1947 season===
[[File:Bob Chappuis hurdling tackler.png|right|thumb|175px|Chappuis hurdling an opposing tackler, 1946.]]
Given the off-season wrist surgery, Chappuis was questionable for the 1947 season. As the season got underway, Chappuis said the wrist was "not as loose" as it was in 1946, but he felt it was "loose enough."<ref name=History /> In the end, Chappuis broke his own Big Nine total offense record by gaining 1,405&nbsp;yards as compared with 1,284&nbsp;yards in 1946.<ref name=Bentley /><ref name=Eck>{{cite news |author=Eck, Frank |title=Midwest Places 3 in All-American Backfield: Lujack, Evans, Chappuis Chosen |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |date=December 3, 1947}}</ref> He completed 48 out of 84&nbsp;passes for 976&nbsp;yards, including 11&nbsp;[[touchdown]] passes. He also scored 5&nbsp;touchdowns and gained 544&nbsp;yards rushing.<ref name=Eck /> In the season opener against [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]], Chappuis scored three touchdowns in a 55–0 victory, as Michigan outgained the Spartans 504&nbsp;yards rushing to 56.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bob Chappuis Leads Wolves to 55–0 Win |work=[[Wisconsin State Journal]] |date=September 28, 1947}}</ref> Michigan finished the 1947 season with a 21–0 victory over [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]]. In his last game at [[Michigan Stadium]], Chappuis set a Michigan single-game record for total offense that would last 20 years. Altogether, Chappuis accounted for 307&nbsp;yards, [[Rush (American football)|rushing]] for 90&nbsp;yards and completing 12 of 27 passes for 217&nbsp;yards.<ref>{{cite news |author=Kennesson, Frank |title=Big 9 Champion Wolves Win; Hoosiers Upset Purdue, 16–14: Bob Chappuis Gets 307&nbsp;Yards in Win Over Ohio State |agency=Associated Press |date=November 23, 1947}}</ref> This stood as a school single-game total offense record for over 20&nbsp;years.<ref name=CFHOF /> At the end of the 1947 season, Chappuis was named a unanimous first-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,890131,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611140428/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,890131,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 11, 2008 |title=untitled |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=July 23, 1951 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> He also finished second to [[Johnny Lujack]] in the 1947 [[Heisman Trophy]] voting, with Lujack receiving 742 first and second place votes to 555 for Chappuis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heisman.com/winners/j-lujack47.html |title=1947–13th Award, John Lujack, Notre Dame Back |access-date=April 10, 2008 |publisher=Heisman Trophy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409133154/http://www.heisman.com/winners/j-lujack47.html |archive-date=April 9, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Heisman Trophy Voting |work=Pacific [[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars And Stripes]] |date=December 18, 1991}}</ref> Despite the glowing adjectives heaped on him, reporters noted that "Chappuis can still wear his regular size seven headgear." Chappuis gave credit to his line saying, "Anyone passing behind the protection that line gave me could have done as well."<ref name=Unspoiled>{{cite news |author=Bussey, Bev |title=Chappuis Unspoiled by All-America Honors, Praises Own Teammates |work=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]] |date=December 7, 1947}}</ref> In another sign of his modesty on a team with only two two-way players Chappuis said "You have to smell where to go on pass defense—and my sniffer's not too good." when asked why he does not play both ways.<ref name=Specialist />

In addition to having the most accomplished season of his collegiate career, Chappuis was a leader on campus.<ref name=Look>{{cite news |title=1,000 Yard a Year Man |work=[[Look (American magazine)|Look]] |date=October 28, 1947}}</ref> He was elected president of the Michigan Alpha chapter of the [[Phi Delta Theta]] fraternity whose membership included a number of his teammates and prominent University of Michigan athletic alumni such as [[Tom Harmon]], [[Bob Ufer]], and [[Harry Kipke]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan Alpha Chapter Phi Delta Theta Fraternity Membership Directory |publisher=Stewart Howe Alumni Service |year=1998}}</ref> Chappuis appeared on the cover of the October 28, 1947 issue of ''[[Look (American magazine)|Look]]'' magazine which featured pictures of him on the football field and at the fraternity house.<ref name=Look /> In the magazine, Chappuis and his future wife were also featured about the Michigan campus. He expressed an interest in first playing professional football for a few years before going into the [[porcelain]] business with his father.<ref name=Look />

