View source for Red Badgro

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1902–1998)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Red Badgro
| image         = Red Badgro.jpg
| image_size    = 170px
| caption       = 
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1902|12|1}}
| birth_place   = [[Orillia, Washington]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1998|7|13|1902|12|1}}
| death_place   = [[Kent, Washington]], U.S.
| module        = {{Infobox NFL biography
| embed        = yes
| name         = Red Badgro
| image        =
| image_size   = 
| alt          = 
| caption      = 
| number       = 29, 17, 32
| position     = [[End (gridiron football)|End]]
| height_ft    = 6
| height_in    = 0
| weight_lb    = 191
| high_school  = [[Kent-Meridian High School|Kent]] <br> (Kent, Washington)
| college      = [[USC Trojans football|USC]] (1923–1926)
| pastteams    = * [[New York Yankees (NFL)|New York Yankees]] ({{NFL Year|1927|1928}})
* [[New York Giants]] ({{NFL Year|1930|1935}})
* [[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] ({{NFL Year|1936}})
| pastcoaching = * [[USC Trojans football|USC]] (1937) <br> Assistant coach
* [[Ventura High School|Ventura]] (1938) <br> Head coach
* [[Columbia Lions football|Columbia]] (1939–1942) <br> Ends coach
* [[Washington Huskies football|Washington]] (1946–1953) <br> Ends coach
| highlights   = * [[List of NFL champions (1920–1969)|NFL champion]] ([[1934 NFL Championship Game|1934]])
* 3× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1931 All-Pro Team|1931]], [[1933 All-Pro Team|1933]], [[1934 All-Pro Team|1934]])
* [[List of NFL annual receptions leaders|NFL receptions co-leader]] (1934)
* First-team [[List of All-Pac-12 Conference football teams|All-PCC]] ([[1926 All-Pacific Coast football team|1926]])
| statlabel1   = [[Reception (gridiron football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue1   = 35
| statlabel2   = Receiving yards
| statvalue2   = 560
| statlabel3   = Receiving [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue3   = 7
| pfr          = B/BadgRe20
| HOF          = morris-red-badgro 
}}
| module2       = {{Infobox baseball biography
| embed         = yes
| name          = Red Badgro
| position      = [[Outfielder]]
| bats          = Left
| throws        = Right
| debutleague   = MLB
| debutdate     = June 20
| debutyear     = 1929
| debutteam     = St. Louis Browns
| finalleague   = MLB
| finaldate     = September 18
| finalyear     = 1930
| finalteam     = St. Louis Browns
| statleague    = MLB
| stat1label    = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
| stat1value    = .257
| stat2label    = [[Home run]]s 
| stat2value    = 2
| stat3label    = [[Run batted in|RBI]] 
| stat3value    = 45
| teams         =
* [[St. Louis Browns]] ({{MLB Year|1929}}–{{MLB Year|1930}})
| highlights    =
}}
}}

'''Morris Hiram''' "'''Red'''" '''Badgro''' (December 1, 1902 – July 13, 1998) was an American professional [[American football|football]] and [[baseball]] player. He played as an [[End (gridiron football)|end]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). 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. He then played nine seasons of professional football for the [[New York Yankees (NFL)|New York Yankees]] ([[1927 New York Yankees (NFL) season|1927]]–[[1928 New York Yankees (NFL) season|1928]]), [[New York Giants]] ([[1930 New York Giants season|1930]]–[[1935 New York Giants season|1935]]), and [[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] ([[1936 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|1936]]). He was selected as a first-team [[All-Pro]] in [[1931 All-Pro Team|1931]], [[1933 All-Pro Team|1933]], and [[1934 All-Pro Team|1934]]. He scored the first touchdown in the [[1933 NFL Championship Game|first NFL Championship Game]] and was a member of the [[1934 New York Giants season|1934 New York Giants]] team that won the [[1934 NFL Championship Game|second NFL Championship Game]].

Badgro also played professional baseball as an [[outfielder]] for six years from 1928 to 1933, including two seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] for the [[History of the St. Louis Browns|St. Louis Browns]] (1929–1930). 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 Lions football|Columbia]] (1939–1942) and [[Washington Huskies football|Washington]] ([[1946 Washington Huskies football team|1946]]–[[1953 Washington Huskies football team|1953]]).

