Edward Lee Merkle (July 3, 1917 – November 27, 1987) was an American football guard in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Oklahoma A&M.
| No. 51 | |
 Merkle in 1946 | |
| Date of birth | July 3, 1917 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Windsor, Missouri, USA |
| Date of death | November 27, 1987 (aged 70) |
| Place of death | Los Angeles |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| US college | Oklahoma A&M |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1944 | Washington Redskins |
| Career stats | |
| Games played | 10 |
| Starts | 4 |
| |
Biography
editEd Merkle was born July 3, 1917, at Windsor, Missouri. He was of Dutch-German ancestry.[1]
He attended Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (Oklahoma A&M), today's Oklahoma State University, where he played football for the Cowboys.
He joined the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) for the 1944 season, seeing action in 10 games and starting in 4.[2] After World War II, Merkle attempted to resurrect his professional football career as a member of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference,[3] but he was released just ahead of the season and did not see regular season action for that team.[4]
Merkle died November 27, 1987 in Los Angeles County, California. He was 70 years old at the time of his death.
References
edit- ^ George Strickler (ed.), National Football League 1944 Roster Manual. Chicago: National Football League, 1944; pp. 42–43.
- ^ "Ed Merkle," Pro Football Reference, www.pro-football-reference.com/
- ^ The Don: Los Angeles Dons — Brooklyn Dodgers, September 13, 1946: Official Program. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Dons, 1946; p. 16.
- ^ Kenneth R. Crippen and Matt Reaser (eds.), The All-America Football Conference: Players, Coaches, Records, Games, and Awards, 1946–1949. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2018; p. 267.