Look magazine devoted over a dozen pictures to showing Chappuis play in the offense. In the 1940s, the offense was perceived as [[gimmick]]y and magical and the magazine described how the offense used various fakes and delays to gain the advantage in timing by concealing the point of attack and the attacker. The contemporary football lingo described the basic attack as a "[[fullback (American football)|fullback]] spinner cycle with the backs deployed loosely." It described an alternate formation as a [[single-wing]] formation with direct [[Snap (football)|snap]] from [[center (American football)|center]] to left [[halfback (American football)|halfback]] (Chappuis' position). The article also describes T maneuvers, [[lateral pass]]es and [[end-around]] plays as part of the offense.<ref name=Look />

===Passing "specialist"===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Chappuis.jpg|thumb|right|Chappuis on the cover of [[Time magazine]]]] -->
Chappuis drew considerable attention in the national press for his abilities as a [[Forward pass|passer]], one of the game's first passing "specialists." In November 1947, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine ran a feature article about Chappuis and the 1947 Wolverines (with Chappuis' photograph on the cover)<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19471103,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224183159/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19471103,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 24, 2007 |title=Robert A. Chappuis |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=November 3, 1947 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> called "The Specialist."<ref name=Specialist>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779413-1,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026104735/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779413-1,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2007 |title=The Specialist |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=November 3, 1947 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> The ''Time'' article focused on the new era of specialization marked by coach [[Fritz Crisler]]'s decision to field separate offensive and defensive units in 1947. The article focused on Chappuis as Michigan's "prize specialist," who was described as "Crisler's triggerman."<ref name=Specialist /> "His job is to throw [[forward pass]]es and there is no one in 1947 collegiate football who does it better. … In Michigan's first five games, Specialist Chappuis was on the field less than one-third of the time, but of the 27&nbsp;passes he threw, 19 were complete – five of them for touchdowns... When Chappuis fades back to pass, he is a slow-motion study in coolness and concentration."<ref name=Specialist />

Crisler said Chappuis was "the finest passer I have ever handled and probably one of the best I've ever seen. He plays as though he had ice water in his veins."<ref name=Eck /> Crisler felt that "great passers are born,"<ref name=Eck /> and the difference between a great and a merely good passer is in the eyes. ''Time'' noted that Chappuis had great field vision for his downfield [[Wide receiver|receivers]] and for oncoming defenders.<ref name=Specialist /> "Like a good baseball [[catcher]], he throws the ball off his right ear, with a snap motion. He throws what the coaches call a 'heavy ball.'"<ref name=Specialist /> Another writer noted that Chappuis was "endowed with a passer's sixth sense, 'split vision,'"<ref name=Unspoiled /> and an ability to "pick out his receiver after one glance over the field."<ref name=Unspoiled />

''Time'' also noted that Chappuis was unlike his predecessor, the "hail-fellow" [[Tom Harmon]]. "His snaggleteeth and sharp features earned him the nickname 'Bird Face' when he was a kid."<ref name=Specialist /> ''Time'' also reported that Chappuis "learns easily, just as he does in the classroom, where he makes a C-plus average seemingly without ever opening a book."<ref name=Specialist />

When Chappuis graduated, he held numerous school records, including most touchdown passes in a career with 23, a record that was not broken until 30&nbsp;years later by four-year starter, [[Rick Leach]].<ref name=Tosi /><ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan drubs Iowa, Leach sets pass mark |work=Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, Ohio |date=October 30, 1977}}</ref> He also held the record for most touchdown passes in a season with 13, a record that was tied by Leach in 1976.<ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan Victory Sets Up Showdown |work=[[Galveston Daily News]] |date=November 14, 1976}}</ref> He also held the school record for most career total offensive yards with 3,487, a record broken in 1970 by [[Don Moorhead]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan Manhandles Iowa 55–0 |work=Pacific [[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars And Stripes]] |date=November 16, 1970}}</ref>