==Early years==
Badgro was born in 1902 in [[Orillia, Washington]].<ref name="PFR">{{Cite web |title=Red Badgro |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BadgRe20.htm |access-date=October 1, 2017 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC}}</ref> His father, Walter Badgro (1865–1940), was a farmer in Orillia.<ref>Census entry for Walter Badgro and family. Son Morris H. age 7 born in Washington State. Census Place: Orillia, King, Washington; Roll: T624_1657; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0027; FHL microfilm: 1375670. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref><ref>Census entry for Walter Badgro and family. Son Morris age 16 born in Washington State. Census Place: Orillia, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1925; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 55. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref> He attended Kent High School where he was twice named captain of the basketball and baseball teams.<ref name="Kent">{{Cite web |title=Morris "Red" Badgro |url=http://gkhs.org/kent-stories/morris-red-badgro/ |access-date=October 1, 2017 |publisher=Greater Kent Historical Society}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richard Whittingham |title=What a Game They Played: An Inside Look at the Golden Era of Pro Football |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=1984 |isbn=0803298196 |page=46}}</ref>

==University of Southern California==
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.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 18, 1927 |title='Red' Badgro Is All-Around Star |page=13 |work=Santa Ana Register |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14133134/red_badgro_is_allaround_star/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> 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 was a [[Forward (basketball position)|forward]] for the USC basketball team and was named to the [[List of All-Pac-12 Conference men's basketball teams|All-Pacific Coast Conference basketball team]] in 1927.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 10, 1927 |title=Badgro on All-Coast Basketball Team |page=37 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14130433/badgro_on_allcoast_cage_team/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> During the 1927 baseball season, he led USC with a .352 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], scored 25 runs in 21 games, and was named to the All-California baseball team.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 15, 1927 |title=Morris Badgro Named On 3 All-Coast Teams |page=72 |work=[[The Courier-Journal]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14133021/morris_badgro_named_on_3_allcoast_teams/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Professional athlete==
===Football===
Badgro played 10 seasons of professional football. During the 1927 season, he appeared in 12 games for the New York Yankees.<ref name=PFR/> The Yankees folded after the 1928 season, and Badgro opted to focus on professional baseball. 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.<ref>Whittingham, "What a Game They Played", pp. 47-48.</ref>  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 (American football)|Steve Owen]] said of Badgro: "He could block, tackle, and catch passes equally well. And he could do each with the best of them."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richard Whittingham |title=What a Game They Played: An Inside Look at the Golden Era of Pro Football |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=1984 |isbn=0803298196 |page=45}}</ref> Highlights from Badgro's prime years include the following:
* In 1930, he appeared in 17 games at left end, 14 as a starter, and was selected by the ''Green Bay Press-Gazette'' as a second-team end on the [[1930 All-Pro Team]].<ref name=PFR/>
* In 1931, he appeared in 13 games, 11 as a starter, and was selected by the NFL as a first-team end on the official [[1931 All-Pro Team]].<ref name=PFR/>
* In 1932, he appeared in 12 games, 11 as a starter.<ref name=PFR/>
* In 1933, he appeared in 12 games, 10 as a starter, and was selected by the ''Chicago Daily News'' as a second-team end on the [[1933 All-Pro Team]].<ref name=PFR/> He helped lead the Giants to the [[1933 NFL Championship Game]] where he scored the first touchdown in the first NFL Championship Game, a 29-yard touchdown on a pass from [[Harry Newman (American football)|Harry Newman]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1933 NFL Championship Game |url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.aspx?story_id=2087 |access-date=October 1, 2017 |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame}}</ref>
* In 1934, he appeared in 13 games, all as a starter, for the Giants team that won the [[1934 NFL Championship Game]].  He was selected by the NFL and the ''Chicago Daily News'' as a first-team end on the [[1934 All-Pro Team]]. He also led the NFL with 16 receptions.<ref name=PFR/>
* Playing against the [[Washington Redskins|Boston Redskins]] in 1935, Badgro blocked a [[Punt (gridiron football)|punt]], and teammate [[Red Corzine|Les Corzine]] returned it for a go-ahead touchdown.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 21, 1935 |title=Giants Defeat Redskins, 17-6, In Early Attack |page=23 |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14133862/giants_defeat_redskins_175_in_early/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Badgro concluded his playing career with the [[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] in 1936.<ref name=PFR/>

