Joe Kopcha
| No. 22, 29, 18 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Guard | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | December 23, 1905 Whiting, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | July 29, 1986 (aged 80) Hobart, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Whiting (IN) | ||||||||
| College | Chattanooga | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Joseph Edwards Kopcha (December 23, 1905 – July 29, 1986) was an American professional football player who was a guard for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Chicago Bears.
Kopcha attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he studied to become an obstetrician,[1] and played professional football in order to fund his university studies.[2] Kopcha played for the Detroit Lions when he obtained an internship at Harper Hospital, after previously studying at the Rush Medical College when playing for the Bears.[3] Kopcha used his knowledge to redesign the shoulder pads worn by players, with his basic designs still in use today.[4]
Personal life
[edit]Kopcha was of Polish descent.[5]
References
[edit]- ↑ Layden, Elmer (November 1936). "College Athletics Over-Emphasised? No!". The Rotarian. 49 (5): 60.
- ↑ Carroll, John M (2004). Red Grange and the Rise of Modern Football. United States: University of Illinois Press. p. 175. ISBN 0-252-07166-2.
- ↑ Heise, Kenan. "Dr. Joseph Kopcha, 80, Guard For Bears In '30s". www.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- ↑ Braunwart, Bob. "DR. JOE: A GUARD'S GUARD" (PDF). www.profootballresearchers.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- ↑ Ronkowski, Steve (March 5, 2012). "Pulaski Day Special: All-Time, All-Polish Bears Team". Windy City Gridiron.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | This biographical article relating to an American football offensive lineman born in the 1900s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
- 1905 births
- 1986 deaths
- American football offensive guards
- American people of Polish descent
- Chattanooga Mocs football players
- Chicago Bears players
- Detroit Lions players
- People from Whiting, Indiana
- Players of American football from Lake County, Indiana
- Whiting High School alumni
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- American football offensive lineman, 1900s birth stubs