===1948 Rose Bowl and All-Star Game===
[[File:Bump Elliott and Bob Chappuis pose with Marlene Dietrich.jpg|thumb|right|165px|[[Bump Elliott]] and Chappuis pose with [[Marlene Dietrich]] during 1947 Wolverines trip to California for the [[1948 Rose Bowl]].]]
Chappuis played his last game for Michigan in a 49–0 win over the [[Southern California Trojans football|USC Trojans]] in the [[1948 Rose Bowl]]. Chappuis ran for 91&nbsp;yards, completed 14 of 24 passes for 188&nbsp;yards, was named the Most Valuable Player, and set Rose Bowl records for total offense and pass completions.<ref name=Bentley /><ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan Swamps Trojans 49 to 0 in Rose Bowl Tilt |work=[[Oakland Tribune]] |date=January 2, 1948}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Stiles, Maxwell |title=Michigan Rips Trojans Apart |work=[[Long Beach Press-Telegram]] |date=January 2, 1948}}</ref> The ''[[Long Beach Independent]]'' reported: "Bob Chappuis was every inch the All-American he has been tabbed. Running, faking and pivoting beautifully, he averaged 7&nbsp;yards a crack for 13 carries and completed 14 out of 24 pitches for 188&nbsp;yards … which gave him a new [[total offense]] record of 279&nbsp;yards for the classic."<ref>{{cite news |title=Michigan Overpowers SC |work=[[Long Beach Independent]] |date=January 2, 1948}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,794146,00.html?promoid=googlep |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023101330/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,794146,00.html?promoid=googlep |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |title=The Case for Michigan |access-date=March 23, 2008 |date=January 12, 1948 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>

A sidelight of the Rose Bowl was the Rose Bowl Queen nomination of Ann Gestie, the future wife of Bob Chappuis, which was against the tradition of having a queen from [[Pasadena, California]]. Buck Dawson, the manager of the Michigan Yearbook who would go on to marry the daughter of [[Matthew Mann]], was the proponent of the nomination. Although tradition was upheld, Gestie's photograph appeared on the front page of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' along with the caption "Overlooked Michigan Beauty."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/MT/96/Fall96/mta11f96.html |title=The Adventures of Buck Dawson |author=Walker, Linda Robinson |date=Fall 1996 |publisher=Umich.edu |access-date=April 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080428235120/http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/MT/96/Fall96/mta11f96.html |archive-date=April 28, 2008 }}</ref>

Chappuis was also selected to play for coach [[Frank Leahy]] on the College All-Star squad against the [[1947 Chicago Cardinals season|Chicago Cardinals]], who were the [[1947 NFL Championship Game|1947 NFL Champions]]. In the 15th College All-Star vs. NFL Champion match, the Cardinals scored the biggest victory to date with a 28–0 victory. Among the collegians were Lujack and [[Chuck Conerly]]. The professional athletes included [[Paul Christman]] and [[Charley Trippi]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,799091,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201120553/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,799091,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2011 |title=Dated Dream |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=August 30, 1948 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> Supposedly, the 1947 class had a void at [[fullback (American football)|fullback]], which may have been the problem with their offense in the All-Star game [[shutout]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,887764-2,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023093821/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,887764-2,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |title=Eleven Good Men & True (page 2) |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=November 24, 1947 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref>

===Celebrity===
He became a celebrity of sorts at Michigan.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,794157,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201145558/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,794157,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2011 |title=Going My Way? |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=January 12, 1948 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> He was mentioned in several issues of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, and his wedding was even announced in the magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,853910,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131044916/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,853910,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 31, 2011 |title=untitled |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=July 25, 1949 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> In addition, his time at Michigan defined an era in a way that became a permanent reference because his contemporaries would say that they were at Michigan in the Chappuis years.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/26/sports/sports-of-the-times-giants-can-t-let-parcells-get-away.html?sq=Bob+Chappuis&scp=2&st=nyt |title=Sports Of The Times; Giants Can't Let Parcells Get Away |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=April 26, 1991 |work=[[The New York Times]] |author=Anderson, Dave}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/02/sports/the-bowl-games-two-old-rivals-meet-in-pasadena.html?sq=Bob+Chappuis&scp=3&st=nyt |title=The Bowl Games; Two Old Rivals Meet in Pasadena |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=January 2, 1989 |work=[[The New York Times]] |author=White Gordon S., Jr.}}</ref> In 1988, he was elected into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/31/sports/c-correction-466588.html?sq=Bob+Chappuis&scp=4&st=nyt |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724141006/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE2D9103DF932A05752C0A96E948260&scp=4&sq=Bob+Chappuis&st=nyt |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 24, 2012 |title=Correction |access-date=March 22, 2008 |date=January 31, 1988 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