===Baseball===
Badgro also played professional baseball. He played minor league ball in 1928 for the [[Tulsa Oilers (baseball)|Tulsa Oilers]] in the Western League and the Muskogee Chiefs in the Western Association, compiling a .351 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] in 513 [[at bat]]s.<ref name="BRM">{{Cite web |title=Red Badgro Minor League Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=badgro001mor |access-date=October 1, 2017 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC}}</ref> He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association in 1929.<ref name=BRM/>

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 compiled a .257 batting average in 382 major league at-bats and appeared in his final major league game on September 18, 1930.<ref name="BR">{{Cite web |title=Red Badgro Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/badgrre01.shtml |access-date=October 1, 2017 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC}}</ref>

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).<ref name=BRM/>

==NFL career statistics==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2"| Legend
|-
| style="background:#ffe6bd; width:3em;"|
| Won the [[History of the National Football League championship|NFL championship]]
|-
| style="background:#cfecec; width:3em;"|
| Led the league
|-
| style="width:3em;"| '''Bold'''
| Career high
|-
| style="width:3em;"| <u>Underline</u>
| Incomplete data
|}

===Regular season===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="5"| Receiving
|-
! {{abbr|GP|Games played}} !! {{abbr|GS|Games started}} !! {{abbr|Rec|Receptions}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Receiving yards}} !! {{abbr|Y/R|Yards per reception}} !! {{abbr|Lng|Longest reception}} !! {{abbr|TD|Receiving touchdowns}}
|-
! [[1927 NFL season|1927]] !! [[1927 New York Yankees (NFL) season|NYY]]
| 12 || 5 || — || — || — || — || 1
|-
! [[1928 NFL season|1928]] !! [[1928 New York Yankees (NFL) season|NYY]]
| 1 || 0 || — || — || — || — || 0
|-
! [[1930 NFL season|1930]] !! [[1930 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| '''17''' || '''14''' || — || — || — || — || '''3'''
|-
! [[1931 NFL season|1931]] !! [[1931 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| 13 || 11 || — || — || — || — || 0
|-
! [[1932 NFL season|1932]] !! [[1932 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| 12 || 11 || 6 || 106 || 17.7 || — || 0
|-
! [[1933 NFL season|1933]] !! [[1933 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| 12 || 10 || 9 || 176 || 19.6 || — || 2
|-
! [[1934 NFL season|1934]] !! style="background:#ffe6bd;"|[[1934 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| 13 || 13 || style="background:#cfecec;"| '''16''' || '''206''' || 12.9 || — || 1
|-
! [[1935 NFL season|1935]] !! [[1935 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| 5 || 5 || 1 || 13 || 13.0 || '''13''' || 0
|-
! [[1936 NFL season|1936]] !! [[1936 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season|BKN]]
| 9 || 7 || 3 || 59 || '''19.7''' || — || 0
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BadgRe20.htm Career] !! 94 !! <u>76</u> !! <u>35</u> !! <u>560</u> !! <u>16.0</u> !! <u>13</u> !! 7
|}

===Postseason===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Team
! colspan="2"| Games
! colspan="5"| Receiving
|-
! {{abbr|GP|Games played}} !! {{abbr|GS|Games started}} !! {{abbr|Rec|Receptions}} !! {{abbr|Yds|Receiving yards}} !! {{abbr|Y/R|Yards per reception}} !! {{abbr|Lng|Longest reception}} !! {{abbr|TD|Receiving touchdowns}}
|-
! [[1933 NFL Championship Game|1933]] !! [[1933 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| '''1''' || '''1''' || '''2''' || '''38''' || '''19.0''' || '''29''' || '''1'''
|-
! [[1934 NFL Championship Game|1934]] !! style="background:#ffe6bd;"|[[1934 New York Giants season|NYG]]
| — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BadgRe20/gamelog/post/ Career] !! 1 !! <u>1</u> !! <u>2</u> !! <u>38</u> !! <u>19.0</u> !! <u>29</u> !! <u>1</u>
|}

