Alex Kapter
 Kapter in 1946 | |||||
| No. 39 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Guard | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | March 26, 1922 Waukegan, Illinois, U.S. | ||||
| Died | July 25, 2005 (aged 83) Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. | ||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school | Waukegan | ||||
| College | Northwestern | ||||
| NFL draft | 1944: 21st round, 211th overall pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||
| |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
| |||||
Alexander Joe Kapter (March 26, 1922 – July 26, 2005) was an American professional football player who was a guard for one season with the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Kapter played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats and joined the Browns after a stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Cleveland won the AAFC championship in 1946, his only season as a professional football player.
College career
[edit]Kapter attended Northwestern University, where he played for the Wildcats. He started play as a sophomore year in 1941, but only became the team's regular left guard in 1942.[1] Kapter entered the U.S. Navy in 1943, but was allowed to stay at Northwestern along with the football team's quarterback, Otto Graham, to finish the season.[2] Kapter played in the College All-Star Game in 1943 and was named to the team again in 1944.[3] The Navy barred him from participating in the 1944 game, however, because of a rule that disallowed any activity that would require an absence of 48 hours or more.[4]
Professional career
[edit]Kapter was selected in the 21st round of the 1944 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions,[5] but military service delayed his entry into the professional ranks. He signed in 1946 to play for the Cleveland Browns, a team under formation in the new All-America Football Conference.[6] Otto Graham, Kapter's teammate at Northwestern, also signed with the Browns.[7] During the 1946 season, Kapter alternated on occasion with Bill Willis at right guard when Willis came down with strep throat.[8] The Browns won the AAFC championship that year.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Over-Eagerness Wins Steady Job". The Leader-Post. October 14, 1942. p. 17. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Complete List of Star Team". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. August 10, 1944. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Seven All-Stars Banned by Order". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. August 16, 1944. p. 6. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
- ↑ "1944 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Ex-Marquette Guard Signed by Browns". Cleveland Plain Dealer. March 3, 1946. p. 2C.
- ↑ Piascik 2007, p. 19.
- ↑ Sauerbrei, Harold (November 4, 1946). "Field Goal in Last 18 Seconds Hands Browns 2d Loss in Row, 17-16". Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 18.
- ↑ Piascik 2007, p. 64.
Bibliography
[edit]- Piascik, Andy (2007). The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58979-571-6.
External links
[edit]
- Career statistics from Pro Football Reference