==Professional football==
Chappuis was drafted by the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], and reports in February 1948 indicated that the Steelers had offered him a two-year contract for $20,000 per year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chappuis to Play With Steelers |work=[[San Antonio Express]] |date=February 28, 1948}}</ref> However, Chappuis passed up the Steelers' offer, opting instead to play for the new [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC). In June 1948, Chappuis signed with [[Branch Rickey]]'s [[Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] of the AAFC after coach [[Carl Voyles]] outbid the Steelers for his services at $17,000.<ref name=FiaHW>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779969,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201165335/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779969,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2011 |title=Football in a Heat Wave |access-date=March 23, 2008 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=September 6, 1948}}</ref> Chappuis had been drafted by the [[Cleveland Browns]], and the Dodgers gave the Browns three draft picks in exchange for the right to sign Chappuis.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brooklyn Grid Team Signs Bob Chappuis |work=[[Iowa City Press-Citizen]] |date=June 28, 1948}}</ref> Rickey had felt that modern football was based on speed and that he could win with a good [[Center (American football)|center]], passing quarterback and two tall sprinting [[end (American football)|ends]]. Thus, he placed a premium on signing Chappuis, the passing quarterback.<ref name=FiaHW /> The college All-star game caused Chappuis to miss three weeks of practice and he played little in the early season games because he had not learned his plays.<ref name=FiaHW />

In his first professional game against the [[San Francisco 49ers]], Chappuis ran the ball 37&nbsp;yards to the 49ers six-yard line in the fourth quarter, giving fans "an indication of what sent all the major professional clubs after his services."<ref>{{cite news |author=Willis, Wally |title=49ers Trounce Brooklyn, 36–20 |work=[[Oakland Tribune]] |date=September 6, 1948}}</ref> Chappuis played in 13&nbsp;games for the Dodgers in 1948 and shared the quarterbacking responsibilities with [[Bob Hoernschemeyer]] who played in all 14 games. Chappuis led the team in total offense (1712 to 1428 for Hoernschemeyer).<ref name=48BD>{{cite web |title=1948 Brooklyn Dodgers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/bda/1948.htm |access-date=April 14, 2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref> Chappuis completed 100 of 213 passes for 1,402&nbsp;yards with 15&nbsp;interceptions and 8&nbsp;touchdown passes. He also rushed for 310&nbsp;yards, for an average of 6.0&nbsp;yards per carry, and one rushing touchdown.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bob Chappuis |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/ChapBo20.htm |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 14, 2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC }}</ref> Although Chappuis led the team in total offense, Hoernschemeyer also made eleven [[reception (American football)|receptions]] and served as both a [[kick returner]] and [[punt returner]] at various times during the season.<ref name=48BD /> The Dodgers finished the season with a 2–12 record and folded after the 1948 season.<ref name=48BD />

In 1949, Chappuis played for the [[Chicago Hornets]], also of the AAFC, but saw only limited playing time as a back-up to Hoernschemeyer and [[Johnny Clement]] on a team that went 4–10.<ref name=Quit>{{cite news |title=Chappuis to Quit Pro Grid Ranks |work=European [[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars And Stripes]] |date=June 7, 1950}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=1949 Chicago Hornets |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cra/1949.htm |access-date=April 14, 2008 |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com}}</ref> When the AAFC went out of existence after the 1949 season, Chappuis retired from football.<ref name=Whatever>{{cite news |title=Whatever Happened To … Bob Chappuis |work=[[Times Leader]] |date=June 6, 1958}}</ref> In announcing his retirement in June 1950, Chappuis said he was through with professional football and that his ambition then was to enjoy a more leisurely lifestyle and to be able to visit [[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]] for those fall football games.<ref name=Quit />

==After football==
After retiring from football, Chappuis worked in various business ventures. In the 1950s, he was in the electrical appliance business in [[South Bend, Indiana]].<ref name=Whatever /> He spent thirteen years with Central Soya Co. in [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]], retiring in 1983 as the Vice President in charge of Labor Relations.<ref name=CFHOF>{{cite web |title=College Football Hall of Fame: Bob Chappuis |url={{College Football HoF/url|id=1679}} |publisher=College Football Hall of Fame |access-date=April 14, 2008}}</ref><ref name=Tosi /> He later formed his own management consulting business in Fort Wayne.<ref>{{cite news |title=11 Named to College Football Hall of Fame |work=Pacific [[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]] |date=January 25, 1988}}</ref>