==Coaching career==
In 1937, Badgro returned to USC to finish the credits he needed to graduate.<ref name=p51/> At the same time, he was a member of [[Howard Jones (American football coach)|Howard Jones]]' football coaching staff at USC, responsible for working with USC's frosh players.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 21, 1937 |title=Troy Drills on Defense |page=30 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14130647/troy_drills_on_defense/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In June 1938, Badgro was hired as the football coach at [[Ventura High School]] in [[Ventura, California]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 4, 1938 |title=Badgro Will Coach At Ventura High |page=15 |work=The San Bernardino County Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14124185/badgro_will_coach_at_ventura_high/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He also coached football, baseball, and basketball for [[Ventura Junior College]].<ref name="p51">Whittington, "What a Game They Played", p. 51.</ref>

In June 1939, he was hired as an assistant coach (responsible for ends) under [[Lou Little]] at [[Columbia Lions football|Columbia]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 23, 1939 |title=Badgro to Coach Ends at Columbia |page=20 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14124386/badgro_to_coach_ends_at_columbia/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He remained at Columbia through the 1942 season.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 17, 1942 |title=Stars Serving Under Uncle Sam |page=19 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14124470/stars_serving_under_uncle_sam/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1944, Badgro was employed in a Seattle war plant.

In February 1946, Badgro was hired as an assistant football coach at the [[University of Washington]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 19, 1946 |title=Huskies Sign Red Badgro |page=11 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14124573/huskies_sign_red_badgro/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> When [[Howard Odell]] took over as Washington's head coach, he retained Badgro as his ends coach.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 17, 1948 |title=Reggie Root and Red Badgro Named Husky Grid Aides |page=31 |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14124660/reggie_root_and_red_badgro_named_husky/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Badgro was again retained when [[John Cherberg]] took over as head coach in 1953.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 14, 1953 |title=Huskies Name Back Coach |page=3 |work=Corvallis Gazette-Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14124762/huskies_name_back_coach/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He resigned his coaching post at Washington in January 1954 in order to pursue private business in [[Kent, Washington]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 29, 1954 |title=Huskies Lose Coach Badgro |page=7 |work=Statesman Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14124852/huskies_lose_coach_badgro/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Family, later years, and honors==
Badgro was married to Dorothea Taylor. After retiring from football, Badgro worked for the Department of Agriculture in the State of Washington.<ref name=p51/>

In 1967, Badgro was inducted into the Washington State Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 25, 1967 |title=Sports Figures Honored |page=10 |work=The Daily Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14125686/sports_figures_honored/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Badgro was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1981 at age 78. At that time, he was the oldest person to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 29, 1981 |title=Badgro to become Hall of Fame's oldest enshrinee |page=E1 |work=The Akron Beacon Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14125984/badgro_to_become_hall_of_fames_oldest/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Badgro's Hall of Fame Induction Party was held on August 15th, 1981, at 5 PM in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Badgro died in July 1998 at age 95 in [[Kent, Washington]]. He had been hospitalized after a fall.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Frank Litsky |date=July 15, 1998 |title=Red Badgro, 95, Football Hall of Famer, Dies |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/15/sports/red-badgro-95-football-hall-of-famer-dies.html |access-date=October 1, 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Badgro1.jpg|thumb|Invitation to Red Badgro's Hall of Fame induction party.]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Profootballhof|id=18|name=Red Badgro}}
* {{Find a Grave|10706}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl= |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=B/BadgRe20 |rotoworld= }}
{{Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=b/badgrre01 |fangraphs= |cube= |brm= }}

{{New York Yankees (NFL)}}
{{1934 New York Giants}}
{{NFL receptions leaders}}
{{1981 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Badgro, Red}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:American football defensive ends]]
[[Category:American football ends]]
[[Category:Forwards (basketball)]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]]
[[Category:Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) players]]
[[Category:Columbia Lions football coaches]]
[[Category:New York Yankees (NFL) players]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Browns players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:USC Trojans baseball players]]
[[Category:USC Trojans football coaches]]
[[Category:USC Trojans football players]]
[[Category:USC Trojans men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Washington Huskies football coaches]]
[[Category:Longview Cannibals players]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players]]
[[Category:Muskogee Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Seattle Indians players]]
[[Category:Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Wichita Falls Spudders players]]
[[Category:High school football coaches in California]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Kent, Washington]]
[[Category:Players of American football from King County, Washington]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths from falls]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]