Frankie Albert

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Frank Cullen Albert (January 27, 1920 – September 4, 2002) was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a quarterback and punter with the San Francisco 49ers in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and later in National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Indians, where he led the 1940 football team to an undefeated season and the 1941 Rose Bowl.

Many who saw Albert in action credit him as being the greatest left-handed quarterback ever to play the game.[1]

Biography

Early years

Frankie Albert was born in Chicago and attended Glendale High School in Glendale, California.

College career

He went to Stanford University, where he was coached by T formation innovator Clark Shaughnessy. Albert played as Stanford's quarterback and in 1940–41 became an all-American. He was the first college T-formation quarterback in modern football history. He led the team of 1940 to a 9–0 regular season, 21–13 victory over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl and a No. 2 national ranking, behind Minnesota. He was also a member of Stanford's chapter of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

World War II

With the outbreak of World War II, Albert, as with most young American men of his generation, went before the Army for military draft classification. In December 1941, he was designated 1-B due to his having flat feet.[2]

Wishing to aid the military effort and undeterred by his suboptimal categorization, amidst rumors that the Stanford University campus was to be converted into a training school for aviators,[3] Albert applied to join US Navy Reserve as part of its announced physical training program for navy aviators. Albert's application was accepted, along with those of four other Stanford football teammates, and the group were slated to enter basic naval training at Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia in April.[4] The physical training program in which they served was under the direction of lieutenant commander Gene Tunney, a former heavyweight boxing champion.[5]

At the same time, the Chicago Bears selected Albert in the 1942 NFL draft with the 10th overall pick. He would never play with the team, serving instead in the Navy for four years.

Professional football career

File:Frankie Albert 1947.jpg
Frankie Albert circa 1947.

After quarterbacking the Los Angeles Bulldogs of the Pacific Coast Football League in 1945, he launched his All-Pro career with the San Francisco 49ers of the All-America Football Conference in 1946. He played seven seasons with the 49ers.

A founding member of the 49ers, Albert was also the highest-paid member of the team, with a contract paying him $10,000 for the 1946 season.[6]

Albert, a Script error: No such module "convert"., 166-pound, left-handed passer, was credited for inventing the bootleg play, in which the quarterback fakes a handoff then runs wide with the ball hidden on his hip.[7] In 1948, he had the record for most passing touchdowns in a season in the league's history, and was named AAFC co-Most Valuable Player with Otto Graham. He played his last two seasons competing with Y. A. Tittle.

In 1950, Albert was named to the Pro Bowl when the 49ers joined the National Football League. He had 14 touchdown passes that year, and with his twelfth, he became the third quarterback in NFL history (after Sammy Baugh and Sid Luckman) with 100 career touchdown passes, which was the highmark for the position at the time (Otto Graham joined the 100 mark to end the season as well).[8] He retired after the season of 1952. In seven pro seasons, Albert threw for 10,795 yards and 115 touchdowns.

After retiring from playing in the NFL, Albert played one final season with the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders, before retiring from playing football for good.[9]

Coaching career

File:Albert-Frankie-1956.jpg
Albert as new coach of the 49ers, 1956.

After his retirement, the 49ers hired him as a scout and coach. He was named head coach in 1956 by owner Tony Morabito.

In his second year, Albert led the 49ers to their first winning record since 1954. They won five of their six games before a three-game losing streak had them at 5–4. They won the final three games to finish 8–4. They finished in a tie for first in the Western Conference with the Detroit Lions, with both teams winning against the other at home. As such, they had to play a one-game playoff to determine who would play in the NFL Championship Game, with this being their first playoff game since 1949.

On December 22, they played the Lions at Kezar Stadium. Facing backup Tobin Rote (subbing in for Bobby Layne, hurt two weeks earlier), the 49ers led 24–7 at halftime on the strength of three touchdown passes from Y. A. Tittle. They led by twenty after a field goal in the third quarter, but Detroit roared back in a monumental comeback, scoring 24 unanswered points to win 31–27.[10]

Albert led the team to a 6–6 record the following year before he was replaced by Red Hickey; the 49ers would not threaten for a playoff spot until 1970. He coached the 49ers for three seasons, compiling a 19–16–1 record.

