Paul Nelson Dekker (February 24, 1931 – May 8, 2001) was a professional gridiron football end who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Redskins in the third round of the 1953 NFL draft after playing college football for the Michigan State Spartans.
| No. 83, 75[1] | |
|---|---|
| Position: | End |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 24, 1931 Muskegon, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died: | May 8, 2001 (aged 70) Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Muskegon (Michigan) |
| College: | Michigan State |
| NFL draft: | 1953 / round: 3 / pick: 27 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editPaul Nelson Dekker was born on February 24, 1931, in Muskegon, Michigan.[1] He played high school football at Muskegon High School as an end and earned all-state honors twice.[1][2][3] He was inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.[2]
College career
editDekker was a member of the Michigan State Spartans of Michigan State College from 1949 to 1952.[2] He was a two-year starter and letterman from 1951 to 1952.[1] He was part of the Michigan State team that won the school's first football national championship in 1952, after finishing the season with a 9–0 record.[2] Dekker was also named to the Associated Press's All-Western team in 1952 and caught 13 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown that season.[2][4] After his senior year, he played in the East–West Shrine game, the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game, and the Hula Bowl.[2]
Professional career
editDekker was selected by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in the third round, with the 27th overall pick, of the 1953 NFL draft.[5] He played in 11 games, starting eight, during his rookie year in 1953, catching 14 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown.[5] He became a free agent on May 1, 1954.[6] Dekker re-signed with the team in 1956 but was later released on September 21, 1956.[6]
Dekker played in 90 games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1956 to 1962, recording 234 receptions for 3,718 yards and 27 touchdowns.[1] He was part of the Tiger-Cats team that won the 45th Grey Cup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on November 30, 1957.[7] He was a CFL East All-Star four times from 1958 to 1961.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Paul Dekker". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Paul Dekker". mashf.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ DeCamp, Scott (November 13, 2019). "25 greatest football players of all time from the Muskegon area". mlive.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ "Paul Dekker". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ a b "Paul Dekker". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b "Paul Dekker NFL Transactions". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "1957 Hamilton Tiger-Cats (IRFU)". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "Paul Dekker". statscrew.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024.