David Eriale McArthur Jr. (November 18, 1904March 9, 1948) was a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

and

professional athlete In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larg ...

in the United States.

Personal life

Born on November 18, 1904, in

Cumberland Gap, Tennessee Cumberland Gap is a town in Claiborne County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 494 at the 2010 census, and estimated to be 490 in 2019. The town is located below the Cumberland Gap, a historic mountain pass for which is the town's nam ...

, son to David Eriale McArthur Sr., David Eriale McArthur Jr. grew up in Fountain City, Knoxville. He became a

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

, and graduated from Central High School, where he was the

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

team

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. McArthur graduated from the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

(UT) in 1927. By 1940, he worked with his brother at an

automobile repair shop An automobile repair shop (also known regionally as a garage or a workshop) is an establishment where automobiles are repaired by auto mechanics and technicians. Types Automotive garages and repair shops can be divided into following categor ...

Pass-a-Grille Pass-a-Grille is a small beach neighborhood and former town at the south end of St. Pete Beach in Pinellas County, Florida. The community includes the Pass-a-Grille Historic District, Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, and Pass-A-Grille Beach. The n ...

St. Pete Beach, Florida St. Pete Beach (formerly called St. Petersburg Beach) is a coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida. Known as a tourist destination, St. Pete Beach was formed from the towns of Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated ...

. On March 9, 1948, McArthur was found dead in a nearby building, having been shot in the head with a German

pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...

that was left nearby.

Football

McArthur graduated from the

(UT) in 1927. He played tackle for the Tennessee Volunteers' football program from

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

through 1927. UT coach

Robert Neyland Robert Reese Neyland (; February 17, 1892 – March 28, 1962) was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach at the Univ ...

called McArthur one of the best tackles he ever coached. McArthur was one of four Volunteers selected to All-Southern teams that year (joined by UT players guard John Barnhill, halfback

Dick Dodson Richard B. Dodson was a college football player. University of Tennessee Football Dodson was a running back for the Tennessee Volunteers of the University of Tennessee from 1925 to 1927. 1927 Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores led 7–0 un ...

, and center

Elvin Butcher Elvin Oscar Butcher (February 9, 1907 – June 6, 1957) was a college football and basketball player for the Tennessee Volunteers of the University of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Football Butcher was a prominent football player for Rober ...

). Combative with Dodson, the two faced off after their senior season in an

amateur boxing Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration, comprising three rounds of three ...

match at Knoxville's Lyric Theater. Knoxville Police Chief Joe Kimsey refereed, and when it was over, McArthur left the theater with a

nasal fracture A nasal fracture, commonly referred to as a broken nose, is a fracture of one of the bones of the nose. Symptoms may include bleeding, swelling, bruising, and an inability to breathe through the nose. They may be complicated by other facial frac ...

and . After college, McArthur played

professional gridiron football In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country. Currently, th ...

for the

Akron Pros The Akron Pros were a professional football team that played in Akron, Ohio from 1908 to 1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, but later became Akron Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter mem ...

, Ashland Armcos,

Memphis Tigers The Memphis Tigers are the Sport, athletic teams that represent the University of Memphis, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level as a member of ...

, and

Newark Tornadoes The Orange Tornadoes and Newark Tornadoes were two manifestations of a long-lived professional American football franchise that existed in some form from 1887 to 1941 and from 1958 to 1970, having played in the American Amateur Football Union from ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McArthur, Dave 1904 births 1948 deaths All-Southern college football players American football tackles deaths by firearm in Florida Newark Tornadoes players sportspeople from Pinellas County, Florida Tennessee Volunteers football players