The Professional Football Researchers Association named Albert to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2007.[11]

Personal life

After his retirement from both playing and coaching football, Albert got into the real estate business.

Albert married his high school sweetheart, Martha Barringer, in 1962, and remained married to her for 60 years until his death. They had three daughters together: Nancy, Jane, and Terry.[12] Jane would become a well-known tennis player whose accomplishments led her to become the first woman inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.[13]

Albert died on September 4, 2002, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.[14]

Football career statistics

AAFC/NFL

Regular season

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked Punting
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Sck SckY Pnt Yds Avg Lng
1946 SF 14 11 — 104 197 52.8 1,404 7.1 54 14 14 69.8 69 -10 -0.1 — 4 — — 54 2,214 41.0 —
1947 SF 14 9 — 128 242 52.9 1,692 7.0 60 18 15 74.3 46 179 3.9 — 5 13 119 40 1,759 44.0 —
1948 SF 14 9 — 154 264 58.3 1,990 7.5 59 29 10 102.9 69 349 5.1 — 8 16 165 35 1,568 44.8 —
1949 SF 12 9 — 129 260 49.6 1,862 7.2 75 27 16 82.2 35 249 7.1 — 3 14 153 31 1,495 48.2 —
1950 SF 12 12 3-9-0 155 306 50.7 1,767 5.8 43 14 23 52.3 53 272 5.1 42 3 — 311 37 1,424 38.5 64
1951 SF 12 11 6-4-1 90 166 54.2 1,116 6.7 47 5 10 60.2 35 146 4.2 34 3 — 171 34 1,507 44.3 66
1952 SF 12 7 4-3-0 71 129 55.0 964 7.5 60 8 10 67.5 22 87 4.0 29 1 — 177 68 2,899 42.6 70
Career 90 68 13-16-1 831 1,564 53.1 10,795 6.9 75 115 98 73.5 329 1,272 3.9 42 27 43 1,096 299 12,866 43.0 70

Postseason

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked Punting
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Sck SckY Pnt Yds Avg Lng
1949 SF 2 2 1-1-0 17 41 41.5 204 5.0 30 2 2 53.3 14 92 6.6 — 0 4 39 14 639 45.6 —
Career 2 2 1-1-0 17 41 41.5 204 5.0 30 2 2 53.3 14 92 6.6 N/A 0 4 39 14 639 45.6 N/A

CFL

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacked Punting
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A Lng TD Int Rtg Att Yds Y/A Lng TD Sck SckY Pnt Yds Avg Lng
1953 CAL — — 3-12-1 104 225 48.2 1,562 — — 12 16 — 53 -25 -0.5 — 2 — — 48 1,926 40.1 —
Career — — 3-12-1 104 225 48.2 1,562 — — 12 16 — 53 -25 -0.5 — 2 — — 48 1,926 40.1 —

Head coaching record

NFL

Team Year Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
SF 1956 5 6 1 Template:Winpct 3rd in NFL Western — — — —
SF 1957 8 4 0 Template:Winpct T–1st in NFL Western 0 1 .000 Lost to the Detroit Lions in conference playoff game.
SF 1958 6 6 0 Template:Winpct 4th in NFL Western — — — —
SF total 19 16 1 Template:Winpct 0 1 Template:Winpct
Total 19 16 1 Template:Winpct

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ "The Sports Desk," Zanesville Times Recorder, Jan. 1, 1942, p. 5.
  3. ↑ "Pete Kmetovic Applies for Ensign's Post," Peninsula Times Tribune, Feb. 6, 1942, p. 1.
  4. ↑ Associated Press, "Albert Among Five Card Stars Under Tunney," Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, Feb. 7, 1942, p. 7.
  5. ↑ "Pete Kmetovic Named Valley College Grid Mentor: Ex-Stanford All-American to Coach Indians' Eleven," San Bernardino Sun Telegram, March 26, 1948, p. 27.
  6. ↑ Glenn Dickey, The San Francisco 49ers: The First Fifty Years. Atlanta, GA: Turner Books, 1995; p. 33.
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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