Chappuis and his wife, Ann Chappuis, had four children.<ref name=Tosi /> Chappuis is the uncle of former [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] and [[Baltimore Colts]] strong safety [[Rick Volk]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aavolk.htm |title=University of Michigan Football All-American: Richard Volk: Defensive Halfback, 1966 |access-date=November 16, 2008 |date=February 10, 2007 |publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan}}</ref> In 2012, he was inducted into the [[Michigan Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mgoblue.com/genrel/031212aaa.html |title=Four More Michigan Men Named to MSHOF |access-date=March 14, 2012 |date=March 12, 2012 |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |work=MGoBlue.com}}</ref>

Chappuis fell in June 2012 and was hospitalized at the [[University of Michigan Hospital]]. He died a few days later on June 14, 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/8057164/michigan-wolverines-bob-chappuis-dies-89 |title=Bob Chappuis Dies at 89 |access-date=June 15, 2012 |date=June 15, 2012 |publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref>

==Honors and accolades==
Chappuis received numerous honors, including the following:
* Named Most Valuable Player on the 1946 [[Michigan Wolverines football]] team;<ref name=Bentley1946>{{cite web |title=Bentley Historical Library: 1946 Football Team |url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1946fbt.htm |publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan |date=March 31, 2007 |access-date=April 14, 2008}}</ref>
* Named to the All-[[Big Ten Conference|Big Nine Conference]] team, 1946;<ref name=Bentley1946 />
<!--*Do not undo until you can find source Inducted into the senior honor society at the University of Michigan, Michigamua, now known as Order of Angell, in the spring of 1947-->
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]], 1947;<ref>{{cite web |title=University of Michigan Football Consensus All-Americans |url=http://mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=40324 |publisher=University of Michigan and Host Interactive |date=March 3, 2005 |access-date=April 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514230824/http://mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=40324 |archive-date=May 14, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Named to the All-[[Big Ten Conference|Big Nine Conference]] team, 1947;<ref>{{cite web |title=Bentley Historical Library: 1947 Football Team |url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1947fbt.htm |publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan |date=March 31, 2007 |access-date=April 14, 2008}}</ref>
* Finished second to [[Johnny Lujack]] in the [[Heisman Trophy]] voting in 1947;
* Named Most Valuable Player of the [[1948 Rose Bowl]] game;<ref name=CFHOF />
* Inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 1984;<ref>{{cite web |title=University of Michigan Hall of Honor |url=http://www.letterwinnersmclub.com/hallofhonor.html |access-date=April 14, 2008 |publisher=[[University of Michigan]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027023751/http://www.letterwinnersmclub.com/hallofhonor.html |archive-date=October 27, 2007 }}</ref> and
* Inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1988.<ref name=CFHOF />
* Inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1992.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rose Bowl Hall of Fame |url=http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/halloffame.asp |publisher=Tournament of Roses |access-date=April 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311130751/http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/halloffame.asp <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=March 11, 2008}}</ref>
* In 2005, Chappuis was selected as one of the 100 greatest Michigan football players of all time by the "Motown Sports Revival", ranking 28th on the all-time team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://motownsportsrevival.blogspot.com/2005/08/100-greatest-michigan-football-players.html |title=100 Greatest Michigan Football Players of All-Time |work=Motown Sports Revival |access-date=April 14, 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* [[List of Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans]]
* [[University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons cat}}
* [https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aachappu.htm Bentley Library profile of Chappuis]
* {{cfbhof|id=1679|name=Bob Chappuis}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071026104735/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779413-1,00.html November 1947 Time magazine article on Chappuis]

{{1947 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Michigan Wolverines quarterback navbox}}
{{Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders}}
{{1947 Michigan Wolverines football navbox}}
{{Lions1947DraftPicks}}

{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chappuis, Bob}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) players]]
[[Category:Chicago Hornets players]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Michigan Wolverines football players]]
[[Category:Shot-down aviators]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Toledo, Ohio]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]