Joe Abbey
| No. 26, 39 | |||||||||
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| Position | End | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | March 21, 1925 Denton, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | March 6, 2014 (aged 88) Denton, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 202 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Denton | ||||||||
| College | North Texas (1946–1947) | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||
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Joseph Reed Abbey (March 21, 1925 – March 6, 2014) was an American football player and athletics administrator. He played college football for North Texas State, professional football for the Chicago Bears and New York Bulldogs. He served as athletic director at public school systems in Fontana and Chico, California, and at Parkland College. He was inducted into both the National Athletic Directors Hall of Fame and the University of North Texas Athletic Hall of Fame.
Early years and military
[edit]Abbey was born in 1925 in Denton, Texas, and attended Denton High School. While in high school, he received three varsity letters in both football and basketball.[1] Denton finished in 3rd in state in football in 1942 and made the playoffs in Abbey's senior year of 1943.
College career
[edit]Abbey started his college career at the University of Texas where he was on the team in 1944. He didn't earn a letter, but was given a reserve award.[2][3] In Oct of 1944 he was drafted into the Army and left the team. [4]
He served in the Army during World War II and was stationed in the Philippines starting in May of 1945 and returned by October of 1946.[5][6]
In February 1947, after returning from the war, Abbey enrolled at the North Texas State Teachers College along with his former Denton High School and University of Texas teammate Zeke Martin.[1] In Abbey's one season, the team won the Lone Star Conference championships in 1947.
Pro Career
[edit]In May 1948, Abbey signed a contract to play professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears.[7] He appeared in 10 games for the Bears at the end position during the 1948 season. He played some on offense (five receptions for 67 yards), but he gained particular notice for his work as a defensive end.[8] After the 1948 season, Jake Lewis of the Denton Record-Chronicle wrote:
Abbey, who will probably go down as one of North Texas all-time stars, has already proved himself in the tough pro game. The big 200-pounder had to beat out some of the nation's leading ends last year to stay with the talent-loaded Bears. He went on to become one of George Halas' most dependable performers . . ."[9]
After the 1948 season, Abbey was released by the Bears after suffering a knee injury. In October 1949, Abbey signed with the New York Bulldogs. He appeared in six games for the Bulldogs and tallied eight receptions for 110 yards.
Later life
[edit]After his playing career ended, Abbey worked as a teacher and coach for more than 35 years, including stints with Tarleton State and as the athletic director for school districts in Fontana and Chico, California. He concluded his career with 21 years as athletic director at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. He was inducted into the National Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in 1988 and the University of North Texas Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. Abbey died in 2014.[5][10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Two Ex-Broncos Stars Enroll at NTSC". Denton Record Chronicle. February 25, 1947. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- ↑ "22 Longhorns Get Grid Awards". The Houston Post. December 7, 1944. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- ↑ 1945 Cactus Yearbook. 1945. p. 387. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas Gridders to Don US Uniforms". The Victoria Advocate. October 18, 1944. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
- 1 2 "Joe Reed Abbey". Legacy.com. March 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Miss Hazel Belcher of Krum is bride of Sam Abbey of Denton". Denton Record-Chronicle. October 20, 1946. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
- ↑ "Eagles' Abbey Turns Pro". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. May 30, 1948. p. II-4 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Joe Abbey Reports To Pro Bulldogs". Denton Record-Chronicle. October 14, 1949. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Lewis, Jake (April 8, 1949). "Eyes on the Eagles". Denton Record-Chronicle. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Obituary, news-gazette.com; accessed June 28, 2015.
- 1925 births
- 2014 deaths
- American football ends
- Chicago Bears players
- New York Bulldogs players
- North Texas Mean Green football players
- Tarleton State Plowboys football coaches
- Tarleton State Texans men's basketball coaches
- High school athletic directors in the United States
- Junior college athletic directors in the United States
- Players of American football from Denton, Texas
- Coaches of American football from Texas
- Basketball coaches from Texas
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- Texas Longhorns football players